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The Halfling Saga #3
A Vicious Game
“It seems fate has dealt me the same hand again. I know how to play it.”
A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins. Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.
Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion...
The pivotal third installment in the Halfling Saga will upend everything Keera thought she knew about her enemies…and her allies.
A new king is on the throne and the rebellion lies in ruins. Keera spends her days drinking and her nights avoiding the strange dreams that have haunted her since she returned from the capital.
Keera’s family in Myrelinth won’t let her go without a fight. With new intelligence about the magical seals left behind by Keera’s ancient kin, the Light Fae, she rallies to face her demons and unleash the formidable powers she inherited from her people. But a shocking truth is hiding in plain sight, one with the power to unravel the entire rebellion...
The pivotal third installment in the Halfling Saga will upend everything Keera thought she knew about her enemies…and her allies.
448 pages, Paperback
First published February 6, 2024
About the author
Melissa Blair
10 books1,536 followersMelissa (she/her/kwe) is an Anishinaabekwe of mixed ancestry living in Turtle Island. She splits her time between Treaty 9 in Northern Ontario and the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinabeg in Ottawa, Canada. She has a graduate degree in Applied Linguistics and Discourse Studies, loves movies, and hates spoons. Melissa has a BookTok account where she discusses her favorite kinds of books including Indigenous and queer fiction, feminist literature, and non-fiction. A Broken Blade is her first novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 626 reviews
July 2, 2024
I think what I loved most about this book is the fact that the author kept Keera as a very imperfect FMC. She doesn’t get everything on her first try and she struggles a lot.
In this one, she fell back into toxic habits (alcohol) and she was grieving.
But - I will say that this book bored me out of my mind and felt like a filler book. I’m unhappy with the 2 twists at the end. One of the twists was unnecessary in my opinion and the one at the end just felt like she threw a chosen one trope.
This was difficult to get through as there were lots of fillers and spice, which I didn’t want to read about lol. I ended up skimming a lot.
BUT I’m still excited for the final book in this instalment and I hope it’ll be as good as the 2 first ones.
A broken blade - 5✨
A shadow crown - 5✨
A vicious game - 3✨
In this one, she fell back into toxic habits (alcohol) and she was grieving.
But - I will say that this book bored me out of my mind and felt like a filler book. I’m unhappy with the 2 twists at the end. One of the twists was unnecessary in my opinion and the one at the end just felt like she threw a chosen one trope.
This was difficult to get through as there were lots of fillers and spice, which I didn’t want to read about lol. I ended up skimming a lot.
BUT I’m still excited for the final book in this instalment and I hope it’ll be as good as the 2 first ones.
A broken blade - 5✨
A shadow crown - 5✨
A vicious game - 3✨
July 7, 2024
✅ Gorgeous cover
✅ Strong, but flawed and morally grey MC
✅ LGBTQ and disability rep
✅ More smut
✅ Lies and a shocking twist
✅ Found family
✅ Magic, faes, and elves
✅(🆗) Romance
✅(🆗) Pace and repetitive plot
✅(🆗) Politics
✅(🆗) Riven (WTF happened to the badass Shadow?!)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, alcoholism, mention of torture, and some suicidal ideation (brief)
3 or maybe 3.5 stars?
The last part was very engaging, but the first half felt a lot like a filler book. Also, I thought this was a trilogy?! Now I have to wait for the next book... 😮💨
This book picks up a few weeks after the end of A Shadow Crown, as Keera is trying to cope with the aftermath of Damien’s rise to power. The rebellion is in shamble, and hope seems to be lost for Keera as she spirals down into her alcohol addiction once more. After a few weeks of wallowing, her friends have had enough, and force Keera to help them open the seals, so they can free the land's magic and have a fighting chance once again.
As always, the author did a fantastic job of including representation of various ethnicities, sexualities, and disabilities in her cast, and it needs to be mentioned because it is so well done. The characters are well fleshed-out and their sexuality or disability truly feels like a part of them, and not a detail added on second thought, simply to have more diversity in the book.
Keera is still a flawed character, but she tries her best to improve and do the right thing. She struggled a lot in the first half of this book because she was overwhelmed with the guilt of letting down the Shades and being responsible for her mentor’s death. Still, she managed to find the strength to overcome her relapse and become stronger once again to be able to help those who relied on her. The way her addiction was portrayed seems to be pretty accurate, even the fact that she tries to push people away and get them to hate her so they would leave her alone rang true and was heartbreaking to witness.
That being said, she relies more and more on newly acquired powers that she doesn’t yet understand, and less on her training as a super-efficient assassin, and it saddens me to see this transformation. I would have loved for her to combine both, not rely only on her powers now that she is super-powerful.
Riven was a little disappointing in this book because I feel that he was toned down so much since the first book. He started the series as The Shadow terrorizing everyone in the Kingdom, thwarting the king, and being uncatchable, but in this book, he was simply Keera’s sidekick. He was there to act as her bodyguard, but overall, he served no purpose besides creating more drama for Keera because her actions affected him and she felt guilty and bad about it. He had so much potential in the first book, but I feel that it was all wasted in this one. Riven felt useless and pointless, like he was a pretty accessory to Keera as she was only becoming stronger.
I think the biggest surprise for me in this book was Gerarda. We saw hints of her in the first two books, and she was always a rival and even a threat to Keera. This book allowed her to shine and show that she has emotions and a backstory that affects her too and that she is much more than simply a Dagger (or ex-Dagger now I guess) wanting glory and recognition.
There is a big twist near the end, and while I love that I was surprised by it, I am not sure yet if I like it or not. I also feel that overall, it was underwhelming. The character kept this big secret for three books, it was a huge revelation to Keera, but she had one meaningful conversation with a friend and she was ready to forgive everything and go back to normal after that… I would have thought that it would at least create more angst and tension, but instead, it was all resolved pretty quickly. While I enjoyed the maturity shown by Keera, I also find it unrealistic that she would “go back to normal” that easily.
What I got from this twist? Feron = Dumbledore.
I will read the next book for sure because I want to know how things will end for Keera and her friends, but I hope that it will be more similar to the first 2 books of the series, which I greatly enjoyed.
1. Broken Blade ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. A Shadow Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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✅ Strong, but flawed and morally grey MC
✅ LGBTQ and disability rep
✅ More smut
✅ Lies and a shocking twist
✅ Found family
✅ Magic, faes, and elves
✅(🆗) Romance
✅(🆗) Pace and repetitive plot
✅(🆗) Politics
✅(🆗) Riven (WTF happened to the badass Shadow?!)
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: death of loved ones, alcoholism, mention of torture, and some suicidal ideation (brief)
3 or maybe 3.5 stars?
The last part was very engaging, but the first half felt a lot like a filler book. Also, I thought this was a trilogy?! Now I have to wait for the next book... 😮💨
This book picks up a few weeks after the end of A Shadow Crown, as Keera is trying to cope with the aftermath of Damien’s rise to power. The rebellion is in shamble, and hope seems to be lost for Keera as she spirals down into her alcohol addiction once more. After a few weeks of wallowing, her friends have had enough, and force Keera to help them open the seals, so they can free the land's magic and have a fighting chance once again.
As always, the author did a fantastic job of including representation of various ethnicities, sexualities, and disabilities in her cast, and it needs to be mentioned because it is so well done. The characters are well fleshed-out and their sexuality or disability truly feels like a part of them, and not a detail added on second thought, simply to have more diversity in the book.
Keera is still a flawed character, but she tries her best to improve and do the right thing. She struggled a lot in the first half of this book because she was overwhelmed with the guilt of letting down the Shades and being responsible for her mentor’s death. Still, she managed to find the strength to overcome her relapse and become stronger once again to be able to help those who relied on her. The way her addiction was portrayed seems to be pretty accurate, even the fact that she tries to push people away and get them to hate her so they would leave her alone rang true and was heartbreaking to witness.
That being said, she relies more and more on newly acquired powers that she doesn’t yet understand, and less on her training as a super-efficient assassin, and it saddens me to see this transformation. I would have loved for her to combine both, not rely only on her powers now that she is super-powerful.
Riven was a little disappointing in this book because I feel that he was toned down so much since the first book. He started the series as The Shadow terrorizing everyone in the Kingdom, thwarting the king, and being uncatchable, but in this book, he was simply Keera’s sidekick. He was there to act as her bodyguard, but overall, he served no purpose besides creating more drama for Keera because her actions affected him and she felt guilty and bad about it. He had so much potential in the first book, but I feel that it was all wasted in this one. Riven felt useless and pointless, like he was a pretty accessory to Keera as she was only becoming stronger.
I think the biggest surprise for me in this book was Gerarda. We saw hints of her in the first two books, and she was always a rival and even a threat to Keera. This book allowed her to shine and show that she has emotions and a backstory that affects her too and that she is much more than simply a Dagger (or ex-Dagger now I guess) wanting glory and recognition.
There is a big twist near the end, and while I love that I was surprised by it, I am not sure yet if I like it or not. I also feel that overall, it was underwhelming. The character kept this big secret for three books, it was a huge revelation to Keera, but she had one meaningful conversation with a friend and she was ready to forgive everything and go back to normal after that… I would have thought that it would at least create more angst and tension, but instead, it was all resolved pretty quickly. While I enjoyed the maturity shown by Keera, I also find it unrealistic that she would “go back to normal” that easily.
What I got from this twist? Feron = Dumbledore.
I will read the next book for sure because I want to know how things will end for Keera and her friends, but I hope that it will be more similar to the first 2 books of the series, which I greatly enjoyed.
1. Broken Blade ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
2. A Shadow Crown ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5
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March 11, 2024
The plot of book three had a heaviness that I just wasn’t feeling. The entire cast spent most of the book moping around or repeating the tedious process of breaking seals which made for a drab read. I really enjoyed the first two books but this book made me realize that the supporting characters desperately lacked personality. Where is the camaraderie? Do they never joke or have fun? This story would have greatly benefited from some levity and comedic relief. When these characters die, I hardly care or remember who they were, and that plot twist was absolutely not welcome. I hated it and saw no reason for it to be included especially considering how quickly the characters glossed over it.
Also… is this a trilogy or not? That ending has me so confused. Maybe just hinting at a spin off series? Was that Keera or Gerarda? Of course I have these questions after I’ve already returned the book. 😅
Also… is this a trilogy or not? That ending has me so confused. Maybe just hinting at a spin off series? Was that Keera or Gerarda? Of course I have these questions after I’ve already returned the book. 😅
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October 6, 2023I THOUGHT THIS WAS A TRILOGY!?!?
August 28, 2023
I need 3-5 business days to process how much I loved this.
—-
I will not apologize for how much I will be talking about this book.
This is my absolute favorite book in the series. And I’ve said that for all of them but that’s Melissa Blair. She keeps writing these immersive, epic fantasies and I keep loving them. The way that Keera’s alcohol addiction, healing from trauma, grief, betrayal, relationships - both romantic and platonic, and magic are all such important parts of the series and are written so beautifully and had me sobbing or laughing or smiling or on the edge of my seat …. listen this book has a man with shadow powers too. Like what is there not to love?
(Also thank you edelweiss for the advanced copy !)
—-
I will not apologize for how much I will be talking about this book.
This is my absolute favorite book in the series. And I’ve said that for all of them but that’s Melissa Blair. She keeps writing these immersive, epic fantasies and I keep loving them. The way that Keera’s alcohol addiction, healing from trauma, grief, betrayal, relationships - both romantic and platonic, and magic are all such important parts of the series and are written so beautifully and had me sobbing or laughing or smiling or on the edge of my seat …. listen this book has a man with shadow powers too. Like what is there not to love?
(Also thank you edelweiss for the advanced copy !)
August 28, 2023
3.5⭐
OK I must admit I didn't see that "shocking truth" twist coming so it did shock me. But it's still not done? I really was hoping book 3 would be the end of the series.
OK I must admit I didn't see that "shocking truth" twist coming so it did shock me. But it's still not done? I really was hoping book 3 would be the end of the series.
February 13, 2024
Sigh... I'm so disappointed on this one, it's 2.5 stars for me. I'm going to be that person and say that I saw the plot twist/"big reveal" coming from ten thousand miles away. It was actually pretty obvious since the Harvest ball scene in book one. She didn't hint at it, she rubbed it on our faces throughout three books. I was honestly more curious to see how she would explain how it was pulled off. (The rest of this rant is kind of SPOILERY!)
.
.
.
I felt so underwhelmed by the aftermath of the plot twist, because the author dragged this "big secret" for three books, for all to be forgiven by Keera in a chapter?! The MMC suffered no consequences for his poor choice (I actually felt like he was rewarded - IYKYK) and it seemed so out of character for the FMC to just move past it so quickly, especially because in book two (where she also forgave him too fast, IMO), Riven had promised not to make decisions for her, and that's what he did here, to the tenth degree. I felt robbed of some groveling, again.
And I know this might sound prudish, but I feel Blair missed the mark with
The dynamic between the MC's also felt off. Riven went from being "THE Shadow" who terrorized the King and saved all these Halflings around the kingdom, to being "Keera's shadow". I don't think she had to tone him down so much to have a strong female lead. What a waste. SMH
Finally, I also still don't fully understand Damien's motivations. Why does he hate Keera so much? Is it because of Brenna, or is it just prejudice against Halflings? And what was his "history" with Brenna anyway? Was he into her? Was he into hurting her? I feel so confused... He has targeted Keera nonstop since book one! --Insert Mariah Carey singing why you so obsessed with me?--
I have loved this series so far, I even purchased the SE's from book boxes and had this one preordered the moment it was announced, but I don't feel invested anymore to continue reading it, even with that cliffhanger.
.
.
.
I felt so underwhelmed by the aftermath of the plot twist, because the author dragged this "big secret" for three books, for all to be forgiven by Keera in a chapter?! The MMC suffered no consequences for his poor choice (I actually felt like he was rewarded - IYKYK) and it seemed so out of character for the FMC to just move past it so quickly, especially because in book two (where she also forgave him too fast, IMO), Riven had promised not to make decisions for her, and that's what he did here, to the tenth degree. I felt robbed of some groveling, again.
And I know this might sound prudish, but I feel Blair missed the mark with
The dynamic between the MC's also felt off. Riven went from being "THE Shadow" who terrorized the King and saved all these Halflings around the kingdom, to being "Keera's shadow". I don't think she had to tone him down so much to have a strong female lead. What a waste. SMH
Finally, I also still don't fully understand Damien's motivations. Why does he hate Keera so much? Is it because of Brenna, or is it just prejudice against Halflings? And what was his "history" with Brenna anyway? Was he into her? Was he into hurting her? I feel so confused... He has targeted Keera nonstop since book one! --Insert Mariah Carey singing why you so obsessed with me?--
I have loved this series so far, I even purchased the SE's from book boxes and had this one preordered the moment it was announced, but I don't feel invested anymore to continue reading it, even with that cliffhanger.
January 30, 2024
2.5 ★
The third installment of the Halfling Saga featuring Keera's return to the bottom of the bottle, a new king, and hell of a lot of spice.
For readers who very much enjoyed Keera x Riven, their relationship is featured heavily in their installment. Unfortunately for me, I was far more invested in what was happening with the plot and all the political intrigue than the two of them. To be quite honest, they never quite worked for me as a couple and so the novel that featured the both of them so heavily in addition to what Blair chooses to do here "for the plot" made the reading experience very frustrating.
Honestly, the "big reveal" at the end had me so upset because while there was a hint of it at the very beginning of book 1, I didn't *actually* think she was going to do it cause it was so ridiculous and so out of left field. Not to mention that it was one of those, everyone but the MC and the readers know but here it is, SURPRISE! And then its over so quickly and without explanation that I was just like.... wtf.
I will admit that I thought it would be a trilogy and was quite upset to find out that we end not only with a confusing devolution of the plot but also with a cliffhanger. After my reading experience with this book, I think I'm going to end up passing on reading the rest of the series.
(+) indigenous author, bisexual FMC, discussions on self harm, substance abuse and alcohol dependency, queer characters, disability rep
The third installment of the Halfling Saga featuring Keera's return to the bottom of the bottle, a new king, and hell of a lot of spice.
For readers who very much enjoyed Keera x Riven, their relationship is featured heavily in their installment. Unfortunately for me, I was far more invested in what was happening with the plot and all the political intrigue than the two of them. To be quite honest, they never quite worked for me as a couple and so the novel that featured the both of them so heavily in addition to what Blair chooses to do here "for the plot" made the reading experience very frustrating.
Honestly, the "big reveal" at the end had me so upset because while there was a hint of it at the very beginning of book 1, I didn't *actually* think she was going to do it cause it was so ridiculous and so out of left field. Not to mention that it was one of those, everyone but the MC and the readers know but here it is, SURPRISE! And then its over so quickly and without explanation that I was just like.... wtf.
I will admit that I thought it would be a trilogy and was quite upset to find out that we end not only with a confusing devolution of the plot but also with a cliffhanger. After my reading experience with this book, I think I'm going to end up passing on reading the rest of the series.
(+) indigenous author, bisexual FMC, discussions on self harm, substance abuse and alcohol dependency, queer characters, disability rep
February 12, 2024
4⭐️ - I love the overarching series, but I have mixed feelings about this 3rd book. Note that you have to read the first two books before undertaking this one.
It was definitely an enjoyable read and the FMC is so strong yet so fragile / flawed in some ways, that she really presses on your heart in places.
There were a couple things that I struggled with -
1. It was like trying to fit every possible ingredient you own into a single dish, so you can’t really savor anything. A bit unfocused at times.
2. Some scenes were just confusing and even after rereading them they were really hard to follow.
3. So many different character relationships that pop in and then pop out without much depth beyond a conversation or two.
4. The world building was definitely left out and relied strictly on the previous books, so I found myself wanting or needing to go back and read the previous books in order to put scenes in context.
Nonetheless, if you like fantasy, magic, an underdog story, good and evil, and a large cast of diverse chosen family characters (and you read the first two books) you will definitely want to read this 3rd installment.
It was definitely an enjoyable read and the FMC is so strong yet so fragile / flawed in some ways, that she really presses on your heart in places.
There were a couple things that I struggled with -
1. It was like trying to fit every possible ingredient you own into a single dish, so you can’t really savor anything. A bit unfocused at times.
2. Some scenes were just confusing and even after rereading them they were really hard to follow.
3. So many different character relationships that pop in and then pop out without much depth beyond a conversation or two.
4. The world building was definitely left out and relied strictly on the previous books, so I found myself wanting or needing to go back and read the previous books in order to put scenes in context.
Nonetheless, if you like fantasy, magic, an underdog story, good and evil, and a large cast of diverse chosen family characters (and you read the first two books) you will definitely want to read this 3rd installment.
Read
March 10, 2024HAHAHAHHAHAHAH I AM LOSING MY MIND
I have never felt so utterly betrayed, absolutely overjoyed, and unhingedly giddy with ego and adrenaline all at the same time. I need to mark this date in my diary.
Only one other person on planet Earth has ever felt this exact feeling and they likened it to the feeling Truman gets when he finds out about the Truman show. and yeah. it’s not unlike that.
Thank you to Melissa for sending me a finished copy in exchange for my raw reaction to your evil schemes over video call. I love and hate you for this.
CW: violence, alcoholism relapse, trauma, colonialism, grief, death of loved one, character death, self harm, blood & gore, dead bodies, fire, illness, electrocution, human experimentation, sexual content, kidnapping, death of parents, death of sibling, needles, infidelity, emesis
I have never felt so utterly betrayed, absolutely overjoyed, and unhingedly giddy with ego and adrenaline all at the same time. I need to mark this date in my diary.
Only one other person on planet Earth has ever felt this exact feeling and they likened it to the feeling Truman gets when he finds out about the Truman show. and yeah. it’s not unlike that.
Thank you to Melissa for sending me a finished copy in exchange for my raw reaction to your evil schemes over video call. I love and hate you for this.
CW: violence, alcoholism relapse, trauma, colonialism, grief, death of loved one, character death, self harm, blood & gore, dead bodies, fire, illness, electrocution, human experimentation, sexual content, kidnapping, death of parents, death of sibling, needles, infidelity, emesis
June 14, 2024
This was... fine. I loved the second book and this was definitely not that. Dragged quite a bit for me, and I HATED the plot twist (that I coincidentally also saw coming from a mile away).
March 5, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up. I’m not in the mood to write a long review, but I need to keep my reviews moving so here we are. This has been such a strong series so far and this installment is my least favorite. Overall still pretty good, but didn’t live up to the prior two. Keera is such an imperfect MC and I love that about her. This book serves as a sharp reminder that people aren’t perfect and don’t always handle things correctly and they can slip back into old habits. Keera has to fight her way out of the darkness she creates for herself once again. There is a definite uptick in steamy scenes in this book than the prior ones, which I personally did not love. And the big twist is very twisty! I absolutely did not expect it, but I also don’t know if I love it. It’s kind of weird! Obviously if you’ve been reading this series you are going to read this one. It was ok! I’m looking forward to the final installment still and hopeful that it brings the same quality back from Shadow Crown.
March 8, 2024
The twist at the end of this book had me in a chokehold. Honestly had no clue it was coming. The very end of this book makes me think there’s another one coming but not sure. Loved the series, it was well written and I feel like it’s under hyped. Solid reads.
Although I wish there was a glossary for the Elvish words and maybe a family tree to understand more what was going on and what was being no said at some points.
Although I wish there was a glossary for the Elvish words and maybe a family tree to understand more what was going on and what was being no said at some points.
February 10, 2024
I thought it was going to be a trilogy but I guess not since it’s a cliffhanger. The first 2 books were awesome and I had high hopes for this book but it just didn’t do it for me. Parts of it were hard to follow, like it was choppy.
It felt like there was too much focus on keera’s problems and her relationship (which had me annoyed) and not much about what was going on with anyone else or what was happening in the world, I was expecting more on that.
And the whole reveal with riven and just moving past it like it was nothing irked me! plus it was a little confusing following which version is him/his name during a certain scene. Overall a bit disappointed with the third book, I’ll probably still read the next one to see how it ends since I’ve made it this far
It felt like there was too much focus on keera’s problems and her relationship (which had me annoyed) and not much about what was going on with anyone else or what was happening in the world, I was expecting more on that.
And the whole reveal with riven and just moving past it like it was nothing irked me! plus it was a little confusing following which version is him/his name during a certain scene. Overall a bit disappointed with the third book, I’ll probably still read the next one to see how it ends since I’ve made it this far
March 22, 2024
Melissa continues to masterfully rip my heart out with this series. My love for Keera grows with every book, and Riven - my sweet, sweet chipmunk who is doing his best. My heart is full but aches at the same time for these little pretend beings.
This is such a powerful story of sacrifice and grief, but also of hope and love preserving. I smiled and I cried, and I want to read about this world forever.
This is such a powerful story of sacrifice and grief, but also of hope and love preserving. I smiled and I cried, and I want to read about this world forever.
June 16, 2024
Oh my goodness. Mind blown 🤯. I'm still reeling from the revelations in this one. It's only as you move through the books in the series that you can truly appreciate how intricately crafted they have been by Melissa Blair.
It is going to feel a long wait until the final book is released in January.
It is going to feel a long wait until the final book is released in January.
February 25, 2024
Be so fucking for real right now. MELISSA. THAT PLOT TWIST? ARE YOU JOKING?! I’m screaming, crying, throwing up… omfg. Each page made me have more and more questions and I wanted to know WHAT WAS GOING ON. AND THEN EVERYTHING MADE SENSE. When I tell you I was talking to the wall for a good 20 minutes about every scene that now made sense… I’m not joking. So then.. Melissa.. I need book four like NOW.
March 14, 2024
the ending was a bit confusing but still a pretty good book
February 9, 2024
This was good, but I wasn't super impressed.
Some of the scenes were hard to follow. A lot of this felt predictable and formulaic. I wasn't expecting the big twist about Riven, but other than that nothing popped out at me.
I'll read the next one when it comes out, seeing as I'm ridiculously invested at this point, but that's about it.
Some of the scenes were hard to follow. A lot of this felt predictable and formulaic. I wasn't expecting the big twist about Riven, but other than that nothing popped out at me.
I'll read the next one when it comes out, seeing as I'm ridiculously invested at this point, but that's about it.
February 12, 2024
I have mixed feelings about this one if I'm being honest.
I really like the side characters, Gerarda was particularly brilliant !!! But Keera and Riven ???? please one is becoming a walking god and the other serves absolutely no purpose aside from having the biggest yet most disappoint plot twist of the saga. Keera is becoming less and less of a skilled assassin and more of a puppet using powers she doesn't understand and it makes me a little sad :( Maybe the pace of this book was a bit too fast, and so aspects of it lacked some depth ?
Nikolai !!!!! I really hope my boy is gonna be okay, I love him.
I really like the side characters, Gerarda was particularly brilliant !!! But Keera and Riven ???? please one is becoming a walking god and the other serves absolutely no purpose aside from having the biggest yet most disappoint plot twist of the saga. Keera is becoming less and less of a skilled assassin and more of a puppet using powers she doesn't understand and it makes me a little sad :( Maybe the pace of this book was a bit too fast, and so aspects of it lacked some depth ?
Nikolai !!!!! I really hope my boy is gonna be okay, I love him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 13, 2024
Keera...is unbearable. The martyr-addict-savior complex combination is tiresome at best and eye-roll inducing at worst. Pages of ink devoted to Keera's alcoholism and savior complex. How much self-flagellation porn can a writer pack into a series? Apparently, at least four volumes of it.
July 9, 2024
The endings of each of the books in this series are insane. Excited to read the finale.
May 2, 2024
What a bummer this book is. The first two were a mixture of ideas I really liked and niggling things that ruined my full enjoyment. But solidly 3-3.5 stars, which isn't bad.
This one was just terrible. The reveals are ridiculous, the ending entirely anticlimactic... And lacking in any actual closure. It seems the author was so invested in exploring the subject of addiction (which I think is an awesome thing to do in an epic fantasy setting! Great ideas!) that she forgot she also needed to make the surrounding story readers have now invested 3 books worth of reading into -- work.
I can pretty safely say this was my last Blair book.
This one was just terrible. The reveals are ridiculous, the ending entirely anticlimactic... And lacking in any actual closure. It seems the author was so invested in exploring the subject of addiction (which I think is an awesome thing to do in an epic fantasy setting! Great ideas!) that she forgot she also needed to make the surrounding story readers have now invested 3 books worth of reading into -- work.
I can pretty safely say this was my last Blair book.
March 2, 2024
This series has the most intense plots twists that I have ever experienced and I never see them coming.
A Vicious Game is the third book in the Hafling Saga. It follows the POV of Keera, as she recovers from the king’s death and Damien’s rise to power. All is not well for Keera. Unable to sleep due to Damien’s new link to her mind, she has turned back to alcohol to keep her from dreaming. With the rise of her alcoholism, Keera has also pulled back from her friends and family.
But they are not content to sit around while Keera wastes away, and with a new plan for bringing the magic back, they strong arm Keera into helping them. Along the way, Keera is brought new hope herself, and with the unwavering support of her family, she battles against her own demons and the demon sitting on the throne.
This book is full of love, loss, healing, epic twists, and hope. For the rebellion is about to take a major turn, and new truths are about to be revealed.
A Vicious Game is the third book in the Hafling Saga. It follows the POV of Keera, as she recovers from the king’s death and Damien’s rise to power. All is not well for Keera. Unable to sleep due to Damien’s new link to her mind, she has turned back to alcohol to keep her from dreaming. With the rise of her alcoholism, Keera has also pulled back from her friends and family.
But they are not content to sit around while Keera wastes away, and with a new plan for bringing the magic back, they strong arm Keera into helping them. Along the way, Keera is brought new hope herself, and with the unwavering support of her family, she battles against her own demons and the demon sitting on the throne.
This book is full of love, loss, healing, epic twists, and hope. For the rebellion is about to take a major turn, and new truths are about to be revealed.
April 4, 2024
If I could give this whole series 10 stars I would! I’m not the type of person who can pick favourites (of anything honestly) but I honestly think I can say this is my favourite book series ever. I don’t know what it is about but I just love it so much. This one in particular ripped me apart, and then left me on the edge of my seat. I can’t believe I have to wait until Jan 2025 for the next book.
April 2, 2024
i love this series so much!!!! it took me a minute to get reoriented with the people and the world but i love where it went and where its going!!!!
January 25, 2024
*SPOILERS AHEAD*
I rated this book 3 stars but it was really closer to about a 2.8 for me. I love the accuracy with which Keera’s addiction was portrayed. The inexplicable need to make others hate you as much as you hate yourself while in active addiction is something I could really relate to and felt like it was done well. It also feels very fitting for Keera given her history of self-harm (this is indeed a form of self-harm too, but on an emotional/social level). However, I felt like this storyline was dragged on for much longer than it needed to be (just shy of half the book).
My biggest issue with this book is that I didn’t at ALL buy into the romance between Keera and Riven and even less so once the Riven/Killian plot twist was revealed (and it made me like Riven even less). The plot twist didn’t feel like it was explained well either and left me with a lot of unanswered questions that don’t seem like they’ll be answered.
I think my favorite part of the book was the growth in Keera and Gerarda’s relationship. Gerarda really took center stage in this book and was its redeeming point. I love the way she is subtlety hinted to be NB or possibly even trans and wish this would’ve been further explored upon, as Blair does a wonderful job of including characters off all sexuality, disability, ethnicity, and likely in Gerarda’s case gender identity. I did also really love the scene where Keera’s found family came and found her at Brenna’s grave to support her. It was a very touching moment and further added to the humanization of Gerarda’s character.
All in all, the first 3/4ish of this book felt like a chore as the same points were made over and over. Things really started picking up around the time Keera and “Killian” went looking for Collin and Maerhal, but that didn’t happen until the later part of the book. I assume the grammatical errors will likely be fixed prior to publishing, so I did not factor that into my review. While this book had some good moments, it over all made me feel less inclined to finish this series.
I rated this book 3 stars but it was really closer to about a 2.8 for me. I love the accuracy with which Keera’s addiction was portrayed. The inexplicable need to make others hate you as much as you hate yourself while in active addiction is something I could really relate to and felt like it was done well. It also feels very fitting for Keera given her history of self-harm (this is indeed a form of self-harm too, but on an emotional/social level). However, I felt like this storyline was dragged on for much longer than it needed to be (just shy of half the book).
My biggest issue with this book is that I didn’t at ALL buy into the romance between Keera and Riven and even less so once the Riven/Killian plot twist was revealed (and it made me like Riven even less). The plot twist didn’t feel like it was explained well either and left me with a lot of unanswered questions that don’t seem like they’ll be answered.
I think my favorite part of the book was the growth in Keera and Gerarda’s relationship. Gerarda really took center stage in this book and was its redeeming point. I love the way she is subtlety hinted to be NB or possibly even trans and wish this would’ve been further explored upon, as Blair does a wonderful job of including characters off all sexuality, disability, ethnicity, and likely in Gerarda’s case gender identity. I did also really love the scene where Keera’s found family came and found her at Brenna’s grave to support her. It was a very touching moment and further added to the humanization of Gerarda’s character.
All in all, the first 3/4ish of this book felt like a chore as the same points were made over and over. Things really started picking up around the time Keera and “Killian” went looking for Collin and Maerhal, but that didn’t happen until the later part of the book. I assume the grammatical errors will likely be fixed prior to publishing, so I did not factor that into my review. While this book had some good moments, it over all made me feel less inclined to finish this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2024
This had some very good critiques of female-focused epic fantasy and STILL managed to fall into those patterns.
May 22, 2024
Why do I keep torturing myself by starting unfinished series?! Gimmegimmegimme
February 9, 2024
While I liked the first two, this book left me severely disappointed. Keera was already a dangerous assassin and this book continued to make her stronger and stronger until she was basically a walking god. Literally she was able to counter just about everyone, including an army of men with cannons. I lost interest because of this. What's the point of reading if she has no real challenge, aside from her alcoholic tendencies.
The only way I will be continuing this series is if I have nothing better to read.
The only way I will be continuing this series is if I have nothing better to read.
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