The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair: A Spoiler Free Review
A fantastic, fully finished series to binge right now.
It’s been a while since my last spoiler-free book review. Sadly I don’t get to read as much as I want, but the good news is I found enough time to read the entire Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair this past month. The immersion of reading a series straight through really cannot be topped. The characters, the setting, the conflict—it all becomes a part of me as they accompany me throughout my days. This series was no exception, and I whole-heartedly recommend it to those who love a dark romantasy.
As always, this review will be spoiler free, which means most of what I have to say will focus on book one, A Broken Blade. If I ever start wrting spoilery discussions of books, however, this series would be one I’d love to unravel thread-by-thread. The overall progression of the main character’s journey from being an enslaved alcoholic to the ultimate bad-ass was inspiring to me on a personal level (I don’t believe genre expectations count as spoilers). Having known people that struggle with addiction, the unvarnished realism of this aspect of Keera’s character arc was inspiring.
The Halfling Saga begins with Keera Kingsown, the head of King Aemon’s arsenal of assassins, being ordered to hunt down a traitor to the crown known as the “Shadow”. One wonders how she’ll accomplish this, as she’s a raging alcoholic who seemingly avoids all of the responsibilites to her assassin sisters called the Shades. Her journey to find him takes Keera out of the capital city to spy on the Shadow, and Keera realizes he is helping the starving Halflings by providing food.
The cast is large, and it continues to expand over the series. One of the strongest aspects of Blair’s writing is her ability to create a found family that I wish included me. (Not that I’d want to live under Aemon’s rule). Keera has a lot of folks rooting for her to overcome her alcoholism. Wise crones offer emotional support as well as taking on the admin duties Keera cannot stomach. Gwyn, Keera’s chambermaid, keeps the human part of Keera’s heart alive and keeps her from being too unlikeable. Then of course there are those in faeland, some of whom become found family, ranging from the fashion conscious, wise-crackng side kick (I love you Nikolai) to a deadly former courtesan. And while there is a Shadow, is he a Daddy?
You’ll have to read to find out.
Reader be warned, however, that not everyone makes it to the end. The stakes are high, and not everyone gets their happily-ever-after. If I had to guess, Blair is drawing on her experiences as an indigenous Anishinaabekwe who spends her time between two territories. Clearly the colonial experiences of her people has given her the ability to write about the dreadful things humans do to each other while maintaining enough hope to keep striving for a better world. Anyone complaining that this was “just another YA fantasy trope fest” didn’t have the emotional IQ needed to feel this story on a visceral level.
With that said, please be wary of the trigger warning list for the series. There are frank discussions and on-page descriptions of alcoholism and drug abuse, surviving sexual trauma, torture, slavery, and grief. While many of these same issues are addressed in Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series, there is a gravitas and darkness in Blair’s work that is lacking in the less gritty TOG. However, you don’t need to fear about drowning in the MC’s sorrow. These heavy topics are handled in a mature manner. However, if you aren’t in a place where you can examine these themes, consider a lighter read until you’ve progressed in your healing journey.
The Halfling Saga by Melissa Blair
Romance: 🌶️🌶️🌶️ 3 out of 5 hot peppers by the end of the series.
🗡Enemies-to-lovers
😢Mourning a past love
🔺 Love triangle
🔥 Slow burn
☠Touch her and die
🌈 Queer is the norm
Worldbuilding/Fantasy Elements:
😦 Morally grey FMC
✨ Elemental Magic
🧙♀️ Fae
🧚♂️ Elves (they don’t actually look like pixies)
👑 Asshole King
🤴 Spoiled, sociopath prince
🔗 Slavery
🌳 Tree-houses that I personally want to live in
⚔ Battles and raids
The Romance: Slow Burn Simmer
If this was a review of the first book, one could argue that A Broken Blade is a fantasy with some romantic elements. Why? Much of the first book is introducing us to the world and its characters. With Keera constantly inebriated to the point of puking or having tremors from withdrawl, she is simply not in a place for casual sex. With her issues of self-loathing, she is not ready to forge a lasting love and the physical intimacy that comes along with a relationship.
However, I found the slow burn romance, and the later introduction of a love triangle, compelling. As I got to know Keera and the found family she forms, I wanted her to find the peace within her own heart, and to allow herself to open up and be vulunerable again. Once Keera is able to give and recieve love, I adored the fact that Blair kept things real. Keera’s path to a happily-ever-after is rocky, and nothing is instant but hard-earned.
The physical aspects of love are shown on page later in the series, with a suitable amount of spice that’s well-written. Blair avoids some of the cliches other romance/romantasy authors employ, which is keeping with the serious tone of the theme. HOWEVER, there is one particular sexy romp in book three that had me all 👀. That’s one way to resolve a love triangle!!!
A final note on the relationship. I do not spend a lot of time on TikTok, but apparently this book was marketed there as a sapphic romance. While Keera is bisexual, almost all of her sexy time on page is with a male. Readers that went in expecting otherwise were not happy with her choice of romance partner. Not knowing anything about this series going in kept me from that disappointment. This is also a warning about 30 second book reviews. I hate to say it, but not everyone making those cute, snappy videos has read everything they’re promoting.
The Worldbuilding: Immersive Landscapes and Complex Magic
As with many well-done romantasy series, there is a bit of a learning curve when it comes to the worldbuilding. However, Blair does a fantastic job bringing the politics of the crown, the elements of fading magic, and the plight of the common people living under colonial rule to light. As the story unfolds, it becomes obvious that there is a lot more to Keera under the surface of her scarred skin, and by the end of A Broken Blade you will be so glad the entire series is finished because Blair drops the mic on the last page with a cliffhanger to make you want to scream. Now that I think of it, she pulls off this same trick at the end of book two, A Shadow Crown.
I really wish I could say more about the magic, because not only is it epic, but it is also infused with a tangible love and reverence for the natural world. Once again Blair has mined her own heart for inspiration, creating a variety of flora and fauna that makes me wish more than anything that I could someday live in a magical, treehouse city where the plants communicate with each other. (That also borders on spoilers, but TREEHOUSES. My inner child wants this existence now).
Such. Great. Writing!!!
My Favorite Romantic Quote:
“And still he found beauty in the darkness of it, in my light and my shadows.” ~A Broken Blade
Final Thoughts
If you are a true romantasy fan, this is a must-read. The worldbuilding is top-notch, the fight scenes are epic, and the characters are multilayered. Melissa Blair’s writing inspired me to think about my place in the world and the fact I live on stolen land that was taken in a manner just as bloody as what is described in these pages. It’s sobering, friends of the Realm, to say the least. But that is the beauty of romantasy. It examines light and dark, love and loss, and like other great stories, it can stir the soul.
Special thanks to my cousin Heather who gifted me a copy of A Broken Blade for Christmas.
This review was marvelous, and it’s totally convinced me to add this to my library holds right this second! The few quick reviews I saw for this series didn’t really do much for me, but this—THIS—sounds like a truly interesting read. Thanks for taking the time to write such a thorough review! I can’t wait to read the series now!