Scan barcode
k_shafer's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
5.0
bubblewombat's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Never thought I'd read the words "rumpy-pumpy" in a book, and YET...here we are.
Renia had some funny moments, some heartwarming moments, and some completely devastating moments designed to rip out your heart because Mr Forshaw is mean like that. Still had fun reading it though!
BUT LISTEN, I will never be over a certain character's death. THEY DID NOT DESERVE IT BRING THEM BACK RIGHT NOW!!!!!! On the other end of the spectrum, there was a character death that I actually anticipated and it was very satisfying.
I highkey hated that character from the start, didn't see whatever it was their romantic partner saw in them, and then they just got worse and worse which just proved my instincts were correct. Good riddance, I say.
Renia is the main character, but we cycle through several PoVs, each important in their own way, as we get to know the world through their eyes.
While I really liked Renia as a character (even though she wasn't written to be likable), Jeff was by far my fav. Why? I don't know, just seemed the most sensible out of everyone. He did zero wrong, he could never do wrong. Go Jeff!!!
I liked the little crumbs we got of him and Bandack and can't wait to see more of them in future books.
Renia is a slower paced read, partially told through flashbacks. They were actually my favourite part of the book, I loved reading about Reina's (traumatic) childhood, I wouldn't have minded a whole book of just that.
Things really picked up in the last third and it was so hard to stop reading (so hard I went and finished it, hah). I loved the ending too, it made me excited for what's to come.
The only thing I had an issue with is that one of the main characters nearly got assaulted during a fight. I'm so glad they didn't and were able to fight the would be assaulter off. But still, reading that scene was very difficult for me, I'm not sure if it was necessary to have it in the book. I think the character was scary enough without that.
Overall though I think this was a solid debut, and I'll definitely be checking out the next books in the series.
Renia had some funny moments, some heartwarming moments, and some completely devastating moments designed to rip out your heart because Mr Forshaw is mean like that. Still had fun reading it though!
BUT LISTEN, I will never be over a certain character's death. THEY DID NOT DESERVE IT BRING THEM BACK RIGHT NOW!!!!!! On the other end of the spectrum, there was a character death that I actually anticipated and it was very satisfying.
I highkey hated that character from the start, didn't see whatever it was their romantic partner saw in them, and then they just got worse and worse which just proved my instincts were correct. Good riddance, I say.
Renia is the main character, but we cycle through several PoVs, each important in their own way, as we get to know the world through their eyes.
While I really liked Renia as a character (even though she wasn't written to be likable), Jeff was by far my fav. Why? I don't know, just seemed the most sensible out of everyone. He did zero wrong, he could never do wrong. Go Jeff!!!
I liked the little crumbs we got of him and Bandack and can't wait to see more of them in future books.
Renia is a slower paced read, partially told through flashbacks. They were actually my favourite part of the book, I loved reading about Reina's (traumatic) childhood, I wouldn't have minded a whole book of just that.
Things really picked up in the last third and it was so hard to stop reading (so hard I went and finished it, hah). I loved the ending too, it made me excited for what's to come.
The only thing I had an issue with is that one of the main characters nearly got assaulted during a fight. I'm so glad they didn't and were able to fight the would be assaulter off. But still, reading that scene was very difficult for me, I'm not sure if it was necessary to have it in the book. I think the character was scary enough without that.
Overall though I think this was a solid debut, and I'll definitely be checking out the next books in the series.
rebeccareader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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
5.0
I cannot quite understand why I loved this, but I did. From the first page I was sucked it and I had to continue reading, I couldn’t stop. Watching Renia and her story develop, I love her, following her POV made me incredibly happy as a reader (not happy in the book, oh did I rage, did I cry, but I love her!) I loved the characters, I loved the unique world (the Wastes I found fascinating), I loved the plot. There was so much weirdness going on, so many genres coming together and so many little plots I thought surely I should dislike this? No, not Renia, it just works, somehow. If you want a unique read then give this a go.
Oh, I AM DESPERATE FOR MORE BANDACK!
Oh, I AM DESPERATE FOR MORE BANDACK!
tinyelfarcanist's review
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Misogyny, Blood, Body horror, Vomit, Murder, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Miscarriage, Death, Torture, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Child abuse, Alcoholism, and Suicide attempt
Minor: Ableism, Stalking, Grief, Medical content, and Fatphobia
indyman's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
An EXCELLENT read by all means! Well and truly enjoyed it throughout. The characters are really well-written, the plot was both exciting and intriguing, and the lore/world building was superbly done. The writing in general was great, and the whole mystery element was nice too. There are some pretty strong themes involved which add to the whole narrative. All in all – really loved it, and would HIGHLY RECOMMEND that you grab your copy now!
Rating: – 9.7/10 (AMAZING!)
“An INCREDIBLE debut which delivers on all fronts. Dark, with well-written characters, a superb plot, excellent world building, and some pretty strong themes to go alongside. A MUST READ!”
Check out the full, spoiler-free review at my blog - indycritic.com
Rating: – 9.7/10 (AMAZING!)
“An INCREDIBLE debut which delivers on all fronts. Dark, with well-written characters, a superb plot, excellent world building, and some pretty strong themes to go alongside. A MUST READ!”
Check out the full, spoiler-free review at my blog - indycritic.com
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Death, Sexual assault, Violence, and Blood
thebookdreamersalley's review
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
FRTC
aminakara's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-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
5.0
datakitten's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
4.25
liviajelliot's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is by far the most original and unapologetic book I've read this year so far. Completely unexpected, beautifully written, full of thought, full of themes, always on the move, and incredibly well crafted.
Let me do a bit more of an explanation and proper review.
Renia (the book) is named after the main protagonist, Renia, who is a scholar. Nevertheless, the book often jumps between points-of-view; PoVs are not labelled (i.e., the chapter is not called as a character), and multiple times every chapter has multiple PoVs. The perspectives are diverse, and not every PoV is a main character; sometimes the book jumps towards a secondary character, telling part of their story or how they're experiencing the moment and coming back.
This structure keeps the story going, and helps the reader see how the threads of the plotline are weaved in together. Renia is not your traditional story, and trying to summarise it with tropes would be a disservice. It's different, innovative, and it'll grasp you and swirl you around as the plot unfolds and folds again.
Something to note is that the narrative is somehow non-conventional. Most of the story is written in third person past tense, but there are some segments of delusions/nightmares that are in third-person present tense. It worked well for me, because it gave the fragment an ethereal feel that conveyed the nightmare; it was very minimal in proportion to the book. A second character (with very few pages) also narrates in third person present tense, there are some flashbacks (all in italics so very easy to spot), and one or two letters, also very clearly presented.
The narrative was tight, but the prose flowed (I don't know how the author, Karl, does it). It sweeps you in from beat to beat in a seamless and engaging way. The world here is not your classical medieval fantasy, but more of what booktube is calling gaslamp—so, they have some tech, without being steampunk.
Something to note is that, and this is completely subjective, the descriptions of the characters and the environment are somewhat limited. Again, utterly subjective, but I would have loved more descriptions of the characters and the environment simply because I'm a sucker for those. That said, it was quite easy to imagine everything and follow the characters.
Another thing to credit the author with, is the world building. The setting is the country (state? region?) of Luna Ruinam. It is quite secretive, structured, with a god-like someone for ruler, and a very strange hierarchy. Things have happened in the past, and thus, as you read the book and the characters find themselves embroiled in the plot events, they begin to unravel those past events, and we see how things that happened so many years ago are also affecting the plot at "present" time.
The magic system (and how it intertwines with the political system) was very interesting albeit more on the soft side... but neither extremely soft, just loosely explained because most characters know little about it. Meaning, that it hinted at being a very complex system, but was not info-dumped—a very good presentation indeed.
The cast of characters is diverse, you get characters from all ages and backgrounds, a very nice share of female characters, with older (unbelievable to current books) women of 50-60+ in a variety of positions, from Hall Master to scholars, and even warriors. There are also some odd characters that are completely unexpected but wholesome and deep.
Ultimately, this is a book about consequences and fall outs, and the author handled that superbly. It's never preachy, never in-your-face. It is subtle, gentle, showing and never telling. Chef's kiss, really.
Now, you're probably wondering—why if I'm praising it, I'm giving it four stars. Basically for one particular event, and I'm going to keep this in spoilers. It does touch on some content warnings in the book, but I'll not be descriptive.
So, the first reason for this is that early in the book, when Renia is going through a difficult moment for a number of other plot-wise reasons, she finds out that she's pregnant. Renia is, early on, presented as Renia the Relentless, this intelligent woman who is also a very deft scribe, polished and neat in everything she does. It is also stated that she has a lover. Now, the fact that an intelligent woman can't suddenly realise that unprotected sex would leady to pregnancy, and that two months in (!!) she didn't realise her period wasn't coming nor her bodily changes? Overall, it was not very well presented, giving the feeling that it was there to hit Renia with everything bad.
Further into the plot, she uses magic for a good reason, the magic consumes lifeforce and she loses the pregnancy. It's completely unwilling, and Renia does have thoughts on it (she isn't unscathed)... but again, it felt as if meant to make it grimmer. Renia's guilt (due to other stuff) was, in my subjective opinion, enough to justify part of her desire to help this person.
Later on, the former lover (by now revealed to be quite violent and verbally abusive) tries to sexually assault Renia. It is handled discreetly, in terms of he slams her to a wall, attempts to lift her skirts, and Renia kicks him off with magic. Albeit it was handled as best as possible, I'd rather it would have been just a violent fight and nothing else.
As a woman, I'm morally exhausted from reading about these topics, so take this with a grain of salt. It is, perhaps, the most subjective part of this review.
Let me do a bit more of an explanation and proper review.
Renia (the book) is named after the main protagonist, Renia, who is a scholar. Nevertheless, the book often jumps between points-of-view; PoVs are not labelled (i.e., the chapter is not called as a character), and multiple times every chapter has multiple PoVs. The perspectives are diverse, and not every PoV is a main character; sometimes the book jumps towards a secondary character, telling part of their story or how they're experiencing the moment and coming back.
This structure keeps the story going, and helps the reader see how the threads of the plotline are weaved in together. Renia is not your traditional story, and trying to summarise it with tropes would be a disservice. It's different, innovative, and it'll grasp you and swirl you around as the plot unfolds and folds again.
Something to note is that the narrative is somehow non-conventional. Most of the story is written in third person past tense, but there are some segments of delusions/nightmares that are in third-person present tense. It worked well for me, because it gave the fragment an ethereal feel that conveyed the nightmare; it was very minimal in proportion to the book. A second character (with very few pages) also narrates in third person present tense, there are some flashbacks (all in italics so very easy to spot), and one or two letters, also very clearly presented.
The narrative was tight, but the prose flowed (I don't know how the author, Karl, does it). It sweeps you in from beat to beat in a seamless and engaging way. The world here is not your classical medieval fantasy, but more of what booktube is calling gaslamp—so, they have some tech, without being steampunk.
Something to note is that, and this is completely subjective, the descriptions of the characters and the environment are somewhat limited. Again, utterly subjective, but I would have loved more descriptions of the characters and the environment simply because I'm a sucker for those. That said, it was quite easy to imagine everything and follow the characters.
Another thing to credit the author with, is the world building. The setting is the country (state? region?) of Luna Ruinam. It is quite secretive, structured, with a god-like someone for ruler, and a very strange hierarchy. Things have happened in the past, and thus, as you read the book and the characters find themselves embroiled in the plot events, they begin to unravel those past events, and we see how things that happened so many years ago are also affecting the plot at "present" time.
The magic system (and how it intertwines with the political system) was very interesting albeit more on the soft side... but neither extremely soft, just loosely explained because most characters know little about it. Meaning, that it hinted at being a very complex system, but was not info-dumped—a very good presentation indeed.
The cast of characters is diverse, you get characters from all ages and backgrounds, a very nice share of female characters, with older (unbelievable to current books) women of 50-60+ in a variety of positions, from Hall Master to scholars, and even warriors. There are also some odd characters that are completely unexpected but wholesome and deep.
Ultimately, this is a book about consequences and fall outs, and the author handled that superbly. It's never preachy, never in-your-face. It is subtle, gentle, showing and never telling. Chef's kiss, really.
Now, you're probably wondering—why if I'm praising it, I'm giving it four stars. Basically for one particular event, and I'm going to keep this in spoilers. It does touch on some content warnings in the book, but I'll not be descriptive.
Further into the plot, she uses magic for a good reason, the magic consumes lifeforce and she loses the pregnancy. It's completely unwilling, and Renia does have thoughts on it (she isn't unscathed)... but again, it felt as if meant to make it grimmer. Renia's guilt (due to other stuff) was, in my subjective opinion, enough to justify part of her desire to help this person.
Later on, the former lover (by now revealed to be quite violent and verbally abusive) tries to sexually assault Renia. It is handled discreetly, in terms of he slams her to a wall, attempts to lift her skirts, and Renia kicks him off with magic. Albeit it was handled as best as possible, I'd rather it would have been just a violent fight and nothing else.
As a woman, I'm morally exhausted from reading about these topics, so take this with a grain of salt. It is, perhaps, the most subjective part of this review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Miscarriage and Rape
delu's review against another edition
4.0
Renia: Luna Ruinam I by Karl Forshaw is a dark fantasy fiction with the touch of Mystery. This is debut for Forshaw and this debut has so much potential.
I liked the cover of this book. The prologue is interesting and the book gripped me from the beginning.
This book divided into three parts; Promises, The missing book and Kindred. Part one speaks about Renia and her tragic past. The characters are well developed and the author done a great deal in this book. I liked the writing of the author. The plot is intriguing and this is a fast paced incredible story. I absolutely loved every minute reading this.
You should definitely give it a try if you love Fantasy fiction.
Thank you for the author for providing a review copy inexchange of an honest review.
I liked the cover of this book. The prologue is interesting and the book gripped me from the beginning.
This book divided into three parts; Promises, The missing book and Kindred. Part one speaks about Renia and her tragic past. The characters are well developed and the author done a great deal in this book. I liked the writing of the author. The plot is intriguing and this is a fast paced incredible story. I absolutely loved every minute reading this.
You should definitely give it a try if you love Fantasy fiction.
Thank you for the author for providing a review copy inexchange of an honest review.