Five Broken Blades

Mikail is one of the main characters and narrators of the novel. Born in the occupied territory of Gaya, the young Mikail witnessed the brutal slaughter of his family and people during Joon’s Festival of Blood. Saved by a Yusanian soldier named Ailor, Mikail abandoned his Gayan identity and adopted the name of his favorite storybook hero, “Mikail,” when he moved to Yusan.

Although his hatred of the Baejkin royal family runs deep, he falls in love with Euyn. Despite portraying himself as a commoner, Mikail rose through the ranks of the castle and became the royal spymaster. When Euyn stood trial for his crimes in Westward Forest, Mikail openly agreed with Joon’s decision to exile Euyn—as a ploy to show loyalty to the king. He knew that if he hadn’t, he would have been branded a traitor and sentenced to die. A schemer and secret-keeper by nature, Mikail plotted Joon’s demise with the Count of Umbria, and as the novel begins, he slowly gathers the other members of the group that he wishes to assassinate Joon.

While Mikail is seemingly the leader of the group, he never discloses his real reason for participating in the plot: his need to get revenge for the deaths of his family and Joon’s continued oppression of his people. Like Euyn, Mikail can be considered a protagonist, but his ruthless killing and excessive displays of violence prevent him from taking on a truly heroic role. He is described as “tall and muscular, with deep dimples” and a handsome face (40). Of his five companions, he is closest to Sora because they share similar experiences of a harsh upbringing.

Royo is one of the main characters and narrators of the novel. A mercenary—or “strongman”—Royo is one of the more morally upright characters in the group of would-be assassins. Eventually, he becomes Aeri’s love interest. As an orphan, Royo grew up on the streets of the city of Umbria and eventually fell in love with Allora, the daughter of a wealthy merchant, whom he nicknamed Lora. However, Royo caught the attention of a local gang, who broke in and killed Lora. Royo mistook her scream for someone else’s and walked away from the scene. Lora’s father, Hwan, was wrongfully convicted of Lora’s murder and languishes in prison. Now, haunted by Lora’s death and Hwan’s predicament, Royo has resolved to save Hwan. He has made a deal with one of the prison guards to help Hwan escape for the price of 100,000 gold mun. When Aeri finds him in Umbria and offers him half of the needed sum, he reluctantly agrees to join the assassination plot against Joon. Similarly, when Euyn later promises to release Hwan upon gaining the throne, Royo promises the prince his sword and loyalty. By the end of the novel, Royo’s love and trust for Aeri are both challenged when he discovers her true identity as Joon’s daughter, and he is forced to follow the others to Khitan in Joon’s plot against his sister.

Naerium “Aeri” Lin Baejkin is one of the main characters and narrators of the novel. As the lost daughter of King Joon, a courtesan, and the near victim of Prince Omin, Aeri has lived much of her life apart from the royal family. In an official capacity, she is also Euyn’s niece. Although the circumstances of her disappearance and treatment at Omin’s hands remain unexplained in this novel, Aeri nevertheless feels neglected by her father, as contact between them is only reestablished when Joon plots his own assassination. To sway her to his side, Joon has promised to reinstate her as a princess of Yusan if she completes her mission and brings Mikail, Euyn, and Sora to him.

With the power of the Amulet of the Dragon Lord, Aeri can attract Mikail’s attention, and he hires her to steal Joon’s crown. She initially hires Royo as her bodyguard but eventually develops feelings for him as their journey progresses. She purposefully keeps her identity a secret from the others, but through the challenges that arise during their travels, Aeri comes to view her five companions as her chosen family. In the end, Aeri chooses them over her father and actively participates in trying to kill Joon, but the attempt fails. She bargains for their lives—especially Royo’s—and is sent with the others to steal the ring from Quilimar, her aunt.

Athora, more commonly known as Sora, is a main character and narrator in the novel. Born a commoner, Sora grew up believing that her parents sold her and her sister Daysum to Seok, the southern count. By threatening Daysum’s life and keeping her captive, Seok forces Sora to attend his secret poison school. Of the 20 girls who are forced to attend the school, only two survive to become poison maidens. For years afterward, Seok has used Sora to kill his opponents by sending her as a courtesan to poison them. Sora has no choice but to comply until she can pay off her and Daysum’s indenture to Seok.

Sora initially has an antagonistic relationship with Ty, as he is the son of her captor, but she eventually develops romantic feelings for him when she realizes how different he is from his father. Sora is described as hauntingly beautiful and captivating, and she often uses her beauty to draw her victims in. Among her companions, she is closest to Mikail and Aeri. By the end of the story, she learns that Ty has burned her indenture contract, essentially setting her free. Joon, however, has sent Ty to prison for treason, and to save him, she agrees to participate in Joon’s scheme against Quilimar.

Tiyung, or Ty, is one of the main characters of the story and one of its narrators. Ty is the son of Count Seok, the southern count of Gain, and was raised to be as ruthless and exacting as his father. When Ty first encounters Sora before the primary events of the novel, he falls in love with her beauty and spirit—a love that his father exploits to keep them both under his authority. Although his overt actions often appear to align with his father’s will, Ty has long operated to try and remedy the pain and suffering that his father inflicts upon his people—Sora included. Although initially presented as an antagonist to Sora, Ty eventually becomes her love interest. He is described as “six feet tall with black hair and the same nose and arrogant air as the Count. But he has blue eyes like his mother, lighter brown skin than the Count, and a softer face” (96). By the end of the novel, he has lost some of his innocence because he is forced to kill people for the first time in order to defend his companions. Joon, however, holds him responsible for Seok’s treachery and incarcerates him in Idle Prison, where Ty promises to wait for Sora.

King Joon Baejkin is the main antagonist of the novel. As the ruling king of Yusan, Joon is notably crafty and merciless in acquiring what he desires—be it laoli from Gaya or the Ring of the Dragon Lord. He is Euyn and Quilimar’s half-brother, as well as Aeri’s father. He also instigated the slaughter of thousands of Gayans during his Festival of Blood, which took place during Mikail’s youth. He holds the Crown of the Dragon Lord and is immortal as long as he wears it. By the end of the novel, it is revealed that he is the mastermind behind his own assassination attempt, which is really meant to be an audition for Euyn, Mikail, and the others to display their talents in espionage. In the climax of the novel, he forces the group to participate in his real mission: the theft of his sister’s magical ring.