Blade Breaker is the second book in ‘The Realm Breaker’ trilogy. The Companions continue on their quest, the delicate equilibrium between themselves and their foes unimpaired. They manage to close one Spindle only for Taristan and his wizard to tear open another one hundreds of miles away. Conquering numerous hurdles along the way moulds the Companions into a tightly knit group. They have each other's backs during precarious situations and psych each other up when doubts plague their every waking thought. The found-family vibes are phenomenal. Of all the characters in this book, Sorasa was one of my favourite ones. She is resourceful, fierce and one of the strongest characters - in both mind and body - in this trilogy. Speaking of strong characters - the villains are also exceptionally well written. Taristan and Erida are the embodiment of the saying that villains are not born but made. Their respective pasts forged both of them into the ruthless, cunning and power-hungry people that they are. Accepting Taristan as consort and thus embracing his crusade as her own, Erida intends to prove to everyone that she can hold her ground in the viper pit that is Allward's political landscape. Not only did she have to fend off her advisors who kept forcing her to marry, but she also had to keep her cousin at bay, who was out to pry the throne away from her. So it is unsurprising that Erida leaves all notion of scruples behind and crushes everyone in her way. While I can certainly understand her motivations for being the way she is, her deceitfulness made me want to climb the walls. Blade Breaker is an action-packed sequel boasting intricate politics, pirates, dragons, an undead army and other deadly creatures. It is a suspenseful and highly entertaining second book with a devious cliffhanger at the end.