This book was something else!
I have to be honest, it took a little bit for me to find my groove, but once I did, I was consumed by it. The world building, plot, and romance is top notch. JLA has a knack for writing amazing stories that have the perfect amount of intrigue, witty banter, depth, and twists. And the characters are fabulous! Calista is feisty, caring and determined to keep herself and her best friend, Grady, off the streets. Her intuition has kept them living in the comfort and safety provided by Baron Archwood. However, her intuition leads her to Thorne, the mysterious highborn prince. The chemistry between them is undeniable and Calista finds herself torn between her intuition and her heart.
The end of this book is both action packed and emotional. I found myself on the edge of my seat furiously reading only to be left wanting more. I have a feeling the next installment of this series is going to be epic and I absolutely can not wait!

Review was posted on Amazon, GoodReads, and Bookbub on release day.

This book is well written but there’s just a lot of information to process and it’s a slow build up. Calista is a very interesting character. She’s strong and she is unique. She has special abilities that come in handy to Claude.
She and Thorne have met before and they are drawn to each other. The romance is slow burn and the build to get to the action is also slow.
I liked the relationship between Grady and Calista. They have a sibling type of relationship, they look out for each other. They’ve been through a lot together also.
This is a great beginning to a new series. It does end in a cliffhanger.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath is an incredible start to JLA's new series. I sincerely adored the dynamic between Thorne and Lis, as well as the surrounding characters. I think that what I adored most was how much like a real person Lis felt like despite having powers, she was imperfect and the guilt and anxiety that she felt were incredibly relatable. The chemistry between Thorne and Lis was palpable and I cannot wait to see how it progresses. Representation-wise, I really enjoyed that there were many LGBT characters and it seemed like some racial representation. While I really enjoyed the beginning of this new series, I did find some of the world building a little confusing. The story also only leaves the manor in the beginning and the end, while I wish that we could have left a little more, I really enjoyed how the dynamic of the manor worked. Regardless, I cannot wait for the next installment of this series. Overall, I would rate the book 3.75/5 stars. Thank you so much to JLA and her team for gifting me an ARC in return for a review.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath was a dark and sensual romtansy that was so easy to get lost in. Within those first few pages I had no clue what was going on, but I was terrified. So take those first few chapters to immerse yourself in this new world. It's lethal, archaic and shrouded in mystery. With a dystopian background, that was laced with high fantasy, Fall of Ruin and Wrath easily became an instant favorite!

Calista aka Lis was a paramour to Claude who was a Caelestia; half Hyhborn and half lowborn. And while I've read almost every single book by JLA, over the last decade, Lis was unlike any other heroine that we have met from Armentrout. Her intuition guided where she went in life and the decisions she made. She also had the ability to see things happen before they did. Like how someone would die, or horrific events on the horizon. And I was fascinated to watch her listen into others thoughts, without needing to touch them. Yet my heart twisted for Lis. I questioned whether she truly knew how to have a strong mental bond with others. She seemed to struggle with that outside of her "brother", Grady. Maybe it was because of her gifts? Or maybe it was because of her childhood? Or maybe it even had to do with how she ended up as a paramour and nothing truly felt like hers? But regardless, she seemed to have connections with those around her physically, instead of emotionally.

Lis' intuition one night led her to rescue a Hyhborn. Hyhborn's weren't mortal, they were scions of the Gods. And the scene she was led to was terrifying, yet I couldn't help but noticing that I loved her thoughts. They were real and honest, making it so easy to connect with her. And the Hyhborn we met?! I. Was. Obsessed! Thorne was a book boyfriend many will fall hard for. I loved that he could be sarcastic and also oh so polite. His manners as he murdered those to keep Lis safe had me cracking up. Thorne was truly lethal, yet at the same time he was so much fun. He loved to push Lis' buttons and get a rise out of her while being addictively possessive. Add to all of that that he was capable of admitting when he was wrong. Well. It was impossible not to love everything there was about him.

Around Thorne, Lis could touch him and just be in the moment. She never got pulled into her brain or saw future events she would prefer not to see. Like she did when she touched other lowborns and Caelestias. So the sexual tension between Lis and Thorne was done fabulously. It was a slow burn that was filled with the most fabulous banter. It was impossible not to smile at so many of the moments between them. And while Thorne and Lis were worlds apart, it always felt like there was something pulling them together. As though there was a higher power connecting them. So because of that, I loved watching the tentative trust build. That they could be comfortable with each other. That it felt like Lis was finally making an emotional connection with someone. And of course how steamy they could be together too *fans face*.

Yes there were other characters outside of Lis and Thorne, but I am rather obsessed with those two. I'm still unsure of how to feel towards Naomi, who was her first friend outside of Grady. And I would love if Lis threw an apple at Claude's head, like Alex. Yes he took care of Lis as he used her as his own personal lie detector, but I loathed that he called her Pet. There was also a man named Hymel that I kept hoping would die on every page he appeared lol. Ohhh then there were two friends of Thorne that we didn't spend a lot of time with, yet I adored both of them. I can't wait to get to know them better! They had found family written all over them! But on top of those we met, there was a whole world and political intrigue that I'm not even touching on. It was fascinating and better left for you to discover on your own!

Fall of Ruin and Wrath was laced with a fascinating world, characters that will steal you heart, mysteries that are intertwined with secrets, and moments that will leave you on the edge of your seat! There were so many moments that were impossible to stop smiling or screaming from excitement. Especially when it came to Thorne. That last page was the most perfect stopping point. Yet I am definitely counting down until the next book is released and we can be back in this world!

PS The shower scene was one of my favorite moments. Nope, it's not what you think it is *side smirk*.

“𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞,” 𝐈 𝐬𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭. “𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 . . . 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞.”
“𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬?”
“𝐓𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭.”
“𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐰𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐟𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐞.”
“𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐫𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐭.”

“𝐍𝐨 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤. 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐚 𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐚 𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠.”

“𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐞𝐱𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐭 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞? 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐬 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐢𝐭, 𝐲𝐨𝐮’𝐝 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐱 - 𝐟𝐨𝐨𝐭 - 𝐚𝐧𝐝 - 𝐬𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 - 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐞?”
𝐈 𝐬𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐡𝐮𝐭.
𝐋𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐁𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐝. “𝐈 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 . . . 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.”

“𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞,” 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐞𝐚𝐫. “𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐥𝐬𝐞’𝐬 𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞.”

“𝐈 . . . 𝐈 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭.”
“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧.” 𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐬 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐮𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧. “𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥.”

______________________

I’m going to be brutally honest here. I found myself hesitating on this book because “oh look, another romantasy series”. THIS IS NOT JUST ANOTHER ROMANTASY SERIES. It feels like a high fantasy filled with indulgent court lifestyles and talk of kings, queens, and princes, but it is instead a intense, steamy romance set in a post-apocalyptic world filled with intricate twists on seraph, nymphs, and all form of monstrous nightmares. Tie that all up in a knot with banter, characters you fall in love with instantly, and of course a roller coaster ride of twists, turns, revelations, and “what the heck did I just read?!”, and you have your newest series addiction waiting for you within these pages!!

Calista, or Lis, is a fantastic breath of fresh air as a leading lady. Able to connect with people, read their thoughts, and additionally see pieces of their future, she is confident but not brazen and feisty yet measured. She has a softness about her despite everything she’s been through, and I love that we got to know her for her interactions with the people around her and her love of gardening first. It balanced her role as a courtesan and her unflinching assertion of her likes, dislikes, wants, and needs in the bedroom perfectly.

Thorne, Thorne, Thorne. He fits the mold of everything we love about our morally grey men written by women with a dirty mouth and some possessive tendencies, but at the same exact time he doesn’t. Getting to know him through Lis’ eyes and learning about who and what he is as she uncovers it was perfectly paced. I absolutely LOVED his backstory. He’s “hello, thank you, I need a cold shower now” hot, but also so layered and I can’t wait to really dive deep because I have so many more questions about him!!

I would have to say overall steam-wise this is hitting the top end of JLA’s backlist. The characters and the story across the board embrace and celebrate sexuality, but that being said this didn’t feel any more spicy than average. Now, where we’re heading? I have a feeling that will definitely be changing!!

Of course the end of this book had me screaming “YOU DID NOT JUST END IT THERE” and throwing the book across the room…but I also immediately began to read over it all again to try and piece together things I may have missed and to try and figure out answers to what lies ahead.

Overall this book delivers everything you love, but still in a completely unique and refreshing way. I can’t recommend this one enough and I CANNOT WAIT to see where we go from here!!

A JLA book based in a world where vampires feed on pleasure? Sign. Me. Up! I love this new world Jen has created. I love that the last page of the book, something that was shared as a teaser, I totally took out of context so that when I got to it I was shocked and surprised and like oooooh noooooo! Once again JLA has provided us with some amazing MC an side characters that bring the comic relief. (Please don't hurt Bas!) While I am confused about a piece of a certain Hyborn's anatomy (Are all Hyborns built like that? What does that knot of flesh do? What does it look like? Please tell me!), I can't wait to see where the next book takes us!

Thank you NetGalley and Ms. Armentrout for giving me the opportunity to review "Fall of Ruin and Wrath." Wow! I really enjoyed this book. Romance and fantasy, who could ask for more? It was fast paced and exciting. Fans of Sarah J Maas would love this book. I can't wait to read the next one! Highly recommended.

As a long-time fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout, I was beyond excited to receive an ARC of her latest fantasy book.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath follows Lis, a spy for the Baron of Archwood masquerading as a courtesan and using her powers of intuition to exchange information for his protection. Lis was such a refreshing character for multiple reasons. I love that she's a terrible liar but has to keep so many secrets because it's fun to see how she talks her way out of the situations she finds herself in. I also love the ways she's found to enjoy touch despite her intuition causing it to be overwhelming at times. Lis's strong desire for stability after spending so long simply trying to survive make her incredibly relatable because she's not the type of person who sets out to save the world- she's trying to save herself and those she loves. It's real and honest and meshes well with the vibe of the book.

The world JLA created here is fascinating because the romance and plot are so intertwined. Hyhborns seem to be a mix of different mythology, including fae, angels, and incubi. They can't lie and feed on mortal pleasure, so when Lis rescues Thorne and helps him recover from his injuries, it creates a lot of sexual tension early in the story. The tension only continues to grow as events keeps pushing Thorne and Lis together. Filled with banter, tension, and secrets, the relationship between them is definitely the reason you'll want to pick up this book. It's also the most interesting slow-burn I've read in a while due to pleasure being such an integral part of their dynamic and interactions.

Honestly, the only things I disliked about FORAW was that I was able to guess too much of what was happening and felt frustrated when Lis remained oblivious, and at times felt like the world they live in was just Too Much. “You look entirely too serious for someone in the midst of an orgy," is something one of the characters says at one point and I had to put the book down to question what I was reading. Add in a 6'8" love interest with a [redacted] and aphrodisiacal [redacted]... yeah. Fun times but took me by surprise, that's for sure!

I was very excited to step into a new world that Jennifer Armentrout created and meet all her new delicious characters! Enter Calista, or Lis, as most commonly referred to in the book. Lis grew up and orphan with her best friend Grady looking out for one another. From the beginning these two characters have the sweetest bond. He wants to shield her from all the evil in the world. They grow up having nothing and find a place with the Baron who I still do not trust. Lis has to listen to her intuition and navigate her foresight that she has been gifted with but no one knows why she has these abilities or they aren't telling her. The Prince finds he has a strong attraction or pull towards her and for Lis, it seems to be mutual. I have many questions about Lis and her ties to the Prince. Will he be her savior or will he be her end? There is SO much spice in this book, literally on almost every page. I definitely want to read the book two in the series because I have so many unanswered questions! The pace really picked up halfway through the book and the ending was phenomenal.

**3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars**. This story, to me, already appears quite different to JLA's other books. Unique world/beings/lore and magic. Has all the favorite romantasy tropes. It is an Adult Fantasy and it definitely reads that way. Book 1 was very romance forward, it was quite spicy (no complaints). The pacing was a little off for my preference, the first half of the book moved slow. I became much more invested at 60%, high stakes and intense scenes didn't hit, IMO, until about 90%. I am not IN LOVE yet, but I am intrigued and curious where this story goes. I did really like the FMC and the MMC was well balanced IMO. Snarky banter was there, as we always hope for in a JLA book. Will be picking up the next book as I definitely need more explained and want to learn more. Recommend if you are a fan of darker romantasys.

Rating: 2.5 stars

I have some thoughts on this book.

JLA is one of my favorite authors. I will buy and read anything she writes because she is absolutely amazing. I was really looking forward to reading this book because new world from JLA, duh. But unfortunately I was left slightly disappointed.

To start off, I was really confused by the world in general. It just seemed a little all over the place, and I didn't feel like I got the world building that I wanted to. I was constantly confused and luckily I buddy read this with two other people. One of them, we kind of warned that it was confusing, so she took lots of notes for us and explained everything. But if it wasn't for her, I would have been so lost while reading this. Even though I still feel a little loss.

My main issue with this book though was Lis. I HATED her character. I just didn't feel that connection to her at all. At first I thought her character would be a fighter, but she ended up being one of those helpless characters that just contradicted herself constantly. I still didn't really understand her job. It was so confusing. Like I think it was present, but then someone would say something, then it wouldn't seem that way. She would constantly say one thing and then do another. It was just frustrating and she didn't make sense to me. I will say though that Lis has the most room to grow from any main characters that JLA has written. I am excited to see her growth progress throughout this series, and hopefully I hate her a little less.

The book was way too repetitive for me. Things would be said multiple times in multiple ways and it was frustrating. An entire chapter was repeated but with a different character. I really didn't need to read two chapters that had the exact same conversation with nothing new added to it.

Finally, I found the book to be very slow. I felt like next to nothing happened for the majority of the book. It just felt so slow compared to other books I've read by JLA, which left me so disappointed.

While this probably wasn't my least favorite JLA book, it was my least favorite to start a new fantasy series. I am excited to see how this series continues. Maybe I will try reading this one again before I read book 2 to see if I feel differently, but these are my thoughts for now. However, I won't say to not read this one because you might end up loving it.

“𝗛𝗲 𝗴𝗮𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝘂𝗽𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗵𝗲 . . . 𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗺𝗲. 𝗜 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗸 𝗜 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗯𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱.”

This was one of those books where I kept wanting to go back to it whenever I wasn’t reading (which wasn’t that often since I read it in almost one sitting).

I sometimes struggle with the first books in fantasy series (world building mixed with adhd is not always a great combo) but I found myself tearing through the pages of this. It’s VERY bingeable. A lot of that is due to the fact that the plot is not laid out the way that is typical for fantasy books (this is hard to explain without giving spoilers). The chapters honestly seemed so short while reading because it was written very fast paced.

Lis is such a wonderful female main character. I liked being in her head. She’s confident and owns who she is without apologizing. And of course, Throrne. JLA sure knows how to write fictional men. He is handsome, tall AF and has such a flirtatious mouth. The banter and chemistry between them was delicious.🔥

🌶️The spice was spicccccinnnnn. There are a few chapters where I was sweating. If you are someone that doesn’t like tons of spice don’t worry it doesn’t overwhelm the story, but it actually is something that is vital to the plot (again idk how to explain this without spoiling lol).

The magic system is still a little big of a mystery by the end. Some of it is revealed but other aspects I am assuming we will learn more about in the next book.

As for the ending- it is a very typical “WTF I NEED BOOK 2 NOW” type of cliffhanger. 😬


“𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗲, 𝗺𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗜 𝗸𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁, 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.”

Fall of Ruin and Wrath was an interesting and unique read! I enjoyed getting to learn about a new world and all it entails. It can be a little overwhelming at times learning everything, but I feel like I caught on more as the book went on. Lis is a strong main character. She has been through hard times in her life, but she's always come out on top, she's a survivor. She's tough and stubborn, yet caring. I enjoyed learning about her abilities. They can be a good thing, but also a bad thing. I definitely felt for her throughout the book. Thorne is an interesting character. He's hard to get a read on, but so far, I like him. There were times that I didn't agree with how he handled things or things that he said, but I understand it more after learning about his life and how he came to be. He's a complex guy that I really want to learn more about. The storyline was intriguing. It kept me sucked in and curious as to how things were going to unfold. I can't wait for the next book of this series! *I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.*

OMG!!! This book is AMAZING! I love the story, I love the characters. I love the relationship ship between Calista and Thorne. I love the tension, I love the end. I love that everything is not sunshine and roses. This book had me from the very beginning, I could not put it down. JLA knocked it out of the park.

First of all a thank you as always to the Tor/Bramble Romance team for offering an eArc copy in exchange of an honest review.

Hello again dear reader or listener, tis a romantic fantasy review I’m regaling you with today and let’s just say it’s a bag of mixed feelings to say the least!!

I’ll disclaim it right here from the get go, if a very high level of smut, sexual explicitness, and overall horniness is not your thing, you will not have a good time with this book.
It’s a 5/5 chilies for this one, folks, and I’m talking from a high tolerance pov.

Now then, I’ve got a very big soft spot for this author. Her first Luxen series is still to this day one of my favorite older YA series, and perhaps even the first romance I ever tried on purpose as I used to avoid the genre as much as possible. Because of that, I’ve been meaning to try her NA and adult books for a while now, and when the opportunity to try her latest came up, I jumped at the chance! As I said though, it ended up giving me mixed feelings. I’ll go with all the good stuff first because ultimately the negatives are more personal and specific to individual readers so whatever didn’t work for me may be great for others!

Extremely generic title aside, in this first entry to her new series, Armentrout picks several well established tropes and delivers each of them to the reader with her own added flavor, avoiding most clichés, even though some remain if you’re being persnickety- which past a point I can admit I was starting to be. We’re talking fated mates, our soulmates, fake history, godlike tyrants and so on. Once I decided to take it all a little less seriously however, and leaned more into the frivolity of it, I ended up being mostly amused and having a better time. Her world building is in a way slow, avoiding info dumps, but allowing for the reader to glean the ins and outs of this society our protagonist is a part of. And even though it takes a while for us to place the ambiance and type of setting, (medieval fantasy, post apocalyptic fantasy etc), it wasn’t necessarily a drawback.

The overall plot was intriguing and gradually revealed at a solid pace which keeps you wanting to find out more, while you’re comfortable with the knowledge that there’s court sketchiness afoot and things are inevitably going to go belly up, changing everything the protagonist knows. In other words, you know what to expect but you’re not less excited for it to happen. It’s a pretty straightforward case of highborn vs lowborn caste system but with the added twist of peculiar spelling of words that probably didn’t need to be tweaked for flair. The Hyhborn (like I said re spelling) nobility have magic while the lowborn do not and that’s what sets Calista apart as she’s got telepathy, foresight, and heightened intuition physic powers even though she’s a lowborn. This in turn makes her a precious member of the Baron’s court, officially as his paramour but really as his hidden ace to navigate politics etc. Then, once you hit the 80% mark, the author picks up her pace and does not let you go till the very end, hooking you with a riveting cliffhanger that simply will not allow you to not be curious as to how things will continue from then on.

I actually really enjoyed how unapologetic and unproblematic a spin Armentrout gave to the whole dynamic of court paramours and courtesans. There’s a tendency, even among authors who think or pretend they’re not doing it, to either passively judge the profession/system or at the very least have their characters somehow be ashamed of it.
Armentrout did nothing of the sort, in fact dashing any possible negative or judgmental opinion on the matter through her character frankly explaining why she does what she does, and showcasing an inclusive and diverse picture of the whole system most naturally and without toxicity. It’s not on the nose, and it was a welcome dynamic to read through. Another way I could describe it all would be to say it was deeply sensual at times but not weirdly sexualised, if that makes sense.

I also liked how the author doesn’t pick one side when it comes to inspiration, be it Fae or Angelic/Theology lore. There’s a mix of both and other mythological influences in between, making for a perhaps derivate but still interesting meld of origins for her magic system and its creatures. I particularly like any references to the Wild Hunt so that’s a win for me anywhere I can find it. Moreover, the angelic/demigod/fae like creatures known in this story as Deminyens, were really pretty cool, mainly in their history and how they’re created. Are they OP? Probably, but that’s part of the whole point with them so.

Armentrout’s prose is fast flowing and fun, albeit with occasional instances of oddly placed ellipses. Calista’s voice especially was both entertaining and with a certain pragmatic sense to it that I could appreciate. You just need to disregard her initial self description which tries to go for a nuanced mix between “not like other girls” and “not the prettiest of women out there but not too ugly because fantasy standards and pretty privilege”, but falls slightly on its face if I’m being frank.

Now as to the real negatives that ultimately harmed this book for me. As I said, I wanted and tried to take it more seriously, I really did. But ultimately I failed and switched to a different mindset of “oh, ok, this is the frivolous and don’t think too much about it read”. I’m not adverse to smut or sexy times on page, hell, I’m not opposed to them even if they’re a bit over the top. However only when it fits the tone of the book. Which I’m sorry to say, this time it did not. I knew what I was getting into from the promo and the author’s rep as a fan of sensual and steamy works but at the same time I expected it to be, for lack of a more apt word, better. This book is Horny, y’all. Like, really really horny. To the extent of sensually toeing the line of over the top gratuitous and then on occasion falling into the downright ridiculous. Fan service is one thing but trying to pass hilariously clichéd erotica for epic romantic fantasy is not ideal. I’m not saying the former is bad, I’m just saying this book tried not to be that and failed.
Luckily the moments where it was that extreme where more on the rare side which was this book’s saving grace.

Also I just need a moment to rant about a true monstrosity to the written word. Ma’am you’ve written way too many books to be given a pass on a sentence like this:
“Toward the base, he was thicker and rounder, almost as if the flesh was more . . . round there.”
I’m happy to say this felt more like a single brain cramp in the author’s stride and the rest of her writing remained quite evocative and normal. But just ouch.

Ultimately, I can say that Armentrout’s storytelling shines the most when she’s not getting carried away with the smut and fan service. It has its place but it can fall on the too much side, which eventually harms her overall effect by snapping the reader out of one mindset and forcing them to go for less serious reading. Which hey, it might be exactly what someone may be wanting out of their book in that specific moment. Her steam is on point barring a couple of really big eyebrow raise moments for me personally. Her story has a solid foundation, the court intrigue, the fake history, the characters who are more than they seem, even the magic system and creatures within. That last twenty percent I mentioned really does feel almost like a different book because it’s taking the time to focus on the actual story and action which is awesome and emotional and riveting. Unfortunately however, the redeeming qualities of this book were just enough to keep me reading to the end but not to sway a higher rating for all the above reasons.

I hope this mixed feelings stream was helpful to you dear reader or listener.
Fall of Ruin and Wrath is out today and you can find it at all the links above!

Until next time,
Eleni A. E.

Wow. Jennifer L. Armentrout did it again.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath exceeded my expectations, as a new high fantasy world it's usually hard to get into it, there's a lot of stuff generally happening but in this book, it was so easy to get into, to read it, and especially to understand what was going on.

Calista is such a fresh character, she isn't the typically badass heroine like Poppy, Ivy or Trinity, but that doesn't stop her. She is brave and stubborn, which reminds me a lot of Katy in Lux Thorne on the other hand it's a mix of Seth and Daemon but in a world of adult high fantasy. I wouldn't describe him as a good guy and I freaking love that.

Now the secondary characters, my favorite, Bas. I love him, he is that funny but badass character. But there are others like Grady, Noemi, Claude,.. All of them add value to the story and are different from each other.

In general, the book is an easy read, mid to fast pace, and yes, a lot of spicy scenes. the world in general is really spicy, which I think readers will love. this book is a must-read for any Jlander or fantasy lover.

I have just finished Fall of Ruin and Wrath and let me tell you, that plot twist? I don't even know if I should call it that TBH, had me question literally everything I read!

You might be wondering, if I liked this book so much, why only give it 4 stars?

We'll get there, but first of all, I want you all to know that if it was written by Jennifer L. Armentrout, I will read it, even if it's the water flow report. Armentrout has such an amazing way of telling you a story and this is no different.

Sadly since this is book number one of the Awakening series, I can't really reveal too much because it would be spoilers, so I will tell you as much as I can without spoiling anything from the story.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath follows Lis, Calista, an orphan girl who is trying her best to survive, with a power that could ruin her more than could help her, so she hides it and along with her best friend since childhood they hide at the Baron of Archwood's city.

Lis is special to the Baron in more than one way. She is a courtesan which allows her to find information for Claude and whenever needed entertain any guest he deems worthy of her presence or in the case of our main male character, when they request it.

Claude asks Lis to get a read on the new guest of the city, to use her abilities to know why he is in town, to her surprise, the guest is the same prince she recently helped and is crazy attracted to.

Thorne, the prince, is Lis' Hyhborn, she first met him when she was a kid and a different Hyhborn was looking for someone they failed to find that night. He helped her and since then she's know that she would see him again. She felt a warning of sorts, nothing too clear, just the knowledge that she will see him again.

Their paths cross once more when one night she helps out a Hyhborn who she believes is just like any other Hyhborn, but ends up being a prince. Her prince.

From that moment on, things somehow just seem to get more and more complicated for Lis. On the one hand she is wildly attracted to him and on the other, she knows that she can't really trust his intentions since she can't read him and for some reason he seems a bit too interested in her.

Their connection is intense and very hard to deny. Which is the one thing I loved the most. Thorne seems to be in it just for Lis. His intentions until this moment (the end of the book) are clear and straight forward. He wants her. He craves her, and there are no nefarious intentions behind it.

The story is so intricate and new, yet with that Armentrout touch, I'm sure you will fall in love with these characters.

The main issue I had with Fall of Ruin and Wrath is the pace of the story. The world development took a little too long and at times it just seemed like it was over explained, yet not explained clearly. It was a bit slow for my taste and parts of it could have been completely left out and the story would have been moved along just fine.

Also, and I know I will get some heat for this, but the level of spiciness was a little over the top. For me it is one of those things where it's, "not because you can, it means that you should," scenarios.

I know there will be plenty of people who will love it and it will become their favorite part of story, but it was just very meh for me.

But in true Armentrout fashion, she pulled an uno reverse on me and I could not stop reading once Thorne and Lis decided to give into their wants. Then that big revelation happened? and I was literally screaming!

I am so intrigued and I cannot wait to see how things will be developing in the second installment.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L Armentrout. First book in the (Awakening) series. I was so excited to get this ARC book. This is a brand new fantasy series. So I couldn't wait to dive into this new world and to be introduced to awesome new characters.

This book is jam packed full of information, lots of world building which is great. I had to reread some bits again, just to make sure I got everything. As I have dyslexia, I find writing down notes, like names of characters, creatures and places help a lot, so you can go back to your notes if need be as you read a book. You do get a map in the book which is amazing, but as I read it as an ARC I had to use my imaginations of what I thought the map would be like. The characters Jen creates are just incredible, with the lovable characters and also the characters that we hate, there is always a villian. Calister/Lis is one of our main characters. She is full of mystery and enjoyed finding out more about her and I still don't think we know everything that Calister can do. Then we have our other main character the HOT and SWOON worthy Throne that is full of surprises. The spice and romance was just done to perfection, and really enjoyed the build up of action. The ending I couldn't read the book quick enough, until I ran out of pages and now got wait for the next one #𝙘𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜.

This was an interesting and clever idea Jen has come up with for this new series, kept me intrigued and full of questions all the way though, as we all know Jen is the best at giving us some answers, but somehow we seem to finish the book with more questions. Full twists and turns and jaw dropping discoveries. I kept saying I read to the next chapter then I put it down, did I no.This is a extraordinary start to a new series and I can't wait for more. I need more answers and I need to know what’s going to happen next.

book review: the fall of ruin and wrath by jennifer l. armentrout
rating: 3.75

synopsis: Calista lives by her intuition. with a simple touch, she can see into anyone’s future… her gift has found her favor as a courtesan of the Baron of Archwood. when her intuition leads her to save a prince in trouble, the voice inside her blazes to life. after the baron takes an interest in the prince’s actions, calista becomes his companion… but she’s unable to read his intentions or future. yet, their connection is undeniable and calista is sure of one thing: her prince will be both her joy and her doom.

this is such a promising start to what i think is going to be incredible series! the story is told from Calista’s first person POV. she’s a compelling lead who’s easy to empathize with. she’s very…human. and not at all annoying. the storyline kept me engaged and i liked that we got to uncover secrets alongside calista.

now, let’s talk our main man: Prince Thorne. the connection between these two… PALPABLE. this is a SUBLIME example fated mates trope — which is unfairly underrated. i mean, the way this (supposedly apathetic) godlike being (made of literal stone) SIMPS for calista. i pictured him as the human beast from beauty and the beast (swipe for reference). every scene with the two of them JUMPS off the page, exactly what you want in a romantasy!!

my qualms: i think the world could have been explained better. i wish there would have been a chapter or two at the beginning that really just laid out it out for us. we got it in drips, but it left me feeling confused and struggling to put the pieces together. grady — calista’s sidekick — is done a great disservice. he’s clearly the most important person to calista, but we hardly know anything about him? it felt like a big plot hole. lastly, i really think something needed to happen in this book that did not occur (i will not say cause spoilers) and that left me feeling slightly dissatisfied.

oh, and that ending… all i’ll say is: i can’t wait for the next book!!

I've been excited to read this book since it was announced, as a long-term reader of JLA I
will pretty much read anything this woman writes

As the blurb doesn’t really give away what this book is about, I was very intrigued to get
started. The story centres around Calista and is told entirely from her POV. Not a lot of
information is given exactly about what Calista is, just that she has strong intuition and
has talents that are unusual. She lives with the Baron of Archwood and in exchange for
giving him information he gives her the protection, a place to live on his estate. One night
her intuition leads her to saving Prince Thorne, a person who she has met before and is
inexplicably drawn to.
The story took a little bit to pick up, I’m not someone who is put of by a lot of information
dumping and its something I have come to expect from fantasy books, but there wasn’t a
lot of this to begin with. Lis comes across as being somewhat sheltered about the world
she lives, yes, she gives us a understanding of how she has been taught that the world
works around her but I got a strong feeling that there is a lot of information that she has
no idea about. Just reading about how others interact with her gives you sense that
things are being hidden.
Things pick up when Thorne shows up. He has all the classic fantasy male characters vibes
going for me. Still not sure what is actual deal is but I do think there is soooo much more
that we don’t know about yet. I enjoyed the interactions between him and Lis, they do
have a lot of spicy scenes which were fabulously executed. And the last few chapters were
actioned packed, and I loved it!!
The only reason I’m not giving this a 5-star review is because I felt like the pacing was a bit
to slow for me to begin with and also, I just needed more information about the hell was
going on.
Overall, I can’t wait to read the next book, because I really thing this book only scratches
at the surface of what is happening