Ruins

by Lily Brooks-Dalton

Critically acclaimed, bestselling author of The Light Pirate, comes a powerful, deeply resonant novel about an ambitious archaeologist in pursuit of a rare artifact from an ancient civilization that would not only change her life but potentially society at large.

“Lily Brooks-Dalton's novels are rich literary feasts." —Geraldine Brooks, bestselling author of Horse

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

396 pages, Kindle Edition

First published 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 .

[Dona's Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐⭐.5

Me on This Book in Eight Ironic English Words: Ember is coal. Dirty, destructive, cheap, and common!

(The female lead is named "Ember.")

"Ember felt her body come to order as the solid walls of her justifications slid back into place, her own culpability contained." p142

"Had she even known she was lying as she maintained her innocence? What kind of person doesn’t remember whether they’re guilty or not?" p176

"“I just don’t f*cking get you sometimes.” “Honestly, I don’t either.”" p294

In Short: I'm so tired of ableism in fiction. Here, mental illness apparently subverts brilliance and so the work of mentally ill people should be stolen and suppressed. Right? Screw those mentally ill geniuses. Right? Here at least it's an ableist character and not an ableist narrator/author. I despise this main character but I know her. We are all obsessed with morality-- or rather, maintaining our perception of our own morality. The form is odd, with the first half of the book being composed of back story, and the second half of the book the actual plot. So the first half is painfully slow and disconnected from the story overall. Wild ending. Brilliant use of the Earth/globe as setting. Editors, please fix the punctuation issues. 😱 ellipses!

"Content Warnings:" intellectual theft, ableism, su*c*de attempt, exploitative relationships, academia, professional hearings, dishonor, long boat trips, seasickness, bruises, abandonment

Preread: I read a book with a similar title years ago and it unintentionally biased me toward this much later unrelated book. Also, I like archeology.

Thank you to the author and publisher for an advanced readers copy.

[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.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review breaks my heart. The Light Pirate and Good Morning, Midnight both live on my Favorites list. To say I was anxiously anticipating Ruins is an understatement. I’m a bit stunned to be so disappointed by it.

It’s possible that my expectations were excessively high after the magical, amazing and impactful experiences of reading her two previous books. There were significant aspects of this book, though, that simply did not work for me.

The main character, Ember, is compelled by her desire to make a name for herself by discovering a lost artifact or remnant of a lost world. She’s so compelled that she will, without guilt or remorse, sacrifice anything or anyone in the pursuit. The first third of the book is spent dissecting the dissolution of her marriage and processing her recurring and repetitive internal monologues. She is an archaeologist who hates teaching, lies and deceives blatantly and frequently, disrespects her students and peers and lacks any sense of caring for her husband or friends. What that overly long first third did was make me dislike Ember completely, to the point that I lost interest in her and was no longer invested in her pursuits. There are infrequent but pointed references to her being raised by an unloving mother who didn’t want her but it wasn’t enough to create the picture I needed to explain Ember and care about what happened to her. She is heartless and selfish in decisions she makes regarding a grad student and that pretty much did me in.

In the middle of the book, the reader is introduced to the time in which everything is occurring. The transition is jarring and a bit unconvincing. There are vague references to the limitations and structures of this world but, again, it felt wholly insufficient. I would have much preferred to know that up front and have it set the tone of the book.

Things finally get interesting at about the 70% mark when Ember and her crew reach a lost continent. While it did boost my reading experience, it was too little, too late for me. Ember’s unabated selfishness and complete lack of passion for what she was doing and for the people around her wore on me. I wanted so much more detailed information about the finds, the possible history and the expanse of this exciting new place and it just wasn’t delivered. It was rushed and things just didn’t line up. Too much of the book is spent on relationships that don’t receive adequate depth, backstory or believability as well as in Ember’s thoughts about right, wrong, not knowing what she wants and her ongoing personal justification for her poor choices and bad behaviors.

I’m very sad that this wasn’t what I had hoped it would be. If it had been any other author, I’m not sure I would have made it through. I see it as a blip, though, and I’ll be back for her next book, for sure! Her writing is still beautiful, fluid and expressive but the story just missed the mark. Many people do like it so it works for some but, unfortunately, not me 😢.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing and the author for the opportunity to read an advance copy and share my opinions.

[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.

[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.

[Rachel Hathaway · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Light Pirate is my favorite book and Lily has become my favorite author through yet another incredible read. I could not put this book down, dying to know what came next. I loved the flawed MC through her intense passion that bordered insanity - and made me feel the same intense yearn for adventure and discovery. loved loved loved every moment of this book and would love to see the story continue with a sequel 🤞

[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].

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully crafted and deeply engaging novel that completely pulled me in and kept me thinking long after I finished it. I went into this one expecting a strong piece of literary speculative fiction, but what I got was something even more layered and surprising, especially when it came to the clever reveal of when the story is actually taking place. That twist was handled so well. It didn’t feel gimmicky or forced, but instead added a whole new dimension to everything that came before it. It made me want to mentally revisit earlier moments in the story and see them through a different lens.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the book is Ember herself. She’s not an easy character to like, and I don’t think she’s meant to be. She can be frustrating, selfish, and difficult, but that’s exactly what makes her so compelling. She’s the kind of character you love to hate, and somehow the writing makes that an enjoyable experience. You find yourself invested in her choices even when you don’t agree with them, and that push and pull keeps the emotional tension high throughout the novel. It’s a testament to Brooks-Dalton’s skill that she can create a protagonist who isn’t traditionally likable but is still completely absorbing to follow.

The world-building is another standout element. It’s done so naturally that you almost don’t realize how much you’re learning about the world as you go. There are no heavy-handed info dumps or long explanations that slow the story down. Instead, the details are woven seamlessly into the narrative, revealed through Ember’s experiences and observations. That approach makes the setting feel real and lived-in, and it allows the reader to discover the world in an organic, immersive way.

There’s also a quiet emotional depth to the story that really resonated with me. Beneath the surface, Ruins explores themes of isolation, identity, and survival, both physical and emotional. It asks questions about who we are when everything familiar is stripped away, and how we navigate a world that may not align with our expectations or desires. Those themes are handled with subtlety and care, never feeling overly heavy but always present.

What I appreciated most is how complete the story feels while still leaving room for more. This is a fully realized narrative, but it also opens the door to further exploration. I would absolutely love to spend more time in this world and see what happens next, especially with Ember. There’s so much potential here, both in terms of the setting and the character’s journey.

Overall, Ruins is a smart, engaging, and quietly powerful novel that blends strong character work with immersive world-building and a genuinely satisfying twist. Lily Brooks-Dalton has created something that feels both intimate and expansive, and I’ll definitely be eager to see what she writes next.

Thank you to NetGalley, Grand Central Publishing, and Lily Brooks-Dalton for granting me access to a digital ARC of this title.

[Andrea Gagne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book as a concept, even if the execution could have been better.

Ember is an archeologist, but for the last decade she has been teaching what she wishes she was out in the field actually doing. Instead of taking the chance to get out on a normal dig, Ember has been pitching the same crazy idea to funders for all these years, receiving nothing but rejections in return. And Ember's dissatisfaction with her life seeps into everything. Her marriage is falling apart, her job is in jeopardy, and she feels trapped in a cage she built for herself. The one thing that brings her hope is news that her former grad student, Ish, is coming back from a sea voyage with something that might prove she has always been right about her rogue theory.

The concept was so, so, so good! But I feel like I can't say much about how clever it was because there is a reveal that needs to be experienced organically by the reader. So, just take my word on that and read it to see for yourself.

The prose in this was breathtaking. I absolutely loved Light Pirate, and the beautiful writing of that novel is present here as well. The descriptions evoke all five senses, placing you into wonderfully vivid scenes -- whether it's something spectacular like watching the blaze of a sunrize out in the wilderness, or everyday like the humidity hovering over the pavement when Ember is riding her bike after a rainstorm.

It was also a skillful use of an unreliable narrator. She is very clearly the source of her own problems, going around hurting the people around her and then convincing herself that she was in the right. I don't usually read books where I don't actually find the main character likeable, but the author's intentionality behind Ember's self-delusion made this feel different.

I think what this did need, though, was more developmental edits. I feel like it should have either been edited down by 100 pages, or beefed up to be a trilogy of three individual books. As it stands now, the three parts each feel like different books: one about a flawed character whose marriage is ending (possibly self-sabotaged), one about government control over knowledge and discovery, and one action adventure novel. But all three sections are repetitive and more slower paced than they needed to be, and there are some threads that feel like they weren't fully explored. I think it ends up being in this middle ground, needing either less repetition or more expansion.

3.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for this ARC to read and review

[Annie Hegedus · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to love this so much and it just didn't work for me as well as I had hoped. I'm disappointed because I love the premise and there were moments in the book that I thought were so cleverly done. The writing itself is beautiful and I thought the concept overall was so smart and timely. Without spoiling anything, the reveal around a third of the way in about Ember's work focus definitely convinced me to keep going because again, it was just such a well-done premise. Lily Brooks-Dalton is clearly a talented writer who can world-build with the best of them. Her writing is atmospheric and almost poetic sometimes, so if that's something you love in a novel, this might be one you enjoy.

Unfortunately, that's kind of the end of my list of pros. I'm someone who likes character-driven literary fiction, but I struggled a lot with this. For something that's tagged as being science fiction and mystery, I felt like both of those aspects were somewhat weak. I couldn't get invested in the overarching mystery side of things because it was such a slow build. I also don't usually mind a slower pace, but this was so slow that I found myself not really looking forward to picking the book back up each time I went to read.

I also should say I'm not a reader who needs all of their characters to be likable. I have loved many unlikable characters in my life, but I couldn't get there with Ember. I really wanted to see literally any kind of growth, but she's unlikable to a degree that it makes her feel sort of two dimensional. Toward the end of the book, she does start to show a bit more self-awareness, but it felt like too little, too late because I had already slogged through most of the book and was ready to be done with her.

I have complicated feelings about rating this one because there were some really great bright spots, but the overall book left me disappointed and frustrated in a lot of ways. There will definitely be people who love this! I just don't feel like I can count myself among them.

[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.

[Anjali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruins is Brooks-Dalton's third novel, and the most difficult for me to rate and review. At times, this book infuriated me and I came close to DNFing it, and then at other times I could not put it down (mainly, the third section). The crux of the difficulty is one of the most insufferable, selfish, unlikable main characters I've ever encountered. This quote from the book sums up Ember's character, even though it doesn't contain her entirety: "She wanted to be cared for and to care for no one. She wanted to have everything she needed and not be responsible for reciprocating any of it." Other reviewers have commented on her unlikability, and it really was almost a deal-breaker for me. But I really liked the writing, and the story got so interesting by the end, and I did mostly understand why Brooks-Dalton wrote Ember the way she did even if it was an excruciating experience at times. Ember is an archaeologist and reluctant professor, obsessed with her theories about the past, and resentful of anyone who has any expectations or needs of her, including her husband, friends, students, bosses, exes, coworkers... you get the picture. At first, it seems like she inhabits a world not too different from our own, but over time it becomes clear that the story is taking place more than 3,000 years after our current times, and pretty much all knowledge of our time has been completely lost. There are so many interesting questions raised in this novel, and the last section, when Ember and a small group of archaeologists undertake a dangerous adventure to an abandoned land to look for evidence of the past, is absolutely riveting. In the end, while my experience of this book was uneven, I found it interesting and compelling. If you don't mind a very unlikable main character, definitely give this a try. Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for a digital review copy.

[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.

[Lisa Britton · Rating 3 out of 5]

ARC Review: Ruins by Lily Brooks-Dalton
Rating: 3.25★

While Ruins showcases Lily Brooks-Dalton’s undeniably strong prose, this ultimately felt like a case where style outweighed substance.

The novel follows Ember, an archaeologist singularly focused on proving her long-held theory, even at the cost of her career and personal relationships. When an illegally sourced artifact surfaces that could validate her work, she abandons everything for one final expedition. It’s a compelling premise, but the execution didn’t fully deliver.

Brooks-Dalton excels at writing introspective, emotionally layered prose, and there are moments where the exploration of Ember’s relationships—particularly with her partners—feels nuanced and grounded. However, those interpersonal dynamics weren’t enough to anchor the story, largely because Ember herself remained difficult to connect with. Her obsessive drive is clear, but it comes at the expense of depth, and by the end, there’s little sense of growth or evolution in her character.
The pacing is another significant issue. The novel moves slowly overall, but the middle section—especially the extended court hearings—drags considerably and disrupts any narrative momentum. While some of the archaeological elements are interesting in isolation, the story as a whole feels fragmented and unfocused, as though it’s shifting between ideas without fully committing to any of them.

A late-stage attempt to introduce a sense of mystery adds some intrigue, but it arrives too late to meaningfully reshape the narrative or deepen investment in the outcome.

Overall, Ruins will likely appeal to readers who prioritize literary prose and introspective storytelling over plot, but for me, the lack of cohesion, slow pacing, and limited character development made it difficult to stay engaged.

Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the opportunity to give my honest feedback.

[Kayla Julius · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ember, a professor in archeology, is struggling to stay afloat in her career, marriage, and friendships, but a secret mission to uncover an ancient artifact might change all of that, and the world around her, completely. From the author of “The Light Pirate,” Brooks-Dalton once again delivers us a complex story examining the communities around us and our greater impact on the planet.

I really enjoyed her previous books, but this one didn’t hit quite the same. The pacing was so slow and there was very little holding my interest. If I’m being honest, I might have DNFed around 30% if it hadn’t been an ARC, which would have been a shame, because the story really does pick up and the plot/purpose reveals itself more for the second half. Also, I can appreciate an unlikable character, as we all have flaws, but our MC was tough to root for. She’s selfish, unreliable, and seems to put quite literally everything behind the importance of her work. I kept hoping for some glimmer of something I could connect to, or empathize with, but I’m not sure it ever happened. She’s just boring and unlikeable.

No spoilers here, but I did get a bit of a smile from the “twist” that shows up about a third of the way through the book. That being said, I feel like the twist should have been dropped a tiny bit sooner as it might have helped pull me in sooner, and could have been flushed out more, with creative details to paint a better picture. That twist leads to the second half of the book that really saved it for me. Creative and faster paced, but I still wanted more… a bit too vague.

As stated, I enjoyed “The Light Pirate,” and Brooks-Dalton has a beauty to her writing, but this one fell flat for me, mainly because of the first half of the book. Now, if she wants to write a sequel to this, revisiting the moment we left off… count me in! I would recommend this one for someone who’s okay with a slower pace, enjoys the politics of academia, and has a wildly creative imagination to fill in some gaps that LBD left us with.

Thank you Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

[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.

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Lily Brooks-Dalton's Ruins presents an intriguing premise, but unfortunately, my experience with the book was marred by its pacing. While I found the writing itself to be compelling, I struggled to engage fully with the story, ultimately deciding to set the book aside.

From the outset, the author effectively establishes the main character's fractured relationship with her husband, her dissatisfaction with her job, and the underlying tension surrounding an impending figure who could alter her life's trajectory. These elements are woven into the narrative early on, yet they are revisited repetitively throughout the first half of the book. This led to a sense of tedium, as I felt I had already grasped the essential details needed to understand the character's plight.

While I often appreciate complex, unlikable protagonists, the main character's demeanor became a point of frustration for me, primarily due to the slow unfolding of the story. I found myself yearning for more dynamic developments, but the narrative felt overly drawn out, which diminished my enthusiasm to continue.

It’s important to note that my struggle with Ruins does not detract from the quality of the author's writing. There is a richness to her prose that many readers might enjoy, particularly those who appreciate a more languid storytelling style that allows for deep character introspection.

In summary, if you are drawn to slow-burn narratives that delve into personal relationships and emotional landscapes, Ruins may resonate with you. However, if you prefer a more briskly paced story, you might find this one a challenge. As always, I encourage readers to explore and form their own opinions, as every book has the potential to resonate differently with each individual.

[Julia Van Dyke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley for this glorious ARC! This e-book was provided to me in exchange for my honest review.

6 stars. AHHHHH. I LOVED this book. It was so genuinely fascinating and well-written, and I had a hard time putting it down.

Ember was absolutely a mess. Even by the end, I still didn’t like her. But that was the charm of the book—I didn’t need to like her or even to root for her in order to be obsessed with her story and finding out what happened next. The way she changed and grew to understand herself better and came to terms with her limitations was car-crash level cringe-but-can’t-look-away. She couldn’t get out of her own way, and I couldn’t stop reading about her struggles.

There is so much I want to say about why I loved this book, but it would be hard to articulate my thoughts without spoilers. I will say that the concept of this book, especially the interconnection between historical ruins and the ruins of Ember’s life, was absolutely brilliant to me. There was a perfect mix of descriptive language (and the metaphors, ahh!) and tangible plot. Usually by the end of a book, I feel like an author has rushed to get to their point before they seem to worry that they’ll lose the reader’s interest, but I never felt that way with this book. It was measured and intentional and thorough and thoughtful. I hated the cliffhanger ending, but I think the author was in the right to leave it the way it was left. In a way, it was a perfect ending to Ember’s story, even though it will eat me alive to forever imagine what happened next.

I will never stop recommending this book. It is incredible and deserves all the readers and recognition it can get. READ IT.

[Ivi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks for the eARC

This was a frustrating reading experience for me, especially because I went in with high expectations after loving The Light Pirate.

Early on, I struggled to get my bearings. About 10% in, I was still unclear on where or even when the story was set, which made it hard to fully immerse myself. By 30%, I was seriously considering DNFing — very little had happened beyond establishing that the protagonist feels deeply dissatisfied with every aspect of her life: her work, her marriage, her friendships. That sense of indifference is consistent, but it also makes it difficult to connect with her.

Around the halfway mark, things finally start to pick up. We get a bit more insight into the world, and by 60% there’s actual momentum and some action, which kept me going.

Unfortunately, the payoff didn’t quite land for me.

What did work was the writing itself. Lily Brooks-Dalton has a real talent for atmosphere — I could vividly picture the setting and surroundings, even when the broader context remained unclear. But that strength also highlighted what felt missing: deeper worldbuilding and character exploration. The system the characters live in is intriguing, but barely developed, and despite archaeology being part of the premise, we don’t learn much about it.

The protagonist was another sticking point. Her chronic dissatisfaction and constant search for escape felt intentional, but without more depth or growth, it left me feeling disconnected rather than invested.

There’s an original idea at the core of this book, and glimpses of something compelling, but for me the execution didn’t fully deliver.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a beautiful gem of a book that hit on so many levels.

Rarely do I find a book with an insufferable protagonist that I still rooted for. Ember is the absolute worst. She’s selfish and inconsiderate…but she’d also hard working and driven. (You know, just not at the job she’s been hired to do—teaching at archeology students at the university.)

Taking place in the future, in present day Greenland, all Ember wants is to prove that she’s right. That the civilization from BEFORE (21st century, us now) were high tech. But how can she do that when digs aren’t allowed outside their island? It isn’t safe, they tell her. She doesn’t care about safety, she needs answers.

Then an opportunity arrives for her to travel to the south and conduct her own dig, just her. She’ll come back with proof enough to get approval and funding. Except circumstances force her to change those plans and she sends her grad student instead.

This is where the story begins. Where a whole chain of events is set off and Ember must make choices that will define who she is, and how others see her.

The first half of this book moves kind of slow, but not in a bad way. I was fascinated by Ember. By the world she lives in. But it’s the second half of the book that really builds her character.

My only real gripe is the ending. It wasn’t what I wanted. I know why the author chose to end it that wat, and I appreciate that it ended this way, but I personally wanted something different—something more. I would LOVE to see a bonus epilogue on the authors website or in a future publication of this book, thought I really doubt she’d do that.

5 ancient, dirt covered stars.

[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.

[Janine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 stars. I’m not sure about this book. It was one of those where I had a “hate-love” relationship but I didn’t end up loving or even liking it that much.

Ember Agni is an anthropologist stuck in the teaching world. She’s more of “hands dirty” than hands clean kind of anthropologist. Stuck in a career-holding pattern, she awaits a possible relic that could change everything for her. She’s married to a nice guy, Jerome (personally I’d get annoyed with Ember and how she’d sacrifice that relationship with such egotism). But that’s what this book is about: choosing who you want to be or what kind of world she wants to live in.

I didn’t realize this was a dystopian novel until I was quite along in the book (I give high marks to the author for this in focusing on the character rather than the plot as this is indeed a character-driven novel). I have to frankly say when thinking relics I’m more into BCE than Post-Crisis camp, so this “ancient civilization” just didn’t resonate with me (though it did in Robert Harris’s The Secret Sleep).

I think Ember’s journey to the wilderness was in keeping with her narcissistic character (as you can guess I wasn’t her fan). In making that choice, she then has to face what she made of her life. While the book ends open-ended (which I usually don’t like), I think it was in keeping with what I think the author may have intended: life is not always about you.

I’d like to thank NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for allowing me to read this ARC.

[Jackie Sunday · Rating 3 out of 5]

What will life be like 3,000 years from now? This story is an interpretation of climate change that caused a major migration to the north.

Ember Agni was a professor of archaeology with her struggles and drives. She outlined three categories to students which included artifacts (life tools used for everyday living), structures (relationships in the community) and formations (how they interact with the environment). Yet, she wasn’t thrilled about being a teacher.

The story portrayed many layers of relationships. She didn’t enjoy being around the faculty and was challenged with an investigation involving an artifact. Sadly, no one really cared for her most of the time except for a young student who was mentally challenged.

Ember was in love with a woman, then left her to take a position at the university and married a man. It turned into a rocky partnership. She prioritized her needs and feelings above everyone else’s. Ember was a person you would try to avoid. But how could you as a reader when she’s the center of attention? She became bored with her husband as I was becoming tired of her.

Yet, I admire the author’s emphasis of archaeology as a focus and her imagination even though there were parts that didn’t seem to be clear or realistic. We know it is fiction which describes her interpretation with a warning of where the world may be headed with climate change. It could make an interesting discussion.

My thanks to Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for this ARC with an expected release date of March 31, 2026. The thoughts I share are my own.