Five Broken Blades

Written by Korean American author Mai Corland, Five Broken Blades (2024) is the first installment in the Broken Blades fantasy series. Five Broken Blades interweaves narratives from multiple perspectives. Corland uses Korean culture and mythology to enhance her worldbuilding, and her novel follows five of the most ruthless and dangerous liars in the country of Yusan as they become ensnared in a plot to kill the king. Fraught with betrayal, magic, and devious deception, Five Broken Blades challenges notions of freedom, rebellion, and the possibility of love amid cruel secrets. (Its sequel, Four Ruined Realms, is set for publication in 2025.) Like other popular fantasy writers, including Axie Oh (The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea), Corland references Korean culture, mythology, and folklore to build the world of her novels.

This guide refers to the 2024 Entangled: Red Tower Books e-book edition, distributed by Google Play Books.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide contain descriptions of suicidal ideation, rape, and enslavement. Scenes of sexual assault and graphic violence are also depicted.

Plot Summary

In the city of Umbria, a strongman named Royo returns from a job to find that someone has delivered an invitation for a new job; to learn more, he must meet someone staying at the Black Shoe Inn.