Ruins

by Lily Brooks-Dalton

From the critically-acclaimed, bestselling author of The Light Pirate, comes a sweeping, deeply resonant novel about an archeologist in search of an ancient artifact that could not only change her life, but upend the story of civilization itself.

Professor Ember Agni is a rising star in archeology, trying to balance an unfulfilling career in academia and a crumbling marriage, all while pursuing her true unearthing a lost empire that no one else believes existed. Just as she’s about to give up on the ambitious expedition she spent a decade trying to fund, a message arrives from overseas. A former student claims to have found something extraordinary—an artifact that hints at the forgotten world lying beneath history’s tidy surface.

With vindication finally within reach, Ember risks everything for the sake of discovery and undertakes an odyssey that will either make her name or ruin her. Driven by unwavering faith in her vision of the past, she challenges the limits of her nation, her colleagues, and herself in order to exhume the missing pieces of how humanity began. But as she journeys deep into an untouched wilderness, in dogged pursuit of a dead civilization, she collides with the wreckage of her own life. On the brink of either discovery or destruction, Ember must choose who she wants to be, and to what kind of world she wants to belong.

Genres: Fiction, Science Fiction, Literary Fiction, Mystery, Queer, Fantasy, Contemporary

400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication March 31, 2026

About the author

​Lily Brooks-Dalton is the author of The Light Pirate, which was the runner-up for the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, a #1 Indie Next title, and a New York Times Editors' Pick. Her previous novel, Good Morning, Midnight, was the inspiration for the film adaptation The Midnight Sky and her memoir, Motorcycles I’ve Loved, was a finalist for the Oregon Book Award. Her work has been translated into 19 languages and she is the recipient of the PEN America L'Engle/Rahman Prize for mentorship. Her new novel, Ruins, is forthcoming in March 2026.

Reviews

[Angela M · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Good Morning, Midnight and the The Light Pirate, I found moving stories with characters to remember. I’m sorry to say not so much with this novel. The archeological aspects were interesting, the fate of our present which was the past in the story was fascinating and scary . However, I did not connect at all with the main character, who was dislikable from the beginning . Ember is an archeologist, a professor, so full of blind ambition with a desire for recognition, so obsessed with the past at all cost, even the lives of others. She neglects her responsibilities and her obsession with making that big discovery causes her to run over anyone in her path, her colleagues, her students, the ones she says she loves - her friends, her husband and Sen, a previous partner.

I was confused over the time and place at first and it took me a third of the way though to get that this takes place after “The Crisis” caused by climate change at a place far north of America. It took a third of the way in to introduce that they were governed by “The Leadership” and that the present which seemed not far away from the real present was 3000 years after . It’s hard to give more details without being a spoiler. The story becomes an adventure to a forbidden place on a dig. Intense and fascinating, with an important message, thus the three stars, but overall I was disappointed having loved her other two novels. I found it hard to care about Ember and if she had been more relatable, I would have rated it differently. I’m looking forward to other’s reviews and different perspectives.


I received a copy of this from Grand Central Publishing through NetGalley .

[She Reads for Jesus · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.75 stars*
Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton is an intriguing story with a keen character driven plot that takes the reader on an intricate journey. Strap on your seat belt, as this story mimics a roller coaster ride, with highs, dips, and dives into the psyche of an intensely ambitious archeologist whose aspirations dares to question life’s purpose in pursuit of one’s ambitions. Should it exceed one’s morale, integrity, or all others?

Ember Agni is a talented archeologist who finds herself at a difficult point in her life. She hates the monotony of her job as a college professor, she loathes her husband, and she has a burning passion to escape to an exhibition to discover a lost empire that she believes existed. Many years have passed since she had to relinquish a previous opportunity to go on an expedition. Since then, she has lived in a dismaying repeated cycle of relenting. This cycle of forcing herself to endure her unfulfilling life changes when she unexpectedly receives a message from a previous student on an expedition, who informs her of a discovered artifact. The message erupts a ferocious force of desperate determination within her that fuels the days ahead and eventually lands her with an opportunity to lead a once-in-a-lifetime expedition. Ember takes this quest with the trust of her colleagues on this dangerous journey, but with harmful secrets, vile selfish ambitions, and evidence of a career damaging decision. This exploration will ultimately force her to choose her truth regarding her life.

Author Lily Brooks-Dalton masterfully created an intriguing novel with an emotionally complex main character. With intricate elements of her personality, Ember Agni was a difficult character to like. She had a propensity to lack empathy and difficulty reciprocating regard for others. She was also narcissistic, vindictive, and often disgruntled. However, her ambition and perseverance were admirable. I found myself cheering for her at times. Despite the complexity of the main character, there was descriptive imagery that created an immersive reading experience, intriguing character development, and a bit of mystery that kept me invested throughout the entire novel. As a Christian, the only aspect of the novel that I did not enjoy was the references to a same-sex relationship. However, it was not the overall message of the story and did not thwart the plot. Overall, I enjoyed this story. Fans of literary fiction with complex themes may enjoy it as well.

With gratitude, I received a digital advanced reader copy of this novel from Grand Central Publishing via NetGalley. The opinions in this review are unbiased and my own.

[Ash Davidson]

A rewarding read, eerily resonant in our current political moment...makes you think about how we view peoples of the past, and how peoples of the future might one day see us.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Ruins’ is set in a post- apocalyptic, dystopian world, 3,000 years after “ The Crisis” has devastated what was once the Americas. Migrating humans have been pushed northward to escape the crushing heat, fires, wars and whatever else collapsed civilization. Now what remains is a pre- industrial/pre- technology society. Ember Agni, is a self- absorbed professor teaching archeology, but who dreams of working back in the field discovering and proving her hypothesis that the ancient civilization she seeks was advanced beyond all current capabilities.

I really enjoyed the world-building in Ruins and I didn’t mind Ember being deeply flawed. Ember is her own worst enemy, causing ruins ( marriage, career, friends ) to be left in her wake. As her academic career crumbles, Ember is given a chance to set sail far to the south, where a new port city has opened. The south was thought inhabitable due to the crushing temperatures, but a thriving community has been established. A storm pushes Ember’s vessel even further south, and Ember and her archeologist crew make a discovery that could cement her reputation. Will they survive the harsh conditions to endure the journey back?

I really hope Brooks-Dalton has a sequel planned because this novel leaves the reader on the edge of their seat with a rather ambiguous ending.

Highly recommended for fans of Dystopia.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

[Andrew]

dnf @ 45%

After giving this book a shot, it's clear it just isn't for me. This is really no fault of the book, it just became apparent that much of the story was centered around things that I personally don't enjoy in a book. Namely the hyper focus on the politics of academia. I don't necessarily think the book was misleading in its pitch, but I guess I thought it would be a bit more of a blend of Ember's personal life clashing with her professional life, but it really was focused almost entirely on her relationship with work, teaching, and academia, and how those things affected her marriage. I don't love stories hyper focused on academia. My thoughts were solidified with the second act "reveal" which is a trope that I really don't enjoy. Again, no fault of the book, just not my taste. I gave it a good shot, but it got to a point where I didn't see how it could possibly shift to something that I would enjoy, and figured I just wasn't a target for this kind of book.

[Shannon McKechnie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was CAPTIVATED by this. Wow. What a compelling premise and message about history. Can’t wait to obsessively sell this when it comes out!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tanya · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've not read any of the author's previous works, so I did not have that as a frame of reference as to what to expect with this book.

I picked up this book as an advance e-reader because of my infatuation with archeology that began as a child, and my adult onset curiosity of ships and exploration and all that entails.

This is a tale of self-discovery and evolution on the part of the main character, as well as introspection of mankind's general culture and influences, our relationship to the environment/nature around us, and of the lenses through which we view our history and of how our own current lives may be viewed historically.

It is a tale of how fragile and temporary our current situations are. It is a cautionary tale as to what could be our future.

It is a tale of the need for knowledge and scope, and what drives the quest for those things, and at what cost.
An opportunity to consider the meaning of awe and wonder.
A tale ultimately of belonging. Or perhaps a tale of imposter syndrome, of faking it to fit into one's situations.
But also of separation and honoring individualism.

The theme of archaeology fits, both in the main search for historical answers in the actual digging, and in the main character's own personal search for meaning and purpose in her own life.

Part of me really wants to know what happens next and would appreciate a follow up novel. The other part of me would rather ponder the possibilities and continue the story for myself. Time will tell what happens there.

There is diversity of gender and sexuality represented in the book, so if that is not your cup of tea you might want to gently back away. It is pretty tame though, so you might be able to easily bypass the more descriptive parts and enjoy and appreciate the rest of the story.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free advance digital copy of the book.

...

After writing the first draft of my review, I have gone and looked at other reviews of the book. I see that many others really did not connect to the main character and some attributed very negative labels.
I actually found myself relating very much to the character. As a self-described Myers Briggs INTJ female, there were many common traits that resonated with me, and I personally appreciated that representation. It's not often that a character such as this is brought forth as a main character. Especially a woman. Yes, she had her faults. But she's human like the rest of us. I personally wouldn't call her an actual narcissist, but I do know my personality type is sometimes misread as such.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Grand Central and NetGalley for the ARC.

Oof. This one hurts, because Ruins was one of my most-anticipated reads for 2026. I found both Good Morning, Midnight and The Light Pirate to be absolutely beautiful and was thrilled to read Lily Brooks-Dalton's new work. Unfortunately, it fell pretty flat for me. There is an interesting "twist" in the first part of the book, but overall it seems to just trudge on and on and never deliver. Ember is a fundamentally unlikable main character; completely convinced of herself being the Main Character, entirely selfish with no regard to other people being, you know, people, and with a real victim complex to boot. She's also not an INTERESTING character. An unlikable character can be interesting to read about, but Ember was ultimately just kind of boring, and this story ultimately didn't really go anywhere like a satisfying arc or ending, in either a plot-driven OR character-driven way. LBD's previous books have been introspective but have also had a focus on communities, small as they might be. Ember is always alone, even in a group, but not in a way that evokes sympathy or empathy, because she does it all to herself.

I thought for a while that we were going to get into something of a historiography story, with how the government is controlling the narrative of history. It was honestly the only thing that kept me going past 30% of the book; the people in this keep insisting the world has changed so much, there was never any civilization before them, blah blah blah, and yet they're still having museum galas and cocktail parties and their civilization looks almost EXACTLY like ours does now, except without internet. So surely there had to be some government manipulation going on! And there probably is, but we never actually address it in any way, shape, or form and instead spend most of the rest of the book tromping around in the woods for little to no purpose. Almost any other character here would have been more interesting to follow than Ember.

There's nothing wrong with the writing itself, but there's also nothing particularly striking or intriguing about it. The book is ultimately a lot of nothing, and I'm so incredibly disappointed in it given how beautiful and thematic LBD's previous works were.

[Melissa Crytzer Fry · Rating 4 out of 5]

*3.5 rounded up*

I adored The Light Pirate (and was first introduced to Lily Brooks-Dalton in her wonderful debut novel Good Morning, Midnight), so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of her newest, featuring an archaeologist, a lost city, a mysterious artifact.
I confess that, while the second half was a solid 4 for me, the first half was, at best, a 3.

Much of that has to do with the fact that the first half of the book, I had no idea we were in a future, dystopian world. Only about halfway is the reader introduced to color-coded academic clothing, and the hierarchy of this new world. Everything else read as ‘present time.’

Surely a world 300 or so years into the future would not have the same academic trappings (the book read like today’s academia). This sudden revelation of being in a different world was beyond jarring to me as a reader, and I found myself recalibrating.

Once I gained my bearings, the second half of the book picked up pace – and piqued my interest. But the style of this book is markedly different than Brooks-Dalton’s past books in that we only get surface-level emotional connection. I see some have complained of Ember’s unlikability, but I think that stems from us being ‘told’ about her difficult relationship with her mom. We never really experience that rift in our hearts, and therefore, can’t really root for her and accept her difficult personality.

The ending: well, that, I absolutely loved. I also loved the premise and possibility in this book: that unknown things exist in the world – whatever world we’re in – that hope remains in bleak scenarios, that ambition can be blinding, that humanity can recover from its foibles.

I do, still recommend this book, with the caveat that the first half is a slow burn about a breaking marriage (done quite well, I might add - but just a bit slow and maybe too much of it, as the reader itches to get to the meat of the story on the jacket copy).

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for an honest review.

PS Publishing companies REALLY need to proofread their blurbs on Goodreads. This one not only misspells archaeology – TWICE – it also clearly merges two sentences together into complete incoherence. The past two years, I have seen this multiple times, and as a reader, I CRINGE for the poor authors, whose books are dumbed down by crappy intro copy. [This concludes my rant in defense of talented authors, whose work is poorly marketed over and over].

[Janall · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book. I loved the Light Pirate so much and Reccomend it constantly. However, I found the writing to be really really uneven.
For starters the main character Archeologist Ember Agni is completely unlikeable and quite possibly a sociopath. She knows she should care that she is letting people down, but she just doesn’t. Instead she leaves broken hearts and disappointment in her wake while selfishly pursuing her own goals- to discover what happened to an ancient race of people. She is a bad leader, bad teacher, bad lover, bad friend and bad wife. This is the second book I have read in a row with a completely unlikable main character ( the prev one was Yellow face) and though I found Ember to be the more interesting one- she is willing to bring “ truth” to light regardless of the cost, she is not someone I wanted to spend time with, and the way she uses people is inexcusable. After a while I just didn’t want to “hang out” with her anymore. I almost gave up a couple of times.

The biggest issue with the book is that It took until the 30% mark before we even figure out what is going on. Its interesting, but then the book just plods on at a glacial pace ( pun intended) until the 57% mark. This is a lot of time to invest in a really really dull book. I would have rated it 2star. Ember ruminates on the unfairness of life and academia’s politics, while she tries to put together an expedition.
Once the expedition takes off the pace picks up significantly, and I found myself completely invested in the outcome, possibly because we got to spend time with more characters and I came to care about them- particularly Sen and Cami. I zipped though the last 50% and would have made it a 4 star read. It had a lot to say about how our history is told and interpreted by those who didn’t witness it.
Overall Great premise but didn’t play out very well. Round to 3 star.

[Judy Tiemeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a fascinating look at a far future dystopian world after the "Crisis" by the author of "The Light Pirate" which I enjoyed reading this past year.

Professor Ember Agni is a rising star in archeology, trying to balance an unfulfilling career in academia and a crumbling marriage, all while pursuing her true passion: unearthing a lost empire that no one else believes existed. With vindication finally within reach, Ember risks everything for the sake of discovery and undertakes an odyssey that will either make her name or ruin her. But as she journeys deep into an untouched wilderness, in dogged pursuit of a dead civilization, she collides with the wreckage of her own life. On the brink of either discovery or destruction, Ember must choose who she wants to be, and to what kind of world she wants to belong.

I really enjoyed reading about the artifacts that they find that are from our current time period and how they guess what they might be used for and how unsophisticated they wanted the pre-Crisis civilization to be. This book would have benefitted from a bit more "world building" up front - I was 30% in before I realized that this was thousands of years into the future after a climate crisis. Also, Ember was a very unlikable character - extremely selfish, used people to further her own interests and was singularly focused on her work to the exclusion of all other things in her life. I suppose that the world needs ambitious people like her who get things done no matter what happens, but I sure wouldn't have wanted to spend any time with her. Ruins is an interesting premise that was a little slow to start and has an unlikeable FMC who leaves ruin in her wake wherever she goes.

Thank you to Net Galley and Grand Central Publishing for providing this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Amy Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried to like this, bc I LOVED The Light Pirate. The premise, archaeologists looking into the past (our present) from a future ravaged by climate change was a fascinating prospect and I was so excited to read it! Unfortunately, this was not for me.

The protagonist. archaeologist Ember Agni, was thoroughly unlikable. The way she ran roughshod over the people closest to her and her reactions when people were upset at her duplicity and loose ethics had me rooting against her. She seemed so surprised to be held to account for her terrible behavior, and I guess we were supposed to feel bad for her not getting her laurels by the academic panel. I thought they were right on.

My heart broke for Ish, and the way Ember sacrificed him for her own goals, Of course, she treated everyone like that, from her husband to her former lover. I was shouting for Sen to keep her distance, because Ember did NOT deserve her or any of the many people she abandoned along the way to her goals. Frankly, I looked askance at all the people who joined her on the trip, since they were mainly people she bailed on without a word of goodbye or thank you in a previous dig.

It was interesting how certain items we use in our daily lives were now seen as artifacts. I loved the uncovering of what I guessed to be a subway station, and I wish we had just a few more pages where we found out who the people on the island were, or confirmation of my thought that they were figments of her fracturing mental state. I would have liked to see more of the debate in the other folks prior to their departure at the end of the book, or if they were releived.

The world building was great, the other characters were complex, but the utter carelessness of the main character really killed it for me.

Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for the free advance digital copy of the book.

[Sharon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am happy to have had the opportunity to read Lily Brooks-Dalton's new novel, Ruins. I read The Light Pirate a few years ago and while I liked many aspects of that book, it didn't pull me in the way it did for many. I found Ruins more compelling. It's set in a post-apocalyptic time that is not exactly dystopian but more of a quest; that seemed a little unusual in and of itself (and appealed to me).

The main protagonist, Dr. Ember Aggi, is an archaeologist who is so single-minded about the hypotheses she's formulated for her life's research that they threaten all the relationships in her life. Even she is so swept up in her ambition that she sacrifices all for them. Sometimes she's challenged to even understand how she could live otherwise; other times she's aware that there are other choices she could make to support the people in her life but she seems to feel powerless, or have no desire, to do those things. She's incapable of caring enough about anything or anyone else as much as she does about her need to prove those hypotheses correct. Ember is such a flawed character and so thoroughly human. I didn't really like her, but those flaws made her drive and commitment to pursuing her dream of discovering more about life during the "pre-Crisis" (essentially the 21st century in America) more understandable.

The title of the book seems to refer to archaeology generally, Ember's life, job, and relationships, the dangerous expedition Ember leads, and ultimately, a comment on our modern existence and governance. I don't want to add spoilers here, so I'll leave it at that. This is a 3.75 star read for me, but I'm rounding up. My sincere thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of Ruins. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Olga Uhle · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re here because you liked The Light Pirate, this is not the quintessential Lilly Brooks Dalton book… but kind of is. I struggled with reviewing and rating this and agonized over it more than any other book in recent months, I would usually pick a number of stars and move on with my life.. but this book is a paradox. Dalton has a beautiful voice and this very specific witting style, which there is no shortage of in Ruins.

Things the book does well: intrigue, social relevance, tying into what is currently going on in archaeology, keeps you guessing and an epic twist. Very thought provoking and leaves an impact.

Thinks the book does poorly: majorly unlikeable character, so much so that you have a hard time rooting for her and want her to fail but this is the essence of the story; first third of the book is senselessly dull but the latter half is redeemable. There isn’t enough world building and support for the era the book takes place in. It can be anywhere in time and I wish it were more defined rather than the reader having to figure it out. Again, essential for the story to play out the way it does but I don’t like being confused for half of the book. Simple things like when and where the story takes place should be black and white.

I was yo-yoing between 4 and 5 stars because I get the intention behind the negatives. There is a purpose for the story playing out the way it does. I can excuse an unlikeable MC, inadequate back story, or ambiguous setting, but not all 3 in one book. That said, LBD continues to be on my list of top authors and if you have an interest in archaeology, post apocalyptic stories, or dystopian societies, this is for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an ARC for me to enjoy & review.

[Skye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thrilled to receive an early digital copy of RUINS from Grand Central Publishing in exchange for my honest feedback, especially considering how much I adored Lily Brooks-Dalton’s last novel, The Light Pirate. Unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy this one as much.

Let’s start with what I liked: there were SO MANY beautiful passages in RUINS that I got lost in. I enjoyed, very much, the way Lily Brooks-Dalton nestled world building into the story. Readers were never bogged down with how the world has changed because she seamlessly slipped relevant details right into the narrative.

Now, for what I didn’t like. Main character Ember - a professor and archaeologist - is simply awful, with very few redeeming qualities. She’s a terrible wife, a terrible girlfriend, a terrible employee, a terrible boss, a terrible teacher, and a terrible human who only looked out for herself. Her obsession with the past didn’t allow her to live in her own present, and she’s shameless about it. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get on board with such an extremely selfish character, even if she is self-aware.

In addition, the writing is incredibly slow moving. And yes, much of the story is centered around academia - and maybe that’s simply not my jam - but overall RUINS has a pretentious feel. The end hurt my brain and I'm still not sure what I think about it.

Overall, I didn’t love RUINS but I believe that many people will feel differently about it. I’d recommend this one to people who like books about academia, speculative fiction, and complicated women.

[Christina Davis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruins is a beautifully written book that really got me invested in archaeology without having to lean heavily into an action-packed, fast-paced atmosphere. This book emphasized the slow thoughtfulness of what studying cultures actually means, how we interpret the past, and the persistence necessary to continue digging (both intellectually and literally) into history to unearth the truth, both in university/academic spaces and historical sites/ruins. This is difficult to describe without spoiling it, but I really enjoyed the trickling reveal of the society in which the main character lives and what time period + society she's investigating.

I will admit that the combination of academic drudgery and the slow reveal of information made me less engaged in the beginning of the book, but once I started to piece it together (about a third of the way in) I was very much hooked. I also struggled with how unlikeable the main character is, and that is a situation that only got worse; the more I learned, the more there was to dislike. Every time I thought I could understand her motivations, some new information would come up that was like "nope, you're just selfish." I kept wondering how it'd all wrap up and thought the ending was an absolutely perfect way to get some closure while still being generally ambiguous.

Overall, this was an intriguing read that makes me give a whole lot of kudos to archaeologists!

[Mikala · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lily Brooks-Dalton has this incredible, ethereal way of grounding a story that reminds me a bit of Emily St. John Mandel. In fact, I sometimes find myself confusing their work because they both possess that same atmospheric magic. However, there is a specific weight to Brooks-Dalton’s writing that is entirely unique. I could never tolerate the stories she writes if they came from any other author. It is the way she allows her narratives to unfold and her characters to blossom that makes the experience so transformative.

In Ruins, I found the main character, Ember Agni, extremely likable. She is certainly flawed, but she is also driven and completely unapologetic in her ambition. While some might be quick to label her a narcissist, I urge you to consider how your perspective might shift if she had been a he. In a man, this level of singular focus is often called "visionary," and seeing it in a female lead is refreshing and provocative.

This is exactly the kind of book that would be great to discuss in a book club or even a therapy session. I see so many parallels with our present day, past history, and my own personal relationships with people and the world at large. It is a story that lingers, forcing you to look at the wreckage of the past while contemplating what it means to truly belong to the future.

[Rebekah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved The Light Pirate, so was eager to read Lily Brooks-Dalton’s follow-up novel, Ruins. In this book, we follow Ember Agni, an archaeologist and college professor in an initially unspecified country and time period. She is obsessed with returning to the site of a dig to reclaim the history of a lost civilization, but can never secure the funding, and so chooses to send a former student in her place to find the evidence she needs to justify further digging.
Unfortunately, this book did not really meet my expectations after enjoying The Light Pirate so much. Ember is extremely selfish and self centered and often makes decisions that harm those around her to serve her own means, and while I generally have no problem with a unlikable narrator, she never seemed to have any type of redemption. The writing was great, and once the pieces fall into place, I enjoyed the storyline overall, but had some minor criticisms about the details, which I don’t want to get into due to spoilers do potential readers. A few things just didn’t make sense to me with the large gap of time between the current timeline and the lost civilization.
All in all I did enjoy the book and I could see others liking it more than I. Thank you to Grand central Publishing and NetGalley for the electronic ARC of this novel for review.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED The Light Pirate, absolute 5-star that I recommended to everyone. So I was very excited to read Ruins. Although it didn't quite live up to my expectations, it is still a beautifully written, fascinating book.

My biggest issue with this book, which makes it so hard for me to rate, is that I just... didn't like the main character. Ember was selfish and rude and made so many bad choices. Of course, the fascinating thing about this book and Ember as a character is that she was perfectly aware of her flaws. She admitted to them. It was really interesting to read a story about a main character who doesn't think she's doing the right thing, she knows she's not, but she just can't help herself. Even though it makes it really hard to root for her, I did find myself (uncomfortably) relating to her at times.

I really liked going into this book without much information and figuring things out on my own as I read, so I don't want to give too much away. But the world of the book was so fascinating, and I loved how certain things were slowly revealed, without being super obvious. It made me think, and in a way of course it's like a sequel to The Light Pirate. As long as you're ok with complicated main characters, I definitely recommend this book.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The protagonist of Ms. Brooks-Dalton’s post-apocalyptic novel is Ember Agni, an untenured professor of archaeology at the Commonwealth capital’s university and largely an untethered misanthrope. The Commonwealth is located approximately in northern Greenland the remains of a human civilization that was forced northward nearly 3,000 years earlier by global warming that resulted in fire and brimstone, leaving the southern parts of the planet too hot to inhabit. Ember is obsessed with traveling to the southern lands to find proof that the “ancient” civilization had been technologically advanced, contrary to Commonwealth doctrine that all that came before them was primitive.

Eventually, through a lot of subterfuge and lying, she is granted an opportunity to lead a sanctioned archaeological dig. The writing is very good in this character-driven novel, but most of the characters are underdeveloped, leaving only the unlikeable Ember with more dimension. And there were moments in the narrative that lost my interest, although I cannot really put my finger on them. Still a solid story, and despite the bleak, dark dystopian feel, there are moments of light shining throughout, perhaps because it shows that humans were able to survive the climate disaster that forced them north.

Thanks to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Ms. Brooks-Dalton for providing me with the opportunity to read an ARC of this book, due to be published on March 31, 2026.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the end I was almost surprised how much I liked this book 4.5 stars . It felt almost like two different books to me - 2 halves with very different styles and paces.
I was drawn to this one by the promise of archeology. Highly recommended for others who were intrigued from childhood to find out about lost worlds.
The first half introduces Professor Ember Agni one of the more intriguing fictional characters I have is encountered. She is pretty much unlikeable, leaving friends and family in her selfish wake but I was fascinated by her singleminded devotion to her craft.
The second half chronicles her archeological mission and it was great! One felt they were exploring and theorizing right along with her group. I loved the other characters who were introduced in this section. They felt so real - I was on the trip myself. I could hardly put the book down at this point after struggling a little with the first half.
I will say the ending blew me away!
I am eager to read more from this author!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance and the push to read this one!

[Stephanie Coleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was excited to start Ruins, the newest eco-dystopian novel by Lily Brooks-Dalton, as I enjoyed The Light Pirate and Good Morning, Midnight. I recommend going into this book with only a basic knowledge of the plot, as the narrative unfolds gradually, piece by piece, making it all the more intriguing. Ruins follows Ember, an archeologist in search of an ancient artifact. The story expands slowly from the opening pages, but it eventually takes off into uncharted territory (quite literally).

This is not a book for readers looking for a likable main character or a cozy atmosphere. However, if you are interested in in-depth character studies, Ember's story may be compelling for you to explore. While the pacing was slow to start (hence the less than five-star rating), it starts to up its pace the second half. I believe the story will stay with me. Ruins is a solid 4.25 stars and proves once again that the author is one you don’t want to miss!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the early review copy.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no denying that the author can write, and write beautifully. It’s what I liked about the light pirate. The descriptions and writing were very well done. The plot absorbed me in the beginning, but I lost momentum with it a bit past the midway point.

Ember, the main character, is just not likable. I had a hard time finding redeeming qualities. So I wasn’t connected to her and didn’t care about the same things she did. I found her decisions in the book to be entirely selfish time and time again.

I didn’t realize until way late in the book that we were in a post apocalyptic society with new government etc, so I feel like that was poorly explained. it didn’t really matter much to the plot other than providing red tape to the story imo.

Ishmael and his letters and mental illness were the most interesting part of the story. It’s an interesting concept for sure with great writing but just didn’t fully land for me.

Thank you grand central publishing and netgalley for the ARC!

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a free DRC of this book through Netgalley and the publisher. I would rate this 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 for GR. I have read another book The Light Pirate in which the author creates another world envisioned from our current USA. In this book, Ruins, she does it again in which somewhat later in the book, I realized that the prehistoric civilization she is seeking to understand is the US. This book did get more interesting for me at that point. This book was slow for a while IMO and I really didn't like Ember because she is very different from me, but I did start to see her in her element in the final part of the book as everything comes together. I would've liked more to the ending as it is quite open-ended, but I guess it falls to the reader to imagine what will befall Ember.

[Alison · Rating 3 out of 5]

Many thanks to Lily Brooks-Dalton, Grand Central Publishing, and NetGalley for providing me with an ARC of this novel. I am a huge fan of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s work. I loved The Light Pirate and Good Morning Midnight, so to say I was excited to read this book would be an understatement. Plus, the premise (which I won’t detail, so as to avoid spoilers) plus archaeology (!) made this novel seem tailor-made for me. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. The protagonist is almost unbearably unlikable throughout the novel, with no redemption arc whatsoever. It was impossible to root for her or even to empathize with her. In addition, the main action of the novel unspools so slowly that it was very hard to stay invested in the story. There was so much potential here, and Brooks-Dalton is such a talented writer, but Ruins just did not come together for me.

[Aleks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was apprehensive going into this one because I wasn't a huge fan of The Light Pirate. However, I could not stop reading Ruins. The premise was especially potent given...2025...Although I had to suspend a lot of disbelief to get into it. In a distant future, archaeologists looking into their past, which is our present day after a climate apocalypse. The story is focused on Ember Agni, an archaeologist whose sole focus is her work. I was struck by the complexity of the world that Brooks-Dalton created; it's simultaneously so familiar, especially from the academic perspective, and couldn't be less similar to the world we live in now. A warning: Ember is not a likable or even particularly sympathetic character. However, her story is fascinating and Brooks-Dalton creates a truly unique world.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

[Suzi McGal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed The Light Pirate, and Ruins lived up to my expectations from this author! A great story of hope, ambition, search and discovery. Ember Angi, archeologist, is certain that ancient civilization was not as backward as the current belief states. She is determined to find the truth no matter what it costs her. As the story takes place, the reader realizes that the current and ancient timeline are not what was originally assumed. The book is basically in two parts. The first part is Ember’s pretty much miserable academic life as a professor; the second part is the archeological expedition she leads to the unexplored land abandoned by humanity thousands of years ago due to an ecological catastrophe. The ending caught me totally unprepared for the story to stop. I can only hope it means that a sequel will continue the tale!

[Stephanie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruins started off slow but by the end I was completely transfixed. It’s a tough one to review without giving away too much, because a big part of what I liked about this novel was the slow unfolding of the world…where we are, when we are, what happened to put our characters in the positions they’re in. To keep things spoiler-free, I’ll just say it’s a very lyrical and character-driven take on climate fiction, which manages to be completely different from The Light Pirate while still staying in the same universe. I truly adored it and I’m so impressed by how Lily Brooks-Dalton manages to get better and better with every book.

Thanks so much to Hachette/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with a review copy!

Release date: March 31, 2026 🗓️

[Anna R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an early review copy of Lily Brooks-Dalton’s newest novel, Ruins, in exchange for my honest review. I was excited to read this book, as I had loved, The Light Pirate and Good Morning, Midnight by the same author. In a similar vein, this book was a slow build. The beginning was well-crafted and focused on building characters and setting the scene. Part two started to answer some of our questions, and part three took off into a true adventure. I was hooked by the end, but it did take some patience. If you want a thought-provoking science fiction book that will stick with you, I highly recommend.

[Jaime · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know what to think of this book. I gave it 4 stars but was debating 3 or even 2. The main character was so wholly unlikable that I really had to force myself to keep reading. But that’s a skill of the author: Ember is supposed to be unlikable, and yet when does that skill of creating such an immersive, believable character become a liability to the book?

This was a different story, but a consuming one—I finished it in a day and stayed up very late bc I had to finish it. But the ending left me wanting, I have to say. Like I said at the beginning, I still don’t know what to think of this book.