Book Review: Four Ruined Realms by Mai Corland

Am I still obsessed? Absolutely.

I’m fully invested in this series, and I cannot wait for book three to drop later this year. If you want to check my review of the first book and get to know a bit more about the main characters tap here.

Book Pub Day:  January 7, 2025

Genres: Romance Fantasy, High Fantasy, Fantasy Fiction

• It incorporates elements of mystery, thriller, and romance.

Trigger & Content Warnings:

Trying not to be on any blocked list, I am writing TW like that. I hope you don’t have an issue reading it.

• Viol€nce,
• Bl00d
• D*ath
• War scenes
• Minor S€xual Content
• Confin€mnt- T0rture

My Thoughts

The Aesthetic Appeal

This book is visually stunning, from the jacket and cover art to the gorgeous stenciled and sprayed edges. Just look at the pictures! It’s a masterpiece, right? 

You can check my review of the first book here.

The Story & Characters

Four Ruined Realms is the second book in The Broken Blades series, and these characters have completely won me over, especially Royo and Aeri. There’s just something about them that I absolutely adore.

The story picks up right where book one left off, throwing our misfit heroes into yet another high-stakes quest. If you’re familiar with the series, you know it follows three central couples:

• Royo & Aeri

• Mikail & Euyn

• Tiyung & Sora

In book two, Royo and Aeri’s chemistry finally starts evolving, and I love their romance. That said, I’m not a fan of the miscommunication trope, and I really hope it gets resolved in book three—because Royo deserves the truth. Honestly, everyone in this series has suffered, but Royo’s been through hell, and he deserves better.

Aeri, though? She’s my girl. I was cheering for her the whole way through. She’s an absolute badass, but she needs to grow up, take charge, and trust Royo more.

And then there’s Sora… my heart broke for her. But at the same time, I wish she would pause for a moment and put herself first. Meanwhile, Euyn completely blindsided me again. At one point, I literally gasped, put my book down, and just stared at the wall for ten minutes. I can’t say more without spoiling anything, but trust me—it’s huge.

Mikail… oh, Mikail. Always with the secrets. And yet, somehow, he feels clueless? I honestly don’t know how I feel about him anymore.

As for Tiyung… I have no words. His story felt messy, and I’m hoping book three will untangle everything. But in this installment? He felt like the least useful character.

Audiobook Thoughts

I highly recommend the full-cast audiobook—the narrators did an incredible job bringing these characters to life. That said, Tiyung’s chapters felt off this time. His narrator seemed to struggle, and while I think he was trying to capture Tiyung’s situation, it just didn’t work for me. Hopefully, that improves in book three.

I really hope you give this series a chance! It’s fast-paced, easy to read, and completely gripping. The worldbuilding is richly inspired by Korean mythology and history, adding so much depth to the story.

If you’ve read it, let me know what you think—I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Soundtrack for Four Ruined Realms

I listen to rock and metal, so that’s what you’re getting. These tracks capture the intensity, dark themes, and emotional weight of the book:

• “The Game Is Over” – Evanescence

• “No Masters” – Bad Omens

• “Hail to the King” – Avenged Sevenfold

• “The Catalyst” – Linkin Park

• “In the End” – Black Veil Brides

• “Snuff” – Slipknot

• “Fade to Black” – Metallica

Book Description

The King of Yusan may be the greatest liar of them all.

His sister’s ring is in his sights, and he will do anything to get what he wants—even manipulating the five blades to steal it.

Bonded by a common enemy, then divided by deceit, the blades must rely on their skills to pull off King Joon’s pursuit or risk his legendary wrath.

A foreign rule of law stands between them and Quilimar, the Queen of Khitan. Now they have one month to steal the powerful Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord. But that impossible task might be easier than trusting one another—despite their lives, their families, and the fate of the realms hanging in the balance.

They can all agree on one thing: the king can’t win. But can they beat him at his own game?

For the blades, this time it’s not just personal—it’s revenge. Lies may have torn them apart, but vengeance will bring them together.

Reading Order:

Book #1: Five Broken Blades

Book #2: Four Ruined Realms

Book #3 Three Shattered Souls (pub date: July 22, 2025)

About The Author:

Happy Reading!

S A N N A