Four Ruined Realms – by Mai Corland
Book 2 in The Broken Blades series

The greatest liar wears a crown. And this time, even the blades may be his pawns.

The King of Yusan wants the Golden Ring of the Dragon Lord—and he’ll do whatever it takes to claim it. Even if it means unleashing his five deadliest enemies to steal it for him.

Bound together by betrayal, the blades must infiltrate foreign courts, outwit a queen, and snatch the most powerful artifact in Khitan before the month runs out. Failure means execution. Success means putting their trust in the one man they swore to kill.

But trust is the sharpest blade of all—and the deadliest trap. Old grudges smolder, new betrayals spark, and the closer they get to the ring, the more the lies begin to fracture what fragile alliances remain.

The blades know one thing: the king cannot win. But in a game where vengeance is the prize, how many of them will still be standing when the final lie is told?

✨ Tropes: reluctant allies, forced teamwork, political intrigue, found family (with knives), enemies-to-lovers heat, betrayals upon betrayals
✨ For fans of: Six of Crows, The Mask of Mirrors, The Gilded Wolves, and Vicious
✨ Features: an impossible heist across kingdoms, a manipulative king who plays every side, a queen guarding her throne with steel and secrets, simmering rivalries, and vengeance sharp enough to cut through love
✨ Dark, twist-filled romantasy where lies bind as tightly as blood—and revenge is the only true crown

"To beat a liar, you must become one."