A Broken Blade
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4.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
The BookTok sensation from debut author Melissa Blair—now with exclusive bonus content!
"Gripping and fierce. This is much-needed fantasy with its fangs honed sharp by the power of resistance. Melissa Blair has built a tremendous world."—Chloe Gong, #1 New York Times bestselling author of These Violent Delights
My body is made of scars,
some were done to me,
but most I did to myself.
Keera is a killer. As the King's Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow. She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems . . . and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can't help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
Fans of fast-paced high fantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses series, The Inadequate Heir, and From Blood and Ash author Jennifer L. Armentrout, will enjoy the fierce female characters, sapphic representation, and fantasy romance of A Broken Blade.
Customer Reviews
Good Debut Novel
There’s a lot to admire here. Keera, the King’s Blade, isn’t “morally grey” because she sighs dramatically between kills—she’s actually torn apart by guilt, alcoholism, and a lifetime of serving the monsters who enslaved her people. She’s fierce, flawed, and vividly human beneath the armor.
The story tackles big themes—colonialism, addiction, survival—without flinching. And when it hits its stride, it moves. The action is fast, the tension sharp, and the world feels heavy with history. Blair’s writing has these sudden flashes of poetry—lines that sting, linger, and make you wish the whole book hit that same level.
The alcoholism subplot deserves real credit. It’s messy, raw, and treated seriously—rare in fantasy, and even rarer when done well. And when the found-family energy starts flickering near the end, you can feel the potential for something bigger.
✅ Strong, flawed, morally grey heroine
✅ Great representation & themes
✅ Real emotional depth beneath the fantasy
✅ When it works, it really works
But then there’s the other side. The first 15% reads like fantasy homework—endless lore, geography lessons, and species charts that made me question my literacy. The pacing drags like dial-up internet loading a single JPEG in 1997, then suddenly sprints like it remembered there’s a sequel deadline.
The romance? Allegedly enemies-to-lovers, but it plays out more like HR-mandated eye contact. The chemistry has the voltage of a dying phone charger. “Knife-to-throat tension” served with safety scissors. “One bed” scene at library thermostat levels. You get the idea.
Every fantasy trope shows up—the masquerade ball, the hidden identity, the nightmare cuddles—but none of them land. It’s trope bingo yelling BINGO! and then forgetting to collect the prize.
❌ Lore swamp & pacing whiplash
❌ Diet electricity romance
❌ Predictable twist with a name tag
❌ Gorgeous cover doing 80% of the heavy lifting
Broken Blade is fantasy comfort food. Familiar, fast, and easy to binge. It’s the BookTok starter pack with extra angst and a dash of sincerity. If you’re new to fantasy romance, you’ll devour it. If you’ve read anything in the last decade, you’ve already read it—just with fae who had more spark.
☯ Yin: strong lead, emotional honesty, cinematic action
☯ Yang: flat romance, slow start, and a plot that explains instead of enchants
Pretty cover. Mid execution.
Enemies to lovers? More like coworkers to acquaintances.