Ruined by Amy Tintera
Revenge, deception, romance and stabby action fill the pages of Amy Tintera's young adult fantasy novel Ruined featuring a cunning heroine who wields a sword with deadly intent.
Summary
Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war; her parents were killed and her sister was kidnapped. Even though Em is only a useless Ruined—completely lacking any magic—she is determined to get revenge.
Her plan is simple: She will infiltrate the enemy’s kingdom, posing as the crown prince’s betrothed. She will lead an ambush. She will kill the king and everything he holds dear, including his son.
The closer Em gets to the prince, though, the more she questions her mission. Her rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.
Book Details
Ruined by Amy Tintera
Series: Ruined
On Sale Date: May 3, 2016
Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / Epic
HarperTeen, 368 pages
Source: Publisher
My Rating: 4.5 Stars
My Review
From the moment you read the first few pages of Ruined, Tintera sets the tone with a dark night of revenge, murder, and deception which will follow Emelina as she plots and plans her way into the enemy Kingdom of Lera.
The book cracks open with a bloody battle between Em and the Princess Mary of Valos, enemy and betrothed to Casimir - the crown prince of Lera, leaving no doubt in our minds the fierceness of Em, nor the undying determination she has to wreck vengeance upon all those who betrayed her family.
No one feared Emelina Flores, the useless daughter of the most powerful Queen Ruina had ever known. But they would.
Told through both Em's and Cas' perspectives, Ruined easily captures our attention with their unique personality differences, showcasing how they balance each other out. Em is fierce, resilient, and a strategist. We often see her plotting her next move, taking in a room and people about her, mapping out her escape route or battle options. Her very nature is cautious, especially given the situation.
“the only way to find peace was to kill everyone who threatened it.”
I had mixed feelings at first about Cas. I was worried his kindness and nativity about his father's dealings with the kingdom and the Ruina. I needn't have worried though. Once Em entered the picture there was a new awareness in Cas, a strengthening of his character and judgment that was really wonderful to see. Tintera writes characters with real strengths and weaknesses.
“He would save her again, and again, no matter how angry he was with her.”
A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.
I love slow-burn and "hate-to-love" romances and Ruined gives us both Em and Cas' point of view with plenty of tension and swoon. I was constantly on edge wondering if Em's mistaken identity would be discovered. Ruined weaves a complicated romance, one that I wanted desperately to be okay in the end.
In the End
Ruined introduced me to a fascinating world that I want to visit again, one where magic runs and kingdoms clash. Deadly swords, duels, and kisses. Revenge and forgiveness. I'm so excited to have finally picked this series up and can't wait to begin book two in the series, Avenged which recently just released.
