I’m going to start this by saying that I LOVE Victoria Aveyard. She can do no wrong. I LOVE HER. Victoria, if you’re reading this... wanna be friends?
Okay, now that we have that out of the way, let's discuss Realm Breaker.
I’ll preface by saying if you’re not into fantasy or world building, this is probably not a good pick for you. While I enjoy fantasy, I sometimes find it hard to completely immerse myself in the world. I did struggle for a bit when I started this one because there are SO many details and characters with unique names that I kept finding myself overwhelmed and a bit lost. After several chapters, though, I found my footing and was able to really enjoy myself.
Let’s talk characters…
I loved Corayne from the start. I love that Victoria Aveyard doesn’t write your cliche teenage girls that appear in these types of stories so often. Sure, she’s still a teenager and a bit stupid and/or stubborn because of it, but she’s beyond the whiny, lovestruck teenage so people deliver over and over.
If you know me at all, then you can probably guess my favorite character. Yep, Sorasa. The sarcasm, the gray moral code, the eagerness to kill any men who get in her way? Sign me up! I am beyond intrigued by the exiled assassin and all her mysteries. Do I have a bit of a crush? Maybe.
Dom and Andry bring balance to the table. I enjoy them both but they’re both honorable and a bit boring if you ask me. I love Dom’s devotion to Corayne and Andry’s budding feelings for her. We love men side characters that build up our strong female lead!
Queen Erida was one of the most interesting characters in my opinion. We get a good bit of internal monologue from her to begin with that puts her in a certain light to begin, but as the story progresses, we see her teetering between a hero and villain. By the end of this book, I’m still not sure how I’m feeling about her... but I know I want to know more.
Now let’s talk about the story…
As the first installment in the series, there is A LOT of story and world building going on. The world of Allward has a long history, but most specifically with Spindles and the Spindleborn. Spindles and Spindleborn are able to open portals to other worlds. There are very few Spindleborn left, which has made things complicated for those who have traveled from other worlds and ended up trapped in Allward.
Realm Breaker does a great job of introducing a complicated world with complicated characters that make you question what makes someone good or bad. The plot twists and alliances you wouldn’t suspect kept me on my toes and wanting more.
I can’t wait for the second installment, Blade Breaker!
I give Realm Breaker 3.5 stars (out of 5) and would recommend it to fantasy lovers of all ages.