A review by cakt1991
Exquisite Ruin by AdriAnne May

4.0

 I’ve enjoyed everything A.M. Strickland has written, so I was excited to hear they were expanding into adult fantasy romance as AdriAnne May with Exquisite Ruin. And while it wasn’t quite what I was initially expecting, I like how unique it is, and how it takes some big risks. The sensuality in particular caught me off guard, given some of the earlier Strickland books have previously featured asexual rep, but the author matures their aesthetic beautifully here, with some of similar aspects that made the YA fantasies work, while also not being shy in amping up the spice. 

I wasn’t sure what to think of Sadaré and Daesra at the beginning, especially since a key feature of the narrative is their amnesia, which can be hard to write well. However, I was drawn to both of them and their connection. While legitimately high spice can be hit-or-miss for me, May/Strickland does a great job of conveying the explosive chemistry between the two, as well as giving personal stakes for the kinky  aspects of their relationship. The concept of self-harming to tap into her magic, and thus survive  on Sadaré’s part was particularly fascinating, and a great tie-in with the BDSM elements of their dynamic. 

Narratively, it’s simultaneously very steamy on the romance side and a slow-burn more broadly. I was very tempted to DNF in the 20-ish%, because I didn’t feel like anything was happening; these characters were just stuck in the maze and screwing. But I held out hope that this would be one of those times where the payoff would be worth it, and it was. I was absolutely stunned how I didn’t notice something incredibly obvious until the narrative pointed it out, which only reinforces how perfect Sadaré and Daesra ultimately are. Some of the narrative and prose choices (POV and tense wise) made the story a little hard to follow at times, but most of these issues were resolved by the end when things started coming together and the characters and the reader got their much-longed-for answers. 

This is one of the most original romantasy books I’ve read, and while the content means it might not work for everyone, I do recommend it to readers of the genre who are willing to give it a chance!