And so another book bites the dust. I finished Victoria Aveyard’s ‘Realm Breaker’ on Friday, having spent much of the week reading it outside in the sunshine. It was a real easy read, and I must say, the premise of the book before I picked it up looked very good.

But let’s get into the proper review, shall we?

Synopsis

A strange darkness grows in Allward.

Even Corayne an-Amarat can feel it, tucked away in her small town at the edge of the sea.

She soon discovers the truth: She is the last of an ancient lineage—and the last hope to save the world from destruction. But she won’t be alone. Even as darkness falls, she is joined by a band of unlikely companions:

A squire, forced to choose between home and honor.
An immortal, avenging a broken promise.
An assassin, exiled and bloodthirsty.
An ancient sorceress, whose riddles hide an eerie foresight.
A forger with a secret past.
A bounty hunter with a score to settle.

Together they stand against a vicious opponent, invincible and determined to burn all kingdoms to ash, and an army unlike anything the realm has ever witnessed.

My Review

Yes, the premise as I mentioned sounded very good. The synopsis hooked me, and the cast of characters that was promised from the back of the book drew me in. I was ready to read something astounding.

Astounding wasn’t quite the word I would describe it having now finished it though. It was good, don’t get me wrong, and I would recommend it if you’re into fantasy and want a new epic to read, as this is very likely the first book in a series considering that ending. Plus, I really like Victoria Aveyard’s writing. It’s easy to read and get sucked in by, and that fact meant I could easily keep reading.

But I didn’t really click with the main character of Corayne. I actually liked the assassin the most, out of all of them. Sorasa Sarn seemed much more alive and vibrant than some of the other characters, but maybe that’s just me. That doesn’t mean the characters didn’t feel well written – the nice thing was that each chapter was written by a different character, so you did get to feel and see how different characters interact and react to the situations around them.

I thought the character of Erida was very interesting, even if I thought she was a bit stupid for the actions she took, but maybe that’s what the author intended you to think.

There was a little vein of romance happening with two of the characters, and actually I liked how it played out. There were hints, but nothing major happened, and for once I was glad the author wrote it out like that. It gives me hope for the following books. Too often I find young adult books filled with romantic drama, and I was delighted that this book didn’t have too much of that, sticking with action instead.

And there is quite a bit of action throughout to keep you reading. I would say there was a lot of the story I didn’t expect, and actually that was quite refreshing. The only thing I am still mulling over is the ending. Because, while the book was drawing you in, pulling you through the olot until the final stages, I was still confused over what happened right at the end. There was an action the main character had to take, and I still honestly don’t know how she did it. Maybe I need to reread it, but honestly, one of the biggest bugbears throughout was how she was going to accomplish what she needed to do, when no one told her how.

Another bugbear was that it took most of the book before someone turned round and said… hey, the main character has a sword but can’t use it. Why don’t we actually teach her how to fight? Gah. It should have been added in there earlier, in my opinion. It seemed that all the other characters were fighting and causing the action, whilst the main character was sort of just pulled along by it. I want to see more action from her in the next book for sure.

So, overall, it was a good read but not an awesome one. I expect more from the next book to be honest. More character enhancement, more development, more romance. Victoria Aveyard, you’ve got the plot, and the plot is good, but let’s see how the rest of the books play out.

I give it 3.5 stars out of 5.

Kate @ Kandid Chronicles x