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andromeda_1998's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Incest, Mental illness, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Colonisation, War, and Classism
roguesaw's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Gore, Rape, Blood, and War
Minor: Incest
mahiyaa's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
Ruin of Kings does a fine job with weaving a world with its own histories, almost all of which go beyond the scope of our protagonist Khirin; giving the story a large sense of scale. But the book truly shines in its personality. The way it is written (the book itself is a compilation made by a certain character who puts their own quips in the footnotes) is quite unique—and the dialogues can be downright hilarious at times. Pair that with fast-paced, alternating narratives and a writing style that will keep you absolutely hooked from one chapter to the next, and you have a solid, addictive read that will entertain you to pieces, if nothing else.
TL;DR — Sure, the book has some nitpicks. But it is a hilarious, fast-paced read that you'll find super hard to put down. Just be aware, it's not a slow-paced, sprawling saga type of fantasy book, so if that's what you're looking for, go elsewhere! If not, strap in, give it a try! The way that it is written and the humor it carries is quite one-of-a-kind when it comes to the fantasy genre, so you are guaranteed a wild ride.
Minor: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
anapthine's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, and Kidnapping
Minor: Pedophilia and Pregnancy
lilifane's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
It's a story about a boy, Khirin, who grows up as a musician's son and thief. Until his insatiable curiosity and an enormous amount of luck (..not so sure if good or bad luck though..) turns his life upside down.
This book has all the things I love. Adventure, mystery, prophesies, incredible world building, political intrigue, conspiracies, secret identities, diversity, queer representation, magic, drama, a lot of humor and an endless amount of plot twists.
There are also things that might not be for everyone, but that I live for. Like the narrative structure. The story is told through 2 unreliable narrators (with hilarious narrative voices), they take turns telling each other parts of the story. It's ... complicated, you as the reader are thrown into a complex new world and have to figure out how it works on your own. (Although there is a glossary, I don't recommend reading it, there is not much help there but some spoilers if you check too early) Characters have epiphanies and strong reactions, and you just think "What the hell just happened? What is going on?" Eventually, you figure it out.... although it's difficult without drawing a chart of all the characters and their relationships to each other. It will be a messy one.
It's a dark story with lots of violence and death and torture and gore. But it's also one of the funniest books I've read in a while. It's a weird combination, but the humor took away lots of the darkness. Otherwise, it could have been a very depressing read. Instead, I had a great, enjoyable reading experience. The dialogues are to die for, very witty, I laughed out loud so many times. But I also got attached to several characters and got more emotional than I thought was possible.
Then there is the chosen one trope. I've become a little tired of it in the last few years. But the way this trope is handled here is very refreshing. And Khirin is such a fun chosen one to spend time with.
There are also short chapters. It was such a quick read and I literally couldn't put this book down. I love how, although it's so convoluted, everything fits together perfectly at the end. Every time I think about a tiny detail, it just makes sense. Every character's decision and reaction is logical or at least understandable from the character's point of view.
Oh, and there are footnotes. And they are everything! I was even sad there weren't more.
There was one thing that bothered me personally. Because I'm a huge fan of prophesies, I was a little disappointed that we don't actually get the full picture here. We just get bits and pieces of the prophecies and hints. But I really hope it's because there is more to come in the next few books.
Speaking of the next few books. I can't believe this is a debut novel. I can't believe this was published in 2019, and I haven't even heard of it until recently. I can't believe there are already 4 books out in the series, and the fifth and last one comes out next week?!
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Incest, Infidelity, and Rape
prynne31's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Death of parent, and War
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
foxeswander's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Incest, and Infidelity
silverbear's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Moderate: Gore, Physical abuse, and Slavery
Minor: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual assault
wxrldwalker's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Torture and Violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Homophobia, Incest, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
caseythereader's review against another edition
Graphic: Child abuse, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Infidelity, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Alcoholism, Homophobia, and Incest