A review by esuchyta
The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons

dark funny sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This is one that you need to stick with. The beginning is an overload of names, locations, magic entities, and such, but it all comes together pleasingly. The narration style is very effective, with chapter-alternating voices between two timelines of the same story. Thus, it evolves in a way that is nonlinear in time, playing a twisted connect the dots game with the obsessive reader. There are a ton of characters, numerous hidden agendas, and outright melee. On the minus, I'm not a huge fan of bringing people back from the dead -- it feels like a cheat, even if it is interwoven into the fabric of the built world. There's a good amount of humor along the way, but I would have a liked a little more in the way of interesting metaphors or analogies. All in all, I think there's plenty here for fantasy fans to eagerly devour, but for the fantasy-hesitant, it does fall into the "complicated trilogy" category.
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