Ruin

by K.A. Riley

This Enemies to Lovers Dark Romantasy starts a new story arc in the Thrall series.

She's a skilled assassin with shadowy powers. He's her most elusive target, and his power is a mystery to everyone he meets.
Her biggest problem? He refuses to die.

Stray and Ruin grew up together. She is the daughter of a wealthy family. He is the son of their servant. For years, they were the best of friends.
After one terrifying incident changes everything, their relationship begins to alter piece by agonizing piece. Over the years, their friendship evolves into something more...and after a forced, painful separation, they turn into mortal enemies.

Now twenty-nine years old, all Stray wants is to understand what turned them against one another all those years ago. All Ruin wants is for her life to end so he never has to reveal the painful truth.

If friends to lovers to enemies to lovers were a genre...Stray and Ruin's story would fit the bill.

386 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 15, 2026

About the author

K. A. Riley is a writer of speculative and science fiction, dedicated to creating worlds just different enough from our own to be entertaining, intriguing and a little frightening all at once. For Riley, writing isn't a job. It's a laboratory where readers can wander into a land of ideas; it's a playground where they can scamper around, giggling, gasping, and freaking out to their hearts' content.

Riley is the top-secret pen-name of a NYT and USA Today best-selling author.

Reviews

[Mandy Harrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ Stray’s personality is the best. I love her witty, snarky comebacks and take no sh!t attitude.

[Paige Wuerdemann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved the Thrall series since picking up book one in 2023 and have love being on this journey. I also appreciate the fact that the different books follow different characters and we get a new perspective on things.

The fact that this one is an enemies to lovers, dark romantasy that give a new arc. Stray and Ruin grew up together- Stray was the daughter of a wealthy family while Ruin is the son of a servant, but that didn't stop them from becoming the best of friends. When a tragic event causes a shift in their relationship, neither can alter the course it ends up taking. And then after a forced and painful separation, the two of them turn to enemies. To which he becomes her target.

I was hooked from the first page of this story and couldn't get enough. I absolutely loved how Stray has the no effs given attitude and witty and snarky comebacks. I never called the way the story arc went and I was enthralled throughout.

After seeing how this one ended, I'm super excited to see what K.A. Riley brings to the table next with the series!

[Michelle Jenkins · Rating 4 out of 5]

finally closure!

This was a good book which finally answered all the questions about these two lunatic characters you can’t help but love.