Published on May 4, 2021, Realm Breaker is the first installment of the eponymous trilogy written by the New York Times bestselling author Victoria Aveyard. The novel details the beginnings of the epic quest led by Corayne am-Amarat and her band of Companions as they race to stop her uncle, Taristan, from destroying the realm of Allward and unleashing a demon god named What Waits on its unsuspecting citizens.

Nominated for the position of Best Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction in 2021, Realm Breaker is followed by its sequels, Blade Breaker (2022) and Fate Breaker (2024). The series reflects many of the conventions of the high fantasy genre and exhibits the extensive world-building and magical systems that characterize such popular fantasy series as George R. R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones, Patrick Rothfuss’s Kingkiller Chronicles, and Scott Lynch’s Gentleman Bastards series. In Realm Breaker, Aveyard introduces a complex, magical world of forgotten empires and mystical realms and investigates the burdens of family legacies and ethical leadership, as well as the emotional vulnerabilities that plague those who seek too much power.

This guide refers to the HarperCollins e-book edition distributed by Google Play Books and published on May 4, 2021.

Content Warning: Both the source text and this guide contain descriptions of enslavement and depictions of extreme poverty.

Plot Summary

Andry Trelland, a squire from the kingdom of Galland, sets off with a company of knights, famed immortal Elders, and a man named Cortael, who is one of the last remaining Corbloods. Andry’s goal is to confront a thief and a wizard named Taristan, who is Cortael’s twin brother. Taristan has stolen a Spindleblade, which, when mixed with the blood of a Cor descendant, can tear open a Spindle—a doorway to another realm. By the time Andry and his knights reach Taristan, it is already too late; Taristan has torn open a Spindle that leads to the deadly Ashlands, and with the help of Ronin, his wizard, he calls forth an army of burnt, living corpses to tear through his enemies. Cortael is killed by Taristan, and only through an act of bravery from the Domacridhan, or “Dom,” an Elder prince of Iona, is Cortael’s Spindleblade saved and given to Andry for safekeeping. Andry flees alone.

Weeks after the massacre, only Andry and Dom have survived, and both return to their respective kingdoms to report to their monarchs. Dom hopes that his aunt Isibel, the monarch of Iona, will rally an army to take down Taristan, but she refuses. Meanwhile, Andry knows that Taristan serves the demon god known as What Waits. Should Taristan tear open enough Spindles, What Waits will devour the whole realm.

Enraged by Isibel’s cowardice, Dom allies with his cousin, Ridha, who is heir to Isibel’s throne. While Ridha visits other Elder enclaves to rally support, Dom will retrieve the Spindleblade and Cortael’s daughter, Cortayne, who is also a Corblood and has the ability to access and close the Spindles that Taristan is tearing open. To recruit Corayne, Dom allies with Sorasa Sarn, a member of a famous assassin guild that keeps a close eye on the remaining Corbloods. Sorasa agrees to take him to Cortayne.

Meanwhile, in the seafaring town of Lemarta, Corayne am-Amarat is waiting for Meliz, her pirate captain of a mother, to dock. Corayne pleads to be allowed to join her mother’s crew and seek adventure on the high seas. Her mother refuses, and when Corayne runs into Sorasa and Dom, she agrees to join their cause instead.

In Galland’s capital, Ascal, Andry tells his queen, Erida, about the events of the massacre, but he refrains from telling her about the Spindleblade, heeding a strange inner voice of warning. He is disappointed when Erida does not seem to fully trust his account. Erida is also preoccupied with deciding upon a candidate for her arranged marriage. Unbeknownst to Andry, she meets Taristan, who offers to marry her and give her the empire she dreams of building.

As Corayne, Dom, and Sorasa make their way to Ascal, they encounter members of Taristan’s preternatural burnt army, who turn out to be mere mirages. Confused and frightened, the three of them take a boat to Ascal, where Sorasa guides them to the palace, and they make contact with Andry and recruit him to their cause. That evening, Andry takes them to see the queen during the feast. They speak with her in her private chambers, but although she pretends to agree to help them, she soon betrays them by presenting Taristan as her husband-to-be. Although Dom is injured, he, Corayne, and the rest of the group manage to escape with Sorasa’s timely aid.

Now on the run, they encounter a witch named Valtik, and the others learn that the mirage—or sending—and the whispers that have plagued Andry have all come from her. She tells them that a second Spindle has been torn and that they must recruit two more people to their party. Sorasa takes them to Adira, where they recruit a forger named Charlon and a bounty hunter named Sigil. Soon, Corayne receives intelligence that allows her to deduce that the second Spindle must be in the land of Ibal.

As she and her Companions travel across the Long Sea, they are attacked by a sea serpent. When they arrive in the city of Almasad, Corayne discovers wanted posters with their names and faces. Charlon and Sigil gather information about the location of the second Spindle, and after they all navigate a run-in with the local guards, Sigil reveals that Erida has sent 200 soldiers to an oasis named Nezri, which must be the location of the second Spindle. They race to the oasis, which is overrun with water pouring through the Spindle from the realm of oceans, Meer. When Corayne arrives at the Spindle, she and the others battle an invading kraken, and Corayne finally gains the chance to seal the Spindle. Meanwhile, Taristan tears open a third Spindle to the dazzling realm of Irridas as Erida wages war with the bordering kingdom of Madrence. During their victory feast, they learn that Corayne has sealed Meer away, and they both vow to kill her.