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Five Broken Blades (Deluxe Limited Edition) (The Broken Blades, 1)

Order now and receive the stunning DELUXE LIMITED EDITION while supplies last―featuring gorgeous sprayed edges with stenciled artwork, as well as exclusive endpapers by Juho Choi and special design features such as luxe metallic jacket stock. This breathtaking collectible is only available on a limited first print run, a must-have for any book lover while supplies last in the US and Canada only.

The instant New York Times bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of 2024
A Goodreads Choice Award nominee, Readers' Favorite Fantasy
An Indigo Best Book of 2024
An Apple Best Book of 2024 (So Far)

It’s the season
for treason…

The king of Yusan must die.

The five most dangerous liars in the land have been mysteriously summoned to work together for a single objective: to kill the god king Joon.

He has it coming. Under his merciless immortal hand, the nobles flourish, while the poor and innocent are imprisoned, ruined…or sold.

And now each of the five blades will come for him. Each has tasted bitterness—from the hired hit man seeking atonement, a lovely assassin who seeks freedom, or even the prince banished for his cruel crimes. None can resist the sweet, icy lure of vengeance.

They can agree on murder.

They can agree on treachery.

But for these five killers—each versed in deception, lies, and betrayal—it’s not enough to forge an alliance. To survive, they’ll have to find a way to trust each other…but only one can take the crown.

Let the best liar win.

The Broken Blades series is best enjoyed in order.
Reading Order:
Book #1 Five Broken Blades
Book #2 Four Ruined Realms
Book #3 Three Shattered Souls

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Published May 7, 2024

512 pages

Average rating: 7.43

79 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say *Five Broken Blades* is a gripping epic fantasy with rich, immersive world-building and well-distinguished multiple POVs that enhance the ...

bookish_sarah
Oct 19, 2024
8/10 stars
This was our September/October book club read
Cantina Book Club
Nov 03, 2025
8/10 stars
Corland delivers a wonderfully entertaining debut with Five Broken Blades. The world-building, interesting characters, and multiple POVs will suck readers in from the beginning. Each character’s POV is easily distinguishable and provides the perfect pace for this fantasy heist. The author delivers action, romance, and a mythology rooted in Korean culture that guarantees a fun ride from start to finish.

In-depth book review: https://cantinabookclub.com/review/five-broken-blades-by-mai-corland

Podcast interview with Mai Corland:
Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/episode-45-mai-corland-five-broken-blades/id1716042267?i=1000668330806
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/3SMzaj9XuVSM8HEEapxh9s?si=53283506f14c4e2e
YouTube: https://youtu.be/RDcgR6i0-es?si=RmUbolzga8nqaapI
MandiCole11
Oct 29, 2025
4/10 stars
2.5 it just didn't work for me
keys_on_fire
May 31, 2025
2/10 stars
Couldn’t finish; too repetitive and juvenile tone didn’t appeal
misha belden
Apr 02, 2025
2/10 stars
this was unreadable. it reminded me of a twelve year old writing a romance. every character was so insufferable. and ~*skinny~* tbh i just read a synopsis online because i Could Not finish it. but i’m counting it bc i got far enough lol

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