Queen of Ruin

May 1, 2019
Sisters unite in their battle both for their own lives and freedom for all of Viridia's women. Following the events in Grace and Fury (2018), newly exiled Nomi arrives at Mount Ruin to discover her polished, feminine sister, Serina, has developed into a revolutionary warrior in the coup that overthrew the prison island's guards. With their newfound agency, the female prisoners must decide firstly what to do with their remaining guards and, ultimately, if their next step should be staying on the island or commandeering a boat either to seek asylum in Azura (personal safety) or return home (social reform, casualties guaranteed). Nomi wants to rally them to overthrow sociopathic Asa, but the women aren't eager to trust any Viridian men they help in an uprising not to keep the oppressive, male-privileging system intact. The storylines diverge: Serina grows through newfound leadership obligations to her fellow prisoners, and Nomi looks to redeem herself and assuage her guilty conscience over her role in Asa's schemes by working to oppose him. Now that Asa has the power he wanted, he's let the charming facade drop. While both sisters have their romantic storylines, the male leads are mostly in support roles while the women make decisions to control their own fates, and a third main romance is between two women. While both sisters face dangers and obstacles, there are no real surprises or twists in the straightforward plot. The primary cast reads as white. Empowerment-flavored brain popcorn. (map) (Fantasy. 12-16)

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May 17, 2019

Gr 8 Up-This second book of a duology continues the story started in Grace and Fury. Implicated in a coup, Nomi is on a boat heading for Mount Ruin, the prison for women, along with the injured Heir, Malachi. Serina has vanquished the guards and liberated the women on this volcanic island. Thus begins the reunion of sisters who have been changed by their experiences in the palace, where one expected to become a Grace to serve the Superior, the other her handmaiden. Now they must eliminate the new Superior, Asa, who claimed power after murdering his father, attempting to murder his brother, and betraying Nomi. Can Serina get a ship full of prisoners to safety? Can Asa be stopped? Can a Grace become queen? The plot seesaws between setbacks and wins as the sisters right the wrongs they suffer on the basis of their sex in a society that enslaves women. Tension is built with singular details that draw out the action and, in true romance fashion, lovers must survive despite impossible odds. VERDICT Give this to readers of the first book and to fans of adventure romance and high-court intrigue.-Janet S. Thompson, Chicago Public Library

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