Scan barcode
booksthatburn's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
RUINSONG is a slow burn sapphic tale of falling in love under brutality, and daring to hope for a better future even after being groomed into complicity. The opening chapters are brutal, slowly but inexorably describing a reign of death and torture in which a powerful queen demands complicity and service in exchange for life. The plot is at least 90% slowly inching towards maybe doing something concrete about it while an ever escalating series of discomforts befall the main characters, then the ending is very dramatic and sudden. I refer it to a series of discomforts because the worst stuff happens around Cadence rather than to her (very early on bad things happen to Remi and then keep happening). There's a sense (usually backed up by dramatic asides and tales of woe) that much worse things are constantly happening somewhere to somebody, but since they aren't literally happening to Cadence she's been reluctant to try and change things. I don't have a great sense of what the revolutionaries want other than to not be tortured and killed by the Queen (this is, admittedly, a very sound basis for a revolution so it's okay that other demands aren't a focus of the narrative). I think that I personally prefer books with more specific political intrigue with their revolutions, but that's not what this book is trying to be. The romance is slow burn, since Remi and Cadence don't feel free to do much of anything, let alone broach the topic of being girls who like girls. It barely feels safe for them to be friends, since Remi's very proximity is being used to control Cadence.
The worldbuilding is fine, it's not very complicated because the story invests its detail in the Queen and the two girls, and the people around them. One thing this portrays very well is emotional abuse and manipulation, and the way that a combination of threats plus unpredictable enforcement can be used to break someone down and make everything feel pointless. The story is about whether Cadence will finally have something that it's worth standing up for, and I appreciate how the story shows why she didn't fight for things before. Even if her reasons seem silly or you can imagine yourself doing more in her shoes (some of her fellow characters think they might have done more), the characterization is so well done to explain why she hadn't before, but without excusing what she's done and continues to do.
The worldbuilding is fine, it's not very complicated because the story invests its detail in the Queen and the two girls, and the people around them. One thing this portrays very well is emotional abuse and manipulation, and the way that a combination of threats plus unpredictable enforcement can be used to break someone down and make everything feel pointless. The story is about whether Cadence will finally have something that it's worth standing up for, and I appreciate how the story shows why she didn't fight for things before. Even if her reasons seem silly or you can imagine yourself doing more in her shoes (some of her fellow characters think they might have done more), the characterization is so well done to explain why she hadn't before, but without excusing what she's done and continues to do.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Confinement, Homophobia, and Vomit
Minor: Abortion and Death of parent
alliewithbooks's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
alacuesta's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
artemis_bean's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death
Minor: Homophobia
lyonsdenprojects's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was an enjoyable story with interesting and sweet main characters. The magic system is what I probably loved most about it though there were some holes in the world building and the ending conflict seemed a little too easy after the build up to it. However I still enjoyed the journey and would gladly read another book featuring these characters. TW: The dog is killed. I hate being surprised by that in books and movies. The reactions of Cadence redeemed the story, but I did almost put the book down.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Torture
Moderate: Homophobia
valpuri's review against another edition
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
I was excited to read this, but sadly the book just fell flat towards the end and I struggled to finish it. I'm so disappointed that I can only give this one 2/5 stars.
The concept of magic that is sung and a romance between two women that are on opposite sides of a rebellion are what convinced me to pick up this book, but it just didn't really deliver on either of those. There is very little world-building or character development, and the latter half of the book feels very rushed. :( The first half of the book is pretty good and promising... I just wish that there was something more to the end.
The concept of magic that is sung and a romance between two women that are on opposite sides of a rebellion are what convinced me to pick up this book, but it just didn't really deliver on either of those. There is very little world-building or character development, and the latter half of the book feels very rushed. :( The first half of the book is pretty good and promising... I just wish that there was something more to the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Blood, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Medical content, Physical abuse, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Chronic illness, Grief, and Vomit
coophone's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Torture, and Violence
Minor: Homophobia
lapis's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was just what the doctor ordered: queer fantasy.
It takes you into a really interesting world, where a revolution occurred some years back, and now the nobility are openly-reviled by the ruler.
There's also a song-magician class of people who are more open to the changing norms. Poly-relationships are referred to, most characters in this book are under the queer umbrella (which is why I don't mind that the villain is queer, because there is so much representation).
There was so much world-building that I'm really hoping for more in this world.
It takes you into a really interesting world, where a revolution occurred some years back, and now the nobility are openly-reviled by the ruler.
There's also a song-magician class of people who are more open to the changing norms. Poly-relationships are referred to, most characters in this book are under the queer umbrella (which is why I don't mind that the villain is queer, because there is so much representation).
There was so much world-building that I'm really hoping for more in this world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Miscarriage
Minor: Homophobia
Animal Deathmushr00mcore's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
At least the sapphic romance was handled well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Animal death, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Homophobia
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence has been forced to torture her country's disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen's bidding. But when she is reunited with her childhood friend, a noblewoman with ties to the underground rebellion, she must finally make a choice: Take a stand to free their country from oppression, or follow in the queenβs footsteps and become a monster herself. π
β’
What I liked:
π Queer PHANTOM OF THE OPERA retelling? Yes, please!
π I loved the magic system here. I loved the idea of singing to marshal your magic, and that you could tell a lot about the mage by their voice.
π Such wonderful imagery, from the beauty of the Queen's stronghold to the horrors of the region where those expelled from the court are sent.
π The tension between the protagonists felt real - it wasn't insta-love, but also the barriers they faced weren't just pointless roadblocks. π
β’
What I didn't like:
π It's a pretty basic YA dystopia setup. This isn't necessarily a knock on the book, just something to know going in.
π I do wish some pieces of the world's history and nuances of the magic system were more detailed - I could tell there was more in the author's brain that didn't make it into the book. π
β’
Content warnings: alcoholism, blood, death, homophobia (mild), physical abuse, torture, violence, and vomit.
β’
What I liked:
π Queer PHANTOM OF THE OPERA retelling? Yes, please!
π I loved the magic system here. I loved the idea of singing to marshal your magic, and that you could tell a lot about the mage by their voice.
π Such wonderful imagery, from the beauty of the Queen's stronghold to the horrors of the region where those expelled from the court are sent.
π The tension between the protagonists felt real - it wasn't insta-love, but also the barriers they faced weren't just pointless roadblocks. π
β’
What I didn't like:
π It's a pretty basic YA dystopia setup. This isn't necessarily a knock on the book, just something to know going in.
π I do wish some pieces of the world's history and nuances of the magic system were more detailed - I could tell there was more in the author's brain that didn't make it into the book. π
β’
Content warnings: alcoholism, blood, death, homophobia (mild), physical abuse, torture, violence, and vomit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, Death, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, and Vomit
More...