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The Broken Ones #4
Broken Kei
The time has come.
Aro and Kei must head to the Were forests to heal the Fey. As always, obstacles stand in their path. This
time it is not just others between them and their goal, but themselves.
Kei is a battered and broken shell of who he once was. Aro still struggles with her addiction to riath and
dealing with all the losses in her life. Now she needs to find a way save Kei from himself before it’s too
late. To face the trials to come and heal her friend, she must to learn to trust and rely on others, even
enemies.
She will need to learn and grow stronger to survive the forest. Healing the wild Fey will be dangerous
itself never mind the forests which are anything but safe. With relationships that are tenuous at best and
the Vor growing in numbers, mistakes are now deadly, especially when everything is falling apart.
To survive, she needs to protect those she loves while protecting her own heart as well. With the help of a
broken Fey, a pirate, and a crazy elf, anything is possible…
Aro and Kei must head to the Were forests to heal the Fey. As always, obstacles stand in their path. This
time it is not just others between them and their goal, but themselves.
Kei is a battered and broken shell of who he once was. Aro still struggles with her addiction to riath and
dealing with all the losses in her life. Now she needs to find a way save Kei from himself before it’s too
late. To face the trials to come and heal her friend, she must to learn to trust and rely on others, even
enemies.
She will need to learn and grow stronger to survive the forest. Healing the wild Fey will be dangerous
itself never mind the forests which are anything but safe. With relationships that are tenuous at best and
the Vor growing in numbers, mistakes are now deadly, especially when everything is falling apart.
To survive, she needs to protect those she loves while protecting her own heart as well. With the help of a
broken Fey, a pirate, and a crazy elf, anything is possible…
- GenresFantasy
Kindle Edition
First published August 2, 2018
19 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
About the author
Jen Wylie
21 books678 followersJen Wylie was born and raised in Ontario, Canada. In a cosmic twist of fate she dislikes the snow and cold.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.
Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.
EBook review copies available upon request. Please see website for email.
Before settling down to raise a family, she attained a BA from Queens University and worked in retail and sales.
Thanks to her mother she acquired a love of books at an early age and began writing in public school. She constantly has stories floating around in her head, and finds it amazing most people don’t. Jennifer writes various forms of fantasy, both novels and short stories.
Jennifer resides in rural Ontario, Canada with her two boys and a disagreeable amount of wildlife.
EBook review copies available upon request. Please see website for email.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
August 26, 2020
A great series!
I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this series. I found Aro's inner monologue relatable and natural, not forced or fake, which made her reactions to things, even the extraordinary believable. I'm sad I couldn't find anything on what's going on with the potential 5th book, as I'm rather eager to know how it all ends. I fell in love with all the characters, including Baelan, and can't wait to see how they all find their place..... Please release the 5th book soon!
I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters in this series. I found Aro's inner monologue relatable and natural, not forced or fake, which made her reactions to things, even the extraordinary believable. I'm sad I couldn't find anything on what's going on with the potential 5th book, as I'm rather eager to know how it all ends. I fell in love with all the characters, including Baelan, and can't wait to see how they all find their place..... Please release the 5th book soon!
October 1, 2019
yay Kai is finally back!
the good:
I'm glad the story has finally progressed and the new group is off to heal the fey and hopefully return to their home land.
the bad:
I hate Daemon so much. I really hope Aro gets to kill him when this is all over.
Also, I was also right- Aro seems to have collected Baelan into her group of powerful immortals who seem to fall all over her.
But this book was a bit of a mess with everyone. Baelan has a fractured personality and may have his own agenda, Kai is all kinds of messed up and pushing the prophecy, and now Prince- who I don't really trust either. (what was that at the end? why did he keep asking her to wait for him? Some vision from the seer? The other Elves seemed confused by their reactions too.
Also, what is up with the were alpha....yah really I'm not liking trusting any of the people around Aro because they all seem to want to use her. (except Galen and Bo) I have a feeling in the next book it will be Kei she's making out with, and then some stupid push-pull trio with Kai and Prince.
Serious this 17 yr old does not need so many damed love interests-- Prince, Kai, Kai's friend, Hale, the alpa were, Roan, Baelan...are there more? there might be. At least she's not 15 anymore- but still creepy immortals lusting after a teen is a bit much.
the good:
I'm glad the story has finally progressed and the new group is off to heal the fey and hopefully return to their home land.
the bad:
I hate Daemon so much. I really hope Aro gets to kill him when this is all over.
Also, I was also right- Aro seems to have collected Baelan into her group of powerful immortals who seem to fall all over her.
But this book was a bit of a mess with everyone. Baelan has a fractured personality and may have his own agenda, Kai is all kinds of messed up and pushing the prophecy, and now Prince- who I don't really trust either. (what was that at the end? why did he keep asking her to wait for him? Some vision from the seer? The other Elves seemed confused by their reactions too.
Also, what is up with the were alpha....yah really I'm not liking trusting any of the people around Aro because they all seem to want to use her. (except Galen and Bo) I have a feeling in the next book it will be Kei she's making out with, and then some stupid push-pull trio with Kai and Prince.
Serious this 17 yr old does not need so many damed love interests-- Prince, Kai, Kai's friend, Hale, the alpa were, Roan, Baelan...are there more? there might be. At least she's not 15 anymore- but still creepy immortals lusting after a teen is a bit much.
February 26, 2019
I have loved every book in this series so much and this book did not disappoint! Kei is finally back, which I could not be more happy about, but his changes break my heart over and over again. Without Prince there for Aro, I fell in love with Baelan (I know we all hate him from the last book) unexpectedly. I enjoyed every page of this book and I was captured that I was disappointed to see I was already at the end of this chapter of the broken series. I once again wish the book kept going and cannot wait for the next book!
November 3, 2020
Tough act to follow
Broken Kei was a good fourth book in the Broken Ones series, however not as good as the first three. I had a hard time appreciating this book.
Going from Broken Promise to Broken Kei was pretty intense. Broken Promise brought the story to a grinding halt, making us wait and reflect on the story. Then we get to Broken Kei, and we immediately get thrown into a chaos of characters and story. Everything in this story felt rushed, almost too fast paced.
The Prophecy? Oh yeah...
One of the biggest problems I had with Broken Kei was that the most important part of the entire Broken Ones story was not the center focus of the book, at least not fully.
We finally get to the part of Aro's journey where she starts to fulfill the prophecy; she's healing the Fey. However, we don't get to experience it with her. Wylie glosses over a handful of events that I would consider major, and instead focuses on characters. While I agree this can be a strategic move on her part, to keep focus on the characters, that's a hard thing to accomplish, and I just felt like I missed out on the main course of the story.
Healing the Fey is the whole center of the Broken Ones series. I just expected the book to be more involved in the process rather than vaguely mentioning how it's going once in a while.
All that being said, we do see a lot of back and forth between Aro's group and people who want to interfere with or push the prophecy forward, which was very interesting, and in some cases scary (I love it!).
Not-so-scary scary guy
While Wylie didn't keep the focus much on the bigger plot points of the story, she did follow Aro and her inner journey very closely. We witness a shift in her personality; Aro becomes a different person over the course of Broken Kei, and it's jarring. With where the story went, it makes sense, and I am so excited to see what comes of her change in book five.
Here's another issue I had with the book, that again made everything feel rushed: throughout the series, we hear about the Were King, whom Aro pissed off pretty bad. She has nightmares about him, and is warned by multiple people about what he might do when they finally meet.
Then it happens. They finally interact, and... it sucked? For all of the energy Wylie put into making the Were King seem a certain way, all of the fear he instilled in everyone around him, their interaction fell flat, and it really disappointed me.
Some good things now! Kei, beautiful, amazing Kei, has come back to us, in pieces. It's up to Aro to put him back together. I loved their interaction, the completely different way they act around each other now. I love that everything didn't just go back to normal. Wylie is making these characters work HARD.
And now, Prince. *Sigh*. I'm not entirely sure what to say, so I'll just keep it to, please don't ruin the one character I so desperately love. Let him be good please 😭
Don't push too hard
I think the biggest message I got from Broken Kei was that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. While the characters aren't back fully to how they were before, I believe they are on their way to becoming better and stronger.
On the other hand, there is a theme of pushing the limits. I believe Aro is on the brink of pushing her limits too hard. I'm interested to see what happens to her in the next book.
Wrap up
Broken Kei seemed rushed. Too many highly anticipated events were cut short or very anti climactic. I really love this series, and I hope that the author either redeems herself in the next book, or takes the time to go over this one again. I'm fully invested in this story and these characters, I really hope it ends well.
Broken Kei was a good fourth book in the Broken Ones series, however not as good as the first three. I had a hard time appreciating this book.
Going from Broken Promise to Broken Kei was pretty intense. Broken Promise brought the story to a grinding halt, making us wait and reflect on the story. Then we get to Broken Kei, and we immediately get thrown into a chaos of characters and story. Everything in this story felt rushed, almost too fast paced.
The Prophecy? Oh yeah...
One of the biggest problems I had with Broken Kei was that the most important part of the entire Broken Ones story was not the center focus of the book, at least not fully.
We finally get to the part of Aro's journey where she starts to fulfill the prophecy; she's healing the Fey. However, we don't get to experience it with her. Wylie glosses over a handful of events that I would consider major, and instead focuses on characters. While I agree this can be a strategic move on her part, to keep focus on the characters, that's a hard thing to accomplish, and I just felt like I missed out on the main course of the story.
Healing the Fey is the whole center of the Broken Ones series. I just expected the book to be more involved in the process rather than vaguely mentioning how it's going once in a while.
All that being said, we do see a lot of back and forth between Aro's group and people who want to interfere with or push the prophecy forward, which was very interesting, and in some cases scary (I love it!).
Not-so-scary scary guy
While Wylie didn't keep the focus much on the bigger plot points of the story, she did follow Aro and her inner journey very closely. We witness a shift in her personality; Aro becomes a different person over the course of Broken Kei, and it's jarring. With where the story went, it makes sense, and I am so excited to see what comes of her change in book five.
Here's another issue I had with the book, that again made everything feel rushed: throughout the series, we hear about the Were King, whom Aro pissed off pretty bad. She has nightmares about him, and is warned by multiple people about what he might do when they finally meet.
Then it happens. They finally interact, and... it sucked? For all of the energy Wylie put into making the Were King seem a certain way, all of the fear he instilled in everyone around him, their interaction fell flat, and it really disappointed me.
Some good things now! Kei, beautiful, amazing Kei, has come back to us, in pieces. It's up to Aro to put him back together. I loved their interaction, the completely different way they act around each other now. I love that everything didn't just go back to normal. Wylie is making these characters work HARD.
And now, Prince. *Sigh*. I'm not entirely sure what to say, so I'll just keep it to, please don't ruin the one character I so desperately love. Let him be good please 😭
Don't push too hard
I think the biggest message I got from Broken Kei was that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. While the characters aren't back fully to how they were before, I believe they are on their way to becoming better and stronger.
On the other hand, there is a theme of pushing the limits. I believe Aro is on the brink of pushing her limits too hard. I'm interested to see what happens to her in the next book.
Wrap up
Broken Kei seemed rushed. Too many highly anticipated events were cut short or very anti climactic. I really love this series, and I hope that the author either redeems herself in the next book, or takes the time to go over this one again. I'm fully invested in this story and these characters, I really hope it ends well.
October 17, 2020
Cliffhanger ending
I read this series book 1-4 in just a few days. The world the author creates really draws you in and its difficult not to invest in the characters.
But with that said there have been a few things mentioned in this book that felt pointless and don't seem to have progressed the story any further.
The first being interaction with the were king. This is the case of much stress throughout the novel and ends up being such an anticlimax when it occurs.
Then there is an unexplained death of a prominent character. I can only hope there is a twist in the next book which makes this untrue or explains the situation. As it stands it felt pointless and cruel, given it didnt progress the story in any way.
Another is mention of further attacks on hunan cities which never seem to occur. Again, why is this mentioned?
It feels as though the other is simply trying to entice you to continue reading to see what may become of these traumatic events but then doesn't deliver. Not that I want my favourite characters to die but it seems like a distraction tactic since these things had no baring on the story within these pages. I can only hope they will be settled on the next book.
Another thing that bothered me was Garens glamour. It appears it should only have made him look like a dog but they all treated him as such and he began acting like one. It felt quite degrading and unrealistic for him to go from a lone wolf to begging for ear rubs and food scraps under the table.
I really enjoyed the 1st 3 books so will look out for the next but part of me wishes I hadn't started the series. I really hope the next book is better quality and true to the characters.
I read this series book 1-4 in just a few days. The world the author creates really draws you in and its difficult not to invest in the characters.
But with that said there have been a few things mentioned in this book that felt pointless and don't seem to have progressed the story any further.
The first being interaction with the were king. This is the case of much stress throughout the novel and ends up being such an anticlimax when it occurs.
Then there is an unexplained death of a prominent character. I can only hope there is a twist in the next book which makes this untrue or explains the situation. As it stands it felt pointless and cruel, given it didnt progress the story in any way.
Another is mention of further attacks on hunan cities which never seem to occur. Again, why is this mentioned?
It feels as though the other is simply trying to entice you to continue reading to see what may become of these traumatic events but then doesn't deliver. Not that I want my favourite characters to die but it seems like a distraction tactic since these things had no baring on the story within these pages. I can only hope they will be settled on the next book.
Another thing that bothered me was Garens glamour. It appears it should only have made him look like a dog but they all treated him as such and he began acting like one. It felt quite degrading and unrealistic for him to go from a lone wolf to begging for ear rubs and food scraps under the table.
I really enjoyed the 1st 3 books so will look out for the next but part of me wishes I hadn't started the series. I really hope the next book is better quality and true to the characters.
August 4, 2018
I love this series, and this book was worth waiting for. Following Aro, Kei, and the others along as they journey to save the Fey as well as themselves is never anything less than interesting. You can't help but love the characters. The plot is kept interesting, with not everything being clear cut or ending happily. Now, I anxiously await the next installment!
September 21, 2018
Such a good series.
I just finished the book and I believe I am now one of the broken ones. This is such a good series that had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. We follow Aro and her gang along with some new characters that are so well written that you become a part of this world and don't want to leave them. Please Jen don't make us wait as long for the next one I need more.
I just finished the book and I believe I am now one of the broken ones. This is such a good series that had me on a rollercoaster of emotions. We follow Aro and her gang along with some new characters that are so well written that you become a part of this world and don't want to leave them. Please Jen don't make us wait as long for the next one I need more.
July 31, 2019
Good but a little soapy
Interesting story. Interesting characters. Different, but in a good way. It is definitely written from a woman’s perspective, but an enjoyable read none the less.
Interesting story. Interesting characters. Different, but in a good way. It is definitely written from a woman’s perspective, but an enjoyable read none the less.
July 14, 2025
Sad the next book was never released
I have loved this series since the first book was released. It has been years and the series was never concluded. Still fun to read. Jen, please don’t stop writing, I beg you, finish the series.
I have loved this series since the first book was released. It has been years and the series was never concluded. Still fun to read. Jen, please don’t stop writing, I beg you, finish the series.
August 19, 2018
I loved this!!!!! Hopefully the last book won’t take so long!! TeamPrince!!
August 22, 2018
Very very good. I feel like everything is coming together and can’t wait for the next book (the last?).
December 7, 2018
I waited 4 years just to re-read the first three books for...this?
January 22, 2019
Worth the wait!
It took a while for the series to continue, but this chapter of Aro’s quest was worth the long wait. It’s all I anticipated it to be and more!
It took a while for the series to continue, but this chapter of Aro’s quest was worth the long wait. It’s all I anticipated it to be and more!
May 11, 2019
Amazing Series!!
I have been waiting for this book for forever it seems, but it was well worth the wait! All the books are well written with interesting characters.
I have been waiting for this book for forever it seems, but it was well worth the wait! All the books are well written with interesting characters.
May 16, 2019
I am really enjoying this series. I hope the next book comes out soon because I definitely need to know what happens to Aro and Kei and Prince.
August 30, 2020
Well that was kind of cruel. This story remains unfinished and it doesn't seem like the author has any plans to complete the series. Really wish this had an ending.
September 14, 2020
Loved this series.
March 28, 2019
Four years y’all….I waited four years for Broken Kei by Jen Wylie and it was SO worth it. This book was everything I’ve been waiting for in The Broken Ones. I love Aro and Kei, and the rest of her boys. I love the world-building. I even love the sketchy dragon. Y’all I loved it all!!!
Please note that if you have NOT read the previous books in this series that there may be spoilers to those books in this review. Though I will do my best to limit them.
In Broken Kei, we have a very broken Fey boy and it broke my heart. Aro is at a loss without her Kei, but she is determined to save him, and save him she will. I love Aro. Everytime I think I think her character has matured and can’t possibly grow more, I’m proved wrong. This girl is always adapting and changing to her environment and what is expected of her. I loved seeing her expand and play with her new Fey abilities with Kei’s help of course 😉 It’s inspiring to say the least.
Aro is a force to be reckoned with. However she’s mourning and grieving in this book. With everything that happened in Broken Promise, she really didn’t have time to reconcile how much she missed Prince, and now how much she misses a pirate. And don’t get me started on the elf that is pledged to protect her life. He’s more than a little cray-cray.
As Aro and Kei move into the forest, it becomes clear that they must deal with the were who do not understand Aro’s use of their magic. While they pledge themselves to Aro and accept her as a pack alpha, I’m not sure how much I trust them. In fact, if I were her, I’d stay clear.
Y’all this book is packed full of action and twists and turns. I didn’t want it to end. And YALL!!!!! There is one plot point that nearly destroyed me. I cried and grieved with Aro and then I was angry. All I can say is I hope that this particular plot point takes another turn in the next book because I just can’t handle it….
Overall, if you haven’t already guessed, I loved Broken Kei. It was well worth the long wait to see more of Aro and her boys. I missed them!!! And if I’m not mistaken the next book will be the final in the series and I’m not ready to tell them bye. I’d be happy to read ten more books featuring Aro and her boys and this fantastic world Jen Wylie has created. If you enjoy epic fantasy, I highly recommend it!
Please note that if you have NOT read the previous books in this series that there may be spoilers to those books in this review. Though I will do my best to limit them.
In Broken Kei, we have a very broken Fey boy and it broke my heart. Aro is at a loss without her Kei, but she is determined to save him, and save him she will. I love Aro. Everytime I think I think her character has matured and can’t possibly grow more, I’m proved wrong. This girl is always adapting and changing to her environment and what is expected of her. I loved seeing her expand and play with her new Fey abilities with Kei’s help of course 😉 It’s inspiring to say the least.
Aro is a force to be reckoned with. However she’s mourning and grieving in this book. With everything that happened in Broken Promise, she really didn’t have time to reconcile how much she missed Prince, and now how much she misses a pirate. And don’t get me started on the elf that is pledged to protect her life. He’s more than a little cray-cray.
As Aro and Kei move into the forest, it becomes clear that they must deal with the were who do not understand Aro’s use of their magic. While they pledge themselves to Aro and accept her as a pack alpha, I’m not sure how much I trust them. In fact, if I were her, I’d stay clear.
Y’all this book is packed full of action and twists and turns. I didn’t want it to end. And YALL!!!!! There is one plot point that nearly destroyed me. I cried and grieved with Aro and then I was angry. All I can say is I hope that this particular plot point takes another turn in the next book because I just can’t handle it….
Overall, if you haven’t already guessed, I loved Broken Kei. It was well worth the long wait to see more of Aro and her boys. I missed them!!! And if I’m not mistaken the next book will be the final in the series and I’m not ready to tell them bye. I’d be happy to read ten more books featuring Aro and her boys and this fantastic world Jen Wylie has created. If you enjoy epic fantasy, I highly recommend it!
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews