Book description
Let's be real: if you thought Five Broken Blades was a messy, glittery pile of political backstabbing, buckle up. Mai Corland's sequel, Four Ruined Realms, cranks the lies, the betrayals, and the sheer audacity of a king who lies better than a used car salesman to 11. King Joon isn't just scheming-he's got a personal vendetta against a ring (the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord, naturally), and he's willing to weaponize your favorite five blades like a drama queen with a spreadsheet. Their mission? Steal the ring in a month while also trying not to kill each other. Because, apparently, trusting your ex-assassins is harder than defying a queen who rules with a lawbook and a glare.
The audiobook? Absolute gold. The narrator leans into the chaos like they're gossiping over a glass of wine at the worst dinner party ever. You hear the sigh when Joon lies again, the clink of a dagger being drawn during a tense negotiation, and the sheer, unfiltered eye-roll of the blades realizing, yet again, they're being played. It's like listening to a reality show where the contestants are all secretly royalty and the only prize is not getting executed. Corland doesn't just write a sequel; she weaponizes the reader's patience. The "bonded by deceit" line? That's the plot, folks. They can't trust each other, but they definitely can't trust the king, who's basically the villain from your favorite fantasy novel who also runs a very shady dating app.
And the best part? The sheer, ridiculous stakes. Stealing a ring from a queen who's basically a walking legal code? Easier than figuring out why you keep getting texted by your ex. The "one month" deadline is so aggressively unrealistic it's almost charming. You're waiting for the inevitable "wait, how are they doing this?" moment, and the narrator delivers it with a smirk. The humor isn't just in the plot-it's in the audacity of it all. Like, yes, the king is a liar, but seriously, he's the one who made the ring the ultimate prize? Classic. The "revenge" angle? It's not just personal. It's the reason the whole thing holds together. You root for them not because they're heroes, but because the king is so gleefully, catastrophically awful you need to see him get his comeuppance.
So yeah, it's a mess. A gloriously, chaotically messy mess. The lies are the real plot armor here, and the audiobook makes you feel every whispered betrayal, every stolen glance, every "oh, now we're all in this together" moment. You'll laugh, you'll groan, and you'll absolutely need to listen to the next one just to see if the blades survive the king's next move. Because let's be honest: if they can't trust each other, who can they trust? The king, probably. And that's exactly the joke. The lies have only just begun-and honestly? You're already hooked.
LuminaLore
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Berlin Kamikaze
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Night Train
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Frosty
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Shade Nightman
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Flash
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Playing a wide variety of audio formats
Works on all devices with iOS 13 and newer
Huge amount of features for a small price
Frequent updates to add new features and improve existing ones
Advanced playback controls
Live sound processing
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice and noise reduction
Translated into more than 20 languages
If you love listening to fiction audiobooks, ListenBook has features to make the process easier.
Edit book data: title, author, cover
Use equalizer to make the sound comfortable for you
Adjust the playback speed
Enjoy dark and light app themes
Supported formats: MP3, M4B, AWB, FLAC, OGG audio files and many more (must be DRM free)
Auto-Bookmarks make it easy to find your place
AirPlay support allows redirection of audio output.
VoiceOver support
Dark mode for night owls
Convenient bookmarking system helps you mark the most important places.
Unlimited bookmarks for each audiobook
Put your own cover on the wager
Share your audiobook with friends
Lock-screen control
Customise app with extensive options
Sleep timer with shake to reset, set custom notification sounds, and a few unique options
Auto rewind depending on paused time, customize rewind times to your liking
Removing background noise from recordings made in classrooms and meetings
Changing the timbre of the reader's voice for a better listening experience