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Rise of Ruin: Of Realms and Relics Book One
Not yet published
Expected 30 Oct 26After being framed for a crime she didn’t commit, Brynn is forced into an uneasy partnership with a dangerous thief who needs her magic almost as badly as she needs his protection. What begins as a desperate attempt to survive soon pulls her far beyond the life she knows and into a world of impossible creatures, cursed relics, and magic that refuses to behave the way it should. But beneath the wonder, tensions are rising, and she is soon pulled into a conspiracy that could unravel the foundations of her world. Ancient powers stir, alliances begin to fracture, and the truths buried at the heart of the world may be far more dangerous than any curse.
With epic world-building, a slow-burn romance, found family, and a diverse cast of characters, Rise of Ruin is a sweeping fantasy about dangerous magic, unlikely alliances, and the lengths we’ll go to protect the people we choose.
With epic world-building, a slow-burn romance, found family, and a diverse cast of characters, Rise of Ruin is a sweeping fantasy about dangerous magic, unlikely alliances, and the lengths we’ll go to protect the people we choose.
626 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication October 30, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
September 15, 2026
I cannot remember the last time that a book has totally consumed every second of my free time, but this book has brought back memories of me devouring books on the weekends when I was growing up. Starting out, I really appreciated the story beginning with the pronunciation of the names of people and places along with a brief history of the world. I truly feel that it's difficult to write a fantasy book that feels immersive without it feeling too forced or cringe-y. This story had no such feelings, and the author did a fantastic job at brining you into the story. The descriptors used really helped me imagine the characters and their surroundings in great detail. Here's a breakdown of different aspects of a fantasy book that are important to me and how I rate them in Rise of Ruin:
Characters: Characters are really important to me, obviously, as they make up most of the story. If characters are really great, then some of the other aspects can be lacking without affecting the story too much. Here, the characters each had their own personalities, backstories, and qualities that made them all unique and did not feel like a copy/paste from anything else or like anyone could have been replaced with a cardboard cutout and no one would notice lol. 10/10
Worldbuilding: I really appreciate world-building in fantasy, from the people, the history, the lands, fauna/flora, technology, food, etc. Rise of Ruin had great world building! 10/10
Magic system: I really hate when a fantasy book cannot explain where the magic comes from or how it works, or if characters are just really powerful for no reason. I don't need heavy details, but this story had just the right amount of explanation without it being over the top. 10/10
Story/Plot: Obviously the plot is important to me in a book, and this one was great. Things are still building but doesn't feel really drawn out, which seems like it is the great start for a series. 10/10
Romance: Who doesn't like a little bit of romance? I don't need for romance to take up the entire story, which it didn't here, but I enjoyed the slow burn of the characters. 9/10
Length: I think the book could have been a litter longer, only because I wanted to see what happened next! Haha. But it was a good stopping point, didn't seem too long or too short. 9/10
Action/fight scenes: To me, fight scenes are not super important to describe because sometimes they can be drawn out, too descriptive or can feel like a bad anime. The fight scenes here weren't too long or exaggerated, were important to the story and added to the characters. 9/10
I cannot wait for the next one to come out so if you love fantasy, give this one a go! 5 stars.
Characters: Characters are really important to me, obviously, as they make up most of the story. If characters are really great, then some of the other aspects can be lacking without affecting the story too much. Here, the characters each had their own personalities, backstories, and qualities that made them all unique and did not feel like a copy/paste from anything else or like anyone could have been replaced with a cardboard cutout and no one would notice lol. 10/10
Worldbuilding: I really appreciate world-building in fantasy, from the people, the history, the lands, fauna/flora, technology, food, etc. Rise of Ruin had great world building! 10/10
Magic system: I really hate when a fantasy book cannot explain where the magic comes from or how it works, or if characters are just really powerful for no reason. I don't need heavy details, but this story had just the right amount of explanation without it being over the top. 10/10
Story/Plot: Obviously the plot is important to me in a book, and this one was great. Things are still building but doesn't feel really drawn out, which seems like it is the great start for a series. 10/10
Romance: Who doesn't like a little bit of romance? I don't need for romance to take up the entire story, which it didn't here, but I enjoyed the slow burn of the characters. 9/10
Length: I think the book could have been a litter longer, only because I wanted to see what happened next! Haha. But it was a good stopping point, didn't seem too long or too short. 9/10
Action/fight scenes: To me, fight scenes are not super important to describe because sometimes they can be drawn out, too descriptive or can feel like a bad anime. The fight scenes here weren't too long or exaggerated, were important to the story and added to the characters. 9/10
I cannot wait for the next one to come out so if you love fantasy, give this one a go! 5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Overall I really enjoyed this story. I would describe it as Six of Crows meets One Dark Window. If you enjoy a plot driven fantasy story with a little bit of romance subplot then you will probably enjoy this book.
The glossary at the beginning is a helpful reference when reading to understand the different peoples being talked about. I found the plot to be intriguing, with fantasy elements that were familiar enough to read easily but still different enough not to be boring. The writing is also very well done and easy to read and the story flows well.
I'm not a big romantasy fan so I really enjoyed the subplot nature of the romance in this. It was a predictable romance but it was well done and not over the top.
I loved the characters and the found family in this book, especially Havin. For me the characters were fleshed out enough to feel real but I appreciated that it was still a more plot focused story than a character driven story. I do think there could have been more emphasis on the connections between characters to really sell the found family trope but it is still very clear from the writing that the group is tight knit.
I will say that I found the plot did drag a bit in the middle, and there aren't many major plot points or conflicts throughout that feel high stakes. I don't think I was heavily invested until around 80%. It definitely reads very obviously as book one of a series and I think that takes away from the book being great on its own, but the bones of the story were fantastic. In general I had a good time reading it and I would definitely read book 2 when it comes out to find out what happens next!
The glossary at the beginning is a helpful reference when reading to understand the different peoples being talked about. I found the plot to be intriguing, with fantasy elements that were familiar enough to read easily but still different enough not to be boring. The writing is also very well done and easy to read and the story flows well.
I'm not a big romantasy fan so I really enjoyed the subplot nature of the romance in this. It was a predictable romance but it was well done and not over the top.
I loved the characters and the found family in this book, especially Havin. For me the characters were fleshed out enough to feel real but I appreciated that it was still a more plot focused story than a character driven story. I do think there could have been more emphasis on the connections between characters to really sell the found family trope but it is still very clear from the writing that the group is tight knit.
I will say that I found the plot did drag a bit in the middle, and there aren't many major plot points or conflicts throughout that feel high stakes. I don't think I was heavily invested until around 80%. It definitely reads very obviously as book one of a series and I think that takes away from the book being great on its own, but the bones of the story were fantastic. In general I had a good time reading it and I would definitely read book 2 when it comes out to find out what happens next!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I received a physical ARC of this book just TWO DAYS AGO, and let me tell you, I have barely been able to put it down since I opened it!! 😭💜
First of all, THE WORLD BUILDING?! The different realms, the magic system, the creatures, the secrets?! I absolutely LOVE when a fantasy book pulls me into a world so completely that I forget about everything else, and that's exactly what this book has done!
And can we talk about BRYNN?! Because I absolutely LOVE a badass FMC!! She's the kind of female main character that makes me want to keep turning pages. I love watching her navigate everything that's thrown her way, and I was invested in her story so quickly.
The plot, the mystery, the dangerous magic, and the way the different realms connect have kept me completely hooked. There's so much happening in this world, but that's part of what makes it so fascinating to me. I love discovering new pieces of the story and trying to figure out how everything fits together.
I also really appreciate that the romance doesn't take over the entire story. I love romantasy, but sometimes I want the fantasy, the adventure, and the magic to really shine, and this book delivers on that!
If you love immersive fantasy worlds, strong female characters, magical realms, and a plot full of secrets and adventure, I definitely recommend checking this one out! ✨
A huge thank you to K. Considine for the opportunity to read a physical ARC of *Rise of Ruin*! All opinions are my own. 💜
First of all, THE WORLD BUILDING?! The different realms, the magic system, the creatures, the secrets?! I absolutely LOVE when a fantasy book pulls me into a world so completely that I forget about everything else, and that's exactly what this book has done!
And can we talk about BRYNN?! Because I absolutely LOVE a badass FMC!! She's the kind of female main character that makes me want to keep turning pages. I love watching her navigate everything that's thrown her way, and I was invested in her story so quickly.
The plot, the mystery, the dangerous magic, and the way the different realms connect have kept me completely hooked. There's so much happening in this world, but that's part of what makes it so fascinating to me. I love discovering new pieces of the story and trying to figure out how everything fits together.
I also really appreciate that the romance doesn't take over the entire story. I love romantasy, but sometimes I want the fantasy, the adventure, and the magic to really shine, and this book delivers on that!
If you love immersive fantasy worlds, strong female characters, magical realms, and a plot full of secrets and adventure, I definitely recommend checking this one out! ✨
A huge thank you to K. Considine for the opportunity to read a physical ARC of *Rise of Ruin*! All opinions are my own. 💜
Review of advance copy received from Author
I really enjoyed this book! There are a lot of devastating moments, and a lot of genuinely funny moments. I feel like the FMC is a relatable character in a way I haven’t read in a long time. The characters, their interactions, and their relationships feel very genuine and real. The romance does not take center stage but I was certainly invested. The world building is very in-depth, which I personally like in fantasy. It is a large book and the main plot does not pick up until later chapters, but the middle chapters are filled with different adventures and character building moments. I can definitely tell there are supposed to be more books to come, and I will be waiting to read the next book!
Review of advance copy received from Author
THIS HAS BY FAR BEEN ONE OF MY FAVORITE FANTASY BOOKS OF 2026❤️😇
I just finished reading this book and it was definitely one that I could not put down!! I promise I would’ve finished this book in one sitting if I didn’t have a life I had to actually be present for lol…the way the author portrays the characters and has you feeling each and every emotion through them had me hooked from the beginning…I absolutely loved everything about this book and can not wait to get the physical copy to add to my collection…I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy book with an immersive world, characters you actually become attached to, emotional moments, and the I need to know what happens next to feeling!!
I just finished reading this book and it was definitely one that I could not put down!! I promise I would’ve finished this book in one sitting if I didn’t have a life I had to actually be present for lol…the way the author portrays the characters and has you feeling each and every emotion through them had me hooked from the beginning…I absolutely loved everything about this book and can not wait to get the physical copy to add to my collection…I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a fantasy book with an immersive world, characters you actually become attached to, emotional moments, and the I need to know what happens next to feeling!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I absolutely loved this book. I am hooked and already can't wait for book 2! As someone who mainly reads fantasy books, this book was refreshingly different than a lot of other fantasies ive read (for me at least). I loved the magical system and the diversity of it. The world building was great. I found myself really enjoying all of the characters. I found Brynn to be very relatable, and I am excited to be able to dive deeper into each of the characters personal stories with more books to come. I liked how there was still romance (and a dash of spice), but that it was more of a subplot. It was truly a fascinating world that I cant wait to immerse myself back into with future books!!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Huge thank you to the author for this ARC!
Where to start?? The world building, the characters, the politics, the history, the story... all TOP NOTCH!! I was hooked so early on and flew through the pages like my life depended on it. So much magic in every page. Every challenge the characters went through, every twist and turn had me beyond the edge of my seat. And THE ENDING! Love fantasy?? Read. This. Book.
Where to start?? The world building, the characters, the politics, the history, the story... all TOP NOTCH!! I was hooked so early on and flew through the pages like my life depended on it. So much magic in every page. Every challenge the characters went through, every twist and turn had me beyond the edge of my seat. And THE ENDING! Love fantasy?? Read. This. Book.
October 3, 2026
Found Family - Sacrifice - Training - Magic - Secret Society - Quests
Rise of Ruin is set in a vivid world filled with depth and intrigue. Bryn’s journey to find safety and purpose showcases her personality as she struggles against her self-doubt. The fight scenes and mysteries are gripping and well portrayed, adding to the tension at the heart of this story.
Rise of Ruin is set in a vivid world filled with depth and intrigue. Bryn’s journey to find safety and purpose showcases her personality as she struggles against her self-doubt. The fight scenes and mysteries are gripping and well portrayed, adding to the tension at the heart of this story.
September 24, 2026
I am reviewing as an arc reader. This has been my favorite epic fantasy of this year! Mages, Vampires, Fae, dwarves! Beautiful fantastical creatures! Subtle romance that doesn’t take over the whole plot. Release date is Oct. 30th 2026, I highly recommend for my fellow fantasy fans!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I was absolutely engrossed by the magic system and politics of Ralea, I couldn’t put the book down! I was expecting a romantasy book, but what I got was a fantasy adventure full of magic and side quests it felt more like a D&D campaign. I can’t recommend this book enough and I’m counting the days until the sequel is released! If you like heists, monsters, and fantastical world building with a robust magic system you will not be disappointed with this book.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews