In a world that defines you as Mortal, Elf, or a Halfling, Keera belongs to neither world but is still affected by them nonetheless because of the secrets that lie in the past. As shadows being to rise in her kingdom, Keera hones her skills as an assassin, a spy......a weapon. Yet as Keera discovers, following shadows often leads to unveiling the truths cloaked in corners and lives lost in muted screams. It is in this dark decent that readers will discover the places that push our protagonists spirit until they become a broken blade.
Debut works!
There is no better feeling that reading an author's first work. It's here that readers get that first window into new worlds and a cast of characters with newly formed lives and chronicles. In A Broken Blade Melissa Blair was able to achieve what, to me, is the most critical element in this craft which is an innate, distinctive voice which carries readers through Keera's life, explores the complexity of human (or should I say Halfling) nature, and diverse representation.
Definitely can't wait for book two!
BOOK INFORMATION
TITLE: A Broken Blade
AUTHOR: Melissa Blair PUB. DATE: August 2nd, 2022 PUBLISHER: Union Square & Co. GENRE(S): ADULT FICTION—Fantasy TRIGGER/CONTENT WARNING(S): Sexual assault mentioned, Substance addiction, Suicidal ideation, Self-harm, Murder, Torture, Colonialism BUY LINK: https://bookshop.org/a/11727/9781454947875
SYNOPSIS: My body is made of scars,
some were done to me, but most I did to myself.
Keera is a killer. As the King’s Blade, she is the most talented spy in the kingdom. And the king’s favored assassin. When a mysterious figure moves against the Crown, Keera is called upon to hunt down the so-called Shadow.
She tracks her target into the magical lands of the Fae, but Faeland is not what it seems…and neither is the Shadow. Keera is shocked by what she learns, and can’t help but wonder who her enemy truly is: the King that destroyed her people or the Shadow that threatens the peace?
As she searches for answers, Keera is haunted by a promise she made long ago, one that will test her in every way. To keep her word, Keera must not only save herself, but an entire kingdom.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Melissa (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.
GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
Up for grabs we have ONE (1) finished copy of A Broken Blade by Melissa Blair. This giveaway will be available from July 25th through August 6th at 11:59 PM CST. Open to US residents only. No giveaway accounts allowed. To enter, click the (link/button) below!
GIVEAWAY LINK:
Interview
TURN THE PAGE TOURS (BELLE) -
Can you tell us a bit about yourself and A Broken Blade?
Sure! I’m a 27-year-old introvert who needs stories more than she needs to breathe. I love stories in every form their come in —books, shows, film, theater, illustration, out loud fireside— and I want to keep telling stories in whatever medium feels right.
A Broken Blade is the first book in The Halfling Saga which is this series I came up with while I was stuck at home during lockdown. It follows the main character of Keera who is an assassin forced to serve the King and hunt down her own kin. When she is task with taking down the newest enemy of the Crown, she realizes this might be her only chance to take down the conqueror once and for all.
What has your experience been like going from a self-published to a traditionally published author?
I think I’m still coming to terms with that to be honest. I never even considered that this would be a possibility when I decided to self-publish The Halfling Saga. I’m so grateful that Keera’s story has garnered so much love and will now have so much support behind it for the following books.
Was there a chapter in your book that you were more eager to write than others?
The flashbacks were the scenes that came to me first, so it felt great to get those on the page. But the chapter that called to me most was Chapter 25. It’s the first time we see Keera’s decisiveness, ruthlessness and guilt come together. It’s also a great moment between her and Riven coming to terms with the reality of being leaders through a coup and eventually to war.
Tear-Worthy: What was the first book that made you cry, and why?
The first book I remember making me cry is Love You Forever by Robert Munsch. I love stories about love that take you through entire journey from beginning to end, and even though it’s a children’s book Love You Forever does it so well. Honestly, it still makes me tear up when I read it.
Your Comfort Song: Is there a song that you can’t help but play when you need a pick-me-up?
I love (badly) singing Disney songs for an energy boost or just to make it through a long car ride. My go-to’s are Poor Unfortunate Souls and Girl Worth Fighting Forth. But there’s over 50 songs on my playlist and I will sing every one if the car ride is that long.
Are you currently working on any other projects, and if so, could you give us any small details?
I’m always working on something! Right now, I have two standalones I’m working on. One is a sci-fi speculative piece having to do with Indigenous sovereignty and language revitalization and the other is the epic love story between two characters caught between fate and time.
Finally, what do you hope readers take away from your book?
I hope they love Keera as much as I do. She’s a complicated character who is slowly coming to terms with what she has done and that will continue throughout the series, so I hope readers are excited for the ride.
OWL ABRIDGED (CHRISTINA) -
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and A Broken Blade?
Sure! I’m an introverted nightowl and all-around story lover. I love board games, my dog, and reading in a hammock. I was bored living by myself during lockdown and decided to write a book inspired by all of the paranormal fantasy romance BookTok was obsessing over in 2021. That became A Broken Blade which follows Keera an assassin forced to serve the king who stole the land of her kin and makes her hunt them down to enforce his rule, but when the Keera is sent after the Shadow she realizes this may be her only chance to take the king down once and for all.
Where did you get your inspiration for the book? Was there any particular moment that sparked the idea for the story?
The story came to me not as a book but a series. The two big moments that I was obsessing over aren’t even in A Broken Blade. The first takes place thirty years before and the second you’ll have to wait for Book 3 for. But from those I was able to build out the world and the arc for the series and it made sense to begin Keera’s journey where it begins in A Broken Blade. You learn so much about her in book 1 but there’s also so much more to come.
Which character do you relate to the most? Did you put pieces of yourself anywhere else in the book?
Riven is the most similar to me. We see the world in the same way, he often feels out of place and so do I, we also think in the same logical way so understanding him is the easiest out of everyone. Keera’s fears are rooted in many of my own, but we handle them in completely differently. In some ways, Keera has the strength and composure I wish I had when tackling obstacles.
This is your debut novel! What has your publishing journey been like?
Unconventional to say the least. I have queried a few projects over the past seven years and have gotten some traction but nothing ever ended up published. My idea for this book was to self-publish this fun series as a side project, perhaps earn enough to work less and focus on writing more. I initially published it anonymously as part of a fun BookTok mystery which was amazing and got people excited, but I never would have imagined eight months later my book would be out in bookstores with a traditional publishing deal. It has been a roller coaster and I feel like this is only the first whirlwind and there are many turns left to go.
How are the next few months looking for you? Are you working on the sequel for A Broken Blade or doing something else?
Yes! I am currently doing edits for book 2 and finishing up the drafts for the rest of the series. I also have a few other projects keeping me busy, but you’ll have to keep an eye on my TikTok to keep up to date with that. I can’t say anything yet.
I’d love to end my questions with some book recommendations! What are your favorite books and what are you reading now?
I can never come up with a definitive answer for this question, but I love Five Little Indians by Michelle Good and Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. I’m listening the sequel Fevered Star right now.
DJREADSLIT -
What was your inspiration behind A Broken Blade?
I was reading a lot of paranormal fantasy romance during lockdown. The subgenre was super popular on BookTok at the time and I was reading it all alongside everyone else. But I kept noticing that these books were set in colonial societies with little to no mention about the peoples Indigenous to these lands. I started asking myseld what had happaned to them, what their cultures had been like, why and how these transitions of power had happened. Eventually I had the idea of what kind of story would I write if I stayed in the subgenre, kept all of the tropes and elements BookTok seemed to love so much, but framed it from an Indigenous point of view. Keera was born from that thought experiment and A Broken Blade is her story.
What drives Keera in the book?
Keera is constantly trying to balance her longing to mitigate harm and desire to help her kin as much as possible with the guilt of what is required of her to maintain the small amount of power she has been able to carve out for herself. Most days, she finds the guilt overwhelming and is haunted by the decisions she’s made in the past. Keera has a lot of skills in her repertoire, but self-forgiveness isn’t one of them.
What is next on her journey?
There is so much about the world and history of Elverath Keera doesn’t know or understand. There’s also so much about her own past and history she doesn’t understand. Readers will see how those merge together in Book 2. Keera and Riven also need to have a serious chat and I can’t say there won’t be weapons involved.
What can we expect in the Halfling Saga?
There were two things I wanted to do with the Halfling Saga when I started. First, tell a story of an Indigenous people coming together to take down a colonial conqueror and revive their culture. And the second was to play around with some much-loved tropes in unexpected ways. I feel comfortable saying you can expect both of those things in the upcoming books.
What are you reading currently?
I have a few books on the go at the moment. I’m listening to Fevered Star by Rebecca Roanhorse, reading Book Lovers by Emily Henry on my iPad and Critically Sovereign edited by Joanne Barker is sitting on my bedside table.
What are your favorite books with Fae, elves, and other mythical creatures?
I can’t count the number of times I’ve reread Ella Enchanted. I also loved the Inheritance Cycle as a teen. Anything with dragons is usually an instant buy for me.
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