[Skye’s Review]: Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard

Realm Breaker
by Victoria Aveyard
Pages: 576
Published by HarperTeen
Release Date: May 4th 2021
Genres: YA, Fantasy
Source: Publisher
Format Read: ARC

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.

I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

What a fun, action-packed start to a new trilogy! I wasn’t sure what to expect when I picked up Realm Breaker. High fantasy, especially in YA, can be hit or miss. I hoped Realm Breaker would be a hit, but feared it would end up being a miss. Well, I can happily report that this book was a hit for me. I enjoyed this book so much!

It’s evident how much work and love Victoria Aveyard put into this book. The world is vast and diverse full of entertaining characters who couldn’t be more different from each other. We have Corayne, our main character, who could be equated to the Chosen One trope. She is the Chosen One yet she’s also not *the* Chosen One. You see, none of the characters in this book were chosen to save the world. The Chosen Ones went up against Taristan of Old Cor, our villain, and lost horribly. Only two people survived and those two people are Andry Trelland and Domocridhan. They are now part of the B Team, along with Corayne, trying to save the world. To round out our team, we have one more member. Our B Team wouldn’t be complete without an assassin, right? Every group needs one. Meet Sorasa Sarn, resident badass. Another character who plays a major part in this book is Queen Erida of Galland. Erida has been queen since her father died when she was 15 years old. All she wants is to make her father proud and show everyone what a true queen is capable of. Naturally, our B Team needs her help to save the world.

As I mentioned earlier, the world-building in this book is vast. Many different countries are mentioned along with different belief systems and customs. There were times when the book felt a bit info-dumpy and dense. However, I understand this was necessary. This book is laying all of the groundwork for the world, characters, and plot. I have no doubt that the next book is going to be great! I can’t wait to read it and see what she has in store for these characters.

If you’re a fan of high fantasy, found family, and a group of misfits being thrown together, then I think you’ll enjoy this book. This book is full of intriguing characters and action. 

I do want to mention that this book doesn’t have romance at the forefront. I know some people prefer romance as a main plot point while others prefer to have little romance.  There are a few relationships that are hinted at becoming more later on, but that’s about it. They definitely have a slow-burn feel to them.