Betwixt the Sheets
  • Home/Index
    • Index by Author: A - L
    • Index by Author: M - Z
    • Index by Title: A - L
    • Index by Title: M - Z
  • Interviews
  • About Me
  • Review Policy
  • Contact
    • Author Request Form
    • Publisher Request Form
    • Business Inquiries
  • Bookish Creators
    • Sirehn.Ink
Picture

'Ruinsong' by Julia Ember

12/14/2020

0 Comments

 
Ruinsong by Julia Ember / Photo includes unboxing of Obsidian Moon Crate debut box.Photo includes unboxing of Obsidian Moon Crate debut box.
​   'Ruinsong' by Julia Ember is the story of a girl with the magic of spellsong. A birth trait that can be a gift or a curse under the ruthless Queen Elene of Cavalia, it earns our main character.. Cadence.. the spot of Principal singer in her Court.

As an orphan, Cadence has no real attachments outside the queen's court. She has a fondness for her old tutor, Madam.. warm, distant memories of a girl named Remi.. and love for her little dog, Nip.. the only being she feels is family. That love is a weakness to be exploited though and she's a powerful spellsinger, which makes for a uniquely dangerous tug-of-war with her emotions.

Having been forced to torture Cavalia's disgraced nobles over the queen's personal grudge against their kind, she does what she can to atone along the way. Either insisting on being allowed to include healing spells or giving her time and her voice to the point of her own suffering to those most heavily in need. 

When she and Remi are united, all is not well between them. Remi's view of Cadence has been colored by the queen's hand and the two couldn't be on more opposing sides of an issue. Their chance meeting is a crossroads of sorts.. leading to decisions that can affect everyone in their country for a long time to come.

This book is a very dark lgbtq+ fantasy full of richly textured characters and world-building. Though the magic induced torture isn't frequent, it's certainly grisly.. but it's also only done with purpose within the plot. It's not gratuitous, but it impacted the story and myself as the reader, quite strongly. If graphic scenes regarding people or pets bother you, be wary.. but it's a wonderfully told tale of forbidden romance and the horrors of a totalitarian queen obsessed with vengeance.

I became deeply invested in this story rather quickly. Cadence is a sweet girl, despite the things she's forced to do. Sweet enough, that even understanding how the suffering affects the citizens.. it's still difficult to see her treated unkindly for it. 

The magic can be beautiful or brutal, but is fascinating in it's structure.. and in the perseverance of those who wield it, or perhaps the stubbornness of the goddess who bestows it. 

Of the broad cast of supporting characters, I found Remi's suitor.. Nolan to be quite a surprise. He could have been a far more typical male role, but he thought of others first.. sometimes at great risk to himself. Likewise, the queen's right-hand man is a wonderfully vicious villain. In fact, I both dreaded and eagerly waited each of his appearances throughout the book.

It seems to be a nice standalone story, as the conflict all wraps up nicely by the end.. so no concerns here about cliffhangers or anything of the like. I'm definitely eager to see what else Ember might have up her proverbial sleeve. I'm extremely impressed with her style and structure, but especially her willingness to push the envelope with the darkness of her content. I loved this book.

PURCHASE LINKS: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | BOOK DEPOSITORY | BOOKSAMILLION | GOOGLEPLAY BOOKS | INDIGO | KOBO | WATERSTONES
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

      Subscribe for updates!

    Subscribe to Newsletter
    Reviews Published Professional Reader 50 Book Reviews Featured Book Reviewer

    Inkslinger’s quotes


    Goodreads Quotes

    Inkslinger's ReaderRank
    Inkslinger has reviewed 387 books with an average rating of 3.548 out of 5.
    898 people have found Inkslinger's written reviews to be helpful on Goodreads.
    See more...
    Top 5% in readers helpedTop 5% in readers helped
    Top 10% based on reading volumeTop 10% based on reading volume
    Top 20% in DarkTop 20% in Dark
    Top 20% in HorrorTop 20% in Horror
    Top 20% in UrbanTop 20% in Urban
    BookSirens Logo

    Archives

    January 2023
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    October 2015
    September 2015

    RSS Feed

Proudly powered by Weebly
  • Home/Index
    • Index by Author: A - L
    • Index by Author: M - Z
    • Index by Title: A - L
    • Index by Title: M - Z
  • Interviews
  • About Me
  • Review Policy
  • Contact
    • Author Request Form
    • Publisher Request Form
    • Business Inquiries
  • Bookish Creators
    • Sirehn.Ink