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Ruined #2
Venganza
La esperada secuela de Ruina, por la aclamada autora de la serie Reiniciados.
«Ruina es la mezcla perfecta de fantasía, aventura y romance. ¡Lo leí en una sola sentada!» - Amie Kaufman, coautora de Illuminae y Atados a las estrellas
Emelina Flores ha regresado a su hogar, Ruina, después de rescatar a su hermana, Olivia, que se hallaba presa de su reino rival, Lera. Ahora Em y Olivia juran devolver a su pueblo la antigua gloria de sus ancestros.
Pero su batalla acaba de comenzar. Olivia está decidida a destruir a todos los que actúan contra Ruina. Em no está tan segura de ello, y pretende traer la paz a su hogar. Pero cuando ganar la guerra podría significar traicionar a su familia, ella se enfrenta a una elección imposible entre amor y lealtad.
«Ruina es la mezcla perfecta de fantasía, aventura y romance. ¡Lo leí en una sola sentada!» - Amie Kaufman, coautora de Illuminae y Atados a las estrellas
Emelina Flores ha regresado a su hogar, Ruina, después de rescatar a su hermana, Olivia, que se hallaba presa de su reino rival, Lera. Ahora Em y Olivia juran devolver a su pueblo la antigua gloria de sus ancestros.
Pero su batalla acaba de comenzar. Olivia está decidida a destruir a todos los que actúan contra Ruina. Em no está tan segura de ello, y pretende traer la paz a su hogar. Pero cuando ganar la guerra podría significar traicionar a su familia, ella se enfrenta a una elección imposible entre amor y lealtad.
468 pages, Paperback
First published May 2, 2017
353 people are currently reading
10960 people want to read
About the author
Amy Tintera
17 books6,967 followersAmy Tintera started writing novels as a kid during her middle school science classes, which probably explains why she has always been very bad at science. She is now the author of several novels for young adults, including Reboot, a Kids Indie Next pick and YALSA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, the Ruined series, The Q, and All These Monsters, a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection. Her novels have been translated into 16 languages and sold into more than 20 territories.
She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in media arts/screenwriting from Emerson College. She worked as a talent agency assistant in Hollywood before becoming an author. Raised in Austin, Texas, she frequently sets her novels in the Lone Star state, but she now lives in Los Angeles, where there's far less humidity, but not nearly enough Tex-Mex.
Her first novel for adults, Listen for the Lie, will be published March 5, 2024 by Celadon/Macmillan.
She has a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Texas A&M and a master’s degree in media arts/screenwriting from Emerson College. She worked as a talent agency assistant in Hollywood before becoming an author. Raised in Austin, Texas, she frequently sets her novels in the Lone Star state, but she now lives in Los Angeles, where there's far less humidity, but not nearly enough Tex-Mex.
Her first novel for adults, Listen for the Lie, will be published March 5, 2024 by Celadon/Macmillan.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 868 reviews
February 22, 2018
Olivia turned to see Em walking to her. Olivia could sense humans and Ruined around her, even at great distance. But not Em. Em wasn't human or Ruined. She was the only person in the world who could sneak up on Olivia.
Yes, the sisters are back. One of them is going a little bit off their rocker so we shall see where that goes in the final book in the trilogy.
AND HOLY CRAP ON A CRACKER!
I waited the whole book for someone to kill this evil woman and there were a couple of chances and they didn't!!!!!!!!!!!! What!? Just kill her! I can't even people!
Maybe she will become good in the last book. I hope not because I want her taken out. There are a few people in the book that are stupid and evil. They won't see reason and they want to go off the deep end. I think one of them has become a berserker! That's not a bad thing on certain occasions =)
Anyway, Cas, Em, Aren and Iria are my favorites. I'm becoming extremely fond of Aren! I hope there are great things coming for him in the final book. Watch, I probably jinxed it and he will get killed!
I enjoyed the book a great deal with the exception of yelling at people to kill that one evil woman. Lol.
Happy Reading!
Mel ♥
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
AMAZON: REVIEW
October 5, 2017
4.5 stars. Really REALLY good sequel. Dang near perfect (even with the cliffhanger/similar ending to Ruined). Maybe I should round up...
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Avenged by Amy Tintera
Book Two of the Ruined series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
In the sequel to Ruined, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.
Emelina Flores has come home to Ruina. After rescuing her sister Olivia from imprisonment in rival kingdom Lera, Em and Olivia together vow to rebuild Ruina to its former glory.
But their fight has only begun. Olivia is determined to destroy everyone who acts against Ruina, but Em isn’t as sure. Ever since Em posed as Prince Casimir’s betrothed in Lera, she’s started to see another side to this war. And now that Cas has taken the throne, Em believes a truce is within reach. But Olivia suspects that Em’s romantic feelings for Cas are just coloring her judgement.
Em is determined to bring peace to her home. But when winning the war could mean betraying her family, Em faces an impossible choice between loyalty and love. Em must stay one step ahead of her enemies—and her blood—before she’s the next victim in this battle for sovereignty.
What I Liked:
I thought Ruined was great, but Avenged? Probably even better. I really didn't think I would like this book better than Ruined (mostly because I loved Ruined, but also because YA sequels tend to tank). I was pleasantly surprised! This sequel had no trace of sequel slump!
Also? Ignore those comparisons (The Selection, Red Queen). Both of those series are not really comparable to this series. And the romance in this series isn't as messy and as confusing as the romances in those two series.
Before I begin my review, everyone should check out my emoji review on Twitter! I did one for Ruined in March 2016, and there's my one for Avenged in April 2017. (See my blog review!)
This sequel starts not too long after Ruined finished. Olivia and Em are back in Ruina with the Ruined, but it's obviously not home like it used to be. What's more, Olivia as become ruthless and cold, and enjoys killing for fun. Em is a fighter, but she's a politician. Olivia proposes a diarchy, in which Olivia and Em are equal queens of Ruina. Meanwhile, Cas is struggling to keep hold of his kingdom, with his cousin trying to take him out of the picture. He is poisoned and leaves the fortress, only to be found by Em. Olivia and the Ruined don't want Cas with them, so Cas leaves after he recovers. But betrayal follows Em, Olivia, and the Ruined, and an ally turns on them. Cas and Em both want a truce between Lera and Ruina, but everyone must consider the kingdom of Olso, and Cas's homicidal cousin Jovita. It's kill or be killed, but identifying enemies and danger might not be as easy as Cas and Em think.
From the start, this book has a tense and yet adventurous tone to it. There is constant action from all ends - with Em/Olivia, with Cas, coming from the warriors, and Olso. I'll admit that the first 10% of the book was a little slow COMPARED to the rest of the book - but none of this book is really slow. I love how the plot is both action and plotting/scheming. Both war and politics.
This book is told entirely in third-person, but limited to Em's, Olivia's, Aren's, and Cas's POV. Em and Olivia are both in the same space for the first half of the book (in Ruina), with Aren. Aren is like their second in command - he is an old friend of Em's (no, there is no love triangle there), and the second most powerful Ruined (behind Olivia). Cas, on the other hand, is in the fortress, trying to garner the support of his advisers, who are turning to his cousin Jovita with each passing day. Until, of course, he is poisoned, and flees the fortress.
I liked Em a lot in Ruined, and I liked her in this book. She has a strong sense of duty and puts her people first. At first, this irritated me slightly because I thought her sense of duty would come between her and Cas. But then I thought, would I put my happiness aside for my people's safety, if I were queen? Yes, yes I would. And THEN I thought to myself, what if things worked out such that Em wouldn't even have to put her happiness over her people...
Anyway, Em has all of my respect. She isn't Ruined like Olivia - she's useless (that's the term for a non-Ruined person of Ruined parentage), and she doesn't have the Ruined's support. But she is incredibly smart and astute, and good with tactics and strategies. She is physically strong and capable (girl can wield a sword!), but she is also intelligently strong. Em impressed me many times in this sequel. I also liked her resolve in terms of her feelings for Cas - she never wavered in her affection of him, not even when she pushed him away (briefly, and for good reason). Em is a strong and kickbutt heroine, but she is also kind and sweet (especially compared to Olivia, who is bloodthirsty and cold).
Cas is tied with Em as my favorite character of this series. Of all of the characters, he undergoes the most character development in this book. He struggles to retain hold of his kingship, and when he is poisoned, he pretty much gives up as his loyal guards and friends get him out of the fortress. When Em finds him, he is weak, defeated, and not motivated to go back. By the end of the book, he recovers his spine and plays a pivotal role in the now fully-fledged war. Cas becomes more of a king than he ever had been, at any point yet. Cas is so honorable and reasonable and kind, but he is also intelligent and fierce. He is definitely a man I'd love to have in my life.
Olivia is such an interesting character. She is ruthless and deadly, and laughs in the face of death - death brought on by her. She enjoys killing innocents and slowly torturing people, and yes, that is all kinds of messed up. Olivia is an incredibly powerful Ruined, and she knows it. We get to read from her POV throughout the book, and we can see how she thinks and her reasoning for everything. She is a bit insane and very dangerous and unhinged, but she is also a very interesting character.
I adored Aren in this book! By the way, he is not in love with Em (and Em isn't in love with him) - their relationship is strictly a long-time platonic friendship. Which, yay! Their friendship is very strong and healthy. Aren grows a lot in this book too, in good and bad ways. He is a good man, and I'm happy about the direction of his character development. I'm also happy to see him develop feelings for a certain lady (again, not Em). Him and his lady are so cute together!
Okay, I'll talk about the romance. There is NO love triangle. None. Trust me on this. You'll start to see something that might appear to be a problem for Em, but it is resolved very swiftly and efficiently. There are only feelings involved between Cas and Em. Cas and Em don't share any pagetime in the first 20% of the book, but then they are reunited (when Em finds Cas half-dead from the poison). They are adorable together; they always seem to find their back to each other. This isn't one of those sequels in which the couple spends the entire book apart. Their reunion happens fairly early in the story. Yes, they separate again, but then they reunite again, and again, and again, and basically there were enough Cas/Em scenes and interactions (romantic and non-romantic) to keep me satisfied. Their relationship gets kicked up a notch. It's all Cas and Em (neither have feelings for anyone else and have no intention of not being together). There are other romances (Aren and his lady, for example). I am a fan of those other romance!
I already talked about how I liked the story's tense and adventurous tone. The pacing is not slow but not incredibly fast, and it worked for this story. There was constantly action or some wrench in plans, or something like that. I was never bored, and I couldn't seem to read fast enough. What's more, this book's story seemed to build and build until the climax, and even then, the story kept building. Tintera does a really good job of setting up everything for the finale in book three.
Totally worth pointing out that this book is full of diverse characters! There is an LGBT couple, and many Ruined are dark-skinned, like Aren. Good on Tintera for including many variations of diverse representation, and in (what I think was) a fairly natural, non-forced way.
There is a cliffhanger, unfortunately, and it is somewhat similar to that of Ruined's. Like the ending of Ruined, it isn't horrible and crushing and heartbreaking, but it's a cliffhanger nonetheless. I am so anxious for Em, and for Aren, and Iria, and Cas! Olivia is like a ticking time bomb... I can't wait to see how everything goes down, in book three!
What I Did Not Like:
Nothing really major to complain about. Of course I would have loved less of a cliffhanger, and more Cas/Em scenes, but I don't mind the cliffhanger too much, and I have a feeling we'll get more Cas/Em scenes in book three.
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this sequel! It is even better than its predecessor - full of action, scheming, betrayal, and tender romance. So much swoon in this book (Cas/Em swoon, that is). Plus, I really liked how this book is told (Cas/Em/Aren/Olivia third-person POVs). Usually so many POVs would be annoying for me, but I think so many really works for this story, and the author employs this method of storytelling well.
Did I mention swoony tender romance and no love triangle? Because, well, yeah. Cas is kingly, book boyfriend material, y'all. Em is queen material. (She is a queen!)
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded up to 5 stars. This is only the third book of 2017 that I've given a 5-star rating (out of 48 books read for the year so far)! I absolutely loved Ruined but I think I loved this one even more, even with a few aspects that I wasn't sure would be resolved or worked out in this book (but they were!). A job really well done by Tintera. If you were hesitant to start this series, I highly recommend you go ahead and pick up Ruined, or make this a top-priority series to binge-read in 2018, when book three publishes!
Pre-read:
AGGGGHHHH, THE ENDING OF RUINED WAS JUST AGGGHHHH! I'd prefer this series to be a duology, given the ending of Ruined, but right now all that matters is BOOK TWO PLEASE!!!!
***Review posted on The Eater of Books! blog***
Avenged by Amy Tintera
Book Two of the Ruined series
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: May 2, 2017
Rating: 5 stars
Source: eARC from Edelweiss
Summary (from Goodreads):
In the sequel to Ruined, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.
Emelina Flores has come home to Ruina. After rescuing her sister Olivia from imprisonment in rival kingdom Lera, Em and Olivia together vow to rebuild Ruina to its former glory.
But their fight has only begun. Olivia is determined to destroy everyone who acts against Ruina, but Em isn’t as sure. Ever since Em posed as Prince Casimir’s betrothed in Lera, she’s started to see another side to this war. And now that Cas has taken the throne, Em believes a truce is within reach. But Olivia suspects that Em’s romantic feelings for Cas are just coloring her judgement.
Em is determined to bring peace to her home. But when winning the war could mean betraying her family, Em faces an impossible choice between loyalty and love. Em must stay one step ahead of her enemies—and her blood—before she’s the next victim in this battle for sovereignty.
What I Liked:
I thought Ruined was great, but Avenged? Probably even better. I really didn't think I would like this book better than Ruined (mostly because I loved Ruined, but also because YA sequels tend to tank). I was pleasantly surprised! This sequel had no trace of sequel slump!
Also? Ignore those comparisons (The Selection, Red Queen). Both of those series are not really comparable to this series. And the romance in this series isn't as messy and as confusing as the romances in those two series.
Before I begin my review, everyone should check out my emoji review on Twitter! I did one for Ruined in March 2016, and there's my one for Avenged in April 2017. (See my blog review!)
This sequel starts not too long after Ruined finished. Olivia and Em are back in Ruina with the Ruined, but it's obviously not home like it used to be. What's more, Olivia as become ruthless and cold, and enjoys killing for fun. Em is a fighter, but she's a politician. Olivia proposes a diarchy, in which Olivia and Em are equal queens of Ruina. Meanwhile, Cas is struggling to keep hold of his kingdom, with his cousin trying to take him out of the picture. He is poisoned and leaves the fortress, only to be found by Em. Olivia and the Ruined don't want Cas with them, so Cas leaves after he recovers. But betrayal follows Em, Olivia, and the Ruined, and an ally turns on them. Cas and Em both want a truce between Lera and Ruina, but everyone must consider the kingdom of Olso, and Cas's homicidal cousin Jovita. It's kill or be killed, but identifying enemies and danger might not be as easy as Cas and Em think.
From the start, this book has a tense and yet adventurous tone to it. There is constant action from all ends - with Em/Olivia, with Cas, coming from the warriors, and Olso. I'll admit that the first 10% of the book was a little slow COMPARED to the rest of the book - but none of this book is really slow. I love how the plot is both action and plotting/scheming. Both war and politics.
This book is told entirely in third-person, but limited to Em's, Olivia's, Aren's, and Cas's POV. Em and Olivia are both in the same space for the first half of the book (in Ruina), with Aren. Aren is like their second in command - he is an old friend of Em's (no, there is no love triangle there), and the second most powerful Ruined (behind Olivia). Cas, on the other hand, is in the fortress, trying to garner the support of his advisers, who are turning to his cousin Jovita with each passing day. Until, of course, he is poisoned, and flees the fortress.
I liked Em a lot in Ruined, and I liked her in this book. She has a strong sense of duty and puts her people first. At first, this irritated me slightly because I thought her sense of duty would come between her and Cas. But then I thought, would I put my happiness aside for my people's safety, if I were queen? Yes, yes I would. And THEN I thought to myself, what if things worked out such that Em wouldn't even have to put her happiness over her people...
Anyway, Em has all of my respect. She isn't Ruined like Olivia - she's useless (that's the term for a non-Ruined person of Ruined parentage), and she doesn't have the Ruined's support. But she is incredibly smart and astute, and good with tactics and strategies. She is physically strong and capable (girl can wield a sword!), but she is also intelligently strong. Em impressed me many times in this sequel. I also liked her resolve in terms of her feelings for Cas - she never wavered in her affection of him, not even when she pushed him away (briefly, and for good reason). Em is a strong and kickbutt heroine, but she is also kind and sweet (especially compared to Olivia, who is bloodthirsty and cold).
Cas is tied with Em as my favorite character of this series. Of all of the characters, he undergoes the most character development in this book. He struggles to retain hold of his kingship, and when he is poisoned, he pretty much gives up as his loyal guards and friends get him out of the fortress. When Em finds him, he is weak, defeated, and not motivated to go back. By the end of the book, he recovers his spine and plays a pivotal role in the now fully-fledged war. Cas becomes more of a king than he ever had been, at any point yet. Cas is so honorable and reasonable and kind, but he is also intelligent and fierce. He is definitely a man I'd love to have in my life.
Olivia is such an interesting character. She is ruthless and deadly, and laughs in the face of death - death brought on by her. She enjoys killing innocents and slowly torturing people, and yes, that is all kinds of messed up. Olivia is an incredibly powerful Ruined, and she knows it. We get to read from her POV throughout the book, and we can see how she thinks and her reasoning for everything. She is a bit insane and very dangerous and unhinged, but she is also a very interesting character.
I adored Aren in this book! By the way, he is not in love with Em (and Em isn't in love with him) - their relationship is strictly a long-time platonic friendship. Which, yay! Their friendship is very strong and healthy. Aren grows a lot in this book too, in good and bad ways. He is a good man, and I'm happy about the direction of his character development. I'm also happy to see him develop feelings for a certain lady (again, not Em). Him and his lady are so cute together!
Okay, I'll talk about the romance. There is NO love triangle. None. Trust me on this. You'll start to see something that might appear to be a problem for Em, but it is resolved very swiftly and efficiently. There are only feelings involved between Cas and Em. Cas and Em don't share any pagetime in the first 20% of the book, but then they are reunited (when Em finds Cas half-dead from the poison). They are adorable together; they always seem to find their back to each other. This isn't one of those sequels in which the couple spends the entire book apart. Their reunion happens fairly early in the story. Yes, they separate again, but then they reunite again, and again, and again, and basically there were enough Cas/Em scenes and interactions (romantic and non-romantic) to keep me satisfied. Their relationship gets kicked up a notch. It's all Cas and Em (neither have feelings for anyone else and have no intention of not being together). There are other romances (Aren and his lady, for example). I am a fan of those other romance!
I already talked about how I liked the story's tense and adventurous tone. The pacing is not slow but not incredibly fast, and it worked for this story. There was constantly action or some wrench in plans, or something like that. I was never bored, and I couldn't seem to read fast enough. What's more, this book's story seemed to build and build until the climax, and even then, the story kept building. Tintera does a really good job of setting up everything for the finale in book three.
Totally worth pointing out that this book is full of diverse characters! There is an LGBT couple, and many Ruined are dark-skinned, like Aren. Good on Tintera for including many variations of diverse representation, and in (what I think was) a fairly natural, non-forced way.
There is a cliffhanger, unfortunately, and it is somewhat similar to that of Ruined's. Like the ending of Ruined, it isn't horrible and crushing and heartbreaking, but it's a cliffhanger nonetheless. I am so anxious for Em, and for Aren, and Iria, and Cas! Olivia is like a ticking time bomb... I can't wait to see how everything goes down, in book three!
What I Did Not Like:
Nothing really major to complain about. Of course I would have loved less of a cliffhanger, and more Cas/Em scenes, but I don't mind the cliffhanger too much, and I have a feeling we'll get more Cas/Em scenes in book three.
Would I Recommend It:
I highly recommend this sequel! It is even better than its predecessor - full of action, scheming, betrayal, and tender romance. So much swoon in this book (Cas/Em swoon, that is). Plus, I really liked how this book is told (Cas/Em/Aren/Olivia third-person POVs). Usually so many POVs would be annoying for me, but I think so many really works for this story, and the author employs this method of storytelling well.
Did I mention swoony tender romance and no love triangle? Because, well, yeah. Cas is kingly, book boyfriend material, y'all. Em is queen material. (She is a queen!)
Rating:
4.5 stars -> rounded up to 5 stars. This is only the third book of 2017 that I've given a 5-star rating (out of 48 books read for the year so far)! I absolutely loved Ruined but I think I loved this one even more, even with a few aspects that I wasn't sure would be resolved or worked out in this book (but they were!). A job really well done by Tintera. If you were hesitant to start this series, I highly recommend you go ahead and pick up Ruined, or make this a top-priority series to binge-read in 2018, when book three publishes!
Pre-read:
AGGGGHHHH, THE ENDING OF RUINED WAS JUST AGGGHHHH! I'd prefer this series to be a duology, given the ending of Ruined, but right now all that matters is BOOK TWO PLEASE!!!!
July 6, 2022
goooooood lordy this was boring
May 1, 2017
How did I forget how much I was enjoying this series after reading Ruined? There are too many fantasy books that replicate each other, but this one is constantly surprising me. I will find myself thinking "Okay...so when the characters get to X, obviously this will happen" and then something will happen that I did not see coming preventing whatever I thought was inevitable from ever happening.
I may have enjoyed Avenged more than it's predecessor. Now here comes the problem with reviewing sequels. I never want to give away too much of the plot, nor do I want to spoil the first book for those just learning about the series for the first time. This is a series where each book (at least so far) has had a solid ending to the story presented within the book while also leaving things open to where you need to see where the story goes next. And let me tell you..I am in NEED of the third and final book of this series. I am so curious which of the kingdoms will get what they are after because it is clear that not everyone can end up happy. And there is this one relationship that I care about above any of the others. The danger it was put in has me nervous as hell. There is a lot I dying to know actually. Too bad we have to wait until next summer :(
Filled with action, politics, bloody battles, magic, and twists-galore. The romance is still present, though a bit more in the background with all the other craziness at the forefront.
One of the fun things about Avenged is the addition of two other POVs we didn't get in the first book. It was originally just Cas and Em, but now we also get Aren and (spoiler from first book only). I really loved Aren's story in this book. He became a much bigger character, where he was almost forgettable in the first book. I dare you not to love him. Plus that other POV is everything I wanted from that character. Dark and angry and crazy. It's perfect. Oh and Em and Cas are still sweet. They aren't physically together as much, but they have their moments and are always on the other's mind.
The story definitely begins the way I was hoping it would. It picks up where Ruined left off. I easily was thrown back into this world. The writing is strong with a fast-moving plot. I had a hard time putting the book down. The one thing making it possible was knowing the sooner I finish the book, the longer I'll have to wait for the conclusion.
If you enjoy YA fantasy series filled with revenge, this is a great series for you to read! No second book syndrome here. It is every bit as exciting as book one.
I may have enjoyed Avenged more than it's predecessor. Now here comes the problem with reviewing sequels. I never want to give away too much of the plot, nor do I want to spoil the first book for those just learning about the series for the first time. This is a series where each book (at least so far) has had a solid ending to the story presented within the book while also leaving things open to where you need to see where the story goes next. And let me tell you..I am in NEED of the third and final book of this series. I am so curious which of the kingdoms will get what they are after because it is clear that not everyone can end up happy. And there is this one relationship that I care about above any of the others. The danger it was put in has me nervous as hell. There is a lot I dying to know actually. Too bad we have to wait until next summer :(
Filled with action, politics, bloody battles, magic, and twists-galore. The romance is still present, though a bit more in the background with all the other craziness at the forefront.
One of the fun things about Avenged is the addition of two other POVs we didn't get in the first book. It was originally just Cas and Em, but now we also get Aren and (spoiler from first book only). I really loved Aren's story in this book. He became a much bigger character, where he was almost forgettable in the first book. I dare you not to love him. Plus that other POV is everything I wanted from that character. Dark and angry and crazy. It's perfect. Oh and Em and Cas are still sweet. They aren't physically together as much, but they have their moments and are always on the other's mind.
The story definitely begins the way I was hoping it would. It picks up where Ruined left off. I easily was thrown back into this world. The writing is strong with a fast-moving plot. I had a hard time putting the book down. The one thing making it possible was knowing the sooner I finish the book, the longer I'll have to wait for the conclusion.
If you enjoy YA fantasy series filled with revenge, this is a great series for you to read! No second book syndrome here. It is every bit as exciting as book one.
August 21, 2017
Full review posted!
Sorry, how about NO.
This entire book felt like a fricken FILLER. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS BOOK IM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT WHILE I WIPE AWAY MY TEARS OF DISAPPOINTMENT
If I had chosen this book for a school book report, I would have failed bc I cannot highlight WHAT THE HECK THE PLOT WAS. *steps up to the mic very calmly with a straight face* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
This was basically me everytime Olivia/Aren/Em/Cas/August spoke
Guys, I literally tried so hard to love this book bc I wanted to finish the series and while book one was just you average, everyday fantasy book that was enjoyable but not spectacular, this was like your lower-than-average-fantasy-book-ft.-royals-and-special-snowflakes
Honestly man, I loved Cas in book 1. He’s was a little cutie who needed to be protected and loved and in this book I was totally okay with him drinking lukewarm tea for the entirety of his life (if you never faced the treachery and abuse that is lukewarm tea, I don’t want to talk to you ever again)
Everything was just SO boring and overdone and repetitive and again, THERE WAS A MISSING PLOT BC WE JUST SEEMED TO BE WALKING AROUND IN CIRCLES AND DOING NOTHING ALL DAY BUT PICKING OUT NAILS.
Also the writing. It was so ??? MODERN ??? IMMATURE ?? like they could be having their conversations via instant messaging and it would fit better there than it would as dialogue in the book.
All the characters make really terrible decisions and while theyre at “war” with each other, they’re actually harbouring each other in guest houses and having kissy kissy moments together. Like please that’s not how war works.
And for a book without much of a purpose, it sure is huge. Its basically filled with lame banter and characters walking around in circles and while I have to admit IT IS FAST PACED, there’s nothing remotely interesting (in my humble opinion) to keep me on board
And that’s why I decided to jump ship.
See ya next time, y’all.
Everyone ran from her now. People whispered her name, as that man had. They said it with fear.
It was what she had always wanted.
It did not feel good as she had expected.
1.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i found book 1 mildly enjoyable and so the pressure is on book 2, you better ~*~WOW~*~ me or else im outta here 💁
Sorry, how about NO.
This entire book felt like a fricken FILLER. WHAT WAS THE POINT OF THIS BOOK IM STILL TRYING TO FIGURE THIS OUT WHILE I WIPE AWAY MY TEARS OF DISAPPOINTMENT
If I had chosen this book for a school book report, I would have failed bc I cannot highlight WHAT THE HECK THE PLOT WAS. *steps up to the mic very calmly with a straight face* AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
This was basically me everytime Olivia/Aren/Em/Cas/August spoke
Guys, I literally tried so hard to love this book bc I wanted to finish the series and while book one was just you average, everyday fantasy book that was enjoyable but not spectacular, this was like your lower-than-average-fantasy-book-ft.-royals-and-special-snowflakes
Honestly man, I loved Cas in book 1. He’s was a little cutie who needed to be protected and loved and in this book I was totally okay with him drinking lukewarm tea for the entirety of his life (if you never faced the treachery and abuse that is lukewarm tea, I don’t want to talk to you ever again)
Everything was just SO boring and overdone and repetitive and again, THERE WAS A MISSING PLOT BC WE JUST SEEMED TO BE WALKING AROUND IN CIRCLES AND DOING NOTHING ALL DAY BUT PICKING OUT NAILS.
Also the writing. It was so ??? MODERN ??? IMMATURE ?? like they could be having their conversations via instant messaging and it would fit better there than it would as dialogue in the book.
All the characters make really terrible decisions and while theyre at “war” with each other, they’re actually harbouring each other in guest houses and having kissy kissy moments together. Like please that’s not how war works.
And for a book without much of a purpose, it sure is huge. Its basically filled with lame banter and characters walking around in circles and while I have to admit IT IS FAST PACED, there’s nothing remotely interesting (in my humble opinion) to keep me on board
And that’s why I decided to jump ship.
See ya next time, y’all.
Everyone ran from her now. People whispered her name, as that man had. They said it with fear.
It was what she had always wanted.
It did not feel good as she had expected.
1.5 stars!!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
i found book 1 mildly enjoyable and so the pressure is on book 2, you better ~*~WOW~*~ me or else im outta here 💁
July 31, 2018
Full Review
Lol I went to check my friends’ reviews on this and the top 3 are 1 and 2 stars 😩. I’m glad i didn’t check before reading lol. That would have been bad for morale.
Anyways, from my rating, you can tell that i really enjoyed it. There’s just something about this series that satisfies me.
What I liked
- The romance!! I love em and cas so much and reading about them made me so happy. I love how they always randomly find themselves when they get separated ☺️
“Maybe ‘coincidence’ is another word for fate.” Cas smiled. “Just watch. If we get separated again, I bet we find each other.” 💕
That’s why I love that this book has multiple POVs. I get to read about how they feel about each other from their own perspective!
- Aren grew on me in this. I just love him and even though he’s the second most powerful person in the book, he’s such a sweet gentle soul. He kinda reminded me of Azriel in acotar. I loved reading from his perspective!!
- I loved that this book was never boring to me. There were wars, plotting, and betrayals and I enjoyed reading about all of them.
- I didn’t hate anyone which is rare in a book with lots of characters. Olivier annoys me but I see her as a spoiled/psycho child, and for some reason, I’m not able to hate her. I’m mostly over her character lol. And I feel like Cas’ cousin, who is another annoying character, didn’t do what she was accused of and that there might be more to the story. I’m keeping my eye on these two though.
Overall, this was a fast read and I enjoyed every minute of it
Lol I went to check my friends’ reviews on this and the top 3 are 1 and 2 stars 😩. I’m glad i didn’t check before reading lol. That would have been bad for morale.
Anyways, from my rating, you can tell that i really enjoyed it. There’s just something about this series that satisfies me.
What I liked
- The romance!! I love em and cas so much and reading about them made me so happy. I love how they always randomly find themselves when they get separated ☺️
“Maybe ‘coincidence’ is another word for fate.” Cas smiled. “Just watch. If we get separated again, I bet we find each other.” 💕
That’s why I love that this book has multiple POVs. I get to read about how they feel about each other from their own perspective!
- Aren grew on me in this. I just love him and even though he’s the second most powerful person in the book, he’s such a sweet gentle soul. He kinda reminded me of Azriel in acotar. I loved reading from his perspective!!
- I loved that this book was never boring to me. There were wars, plotting, and betrayals and I enjoyed reading about all of them.
- I didn’t hate anyone which is rare in a book with lots of characters. Olivier annoys me but I see her as a spoiled/psycho child, and for some reason, I’m not able to hate her. I’m mostly over her character lol. And I feel like Cas’ cousin, who is another annoying character, didn’t do what she was accused of and that there might be more to the story. I’m keeping my eye on these two though.
Overall, this was a fast read and I enjoyed every minute of it
May 1, 2017
4.5 STARS (for now)! I'm not sure whether I want to round up or down so I'll decide that later.
So, I was sitting in my bed on Friday morning and I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw that my local dymocks had early stock in. I instantly screamed and ended up rushing to my store (I was the first in the door at 8:30am and I checked my book out by 8:33am). The lady at the shop was basically as excited as I was and we fangirled about how many good books are coming out - it was great.
Anyways, this book was AWESOME. I loved Ruined so I had pretty high hopes for this and it was honestly just as good. Honestly, I'm only docking 0.5 stars since it wasn't ACOWAR and I can't seem to think about any book that isn't ACOWAR. THIS BOOK WAS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE HOLY SHITTTT EVERYTHINGS GOING TO SHITTTTTT. I can't imagine waiting a whole year for the next book. My god, this book was great.
OLIVIA IS MENTAL OH MY GOD SOMEONE PLEASE KILL HER. If you thought she was wild before, YOU ARE IN FOR AN INTENSE RIDE. She honestly cannot be reasoned with and she's absolutely lost her damn mind. I went from loving her being crazy to going WHAT THE FUCK OLIVIA GO DIEEEEE. I think she needs to die honestly but maybe she can finally settle down eventually????
Cas and Em are A+ as always. I love them both just as much as before and OMG THEY GOT INTERRUPTED BY A GOD DAMN WAR AND I SCREAMED AT THE BOOK WHEN THAT HAPPENED. Anyways, they didn't exactly cross paths as much in this book since they both have their own crazy dramas going on but I loved them so much.
AREN AND IRIA STOLE MY HEART!!! I have so many feels. I loved Aren so so much in the first book and he got even better. I just love him as a character and the fact that he has such raw emotions in this book broke my heart. I love when people get so caught up in these crazy wars that they forget wtf they're doing and then they think about it and go shit. Iria was such an amazing character and I was 50/50 on my feels about her before but now I'm so sold on her. I loved them. Such a great pair and they're so shippable
THE ENDING WASN'T EVEN THAT BAD BUT I'M STILL ANNOYED ABOUT HAVING TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT ONE
So, I was sitting in my bed on Friday morning and I was scrolling through Instagram when I saw that my local dymocks had early stock in. I instantly screamed and ended up rushing to my store (I was the first in the door at 8:30am and I checked my book out by 8:33am). The lady at the shop was basically as excited as I was and we fangirled about how many good books are coming out - it was great.
Anyways, this book was AWESOME. I loved Ruined so I had pretty high hopes for this and it was honestly just as good. Honestly, I'm only docking 0.5 stars since it wasn't ACOWAR and I can't seem to think about any book that isn't ACOWAR. THIS BOOK WAS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE HOLY SHITTTT EVERYTHINGS GOING TO SHITTTTTT. I can't imagine waiting a whole year for the next book. My god, this book was great.
OLIVIA IS MENTAL OH MY GOD SOMEONE PLEASE KILL HER. If you thought she was wild before, YOU ARE IN FOR AN INTENSE RIDE. She honestly cannot be reasoned with and she's absolutely lost her damn mind. I went from loving her being crazy to going WHAT THE FUCK OLIVIA GO DIEEEEE. I think she needs to die honestly but maybe she can finally settle down eventually????
Cas and Em are A+ as always. I love them both just as much as before and OMG THEY GOT INTERRUPTED BY A GOD DAMN WAR AND I SCREAMED AT THE BOOK WHEN THAT HAPPENED. Anyways, they didn't exactly cross paths as much in this book since they both have their own crazy dramas going on but I loved them so much.
AREN AND IRIA STOLE MY HEART!!! I have so many feels. I loved Aren so so much in the first book and he got even better. I just love him as a character and the fact that he has such raw emotions in this book broke my heart. I love when people get so caught up in these crazy wars that they forget wtf they're doing and then they think about it and go shit. Iria was such an amazing character and I was 50/50 on my feels about her before but now I'm so sold on her. I loved them. Such a great pair and they're so shippable
THE ENDING WASN'T EVEN THAT BAD BUT I'M STILL ANNOYED ABOUT HAVING TO WAIT A YEAR FOR THE NEXT ONE
May 30, 2017
EDIT 30/05/17: oops.
One word to describe this book?
B O R I N G
Since I'm so behind on reviews I'm just going to give you my thoughts in bullet point format;
- the intensity and greatness that was book one was non existent
- second book syndrome
- olivia is crazy don't even try and tell me she isn't
- aren was boring and gave me major Chaol vibes and that isn't good
- who the fuck were these other characters
- i skimmed a lot
- can't even tell you the ending
- lots of filler stuff
- weird dialogue
- scenes that made me go ??????
- seriously why did no one stab Olivia
- Cas was great
- Em sucked tbh
- I really don't know what happened in the last like five chapters so i'll need someone to tell me what did (caitlin or maggie pls help a girl out)
- i wanna smooch Cas still
- but he was dumb
- like majorly dumb
- like someone stab him dumb
- i just wanted to stab a lot of these characters
- I liked violet
- violet was probably the best character
- what even was the plot
- too much
- honestly
- i'm disappointed
- i wanted more
To summarise, this book had hardcore second book syndrome and suffered from not enough important events happening. It's all clearly leading to the final book, but in this particular book it was weakly executed. I found myself doing anything BUT read.
One word to describe this book?
B O R I N G
Since I'm so behind on reviews I'm just going to give you my thoughts in bullet point format;
- the intensity and greatness that was book one was non existent
- second book syndrome
- olivia is crazy don't even try and tell me she isn't
- aren was boring and gave me major Chaol vibes and that isn't good
- who the fuck were these other characters
- i skimmed a lot
- can't even tell you the ending
- lots of filler stuff
- weird dialogue
- scenes that made me go ??????
- seriously why did no one stab Olivia
- Cas was great
- Em sucked tbh
- I really don't know what happened in the last like five chapters so i'll need someone to tell me what did (caitlin or maggie pls help a girl out)
- i wanna smooch Cas still
- but he was dumb
- like majorly dumb
- like someone stab him dumb
- i just wanted to stab a lot of these characters
- I liked violet
- violet was probably the best character
- what even was the plot
- too much
- honestly
- i'm disappointed
- i wanted more
To summarise, this book had hardcore second book syndrome and suffered from not enough important events happening. It's all clearly leading to the final book, but in this particular book it was weakly executed. I found myself doing anything BUT read.
April 23, 2017
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a YA fantasy sequel which was possibly better than the first book in the series.
Em was once again a strong character in this book, and she really showed how clever she was too. Olivia on the other hand was just crazy, going around killing indiscriminately, and I felt really sorry for Em that after going to such lengths to save her sister she had to deal with that kind of behaviour.
The storyline in this was about Olivia going on a bit of a rampage after being freed, killing anyone who got in her way, and anyway who was just trying to get out of her way, and basically wanting to get revenge for what had been done to her people. Em on the other hand wanted to keep her promise to Cas that the Ruined wouldn’t attack Lera, and also wanted to live in peace with the neighbouring kingdoms, something that Olivia really wasn’t interested in. I did love the action in this book though, and the constant twists made for a really good story. I also liked the way the romance developed, even if we did get a couple of extra people thrown in to mess things up, and Cas and Em are just so sweet together!
The ending to this really left things up in the air again, and I really can’t wait for book 3 to see what Em is planning next.
8 out of 10
“Everyone ran from her now. People whispered her name, as that man had. They said it with fear.
It was what she had always wanted.
It did not feel as good as she had expected.”
This was a YA fantasy sequel which was possibly better than the first book in the series.
Em was once again a strong character in this book, and she really showed how clever she was too. Olivia on the other hand was just crazy, going around killing indiscriminately, and I felt really sorry for Em that after going to such lengths to save her sister she had to deal with that kind of behaviour.
The storyline in this was about Olivia going on a bit of a rampage after being freed, killing anyone who got in her way, and anyway who was just trying to get out of her way, and basically wanting to get revenge for what had been done to her people. Em on the other hand wanted to keep her promise to Cas that the Ruined wouldn’t attack Lera, and also wanted to live in peace with the neighbouring kingdoms, something that Olivia really wasn’t interested in. I did love the action in this book though, and the constant twists made for a really good story. I also liked the way the romance developed, even if we did get a couple of extra people thrown in to mess things up, and Cas and Em are just so sweet together!
The ending to this really left things up in the air again, and I really can’t wait for book 3 to see what Em is planning next.
8 out of 10
June 26, 2018
really fucking boring, oops
August 15, 2018
This is one of those series that doesn't get enough attention or recognition. And as I read more and more junk books week after week, that makes me really sad. But anyways, I digress. This book is great. This series is great. These characters are great and this world is awesome. I was never bored reading this book, that is so rare.
I really like Em, she doesn't really do stupid things which is so refreshing. Olivia is nuts, but I do love her character. Cas and Aren are so sweet and add so much to the story. You just don't find characters like this very often.
I hope more people start reading this series! You're missing out.
I really like Em, she doesn't really do stupid things which is so refreshing. Olivia is nuts, but I do love her character. Cas and Aren are so sweet and add so much to the story. You just don't find characters like this very often.
I hope more people start reading this series! You're missing out.
July 7, 2018
THANKS FOR THE BUDDY READ ANDREA
And OMG, I'm still in love with this series. Olivia still scares me shitless. I love Em's friendship with Aren. I will forever ship Em with Cas. I'm still secretly plotting Olivia and August's death for the next book and I also pray that it happens. I won't apologize either.
Okay, so the chemistry between Em and Cas is beyond amazing! I love them so freaking much. I feel bad for her because of how bloodthirsty Olivia is throughout the book because she's batshit crazy. Then there's Aren and I absolutely loved him with Iria. Again, I loved so many people in this book and still hated the same people too, like: Olivia, August, and Jovita.
FUCKING JOVITA - she ruins so much shit in this book. I don't even want to talk about that conniving bitch right now. Her and Olivia would probably be really good friends because of their psychotic abilities and shit.. but in this book they are enemies.
Overall, I still loved this book and the point of views. I loved getting to know more about certain characters and loving them more. I also really liked hating the same characters too. Waiting for the next book to show up in my hands because I just want so many things to happen in that book. I need a happy ending for my ship, I really need it to sail guys, and I also really want certain people to die. I WANT SO MUCH!
________________________________________________________
I'm 100% shook people.
I can't accept that type of ending.
I can't accept that amy is freaking breaking my heart by not letting my ships be together.
Get ready for a shit ton of spoilers people:
And now I feel like I'm in a book coma or having a book hangover because I have no idea how I will recuperate from this book.
And OMG, I'm still in love with this series. Olivia still scares me shitless. I love Em's friendship with Aren. I will forever ship Em with Cas. I'm still secretly plotting Olivia and August's death for the next book and I also pray that it happens. I won't apologize either.
Okay, so the chemistry between Em and Cas is beyond amazing! I love them so freaking much. I feel bad for her because of how bloodthirsty Olivia is throughout the book because she's batshit crazy. Then there's Aren and I absolutely loved him with Iria. Again, I loved so many people in this book and still hated the same people too, like: Olivia, August, and Jovita.
FUCKING JOVITA - she ruins so much shit in this book. I don't even want to talk about that conniving bitch right now. Her and Olivia would probably be really good friends because of their psychotic abilities and shit.. but in this book they are enemies.
Overall, I still loved this book and the point of views. I loved getting to know more about certain characters and loving them more. I also really liked hating the same characters too. Waiting for the next book to show up in my hands because I just want so many things to happen in that book. I need a happy ending for my ship, I really need it to sail guys, and I also really want certain people to die. I WANT SO MUCH!
________________________________________________________
I'm 100% shook people.
I can't accept that type of ending.
I can't accept that amy is freaking breaking my heart by not letting my ships be together.
Get ready for a shit ton of spoilers people:
And now I feel like I'm in a book coma or having a book hangover because I have no idea how I will recuperate from this book.
February 7, 2017
Yesss!! AVENGED is just as good as the first! Of course it ends with a bang! Now what the heck do I do while I wait for book 3???? Argh! Why can't authors have magic and release books back to back? Lol! AVENGED did not disappoint! Huge 5 stars from me!
August 19, 2017
Really good installment! I hate to just say this but I really wanted Em to kill her sister. As bad as that sounds lol
Looking forward to book three next year! I was nervous because of some of the reviews on this series but honestly I have really enjoyed it so far. They are quick and entertaining books.
Looking forward to book three next year! I was nervous because of some of the reviews on this series but honestly I have really enjoyed it so far. They are quick and entertaining books.
March 1, 2020
I adored the first book in this series, so when my copy of Avenged arrived, I dove right in. Now that Emelina has saved her sister, and returned her people to Ruina, she finds herself somewhat regretting her actions. Olivia is nothing like she remembered - she's cruel, and wants nothing more than to punish the Lerans, and anyone who is against Ruina, or at least, who Olivia thinks is against them. Em is conflicted, because her time in Lera, pretending to be Cas's fiancee has shown her that not all of the Lerans are evil, but she has to hide that from her sister, because Olivia thinks it's Em's romantic feelings clouding her judgement, and anyway, she won't let anything get in her way. Olivia is the rightful queen, and though Em has done what she can to help recover Ruina, and it's people, the fact remains that Em has no power, and is basically a second class citizen, at least in the eyes of some of the hardcore Ruined.
I really enjoyed this book, and Em just endeared herself to me even more. After the diarchy - dual monarchy - was announced, we saw Em use her diplomacy and tact that she had developed over the years, to counterbalance Olivia's hate and ruthlessness. Cas has been trying to keep a hold on Lera, but when his vindictive cousin, Jovita, starts to plot against him, and he is poisoned, he has to flee, and is found by Em, who saves him. They start to plan a peace treaty, between their two nations, but Olivia is actively against it, and the Ruined force Cas to have to flee again. The action is fast paced, and on every single page, and Em has to use everything she has to survive and protect those she cares about the most.
In this book, I think I loved Em even more than I had in Ruined. She has matured and developed just like I thought she would, and because of her being treated as useless to the Ruined, and especially when compared with Olivia, she can't rely on her own power. She constantly has to prove to people why she deserves to be one of the Queens, and though she is the better monarch, a lot of people don't agree with her. Cas is fantastic too, facing nearly as much pressure as Em is, and their love and affection for each other is there as much as it was in book 1, but developing into something stronger and more tangible.
Olivia is just a crazy, ticking time bomb, and this book definitely starts setting the ground work for the final book, Allied. She is someone we need to keep and eye on, and I hope Em is able to stop her before it's too late.
I really enjoyed this book, and Em just endeared herself to me even more. After the diarchy - dual monarchy - was announced, we saw Em use her diplomacy and tact that she had developed over the years, to counterbalance Olivia's hate and ruthlessness. Cas has been trying to keep a hold on Lera, but when his vindictive cousin, Jovita, starts to plot against him, and he is poisoned, he has to flee, and is found by Em, who saves him. They start to plan a peace treaty, between their two nations, but Olivia is actively against it, and the Ruined force Cas to have to flee again. The action is fast paced, and on every single page, and Em has to use everything she has to survive and protect those she cares about the most.
In this book, I think I loved Em even more than I had in Ruined. She has matured and developed just like I thought she would, and because of her being treated as useless to the Ruined, and especially when compared with Olivia, she can't rely on her own power. She constantly has to prove to people why she deserves to be one of the Queens, and though she is the better monarch, a lot of people don't agree with her. Cas is fantastic too, facing nearly as much pressure as Em is, and their love and affection for each other is there as much as it was in book 1, but developing into something stronger and more tangible.
Olivia is just a crazy, ticking time bomb, and this book definitely starts setting the ground work for the final book, Allied. She is someone we need to keep and eye on, and I hope Em is able to stop her before it's too late.
July 7, 2018
I enjoyed this reread so much and I really needed it! I can't wait to read Allied in the next week.
Em and Cas are such strong characters and I loved seeing what happened after everything blew up in their faces. Cas has to learn to fight for what he wants since everything he ever wanted was handed to him on a silver platter. Em struggles to learn just how far she'll go for Olivia's bloodthirsty revenge.
Avenged introduces two new perspectives into the narrative: Aren and Olivia. While Olivia's chapters are few, the picture they create is astounding. Olivia is a very complicated character and has probably been driven mad by her power. What she wants is pretty straight forward, but the way she goes about getting it is questionable in its morals/ethics. Honestly, she's quite a scary character. Do I like her? I'm not sure, but I know I like Em a hell of a lot more.
I really enjoyed getting to know Aren. He was a predominant presence in Ruined, but now we really get to know him and what his powers can do. When Olivia teaches him about detaching, his struggle with it is realistic and raw. I love him more for what he goes through in this book.
I don't think this book suffers from middle book syndrome. Yes there is a part that's slower than the rest of it, but there are so many things constantly going on that it doesn't make it boring at all. So many new struggles are introduced into this and the way things have been left is going to make it very hard for Ruina to solve its problems.
____________________________________________________________
This was a great sequel to the crazy book that was Ruined. There were more problems introduced in this novel and a lot of them are closer to Em/Cas than they might've first thought. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives in this story, except for Olivia. I think her ruined power is driving her crazy. As the book goes on, the girl just gets crazier! Also, she acts like a child not a queen. I wonder if/how peace will ever be achieved between Ruina and the other nations...
Em and Cas are such strong characters and I loved seeing what happened after everything blew up in their faces. Cas has to learn to fight for what he wants since everything he ever wanted was handed to him on a silver platter. Em struggles to learn just how far she'll go for Olivia's bloodthirsty revenge.
Avenged introduces two new perspectives into the narrative: Aren and Olivia. While Olivia's chapters are few, the picture they create is astounding. Olivia is a very complicated character and has probably been driven mad by her power. What she wants is pretty straight forward, but the way she goes about getting it is questionable in its morals/ethics. Honestly, she's quite a scary character. Do I like her? I'm not sure, but I know I like Em a hell of a lot more.
I really enjoyed getting to know Aren. He was a predominant presence in Ruined, but now we really get to know him and what his powers can do. When Olivia teaches him about detaching, his struggle with it is realistic and raw. I love him more for what he goes through in this book.
I don't think this book suffers from middle book syndrome. Yes there is a part that's slower than the rest of it, but there are so many things constantly going on that it doesn't make it boring at all. So many new struggles are introduced into this and the way things have been left is going to make it very hard for Ruina to solve its problems.
____________________________________________________________
This was a great sequel to the crazy book that was Ruined. There were more problems introduced in this novel and a lot of them are closer to Em/Cas than they might've first thought. I really enjoyed the multiple perspectives in this story, except for Olivia. I think her ruined power is driving her crazy. As the book goes on, the girl just gets crazier! Also, she acts like a child not a queen. I wonder if/how peace will ever be achieved between Ruina and the other nations...
April 25, 2017
It's not often the sequel is just as amazing, if not better than the first. Tintera pleasantly surprised me with Ruined, the first book in the series, and she wowed me yet again with Avenged. I simply could not stop reading this book. I fell even harder for Cas and Em. Their moments together were tense, steamy, and entirely not enough. I wanted more!!!!
In this book, everything is laid out. Betrayals happen, a LOT of lives were lost, and every minute of it was pure awesomeness. I was pretty skeptical of the relationship between Olivia and Em and just how strong their sisterhood is. There were moments that surprised me and showed me just how much Olivia cared for Em. I knew Em already from the first book and her love for her sister is evident, but Olivia was a ticking time bomb, and I just didn't know how much she loved Em. In the end though, things progressed as expected and while their relationship is tense and rocky at best, I could see the love. Also, let me point out that Olivia is pretty badass. Whew! You have to watch out for that girl.
The plot gets so twisted and develops a lot more in this book. It was great. I swear, there wasn't anything that I didn't like about this book, except for maybe more Cas and Em time. There's a lot of action, but also a lot of politics and plotting. I liked seeing how things played out, who betrays who, and who ends up on top. As for Cas and Em, there's just something about them. I loved their relationship right from the start and you can't help but root for them. I'm also going to mention that I really liked Aren's story in this book and I can't stand Jovita.
Ugh, seriously, I am dying for the third book and that's definitely going to be one of my most highly anticipated books next year. This book draws you in right from the start and you won't want to put this book down. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I'm tempted to try out some other books from Amy as well.
In this book, everything is laid out. Betrayals happen, a LOT of lives were lost, and every minute of it was pure awesomeness. I was pretty skeptical of the relationship between Olivia and Em and just how strong their sisterhood is. There were moments that surprised me and showed me just how much Olivia cared for Em. I knew Em already from the first book and her love for her sister is evident, but Olivia was a ticking time bomb, and I just didn't know how much she loved Em. In the end though, things progressed as expected and while their relationship is tense and rocky at best, I could see the love. Also, let me point out that Olivia is pretty badass. Whew! You have to watch out for that girl.
The plot gets so twisted and develops a lot more in this book. It was great. I swear, there wasn't anything that I didn't like about this book, except for maybe more Cas and Em time. There's a lot of action, but also a lot of politics and plotting. I liked seeing how things played out, who betrays who, and who ends up on top. As for Cas and Em, there's just something about them. I loved their relationship right from the start and you can't help but root for them. I'm also going to mention that I really liked Aren's story in this book and I can't stand Jovita.
Ugh, seriously, I am dying for the third book and that's definitely going to be one of my most highly anticipated books next year. This book draws you in right from the start and you won't want to put this book down. This series is quickly becoming one of my favorites and I'm tempted to try out some other books from Amy as well.
June 9, 2019
😱😱😱
Todo lo que pasó en este libro!! No lo puedo creer!! Me encantó, superó a la primera parte de la trilogía y me hizo amar muchísimo más a los personajes.
Al igual que el primer libro fue súper atrapante, lo leí en dos días y no podía dejar de leerlo, necesitaba saber que estaba pasando constantemente.
Muchos personajes que en Ruina no me convencían en este libro me empezaron a gustar. La protagonista, Em, si bien no es el personaje más original del mundo, me gusta su forma de razonar y que dentro de ella haya tranquilidad y a la vez ganas de guerra. Contrasta mucho con su hermana Olivia, de ella no les voy a decir nada, descubran a la encantadora Olivia y sus ganas de venganza leyendo el libro.
Cas, en el anterior libro no me gustaba nada y ahora ya no. Aunque me molesta que sea tan bueno, hasta la protagonista tiene su lado oscuro.. y digamos que ya me cansé un poco del príncipe perfecto 🤔
Aren me parecía un personaje súper de más en el libro pasado y ahora tiene un papel importante en la trama, al igual que Iria.
En este segundo libro, la guerra entre los cuatro reinos crece mucho más, lleno de batallas, sangre, magia, poder, el libro es sumamente entretenido y no lo podes soltar.
Y para todos los que preguntan... Tiene mucho más romance que el anterior y es una parte importante de la trama!
No pueden no leerlo si les gusta la fantasía! 😱
.
Yo leyendo venganza: 😍😱🤪😅🤗
Todo lo que pasó en este libro!! No lo puedo creer!! Me encantó, superó a la primera parte de la trilogía y me hizo amar muchísimo más a los personajes.
Al igual que el primer libro fue súper atrapante, lo leí en dos días y no podía dejar de leerlo, necesitaba saber que estaba pasando constantemente.
Muchos personajes que en Ruina no me convencían en este libro me empezaron a gustar. La protagonista, Em, si bien no es el personaje más original del mundo, me gusta su forma de razonar y que dentro de ella haya tranquilidad y a la vez ganas de guerra. Contrasta mucho con su hermana Olivia, de ella no les voy a decir nada, descubran a la encantadora Olivia y sus ganas de venganza leyendo el libro.
Cas, en el anterior libro no me gustaba nada y ahora ya no. Aunque me molesta que sea tan bueno, hasta la protagonista tiene su lado oscuro.. y digamos que ya me cansé un poco del príncipe perfecto 🤔
Aren me parecía un personaje súper de más en el libro pasado y ahora tiene un papel importante en la trama, al igual que Iria.
En este segundo libro, la guerra entre los cuatro reinos crece mucho más, lleno de batallas, sangre, magia, poder, el libro es sumamente entretenido y no lo podes soltar.
Y para todos los que preguntan... Tiene mucho más romance que el anterior y es una parte importante de la trama!
No pueden no leerlo si les gusta la fantasía! 😱
.
Yo leyendo venganza: 😍😱🤪😅🤗
May 10, 2017
3.5. Marginally better than the first but I was bored a lot throughout, so yikes. The writing is still weird for me--some of it seems so colloquial, which is out of place for this sort of fantasy setting. I wasn't a fan of it--the writing, in general, seemed underdeveloped and boring. In any case, this was definitely fast-paced, despite my lag to finish it.
I also liked Em more in this novel! She truly shined--shone? Is that the right term?--in this sequel and it was great seeing her as queen, as someone who would fight for her people. Reading about the Ruined following and trusting her was amazing.
Then there was Olivia. For a lack of a better term, Olivia was just bat shit crazy. I didn't like her character at ALL. She was wild, and not in a good way. I honestly didn't understand her obsession with killing everything in her way. Yeah, okay, it makes things easier in the present? But in the long shot? Nope. Reading her parts made me grimace.
The romance, to my surprise, was sweet. It was the thing that bothered me most about Ruined--I was tired of seeing princesses going for revenge falling for the enemy. I still am. But that isn't the story arc anymore so Cas and Em were really adorable together. I was also hoping to see something with Iria and Aren, but was disappointed in that regard.
Hmm. A lot of things happened in this book but since it took me nearly a month to finish, not much stands out to me anymore. This series, really, isn't anything too special. If you liked book one, I think you'll like this one as well. It wasn't a bad sequel--definitely a super boring one or one that's just a placeholder, for lack of a better term, between book one and book three. Sooo, yeah, 3 and a half stars. Kinda curious where the final book is going to take Em and her allies.
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THE TITLE DOESNT START WITH AN R AND I FEEL MORE THAN WEIRD—I FEEL BETRAYED
----
I'm gonna feel a bit weird if the title of this book doesn't begin with an R....
I also liked Em more in this novel! She truly shined--shone? Is that the right term?--in this sequel and it was great seeing her as queen, as someone who would fight for her people. Reading about the Ruined following and trusting her was amazing.
Then there was Olivia. For a lack of a better term, Olivia was just bat shit crazy. I didn't like her character at ALL. She was wild, and not in a good way. I honestly didn't understand her obsession with killing everything in her way. Yeah, okay, it makes things easier in the present? But in the long shot? Nope. Reading her parts made me grimace.
The romance, to my surprise, was sweet. It was the thing that bothered me most about Ruined--I was tired of seeing princesses going for revenge falling for the enemy. I still am. But that isn't the story arc anymore so Cas and Em were really adorable together. I was also hoping to see something with Iria and Aren, but was disappointed in that regard.
Hmm. A lot of things happened in this book but since it took me nearly a month to finish, not much stands out to me anymore. This series, really, isn't anything too special. If you liked book one, I think you'll like this one as well. It wasn't a bad sequel--definitely a super boring one or one that's just a placeholder, for lack of a better term, between book one and book three. Sooo, yeah, 3 and a half stars. Kinda curious where the final book is going to take Em and her allies.
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THE TITLE DOESNT START WITH AN R AND I FEEL MORE THAN WEIRD—I FEEL BETRAYED
----
I'm gonna feel a bit weird if the title of this book doesn't begin with an R....
April 25, 2017
Once again Tintera takes us on a brutal, bloody, devious ride in this breathtaking sequel to Ruined.
Em and friends are on the run after having finally revealing all their secrets and getting revenge for those that harmed them in the past but if they think their adventure is over then they are so wrong.
We once again see how corrupt Em's world and those in it have become and at the very heart of that corruption, lies those that Em thought she could trust and love.
This was such an unexpected ride. Truly there is so much deception and deceit around every corner, in all kingdoms. It is hard to know who to trust, who you can count on, and who is your friend and worst of all in Em's case, even who to love.
This was a thrilling heart pounding ride and while I thought this series was going to be a duology for some reason, it turns out there is yet another book out there and I couldn't be more excited about it. This truly is a series that will keep you on the edge of your seat and rapidly turning the pages.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
Em and friends are on the run after having finally revealing all their secrets and getting revenge for those that harmed them in the past but if they think their adventure is over then they are so wrong.
We once again see how corrupt Em's world and those in it have become and at the very heart of that corruption, lies those that Em thought she could trust and love.
This was such an unexpected ride. Truly there is so much deception and deceit around every corner, in all kingdoms. It is hard to know who to trust, who you can count on, and who is your friend and worst of all in Em's case, even who to love.
This was a thrilling heart pounding ride and while I thought this series was going to be a duology for some reason, it turns out there is yet another book out there and I couldn't be more excited about it. This truly is a series that will keep you on the edge of your seat and rapidly turning the pages.
*ARC copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*
May 29, 2022
4.5/5 Stars
I'm too lazy to do a full review of this one, but here's my opinion of this one really quickly:
Avenged is fantastic. It continues to flesh out the world of Ruined, while still being a quick and fun read. I love how the characters develop, and their relationships as well. This book does not suffer from the sequel-slump that a lot of second books in series do. It's full of action, romance, and political intrigue.
Overall, Avenged was a great installment in a fun fantasy series that has you dying for the conclusion.
I'm too lazy to do a full review of this one, but here's my opinion of this one really quickly:
Avenged is fantastic. It continues to flesh out the world of Ruined, while still being a quick and fun read. I love how the characters develop, and their relationships as well. This book does not suffer from the sequel-slump that a lot of second books in series do. It's full of action, romance, and political intrigue.
Overall, Avenged was a great installment in a fun fantasy series that has you dying for the conclusion.
Want to read
May 12, 2016
September 8, 2017
This is one of the best second books I've read in a very long time! It did not have second book syndrome, it was amazing and i cant wait for the next book!
April 21, 2019
As with most sequels, I can not say anything without risking spoilers.. But I can say this. This book does not suffer from second one book syndrome at all. This was an incredibly strong and exciting sequel.
February 22, 2017
Omg I need book 3 and Olivia can suck it!!
September 14, 2017
I guess I'll settle on my initial 3.5 star rating, although I think I'll round it down. I have been doing this (rounding 0.5 stars down instead of up) occasionally. I decided if I don't have enough to say to write a full review, then it's probably not a 4-star book.
What can I (briefly) say? The character development was okay, and the plot was decent. It lacked some of the excitement and moved at a slower pace than book 1, though. The main thrill was Olivia's unpredictability, which I am curious to see play out in the series finale.
Cas has some unlikely characteristics which make him interesting and endearing. Em is as reliable and level-headed as ever. I like the pair and how they compliment each other. Even though this book was a 'like it' instead of a 'love it' book for me, I will read the next installment to see how Tintera wraps this series up. Will Olivia finally totally lose it? Perhaps. Will Cas and Em get a happy ending? I'll be surprised if they don't!
What can I (briefly) say? The character development was okay, and the plot was decent. It lacked some of the excitement and moved at a slower pace than book 1, though. The main thrill was Olivia's unpredictability, which I am curious to see play out in the series finale.
Cas has some unlikely characteristics which make him interesting and endearing. Em is as reliable and level-headed as ever. I like the pair and how they compliment each other. Even though this book was a 'like it' instead of a 'love it' book for me, I will read the next installment to see how Tintera wraps this series up. Will Olivia finally totally lose it? Perhaps. Will Cas and Em get a happy ending? I'll be surprised if they don't!
March 19, 2018
AREN AND IRIA OHMYGOD I CANT EVEN DEAL WITH THIS ANYMORE
I LOVE U AREN
literally. I only love AREN and Iria. That’s it. goodbye to Em, Cas, and Olivia. The only reason I want the 3rd book is FOR MY BABIES
I LOVE U AREN
literally. I only love AREN and Iria. That’s it. goodbye to Em, Cas, and Olivia. The only reason I want the 3rd book is FOR MY BABIES
June 30, 2016
I feel like Em's sister Olivia is a psychopath. Oh wait, she is.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 23, 2018
I LOVE THIS SERIES SO MUCH Y’ALL ITS BADASS AF 👏🏻
February 7, 2017
HO-LY SHE-IT I AM SHOOK. Ruined ends on some pretty big moments, and Avenged just keeps it going. Em is such a cool MC. What I like about her is that she is the anti-special one. Her sister Olivia is this world's superpowered The One, but with it, she's basically sacrificed any empathy and possibly her sanity, and she's basically a murderous psychopath with a major superiority complex. Em, in contrast, is the level-headed one with a plan. She reminds me of Lia from The Remnant Chronicles. Em uses her head to get... well, ahead, and is super good playing the political game. She's decently strong physically and can fight, but she's not The Best Fighter Of All Time. No, she's a teenage girl with skills that came from several years of training and hard work. These two sisters as foils is everything. Saving a sibling is a super common YA trope, but Avenged really explores whether rescuing the sibling was a good thing.
Avenged is super interesting with the political mind-f*ckery going on, although at some point, I just want to be like, "okay, guys. Yes, YOUR PARENTS murdered HER family, and SHE murdered that OTHER GIRL's family, and that OTHER GIRL murdered your MOM, but then that OTHER DUDE murdered your DAD because your DAD murdered THAT ONE GUY so you're all just going to have to get over it." The web of deceit and treachery is VAST with this cast. These four kingdoms just can not be happy without murder, which is interesting, but come on. At some point, literally everyone is going to be dead because they can't stop searching for vengeance. The title is super apt because this book is exploring at what point avenging a loved one or your kingdom is too high a price to pay. But watching the behind-the-scenes and having people learn to step up and be good leaders is pretty cool.
I still really like the world. It's got an interesting feel to it. 1. I do wish that there were a map because the positioning of the kingdoms is confusing to me so seeing it would make so much sense. 2. Avenged takes place super shortly after Ruined so I didn't understand how it was super hot in Ruined, but really really cold in Avenged? Like, I get that Lera has some jungle, and Ruina is in this barren wasteland, but if they're close enough that these people can walk to the other kingdoms in a matter of days, not weeks, the temperature differences shouldn't be QUITE that drastic.
I love all the relationships in this series. Not only do we have foil sisters suddenly in the weirdest diarchy of all time and suuuuuper swoony romance (seriously, Cas and Em kissing is just my favorite), but we have platonic friends, a new out-of-nowhere-but-I-dig-it cross-kingdom romance, political intrigue, a fun group of royal bros, and the Ruined suddenly respecting the hell out of Em for her ability to lead them. ABOUT DANG TIME.
Avenged is a really solid sequel, and honestly, I have zero idea how I'm going to survive until book 3.
Avenged is super interesting with the political mind-f*ckery going on, although at some point, I just want to be like, "okay, guys. Yes, YOUR PARENTS murdered HER family, and SHE murdered that OTHER GIRL's family, and that OTHER GIRL murdered your MOM, but then that OTHER DUDE murdered your DAD because your DAD murdered THAT ONE GUY so you're all just going to have to get over it." The web of deceit and treachery is VAST with this cast. These four kingdoms just can not be happy without murder, which is interesting, but come on. At some point, literally everyone is going to be dead because they can't stop searching for vengeance. The title is super apt because this book is exploring at what point avenging a loved one or your kingdom is too high a price to pay. But watching the behind-the-scenes and having people learn to step up and be good leaders is pretty cool.
I still really like the world. It's got an interesting feel to it. 1. I do wish that there were a map because the positioning of the kingdoms is confusing to me so seeing it would make so much sense. 2. Avenged takes place super shortly after Ruined so I didn't understand how it was super hot in Ruined, but really really cold in Avenged? Like, I get that Lera has some jungle, and Ruina is in this barren wasteland, but if they're close enough that these people can walk to the other kingdoms in a matter of days, not weeks, the temperature differences shouldn't be QUITE that drastic.
I love all the relationships in this series. Not only do we have foil sisters suddenly in the weirdest diarchy of all time and suuuuuper swoony romance (seriously, Cas and Em kissing is just my favorite), but we have platonic friends, a new out-of-nowhere-but-I-dig-it cross-kingdom romance, political intrigue, a fun group of royal bros, and the Ruined suddenly respecting the hell out of Em for her ability to lead them. ABOUT DANG TIME.
Avenged is a really solid sequel, and honestly, I have zero idea how I'm going to survive until book 3.
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