Member Reviews
I tried to read this book, but it is entirely too spicy and insta-love for me. I just did not enjoy it, despite thinking I would.
This audiobook is an immersive and captivating tale that blends magic, history, and intrigue. The audiobook's narrator delivered the tale with depth and emotion, bringing the characters and the world to life with a perfect balance of tension and warmth. Blood and Ruin was a compelling fantasy that was elevated by its excellent narration, making it a must-listen for fans of dark magic and epic storytelling.
I was given access to this arc to read thanks to NetGalley. A fun romantasy. Great read. Would read more by this author.
I'd recommend this book to people who liked Zodiac Academy. The writing, storytelling, and characters were very similar.
I wouldn't be surprised if this started off as a 1D Wattpad fanfic. The FMC is everyone's punching bag, verbally and physically (be aware that the descriptions of the beatings become kinda torture porn-y which I really didn't like), and then she's sold off to a group of boys in a reverse-harem type situation.
The world wasn't developed really well, and there was a lot of telling rather than showing. All the characters were pretty bland.
There's nothing objectively wrong with this kind of story, it's just not for me.
The cover is pretty, though.
The first in the series, Blood and Ruin was a fun escape read for me. Complete with a world of shapeshifters, vampires, and wizards, I was hooked right away!
I listened to the audio format, and really enjoyed the narration which added to the story.
*many thanks to Dreamscape and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review
Narrators Scarlett Everdeen and Chase T. Walker did a really good job of narrating this book. Chase did a great job of portraying all of the different men's voices. I did feel like each guy had their own voice.
Which speaking of the men, don't even think about asking me if I have a favorite. Each one has their own personality. Just when I thought I had a favorite, one of the others would do or say something that would have me loving them. All I know is that Kai, Jax, Luka, Rion, and Axel love Kiarra so much that they would sacrifice their bodies for her.
I understand Kiarra's need to protect her mates, but I think she is stronger than she gives herself credit for. I do hope to see her grow more in the next book. Yes, I do plan to continue this trilogy. I need to know how it progresses and ends.
For the first book in a paranormal trilogy, I wish there was a little more pull and addiction laced in the writing and storeytelling that would compel me to read the rest. It was interesting and I do want to oknwo what happens, so I plan to read the next installments, but they aren't so high on my tbr and iin anticipation mode that I have preordered or checked for release dates.
I received the audioarc through Netgalley. Which is great, because I would have hated to spend money on this book.
This reads as a bad wattpad fic or the pay by chapter apps.
It was infuriating how the MMC's were all angry and felt betrayed that the FMC "left" them. Like bruh she was a child, bffr.
And the FMC not wanting to tell them the truth. Like girl again bffr.
The antagonists are of course just plain evil for no reason.
Honestly this book just sucked.
But I did like the narrator so that's nice
DNF at 40%. The spicy scenes were repetitive and the plot was just lacking for me. The narration was fine, but it didn't do anything to save the story for me.
The cover and description for Blood and Ruin had me going! I was excited to read a book where witches, demons, shifters, and human all lived together. However, going off the description the spicy level wasn't there for me. As much as I enjoy a slow burn romance, slow burn with five mates makes you wish a little bit more happened lol
I appreciated the world building aspect of it, but i wish there was more of an origin story as to why things were happening. Though I must admit I sensed the plot twist before it happened and I felt like something fishy was going down.
This title was dark, emotional, tense, adventurous, and is very fast paced. The climax gets you good and the reader is left yearning for more. Can't wait to read the second book and find out what happens!
thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy. I really enjoyed this and will be getting copies for my shop.
I'm curious where the story will end up. The blurb/idea of the story is what brought me in and the way she lives and what she does to save the one person she loves the most and everything her step father does to her. Now there does need to be some more world building and I need more in the character development. But there is more coming in the upcoming books so I hope we get a little more and this was a fast pace read and will be eager to pick up book 2. Which I have a arc copy of it I just need to get to it.
Thank you to NetGalley for this audio-arc in exchange for my thoughts.
Ok... this one was honestly just not for me. I really didn't care for any of the characters, and I saw the plot twist coming from a mile away. I found out that I'm not really a fan of one FMC having 5 love interests. It made it so there was a lack of deeper connection between them in my opinion. I will say that I really thought the Narrator did a wonderful job though! The story was just not for me at all.
Thank you to @netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for my honest review!
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Blood and Ruin is a reverse haram following our FMC, Kiarra, and her 5 male bonds.
This cover drew me in instantly! It is stunning. This had fated mates, protective MMCs, and a quick-witted FMC!
Six years ago, Kiarra’s world was shattered when she was taken to Cardinal Three, a place of relentless pain. Here, witches, demons, shifters, and humans live under the absolute rule of the King, who permits no one to leave alive. She is desperate for freedom.
The King has his own scheme, trading Kiarra to the five alphas of Manhattan. Forced to comply, she discovers the alphas are her mates.
“Want you, now and always and then, beyond that. I never want to be without you again. Not in this or the next life or any thereafter.”
What you’ll find in Blood and Ruin:
🌸 Fated Mates
🌸 Why Choose
🌸 Descendant of Cerberus
🌸 Found Family
Highly recommend if you loved The Bonds that Tie!
Oh, I really enjoyed reading this book! The synopsis had me really intrigued, so I'm glad that I got the sequel when it was up on NetGalley before reading this one, because I'm going to be able to pick it up right away-and I'll need to, because I need to know what's going to happen next!
This world of paranormals, and mates and such, was so interesting to read. That she has this ability to heal, to deal with incredible amounts of pain and not show any lasting physical signs (except for what King-who I thought was Cain because of me listening to an audiobook-doing experiments to slow down or block her ability) loved it!
She was in a pretty horrible position, what with King as her captor, basically, and holding her mom's friend as hostage for her good behaviour. That these guys, who were her best friends, come back into her life, not knowing what she's been through, what things are like for her, judging what things appear to be...yeah, that was pretty rough. And getting in the way of her escape plan.
I'm really excited to see where the series goes from here. The way things ended, with her not knowing that they came back from death, with where she is, yeah, I need to know more! After that ending that was so intense and fantastic, I need more!
Loved reading this book, and I can't wait to continue on!
I was so excited to get my advanced listening copy of this debut novel by Rumer Hale, and after listening to the first chapter I really thought this was going to be another great fantasy story. However, the book fell flat for me. The story had no back story as to why the main villain was hateful and what his problem was. The world building just needed more and the need for reverse harem aspect. Like is it normal in this particular book world where you need to mate and bond with 4 guys? I need to be able to understand the why for the element. I felt anxious and nervous about the arrangement. 🤣
The narration by Scarlett Everdeen and Chase T. Walker was great. I felt like they didn't rush the wording, but it flowed smoothly. You could hear the emotions through the audio.
Thank you to Dreamscape Media and Netgalley for the copy.
I was excited to listen to this based on the synopsis, but this fell flat for me. The narrator did a wonderful job, I just didn't like the story. I found that there was no world building, or really any character introduction. Which made it hard to be invested in the characters. It was hard to differentiate who the FMCs different mates were, as there wasn't much individuality with them. I found they all blended together. There was a lack of explanation throughout the book, which left me confused as to what was going on half the time. However, there was a good plot twist at the end that I did not see coming, but it wasn't enough to make me want to read/listen to the next book in the series.
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC!
I wanted so much to like this book, the title, the cover, the premise all looked good. I was sorely disappointed. I honestly couldn't even finish it fully. I listened to about half way and just couldn't, the writing was not for me. It all seemed very juvenile for a book that boasts a reverse harem.
Initially, I was drawn to this book by its stunning cover. I love the contrast of colors and imagery used in all the covers of this trilogy. Being a fan of paranormal and fantasy-based books, I found this one interesting. However, I am not sure if this book is entirely on the mark, and honestly, this might be a book that should be judged based on the whole series. Time will tell.
The story revolves around the FMC Kiarra, who has a unique ability to heal and a sadistic step-father who likes to torture her in unimaginable ways. He strikes a deal with the five alphas of Manhattan, selling Kiarra for a night of lovin' in exchange for an unknown favor. Later, they discover that they were childhood friends and are now mates. They have to decide whether to bond or not, and Kiarra cannot leave the tower she is in, or something terrible will happen to her. The story continues with more torture, twists and turns, and intense staring sessions. The twists in the story were quite obvious, and I guessed the surprise in chapter one.
Even though I'm not sure why I gave it 3.5 stars, I enjoyed the story at the time. It was different, and I liked how the FMC didn't back down, even though she was tortured and went through unimaginable pain both mentally and physically. She still had a heart, which was quite admirable. However, there were too many guys to keep straight, and I found it challenging to keep track of who's who. If you're looking for a romantasy with some spice, this particular book in the series has none, and I'm not sure about the others. I'll let you know.
Overall, this book is entertaining, with lots of violence, mates, reverse harem, witches, demons, shifters, and plenty of action to keep you entertained. However, the story itself is minimal.
I have been in such a fantasy mood lately and I am loving it. This is another great fantasy series and I can't wait to see where it goes. All fantasy lovers should go out and read this book.