“I should stop expecting hidden depth out of a puddle.”
This quote (so hilarious I’m going to use it in real life) is what I often expect when picking up a fantasy book, but not Five Broken Blades.
Political fantasy with a cast of incredible characters including a poison maiden, a thief, a banished prince and more, attempting to pull of the biggest heist, dethrone a god king, and maybe just survive the adventure.
This book kept me guessing, with secrets, unlikely alliances. and a plot twist I did not see coming!
Each POV had their own narrator. Every one was amazing and perfectly embodied their character. It made it easier to keep up with who was who because I could recognise the narrator’s voice.
Five Broken Blades is one I just have to have a physical copy of to add to my own personal library.
Please excuse me while I anxiously await the sequel.

This book was such a fun ride! It felt like a huge adventure and mystery rolled in to one, with a dash of romance on the side. As with any fantasy series, the first part was a little slow due to world building and character introduction. All of the characters come together about halfway through the book. The full cast narration was excellent and really helped me keep track of all the POV changes throughout the book. I enjoyed the depth and complexity of the characters, as I ended up liking and disliking all of them at various points throughout the story. Several of the reveals at the end had me truly shocked, and I would have never guessed them. I love how it sets up the next book perfectly, and I will definitely be reading it!

Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of the audiobook, and to Red Tower Books for providing me with a physical copy of the book. This review is voluntary, and all opinions expressed are my own.

This has been on my radar since it was first announced because Red Tower has gone out and found some absolutely amazing stories to grace us with over the past year. This is the authors fantasy debut and I am here for it. Mai Corland does an amazing job wrangling 6 points of view and plots within plots and tracing all of the lies to the biggest liar.

I really enjoyed this story and the characters, it's a fun New Adult fantasy/romance that is similar in vibes to Six of Crows with a distinct The Westing Game/Clue style of liars and lies. I loved that clues to what was going on were sprinkled into the different points of view, but the clues didn't necessarily belong to the character who was the current POV. I found the ending to be very interesting and that it leaves it open to a continuation, possibly a duology which to me would be perfect.

Highly recommend for those who loved Six of Crows, The Gilded Wolves but wanted a little more morally grey characters and less of a found family vibe.

Thank you to RB Media for the opportunity to listen to a review copy. The narration was perfect in my mind and I loved that I was able to pick up more clues and hints about the story and the characters with the fantastic full cast. I loved listening to the story and reading along with the physical book. Hats off to the cast of narrators

I wasn’t sure about this book at first. There are multiple POV, multiple storylines that all cross together and multiple possible romances. The pacing was a little bit slow at times, but I kept listening, trusting the author’s process. The multiple narrators did a great job. All the characters join together for one common goal. This book was worth it as it got to the end. The end was like the ultimate fireworks finale on the 4th of July. I am looking forward to the next book in the series. Huge thanks to RB media and Netgalley for allowing me to listen and review this book.

Five Broken Blades follows multiple POVs through a tale of five assassins/thieves on a quest to dethrone and kill the current king of Yusan. Each of the characters has their own motives and plan for the crown once obtained, and everyone is keeping secrets.

This was a clever novel with an interesting world and lore (inspired by Korean history!), but the characters just didn’t work for me and I wasn’t as invested in the plot as I would have liked to be. It took me a significant time to get the characters straight despite each one having a different narrator in the audiobook and different backstories. There was a tendency to tell more than show. I also only really cared about one of the romance pairings - the other two fell flat and at times felt forced. I think this book would have worked better for me if had fewer POVs and was about 100 pages shorter.

The audiobook narrators were skilled and once I got the characters figured out in my mind, I really appreciated their voices. I think in particular Euyn and Sora were fun to follow.

I would recommend this book to fans of sweeping historical fantasies with many characters and POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley and RB Media for access to this audio ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I'll be recommending this one to all of my high stakes fantasy lovers! This rag tag group of unlikely friends made for an exciting ride. I loved every character and the author did such an amazing job with each unique voice.

Five broken blades left me second guessing every person and still caught me off guard. I cannot wait for book two.

This audiobook is amazing too with multiple narrators!

Ever since I saw this might be a featured book for Book of the Month, I was curious. The blurb doesn't do this book justice.

The world of Yusan is so amazingly built, I was able to imagine nearly every detail even down to the samrock. With 6 POVs, Five Broken Blades weaves an intricate story of 5 people tasked with killing the god king Joon. While all of the characters have things that make them stand out, I would say Aeri is my favorite. She's a smart thief who adores fashion.

The narrators blew this audiobook out of the park and created such an immersive experience that I didn't even realize that it was 15 hours long. I got a couple of chapters in and immediately pre-ordered the sprayed edges version, which I'm happy to say is the most beautiful book I now own.

Mai Corland has created a smash hit romantasy that left me begging for more (in a good way!) and I absolutely look forward to more.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @recordedbooks for the advanced audio copy!

Five Broken Blades- Mai Corland
Narrated by Donald Chang, Greg Chun, Zion Jang, Sophie Oda, Jaine Ye, Roger Yeh

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️
Narration🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

What a ride this book was. I did love how each character had their own voice/narrator. It was done in dual style so each narrator would read the whole chapter including all the dialogue. At first it was kind of hard to remember like who was who and who did what, but the more you got into it and the longer you spent with the characters, the easier it was to remember who was who. I wish so much that the romance portions were more open door, but I do understand that that was not the focus of the story. It was such a great story with lots of twists and turns and had me even laughing at parts along the way. I can’t wait to see what happens next!

These were all new to me narrators and they all did such a fabulous job bringing life to each of their characters.

I am ready for the next book. I was immediately captivated. This had my full attention and I couldn't put it down.

It's low fantasy, maybe more mythological magic, so it was easy to get into. I found myself immersed in the world. The world-building was easy to understand and I enjoyed the sense that events could take place during any time period.

The build-up is slower-paced, but I never felt bored. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. Each character has their own personality the multiple POVs were easy to distinguish. The multiple narrators do a fantastic playing each part.

I loved the different relationships, the romantic ones, and the found family that was created.

I loved the suspense, tension, deception, and romance...and twists.

Thank you to Netgalley, Mai Corland and RB Media for an audio arc for an honest review.

It’s the season for treason, and this synopsis delivers a gripping tale of intrigue, betrayal, and high-stakes power struggles that will leave you on the edge of your seat! Set in the vividly depicted kingdom of Yusan, where the oppressive reign of the God King Joon has sparked a rebellion among the most unlikely of allies – five skilled and dangerous individuals summoned to undertake the ultimate mission: regicide.

The premise alone is enough to hook any reader, but it's the intricately woven web of motives, secrets, and conflicting loyalties that truly sets this story apart. From the hired hitman seeking redemption to the prince banished for his own atrocities, each character brings a unique perspective and a personal vendetta against the tyrant ruler. As they navigate the treacherous landscape of palace politics and deadly alliances, they must confront not only the external threat of the God King but also the demons of their own pasts.

The promise of vengeance drives them forward, but it's the complex dynamics of trust and deception that will keep you guessing until the very end. Can these five killers set aside their differences and work together to achieve their goal? Or will their own ambitions tear them apart before they can even reach the throne room?

With its fast-paced plot, morally ambiguous characters, and twists and turns aplenty, 'It’s the Season for Treason' is a must-read for fans of epic fantasy and political intrigue. So buckle up and prepare to embark on a thrilling journey where the only certainty is that only one can emerge victorious. Let the best liar win indeed!

Five Broken Blades by Mai Corland is the first book in The Broken Blades Series.
 
This story is set in a fantasy world inspired by Korean mythology and legends, and I loved everything about that. The world building was full of intrigue and mystery and that provided so many plot twists.
 
The premise of the book is that there are five killers who all have the same goal of killing King Joon. This story is very character driven and all five of the blades were so different and had their own motivations and I loved all of them. I listened to the audio that was more like a dramatized version and each character had their own pov and narrator and that made me love the characters even more and it was brilliantly done how all fit together. You can trust no one and the story is full of lies, vengeance and betrayal and that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time and the plot twist towards the end truly shocked me and I can’t wait for the next book.
 
If you like action packed fantasy books with great characters and Six of Crows vibes, you need to check out this book. 4,5 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

4.5 ⭐️

This is a “wow” read. 6 POVs; the audiobook gives us a narrator for each POV creating a captivating listening experience. 5 blades, but I’d argue all 6 know there way around a weapon of choice. All 6 want the king dead. Or do they? Corland’s ability to weave intrigue via politics, vendettas, societal atrocities, romance, family dynamics, magic, deceit (the list can go on) together in creatively intricate layers is 🤯. The character dynamics were superbly executed and led to some good preliminary character development.

This is book 1. I don’t trust anything or anyone at this stage, and I love it.

Thank you so VERY much to NetGalley, Mia Cartland, and RB media for an audiobook ARC. My preorder from B&N (😑) still hasn’t arrived, and I’m not sure how I’d be handing my extra week wait without this opportunity in exchange for an honest review.

A ragtag band of skilled individuals, all out to kill the king. Each is working to their own end, and not one is telling the truth to any of the others.

Five broken blades is an action packed fantasy adventure that feels like reading the adventures of a dnd group. A dash if trouble here, a smudge of romance there, and excitement to keep you on the edge of your seat.

Loved from start to finish! I wish I had my physical book in to make the experience even better but I loved everything about this audio book!! The cast of characters were amazing, and the story was remarkable 🥰

Thank you to NetGalley, RB Media, and the author for the gifted audiobook.

As soon as I saw the glowing reviews, I knew I had to give it a try. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The way the story was told from multiple perspectives and narrated by different voices really brought the characters to life. Their individual motivations and secrets made them so complex and intriguing. This audiobook was very well done.

The plot centers around five characters who end up coming together to kill the King. The twists and turns along the way will keep you on the edge of your seat. When the story came to a close, I was left wanting more and can't wait to dive into the next book in the series.

If you're a fan of fantasy, deception, and compelling characters, I highly recommend giving this audiobook a listen. Don't miss out

I did enjoy this audiobook.

I found it’s well written and narration is done welll.
I do recommend

What sets "Five Broken Blades" apart is its exploration of moral ambiguity and the complexities of human nature. The assassins are not merely killers; they are individuals driven by personal traumas and desires for justice in a world rife with corruption and oppression. Corland delves into themes of trust, betrayal, and the cost of vengeance, challenging the characters—and readers—to question their own beliefs about right and wrong.

(4.5) Addicting, fresh, and so well written. I was hooked on this from the start. The multiple POVs took a second to get a hold on but Corland does such a fantastic job making them all stand apart clearly that I was able to understand it easily. I really liked the premise of this. The thieves and the killers together means I spent the whole book not trusting any of them even though I desperately wanted to. I went into this blind, didn’t even read any reviews, so I didn’t know what to expect at all beyond the five main pieces. I do think it was a great way to go into this but for those that need a little more info here are some of my favorite (spoiler free) bits. There is a little bit of unexpected romance, a bit of found family, and we get different info about each character by bouncing between POVs. The way this story is told felt so organic and natural. I loved the way information was revealed and the way background was interwoven throughout the story. We get enough of each of the characters with a quick paced plot that left me eager to keep reading. And after that ending I’m dying for book 2.

Thank you so much Red Tower for the physical arc and to NetGalley for the audio arc.

Thank you so much Netgalley and RB Media for the approved to listen to this audio book.

Story: 5⭐
Spice: 1.5🌶
Narration: 4⭐

All I can say is WOW! This was such a great listen. There is a full cast for all the different POV, and the narrators did an amazing job.

The story itself was just WOW. You get a group of 6 individuals from all walks of life. All considered "bad people" to work together for a goal. Will they be able to complete the task? Or will they all turn on each other? I guess you will have to read to find out.

This is a high stakes fantasy book with Six of Crows vibes, political agendas, subplot of Romance (MM & MF), twists, turns, deceptions, and great banter! If any of that interest you, then you will want to read this book.

Plus, you get glimpses of spicy time. Like not quite closed door... but it shuts slowly.

A couple notes:
* this is a cast audio, overall I liked all the narrators. The characters already sounded different from one another, (one in particular curses like a new yorker) and this helped keep track of the perspectives.
-I wish this was more obviously advertised as part of a series (or duology).
-It's a bit of a shame the characters are only a organized team for a small part of the book, before the plot begins to separate them again. It would have been interesting in seeing the characters interact more outside of the pairings.
-definitely a new adult book, not a bad thing, but its a weak point in one of the character pairings because it still seems rather sudden.