Reviews - Exquisite Ruin | The StoryGraph

206 reviews for:

Exquisite Ruin

AdriAnne May

3.4 AVERAGE

maddiemulligan's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Dude you know what the end of this book actually had me fall off a treadmill and in a good way

Content Warnings

nicolecaryl12's review against another edition

2.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Book with gods and witches, kind of freaky and I didn’t like the premise of self harm for magic but the story of traversing the maze was interesting. Bizarre plot twist later on, some gore. Not bad but I wasn’t attached

heartsandthrillers's review against another edition

3.0

dark mysterious slow-paced

Content Warnings

heartscontent's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: Complicated

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

A big shout out and thank you to the publisher and Coloured Pages Book Tours for including me in the book tour for Exquisite Ruin and providing me with a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

I think reading Exquisite Ruin was certainly an experience quite unlike any other. Books that truly pull you into its world and enthrall you with its words are always special and Exquisite Ruin is definitely a book that you can get lost into (ha!) rather swiftly.

The first perhaps… ten percent of the book was a bit slower on the pace. While the set up was unique and the two main characters were introduced within the first two pages, I found myself leaving and returning to the book a few times. But the moment we toe the ten percent (or a little above) mark, it’s quite the racing game. I only sensed a mild dip at around 70% in the pace but it soon evened out and took off again. It was rather exciting to see yourself keeping pace with the characters as they race against unpredictable dangers, disturbing monsters, maybe even their own past and feelings.

(FYI—for no reason at all—I think it’s important to share that this is the first time ever I’ve started a review by talking about the pace in the book)

The world building in this book has all the advantages it needs. The best way to introduce a world to readers is by making the main character someone who’s unaware of the world themselves. One of the most common strategies for world building is when the protagonist enters into a completely new world and learns the ins and outs along with the readers. The other—perhaps trickier—method is when the protagonist develops amnesia. It’s both a fantastic way to introduce the world and adds a wonderfully complex knot to unravel in the plot. It is, however, not as easy to write because it’s a slippery slope of puzzle pieces that, when they come together, have to fit perfectly because all of it links back to the plot.

The smart thing that the author has done with how the world unravels is create a very recognisable pattern for it. The intervals for it may be unpredictable but you’re always aware what’s going to happen once that particular pattern marker appears. The author also ensures you’re mostly aware of what is going to be revealed…. Until you’re not. (But that’s a story for a different paragraph)

Given how wonderfully similar some aspects of the story are—like the God hierarchy—it’s extremely simple to make sense of most of the rules that follow it. I found it rather easy to piece together the basic rules of the world rather early on in the book, which is always amazing to experience. So woot woot for that!

The plot of this story unravels like … I would say … maybe a little like the movie Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. A lot of it initially has a certain tone of being discombobulating, before the picture begins to fill in. As the pieces start to fall into place, there’s more clarity and confusion in turns before the final puzzle piece gives us an answer that turns everything on its head. The primary plot point reveals itself wholly only at the end but the suspense of it all keeps you on your toes as you wonder where this is all going. What are they chasing? What’s chasing them? Who can be trusted? There are several such questions that plague the reader that keep us guessing and reading and racing with the characters.

I would say this book is more character driven than anything else. While, yes, the very visible setting of the labyrinth, the immediate dangers and hidden pasts seem to take center stage; to me it always felt like it was the characters and their stories that was what the book was truly focused on. I think for the longest time, as a reader I struggled to understand their motivations and decisions but I still always felt curious enough to continue.

Also, the banter.

Loved the banter.
Swam in the banter.
Spread it on my toast and ate it whole.

I think the first 75%-80% of the book was very interesting, even with all its flaws, nicks and dents. But after that, when the true plot is revealed, I personally felt the story went down a very … mind-bending path that I’m still not sure how I feel about. I think the strange became stranger, the vague became vague-er and everything turns on its head. Until that moment everything we knew about the world—of sorts—fit in well with the plot; and then well I think it depends on the reader if it’s a hit or a miss on how they feel about how the book resolves itself. For me personally it was a bit of a miss. Unfortunately.

There are many themes in this book that can be hard for some so please check trigger warnings before reading! I’ve been metaphorically shifting my feet between a 3.5 start rating and one closer to a 4. So it’s dealer’s choice! Check out the blurb and that beautiful cover (that makes SO much sense!), and if you find them interesting, do dive into this magical adventure with lots of banter and thrill!

donnakay's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: No

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Thank you Gallery Marketing for the free copy of this novel.

This was a very unique concept and I'm not completely sure if I got it all the way. In this novel, we meet Sadare, a witch and her minotaur demon companion Daesra, as they a trapped within a deadly maze, and must work together to survive. The only issue: she doesn't remember who she is or why she and her companion can't seem to trust each other or get along.

While the premise of this story is very interesting and the book cover is beautiful, I was not as captivated as I expected to be. I liked the idea of a high stakes fantasy with darker bdsm themes with true enemies to lovers journey. I never felt fully connected to the main characters, and the last 15% made it just a tad bit more disconnecting for me. I wasn't expecting ting that ending at all.

I think this novel would be great for readers that enjoy dark romance, fantasy retellings, true enemies to lovers trope, and unexpected twists.

bookish_selkie's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense 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: Yes

Exquisite Ruin is the romantic story of Sadaré and Daesra. This is a story that beautifully entwines romance and fantasy. When Sadaré wakes in a labyrinth, she finds herself accompanied by the perplexing Daesra. Sadaré must unlock her memories in order to make it out of the maze alive. But who is the real monster in the center of the maze?

Exquisite Ruin is one of my top books so far this year. I was enthralled by the romance between Sadaré and Daesra. They have an incredible chemistry and AdriAnne May expertly teased out their past so that readers put the clues together along with Sadaré. I loved the spicy scenes between them. The emotions felt so vivid! As the labyrinth becomes more treacherous, the tension between them escalates. I also loved all the twists and turns of the story! The ending was incredible and unputdownable.

Readers who enjoy Katee Robert, mythology retellings, and spicy romance will love Exquisite Ruin. I can’t wait to read what AdriAnne May writes next!

Thank you so much to AdriAnne May, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

kristentougas's review against another edition

3.5

adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

romantasy_introvert's review against another edition

3.0

adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

This cover? Gorgeous!

The premise? Intriguing!

The story? Unique, dark, and spicy!

The execution? It just kinda fell flat.

I feel like this could have been really good if a lot of it was removed and it was turned into a novella. It isn’t a long book by any means but it felt like it dragged on and I never really got fully invested.

I did become a little more invested at around 50%. The twist at the end was wild and tbh I’m still pretty confused about it.

If you’re looking for a dark romantasy set in a maze with meddling gods, a demon, a cute chimera named Pogli, and some kinky spice, then maybe you should give this one a try!

Thanks to Gallery Books for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

the_lawyer_librarian's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous challenging dark hopeful mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Complicated

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

kaysreadsx's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous dark emotional mysterious

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