A review by abbypeekreads
Realm Breaker by Victoria Aveyard
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
After reading and loving Aveyard's Red Queen series, I was so excited to see she has another series going. While Realm Breaker felt totally different from her previous series, a lot of what I love about Aveyard's books was there, and I'm happy to say that overall I enjoyed this book!
First, let's discuss the world building. I had a bit of a back and forth relationship with it, mainly because I felt it bogged the story down in the back half. But even so, I always appreciate when a world is incredibly well-developed, and Allward is nothing less than that. Each region was so unique, each with their own geographical descriptions and cultural norms, and it made for an intriguing and complex landscape for the story's events.
I had so much fun getting to know the characters of this story. They were a ragtag bunch, which I surprisingly formed attachments to early on. Each of them brought a unique perspective to the story, and while most of them didn't have much 'development', I think there's a lot of room left to explore their growth throughout the series, which gets me excited. I craved a bit more detail regarding Taristan's backstory and motivations, but I have a feeling that will come later in the series.
All in all, I had fun diving into this new world Aveyard has created! It gave me Lord of the Rings vibes, which I hadn't been expecting but ended up liking a lot. While there was still a few things left to be desired with this book, and I had hoped for more focus on the magical elements of the world and the Spindles, it's good to remember that this is just the first book in a full series. I'm certain that more and more will be revealed over time, which only makes me more excited to get to Blade Breaker soon!
First, let's discuss the world building. I had a bit of a back and forth relationship with it, mainly because I felt it bogged the story down in the back half. But even so, I always appreciate when a world is incredibly well-developed, and Allward is nothing less than that. Each region was so unique, each with their own geographical descriptions and cultural norms, and it made for an intriguing and complex landscape for the story's events.
I had so much fun getting to know the characters of this story. They were a ragtag bunch, which I surprisingly formed attachments to early on. Each of them brought a unique perspective to the story, and while most of them didn't have much 'development', I think there's a lot of room left to explore their growth throughout the series, which gets me excited. I craved a bit more detail regarding Taristan's backstory and motivations, but I have a feeling that will come later in the series.
All in all, I had fun diving into this new world Aveyard has created! It gave me Lord of the Rings vibes, which I hadn't been expecting but ended up liking a lot. While there was still a few things left to be desired with this book, and I had hoped for more focus on the magical elements of the world and the Spindles, it's good to remember that this is just the first book in a full series. I'm certain that more and more will be revealed over time, which only makes me more excited to get to Blade Breaker soon!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence