If you’re looking for something new from Victoria Aveyard after the Red Queen series, your wait is over! I’ve been waiting for Realm Breaker for so long now, and I’m so excited to get to talk about her next book. Victoria Aveyard’s worldbuilding is beyond compare for me as there’s an undeniable immersive quality to it that renders Allward unforgettable. Her incredible details help make the reader all the more invested in the story she’s woven together, and her characters are so incredibly complex. Of course, we can’t forget that she’s an expert at writing moments that make you gasp out loud and the twists in this book are phenomenal. There’s no doubt that this will become an instant hit much like the Red Queen series, and I can’t wait. You should definitely add this to your TBR list!
There’s darkness growing in Allward and Corayne an-Amarat can feel it from her cottage by the edge of the sea. The truth soon comes to seek her: she’s the last of an ancient line and the last hope to save the world from destruction. She won’t be alone on this quest though. Joining her will be a squire forced to choose between home and honour, an immortal avenging a broken promise, a bloodthirsty and exiled assassin, an ancient sorceress, a forger with a hidden past, and a bounty hunter with a score to settle. They’ll have to stand together to defeat an opponent determined to bring the world to ash, with an army unlike anything their world has ever seen.
It’s been quite a while since I read a book with a prologue that was so long within a book, but it’s an incredible way to set up what’s getting ready to happen in this book. Not only that, but each chapter opens up with a new character perspective, further expanding upon the diverse world of Allward, and some pretty intricate kingdom politics in parts. While it feels pretty heavy with worldbuilding at the beginning, there is also quite a bit happening with the characters that will keep readers invested in the developing plot. Corayne is such a fascinating young woman, full of wanderlust but feeling trapped, until she’s given another choice.
As each new character was introduced, I was on the edge of my seat and wondering how their choices might impact the story later down the line. Every character in this book has a bit (more than a bit, really) of stubbornness and pride, which creates some fascinating dynamics when they dialogue. I’ll admit, my favourite chapters to read (partially due to the internal monologue happening) were Erida’s. She’s a monarch having to hide behind politics, but her thoughts are quite fascinating. On the flipside, Sorasa’s dialogue with other characters, specifically with Dom and Corayne, definitely made me laugh at times. She’s got quite a bit of sarcasm welled up within her! What’s most compelling about this book is the sheer determination that all of these characters have to survive. No matter the cost.
The world of Allward is stunningly done because of its history, specifically with Spindles and the Spindleborn. The Spindles are able to open portals to new worlds, but many of them have been lost, and with their loss, the people that travelled to Allward are forever trapped. There’s a lot more that goes into this, and I highly encourage you to pick it up and read it because I cannot do justice to the elaborate system that Aveyard has created.
This is the kind of story that you devour over the course of a few days, mainly because there’s quite a bit to digest, and you definitely don’t want to miss anything in the story because it might be vital. Believe me, there’s a couple of twists you definitely don’t want to skim over and I genuinely want to scream about them. The book is already quite a brick, but even at the end I found myself wanting to know more. I cannot wait for the next book, because I NEED to know what’s getting ready to happen to these characters next. This book is such a solid read that belongs on your shelf, and I’m excited to see where Victoria is taking this story next. No doubt this will become a bestseller, much like Red Queen.
Realm Breaker is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.
Will you be picking up Realm Breaker? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
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.
