Review: Ruined (Ruined #1) by Amy Tintera
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Series: Ruined #1
Author: Amy Tintera
Published May 3rd 2016 by HarperTeen
Goodreads Synopsis
A revenge that will consume her. A love that will ruin her.
Emelina Flores has nothing. Her home in Ruina has been ravaged by war. She lacks the powers of her fellow Ruined. Worst of all, she witnessed her parents’ brutal murders and watched helplessly as her sister, Olivia, was kidnapped.
But because Em has nothing, she has nothing to lose. Driven by a blind desire for revenge, Em sets off on a dangerous journey to the enemy kingdom of Lera. Somewhere within Lera’s borders, Em hopes to find Olivia. But in order to find her, Em must infiltrate the royal family.
In a brilliant, elaborate plan of deception and murder, Em marries Prince Casimir, next in line to take Lera’s throne. If anyone in Lera discovers Em is not Casimir’s true betrothed, Em will be executed on the spot. But it’s the only way to salvage Em’s kingdom and what is left of her family.
Em is determined to succeed, but the closer she gets to the prince, the more she questions her mission. Em’s rage-filled heart begins to soften. But with her life—and her family—on the line, love could be Em’s deadliest mistake.
Goodreads
Review
I don't even know how I heard about this series, but by the time it was on my radar, book 2 had been released and book 3 wasn't far off. And, I'm so glad that I did discover the series, as it's one of my favourite fantasy series that I've read. Emelina Flores is a princess of Ruina, but after the assassination of her parents, and the enslavement of her fellow Ruined (for their magical powers), she has nothing by her desire for revenge to keep her going. Alone in the world, apart from a rag tag bunch, she needs to sneak into her enemy's palace, in the kingdom of Lera, to find her sister, destroy the Leran royal family, and retake Ruina. Disguising herself as Princess Mary, the Leran crown prince's fiance, she marries the prince, and works inside the palace to undermine everything, and get close enough to the royals to kill them, just as her family were killed. But, she soon finds the more she gets to know the prince, the less rage she feels and the thought of killing him just isn't as pleasant anymore. She still has her people’s best thoughts at heart, but her heart just might be pushing her into a different direction.
One thing I just loved about this book was how gritty it was. It never shied away from the death that war brought on, or even the lengths some people go to - whether rightly or wrongly - to achieve what they think is right. Em’a character was so fleshed out, and relatable (but also not, confusingly). She had so many emotions flowing through her at every point in the book, and was both strong and vulnerable, but really, she was just a real character. She had seen her parents murdered, her sister taken, and her people enslaved and killed, all at a young age. It’s bound to affect any person, and the added stigma that she’s one of the only Ruined not to have powers, doesn’t help matters. I saw a true growth in her, from vulnerability to strength and leadership in this book, and it definitely made me want to read on with the series even more.
Dates Read:
Rating
5 Stars
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