✨𝒜𝑅𝒞 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌✨
📖: Four Ruined Realms (The Broken Blades Book 2)

In the aftermath of shattered facades, deceptions, and half-truths, our band of five unlikely strangers turned allies pursue their next high stakes mission. While mistrust abounds, they must remain united since failure is not an option.

Tropes:
👀 Multi POV
🩶 Morally grey MCs
🏰 Political intrigue
💕 Multiple romances
🫂 Forced proximity
💔 Revenge & redemption
💫 Magical artifacts

This world is gorgeous and epic! I loved the incorporation of Korean-inspired mythology and elements in this series. After reading the first book, I couldn’t wait to reunite with these nuanced morally grey characters, each broken by their past. As some seek vengeance, others seek redemption. As their fragile alliance wavers in the face of secrets and betrayals, can they overcome all their differences to succeed?

Four Ruined Realms is an epic fantasy story with a masterful blending of intrigue, emotionally rich characters, heartbreak, and multiple romantic storylines. Like Five Broken Blades, this book kept me on the edge of my seat, awaiting the next surprising twist with bated breath. The next book cannot come soon enough!

Beyond grateful to the author, Entangled Publishing, Red Tower Books, and negalley for the ARC opportunity! This is my honest and voluntary review

I liked the first book in this series more, but this one was still a great read. The alternating POVs really kept the story moving, and I always wanted to keep reading to know what happened next. I thought the Korean folklore was weaved in well for book two, and this certainly didn't suffer the sequel slump. I liked how different relationships were explored and the introduction of new characters. They fit the story and didn't feel like they were just dropped in. While the twists and reveals were still wild, I don't think they shocked me as much as the ones in book one. I'm still mad about the cliffhanger, though; that one in particular had me gaping. I love the world Mai has created here. From the adventure and the journey to the betrayals and secrets, I was in from page one. I'm so curious to see how the trilogy will end. I also liked that this one focused on the fantasy aspect and only dived into the romance at certain points. The writing was quick and enjoyable—glad to start off the year on a positive note. Thank you, RedTower Books, for the ARC to read and review!

Sora, Aeri, Royo, Makail, and Euyn are sent on another mission. Retrieve the Golden Ring, another relic of the Dragon Lord, within the next month or face King Joon’s wrath. But can they save themselves and the realms at the same time? Do they have to choose between revenge and their loved ones?

This group doesn’t know what they are up against and the dangers they will encounter. Four Ruined Realms focused more on the politics, fantasy, and character journey than the insta-love romance of the first book. We actually saw character growth, forgiveness, and familial love develop within the group. There were a couple twists I wasn’t expecting. I stilled enjoyed the multiple POVs, and I’m glad we got chapters from Tiyung’s POV even though he was in Idle Prison. Those were some of the most interesting to me.

My star rating dropped because sometimes the names and places in this world are hard to follow. The author does include a quick summary of main characters in the beginning of the book, but there were still some people I got confused about. Had to move past it. I also felt like the ending jumped around a bit too much for me. Time jumps between POVs. I would expect more details to come in the third book which I plan to read.

Be sure to read the trigger warnings as there is a lot of death, killing, and gore in this series.

Thank you Entangled for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Trapped by the King of Yusan, the crew is sent to Khitan to steal his sister’s Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. Only then will their loved ones be safe or their trespasses be forgiven.

But getting an audience with the Queen is no easy task, and they all know that the King can not have the Golden Ring.
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Review: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This is just an amazing as book 1. The heists continue. The lies are spilled.

It’s multiple POV again with 6 different POV. However, each storyline and thought process are unique enough that it is not hard to follow along with so many different viewpoints.
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Almost every chapter ends on a “cliffhanger” making it hard to put the book down!
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There is heartbreak and betrayal and so many challenges.
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Both Five Broken Blades and Four Ruined Realms are two of my top reads in 2024

Okay, Mai Corland, you have officially wrecked me (in the best way possible). I am OBSESSED. This book takes us right back into the chaos, picking up where Five Broken Blades left off, and WOW—what a ride! From page one, the adventure is nonstop, but what really got me was the self-reflection. These characters, 🫣. The inner turmoil, the “can I actually do good despite my past” vibes, the trust issues—ugh, PERFECTION.

And let’s talk about the second half. No spoilers, but WHOA. It’s breakneck, heart-pounding action, and I don’t think my pulse has slowed down yet. It goes from a monsoon, to the snow, and everywhere in between. Like, how am I supposed to move on after that ending. Honestly, if anyone wants to sneak me the third book early…I’m just saying. 🙃

Huge thank you to the author and publisher for letting me dive into this world early. You’ve officially left me with a book hangover

So much happened and not enough happened and I need bk 3 asap!

We pick up pretty much where the last book left off with our core group headed off to a new mission. They have a plan, and after the events in the last book, the trust the group has formed has been destroyed. Yet they must work together to make the plan work. This causes a fair bit of tension, especially in the beginning. There is a ton of action and mayhem, and while we do get a bit romancey with certain characters, we definitely focus more on the other elements of the story. I was thoroughly entertained from beginning to end, and with the way it ended I can't wait to see what is going to happen next!!!

I absolutely loved this book, it followed seamlessly on from the first (Five Broken Blades) and was just packed full of action, adventure and twists. The world seems to just keep giving, the details Mai puts into her writing is *Chefs kiss*. This book didn't contain as much romance as book one but considering how that one left us it makes perfect sense. Hard to earn trust was broken and it is going to take a lot to fix that. The multiple POV's continue into book 2 and I have never read a book that switches between characters as well as this, it does not become confusing and it gives so much more insight to what is happening from all angles.
I cannot wait for others to experience this! Definitely a great way to start 2025!

First and foremost, thank you to Engaged Publishing, Red Tower Books, and Mai Corland for the opportunity to read the eARC prior to the release in a few weeks.

We join our band of liars on an epic journey to steal a relic of the Dragon Lord. Along the way, each character is faced with consequences of previous misdeeds, losses to mourn, and obstacles to overcome. There were some major twists that I did not see coming. My heart is broken thanks to the current state of affairs, but it’s making me desperate for the concluding book of the series.

Corland has created some of the best and most complicated relationships.

To start, I have to mention how thoughtful and amazing it was for Corland to include a character guide and synopsis at the beginning of Four Ruined Realms to jog readers memory on what occurred during Five Broken Blades. I didn’t believe a book could top Five Broken Blades for the number of mind blown moments, but Corland did it again in Four Ruined Realms. The sheer number of secrets, deceptions, backstabbing betrayals, and general what just happened moments is astonishing. I was hooked from the first page until the last. This series is one of the best uses of multi POV chapters I’ve read in a while. Each POV change serves a purpose and peels back layers readers would not get without using the different POVs. As with any book like this, though, I do have certain characters I’m rooting for to succeed. I also love that we got to experience more of Corland’s world building and a lot more fantasy elements in this installment. Overall, I’ve loved every minute of this series so far, and I can’t wait to see how Corland wraps it up.

This book has me hooked at times and loved more of the fantasy era within the book compared to the forst. There were some slower parts but the backstory told during these parts were great. I did notice that once I hit the 80ish percent is when more of the action and more emotional damage came through. Without giving anything away, it's worth the read. And of course, it ended on a cliffhanger, so I will have to read the last book. 😉

This was an excellent sequel to Five Broken Blades. I love all the twists and turns of this story and was excited to get back into this world with these characters. I was ready to be back and see how they all interact with each other after all of the secrets and betrayal from book 1!

This book was full of action, emotions, secrets, lies, friendship, companionship, heartbreak, and adventure. It’s one twist after another and had me gasping at many moments at what was revealed.

I love all of these characters and that we get each of the povs. It’s hard to pick my favorite because they all have their moments of awe and annoyance and making decisions that might not be the best. But I do love that no matter what they are going through, they still look out for one another even if they don’t fully trust each other. Royo was so relatable in that he never knew what was going on because that’s how I felt lol!

If you loved Five Broken Blades or if you love fantasy, then you will love this book! The only downside of reading this early is that I have to wait even longer for book 3 especially with that wild ending!

Four Ruined Realms was such a great read. The character development is absolutely incredible especially Aeri. I'm pretty sure my jaw was bruised by the end of the book due to the frequency it hit the ground. And that ending... Please give me 5 to 10 business days to process it!

Four Ruined Realms picks up pretty much right after the events of Five Broken Blades as they set out on their new mission for King Joon. This book delves more into some of the back stories of these characters which I enjoyed. Along the way they must split up on their own missions in hopes to be able to reunite again. I loved seeing the relationships between all of them grow although there is still some tension and possible trust issues between some. Aeri is still one of my favorites even after the ending of FBB. And her relationship with Royo is so pure and I love them together. If Royo was your favorite character then you are in for a treat because I have a feeling he’s going to be very very important in the next book. Secrets come out and new secrets are made. You think you know everybody but you don’t. And of course the last 20% is nonstop and you’ll be on the edge of your seat! If you enjoyed the first book then you will definitely like this one! I need the next book now!

I enjoyed the first book in this series but I absolutely loved this one, to the point where I devoured it in one day!

We rejoin our team of misfits as they embark on another mission.

I don't want to give anything away, so all I'll say is that I was impressed with the character development and the evolution of their relationships with each other. I can't wait to read the next book in the series!

A recommended read for fans of Five Broken Blades, the Six of Crows duology, and impossible heists in fantasy settings.

Thank you to Netgalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Wow omg… I will write a more in depth review tomorrow, but here are my initial thought!
First, thank you Mai Cortland for actually writing a “previously in this series synopsis” to remind readers where they left off. So thoughtful and is now my favorite thing!

This book felt so fast paced, and so interesting. It took so many twists and turns and I cannot get over it. The character development was wild, and there were times we switched characters and it left me NEEDING to keep reading to see what happened with the character! I think I may have liked this better than book 1, which I find rarely happens, so bravo!! So excited to see where this series goes!!

Thank you SO much to Entangled for the opportunity to read this book early as an eARC. The below is my own honest opinion of this second book in the Broken Blades series. For reference, I gave the first book 4 stars.

I will refrain from putting in any direct spoilers for book two in this review but there will potentially be spoilers for book one (as this is the sequel).

First, there were a few things that I liked:
- Tiyung. I actually think he was the standout character here. I think Corland used him extremely effectively in this book!
- Aeri. Surprising, I know. Many of her chapters were good. When she wasn't pining for Royo, I actually liked her. It was weird... but she had the best development in this book.
- SOME Euyn chapters. He was so rarely in this book? And everyone was so against him CONSTANTLY so it was refreshing when we got to hear his thoughts and I enjoyed that they varied so much from everyone else's!

Now... unfortunately, most of this book did NOT work for me. While I still do believe Mai Corland has amazing talent, I do not think this book shows that talent. In book one, her talent lied in the character relationships. Since we had a major betrayal at the end of book one, all of those relationships are broken and most of the book is a major SLOG because of this.

Corland really attempted to push this book more into the epic/high fantasy category and I do not think it was executed well. Her world building was very sporadic and it felt most like each character had to like do a little backstory every time something we didn't know popped up and some of it was so BORING and inadequately developed that I didn't care. Plus, so many names and characters just popped up and I went "huh, who that? Should I know them?" And I wouldn't get a hint until 4 chapters later. It was disjointed and I got frustrated easily with this. I think Corland did better in the first book where she kept the world building lighter, more in the low fantasy category. (There is very little romance in this book, just an fyi for all of you romantasy lovers - and I think the spice is like...... barely a 1? It could have been a YA book. hahaha.....)

I do feel that this book needed longer to stew. It felt like a really good editor could have cleaned this book up and made it shine! It's frustrating also to realize that.... What I really struggled with in particular was this aspect of every single character needing to comment in their mind on EVERY SINGLE THING. So we'd have something happen. Exhibit A in Person A's chapter. Then person B comments on it in their chapter next. Then person C comments on it in THEIR chapter. Then a whole 3 chapters later, we get yet another comment on it from person D. See what I mean?? It was superfluous. You could easily have had one character notice the reactions from the others and comment on that instead.

Which brings me to another point. EVERYBODY was always examining others. It was always "Sora is so beautiful. She must feel so awful about XX. I hope she feels better soon." Or "Mikail is amazing. He's the best swordsman. I wonder how many people he's killed." Meanwhile, these thoughts are happening in the middle of a huge scene and I'm like "Move it along, yall."

Now, what about those other characters I didn't mention above? ... What about SORA? Wasn't she my favorite character in book one?

Yes, I ADORED Sora. ... And Corland turned her from a poison maiden assassin to the optimistic person who brings the group together. Because no one mistrusts her and she mistrusts no one (except Euyn, she hates him so much). It was... FRUSTRATING seeing a woman who could have been merciless or even ... idk CARE more about her mission?? She says she will do ANYTHING for Daysum but never actually proves that. I was disappointed.

Mikail was a TERRIBLE PERSON. I haven't hated a character this much since Aspen from The Selection. Mikail uses his chapters to constantly RAG on Euyn. "He's such a bad person." "I can't believe he did XX." "How dare he think XX" If Corland hadn't TOLD us he loved Euyn, I would never believe it. I honestly DON'T believe it. If you love someone, you love ALL of them. I think Mikail is just obsessed with the past and he never actually loved Euyn. He is the worst person. Not saying Euyn is amazing. But someone who can say all of those incredibly terrible things about their supposed love of their life?? No thank you.

Royo was fine. I liked that he was always so clueless and like "What the ef is happening?" Because it was relatable. I also had no idea what was going on because the book was a mess. hahaha

SO, all in all, do I think you should read this book? It's a toss up. If you absolutely adored book one, you might be okay with book two. If you were barely enjoying book one, skip this one and save yourself the trouble. I don't think I will read book three. I did not feel this was worth my time. It was a 432 page book that felt like 800 pages and only the last 20% actually had plot movement. And that section felt rushed.

To those who read it, good luck! To those who choose not to, I applaud your choice. :)

This is a fabulous sequel! I loved it even more than the first book. There's lots of action and adventure with a bit of romance too. I enjoyed the world building and all of the character development. The story is captivating and will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very last page. And the revelation at the end has me wanting the next book immediately. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for allowing me to read this book ahead of release in exchange for my honest opinion.

I liked this more than the first book because it leaned fully into the fantasy element instead of the romance aspect and I like that. We have our crew of misfits as they continue on another mission after the assassination of the king in the last book. Alot of this book is spent either on the road, or in a prison or on a mission with lots of fighting, sword fights and there is a bit of movement on the plot especially towards the end. There is a little romance subplot but some of the couples are separated for a good amount of time. There are twists, deaths and a big twist in the epilogue. I’m trying so hard to write this review without any spoilers so this is where I’ll stop and come back after pub day. Thanks to Red Tower for this arc for an honest review.