Allied (Ruined #3) by Amy Tintera

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. 

---