Book Review - RUINATION by Anthony Reynolds

(Title: Ruination / Author: Anthony Reynolds / Publisher: Orbit / Publication Date: September 6, 2022 / Total Pages: 448)

Book Blurb

Camavor is a brutal land With a bloody legacy. Where the empire's knights go, slaughter follows.

Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king, she vows to temper his destructive instincts, as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin's poisoned blade strike's Viego's wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure.

As Isolde's condition worsens, Viego descends into madness and grief, threatening to drag him and Camavor down with him, Kalista makes a desperate gambit to save the kingdom: she searches for the long lost Blessed Isles, rumored to hold the queen's salvation, if only Kalista can find them.

But corruption grows in the Blessed Isles' capital, where a vengeful warden seeks to ensnare Kalista in his cruel machinations. She will be forced to choose between her loyalty to Viego and doing what she knows is right - for even in the face of utter darkness, one noble act can shine a light that saves the world.

Review

RUINATION became my most-anticipated read of 2022 the moment I first saw the stunningly gorgeous cover in an early promotion tweet way back in January. I did a little investigation and discovered that the book was based on and set in the same universe as the extremely popular League of Legends video game by Riot Games and subsequent TV series. Admittedly, I had very limited knowledge of the game or the show going into this, so I was curious to find out if that would have any effect on how much (or how little) I enjoyed the story. Well, my concerns were put to rest pretty quickly and I am happy to say that this story hooked me from the get go and never let me go until the riveting final pages. In fact, it's my favorite fantasy read of the year so far.

The story begins in Camavor where a large celebration is being held in honor of the new king Viego. Many have come from surrounding cities and continents and Viego's new bride Isolde is with him enjoying the festivities. Until an assassin spoils the celebration and ends up grievously injuring Isolde with a tainted magic blade. It's discovered that she is dying and the only hope for her survival could lie in a place that may or may not even exist, the mysterious Blessed Isles. Viego's niece Kalista is a brave warrior in her own right and is the only person who Viego would trust with such a mission. And so an expedition is organized to find the Blessed Isles and ask the leaders there to help the dying queen before it is too late.

From this point it becomes a race against time fraught with peril as the Blessed Isles, if they exist, are thought to be inhabited by a people who have lived in isolation for hundreds, if not thousands of years. How will they react when a group of strangers from a foreign kingdom land on their shores? And will they even be willing to listen to the Camavorians' request for help? It falls upon Kalista and her skills as a negotiator to persuade them should they find the island that may still only be a rumor clouded in the mists of legend and myth.

This book was such an incredibly fun thrill ride which had me enthralled throughout. When a book makes you angry at people and situations that take your time away from reading it, you know that's a magnificent story. It also had one of the most emotionally suspensful endings that made me really on edge for the entire second half, not knowing how things would shake out for the characters that I had grown kind of attached to since meeting them in the opening chapters. Oh and that last 40 pages were just some of the best action sequences and storytelling, period! I both wanted it to end and didn't because I knew that once it was finished I would be wanting another League of Legends book in my hand immediately.

I can't say enough about how this book had me entirely caught under its spell for the week or so that I tore through it. It's an easy book to love as the characters are so fully realized and dynamic, the world-building is of the highest quality, and the lore/history makes you want to continue to discover all of its many tantalizing layers. This book has also made me want to go back and check out all of the different incarnations of this League of Legends universe. Such is the quality of what Anthony Reynolds has given us with this brilliant first novel.

Sometimes I wish I had better words or descriptions to fully capture how I feel about a story. This is definitely one of those times as I'm struggling to fully do justice to what I just read. Suffice to say that you just need to get this book at all costs and sit down with it. And be prepared to never want to be away from it for any length of time. If this is what the first book in this world is like, it's safe to assume that I am going to want to drop everything and get my hands on every future installment at the expense of whatever I may be reading at the time. 

Do yourself a favor and pick up RUINATION by Anthony Reynolds. You don't need to have played the game or watch the TV show to enjoy one of the best fantasy books of 2022. And the good news is you won't have very long to wait either as the book will be officially available to purchase on September 6th!

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