A review by chelsaat
Bright Ruined Things, by Samantha Cohoe
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Before you get disappointed like I was by the synopsis, this is NOT an adaptation of Shakespeare’s “The Tempest.” It’s instead very loosely inspired by the characters.
Mae is a ward of the Prospers, living on the only magic island in the world. Decades ago, Lord Prosper discovered he could harness magic by binding the spirits of the island. This has granted his family both power and wealth beyond imagining, power that Mae herself wants. Mae has never left the island, and things come to a head when the rest of the family arrives for its annual celebration.
Despite my initial disappointment, I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. While not a direct adaptation, this still had classic Shakespearean family dramas - betrayals, eavesdropping, scandals, and more. The twists were fun, and I appreciated that it had something to say about the true cost of wealth, and the dark side of labor.
My main gripe is about one of the "love interests" - I think we needed one more scene between Mae and him to really make me feel for this character. I’m being vague here on purpose, but while I empathized with this character, I needed a bit more.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Mae is a ward of the Prospers, living on the only magic island in the world. Decades ago, Lord Prosper discovered he could harness magic by binding the spirits of the island. This has granted his family both power and wealth beyond imagining, power that Mae herself wants. Mae has never left the island, and things come to a head when the rest of the family arrives for its annual celebration.
Despite my initial disappointment, I ended up enjoying this quite a bit. While not a direct adaptation, this still had classic Shakespearean family dramas - betrayals, eavesdropping, scandals, and more. The twists were fun, and I appreciated that it had something to say about the true cost of wealth, and the dark side of labor.
My main gripe is about one of the "love interests" - I think we needed one more scene between Mae and him to really make me feel for this character. I’m being vague here on purpose, but while I empathized with this character, I needed a bit more.
Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Sexual harassment, and Gaslighting