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A review by vorpalblad
Ruin of Stars by Linsey Miller
3.0
3.5. ⭐
Hmmm. Well, the plot line, once it got going was really good. We know as the story opens that Sal, as Opal, is intent on hunting down the Erlenders who helped destroy her country. Miller did a good job of moving the story beyond that linear narrative. There are a lot of plot twists here that expand and build the story and the tension. Five of five for me on the plot.
Here's where I had problems. While Miller discussed magic in the first book, there wasn't a lot of detail on how it worked because no one could access it any longer. In this entry there is more need to understand the magic system for several reasons, and yet, the explanation never comes. And this isn't the only place logic is missing.
At several points in the book I felt like the author had made some sort of logic leap that she expected us to follow, but I missed the jumping off point. Conversations shifted, people knew things out of the blue... it all led to some awkward reading. Sal and Rath have an argument and suddenly Sal is certain they are dead to Rath? What? You go from family to enemies in less than a page? I was lost. Take this conversation for example:
"'Weylin has been exaggerating the greatness of his Erlend pieces and the weakness of Igna for so long, but it seems many have finally seen the truth.'
He could operate without all his lies and propaganda. But not everyone bought into it.
'Opal.' Emerald turned to me. 'If you were sent to kill Our Queen, how would you do it?'"
All in all there were just a couple of things that took away from what could have been a stronger novel with additional editing.
Hmmm. Well, the plot line, once it got going was really good. We know as the story opens that Sal, as Opal, is intent on hunting down the Erlenders who helped destroy her country. Miller did a good job of moving the story beyond that linear narrative. There are a lot of plot twists here that expand and build the story and the tension. Five of five for me on the plot.
Here's where I had problems. While Miller discussed magic in the first book, there wasn't a lot of detail on how it worked because no one could access it any longer. In this entry there is more need to understand the magic system for several reasons, and yet, the explanation never comes. And this isn't the only place logic is missing.
At several points in the book I felt like the author had made some sort of logic leap that she expected us to follow, but I missed the jumping off point. Conversations shifted, people knew things out of the blue... it all led to some awkward reading. Sal and Rath have an argument and suddenly Sal is certain they are dead to Rath? What? You go from family to enemies in less than a page? I was lost. Take this conversation for example:
"'Weylin has been exaggerating the greatness of his Erlend pieces and the weakness of Igna for so long, but it seems many have finally seen the truth.'
He could operate without all his lies and propaganda. But not everyone bought into it.
'Opal.' Emerald turned to me. 'If you were sent to kill Our Queen, how would you do it?'"
All in all there were just a couple of things that took away from what could have been a stronger novel with additional editing.