Emilina Flores wants nothing more than for her queendom to be restored and her people to be prosperous, but she would also like peace for Ruina and the other kingdoms. Her sister Olivia, however, would much rather destroy the neighboring kingdoms. For these sisters, victory means two different things. As time passes, Olivia’s thirst for revenge takes over and leaves utter destruction in her wake.
Em isn’t the only one losing her patience with Olivia; other members of the Ruina army are worried about Olivia’s increased violence. Before long, they find themselves divided, some following Olivia and some following Em. Only one sister can win, only one vision of the future prevail, and there is only one battle left. Will Em’s vision of peace fall before Olivia’s bloody vengeance or will Em save her queendom and return peace to the lands? This was an interesting series for me, and this final installment was the ending I needed. One thing that set this young adult fantasy novel apart from the rest was how violent it was. If it wasn’t a young adult novel but instead an adult fantasy novel, the violence level would be on the low end, but this was one of the most violent young adult series that I have read in a long time. The writing was easy to follow and the story easily pulls the reader in. The dialogue is realistic and believable in circumstances such as those the characters face. Em’s character is your average conflicted heroine. She has good qualities and a good morale, despite the violent home she grew up in. She also possesses the knowledge of right and wrong, along with some of the other Ruined . Though she wants nothing more than to have her sister back with her, she doesn’t want to hurt anyone else. She knows that most of the people they encounter are innocent and good people; they are not the people that murdered her family or hurt the people of Ruina under the late king of Lera. Olivia is obviously suffering from her time imprisoned in the Lera dungeons, but she was a violent person even before she was taken prisoner. Olivia is outright malicious, intent on revenge. She does not care who she hurts. I enjoyed this novel and gave it four out of five stars. I would recommend this novel to fans of The Orphan Queen and The Seven Realms series. I borrowed a copy of this novel from my local library and the image above is my own. Philip Rivers is a private investigator thinking of moving to the little town of Hertford. One night, while sitting down with his colleague Jo, Rivers witnesses a lover’s quarrel between one man and separate women across the street. Feeling that his talents may soon be needed, Rivers and Jo head over to the bar across the street. Three days after the argument Rivers witnessed took place, the man, a Rob Corcoran, is found dead outside his home. Rob Corcoran’s parents hire Rivers to investigate Rob’s murder. The three jilted women may seem like the most likely suspects but Rivers quickly discovers that there are a wide variety of characters who could be responsible. Can Rivers and Jo catch a killer and bring justice to Rob or will they end up as the killer’s next victims. Private investigators bring an aspect to a mystery unlike those investigated by police officers or even the average citizen. I’ve always liked private investigator mysteries. I must admit though that this novel is far from a favorite. Philip Rivers is an interesting character. Being a private investigator, he keeps his eye out for trouble, as that may lead him to some work, which is how he first comes to know of Rob Corcoran and some of his troubles. He feels very protective of people in his life and those he feels need them. He is very good at reading people and knowing whether or not they are telling the truth. Rivers has hired a good friend named Jo to work with him. Jo has worked with Rivers in the past and his great investigative instinct. He has some trouble in the small town of Hertford for a bit but finds his way after a while. Rivers and Jo work with the police during this investigation. They work with Manners and Clark. Manners seems to be a great character and works well with Rivers, as they have worked together in the past as well. Clark on the other hand is a new officer and has some rough edges that need worked on. What really bothered me about this novel had less to do with plot and had more to do with structure and grammar. As far as structure, I try not to notice a few mistakes throughout a novel, we all make mistakes after all. But when they happen repeatedly throughout a novel it makes it difficult for me to be drawn into a story. One of the most noticeable issues was when the author chose to explain something in the middle of a character’s dialogue but failed to end, or pause, the dialogue. When this happened it appeared as though the character was explaining this, which made little sense. All in all, I thought this story was an okay read. I gave this novel two and a half stars out of five and would recommend it to readers who enjoy, private investigator novels but don’t mind sharing the investigation with local police. I received my copy of this novel from BooksEtc. for the sole purpose of providing an honest review and the picture featured above is my own. |
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