CW: violence, some spice, some others

Listen, the next time one of my favorite authors raves so hard about a book, I’m going to have to take it more seriously because this was absolutely amazing.

With her father steadily losing his grip on his mental status, Naime is running out of time to convince the royal council of her ability to lead her nation. In a last-ditch effort to stall for time and save her kingdom, she sends word to a neighboring monarchy that her land wishes to negotiate a peace. Old wounds run deep, though, and the prince who answers her call could be the tipping point between magical salvation and militant destruction.

Oh. My. God. Who gave this author permission to write something that was going to absolutely consume my every waking thought until I was able to finish the book? This was an uncalled-for blow to my ability to focus on normal tasks, and I demand more immediately. (Fortunately for me, there’s at least 4 more that I can sink my teeth into)

Seriously, where do I even begin? Let’s go with the plot to kick things off. Normally, books that have a lot of politically moving parts give me a headache. I don’t always have the extra mental capacity at the end of the day to devote to deciphering a lot of subterfuge and motivations in the books I read. Fortunately, this book made it so, so easy to follow. I don’t know if that has more to do with how insanely interesting it was or if it’s just because of how well laid out everything was, but I found that I was able to keep pace with everything going on fairly easily. The bits that had less action and more exposition were never boring and were able to hold my attention, and the parts that had actual action and things going on were even more riveting. I loved every second of it and couldn’t put it down. There was humor, rage, sorrow, stress. You name it, I probably experienced it reading this book.

A natural progression from discussing the plot leads me to the world building. I’m going to have to find a way to be more concise than I was about the plot, because otherwise we’ll be here forever while I rave about how absolutely stunning this setting was. The magic system is absolutely breathtaking and incredibly unique, and the history and culture of the kingdoms feels massive and ancient. It radiates this sense of depth that you don’t always get in a book, and it makes everything leap off the page so much more. It’s gorgeous and amazing and there’s just so much to the book that you really get the chance to sink your teeth into and enjoy, both with the world and the plot. It’s immersive in the best way, and it makes those pages fly by.

Last but certainly not least, our characters. Where to start with our delightful MCs? The obvious choice to start with is Naime. Clever, thoughtful, and patient, she feels commanding and poised without coming across like an ice queen. This woman is everything I could never be simply because I do not have the patience to deal with people to this extent. It’s incredible, and yet she still comes across as distinctly human. She has moments of weakness, of doubt and fear and vulnerability, and it makes her that much more impressive. She can be funny and snappy, and it makes reading about her really enjoyable. Our MC, Makram, provides a wonderful balance in terms of character. Brash without stupidity, willing to use his sword without being a bully or overly foolish, he’s a satisfying counter to Naime’s ‘use your words’ approach. The two of them are an absolute joy to read about, and their dynamic is absolutely stellar. 10/10; no notes. I love them. (Also, the author came wholly out of pocket with some of the most ferally romantic lines I think I’ve ever read, and I’m going to be thinking about them forever.)

If I don’t cut myself off here, y’all are going to end up with a dissertation-length novel about why this book was perfect and amazing and how you need to go read it immediately. At that rate, I’d rather you go read the book for yourselves. If you like a fantasy with a slooowwwww burn romantic subplot, with a strong female lead who uses her head with incredibly satisfying efficiency, a male lead who holds his own while letting that FMC shine as brightly as she possibly can, and if you like those things to be set in a beautiful, richly portrayed world full of gorgeous, amazing magic, then this is the book for you. (Even if you don’t like those things, you need to go read it anyway. Like, right now. It’s just that good.)

Reign & Ruin - Likewise Book Reviews

5 Reviews