Hi bookish friends!
I can't believe it's December already and the end of the year is just around the corner. I'm definitely excited to finish a few more books before the end of the year.
For our first post in December, I'm sharing a review, book playlist, and highlighting some of my favorite quotes from Realm of Ruins by Hannah West. The author expertly weaved the threads of dark fantasy and fairytales to deliver a climactic story that fans of Leigh Bardugo and Stephanie Garber will relish. There is also a review for Hannah West's first work Kingdom of Ash and Briars.
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About the Book
Realm of Ruins
(The Nissera Chronicles #2)
by Hannah West
Release Date: December 4th 2018
Publisher: Holiday House
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Synopsis:
Valory’s power is different . . . it’s dangerous, unruly, and destructive. But can she channel it to crush a cunning enemy and save the realm from chaos?
Welcome to Nissera, land of three kingdoms and home to spectacular magic.
A century after her legendary ancestors overcame a bloodthirsty tyrant, seventeen-year-old Valory Braiosa attends a training academy for elicromancers, immortal beings with magical gifts. Yet Valory’s immense power seems impossible to tame, and she faces imprisonment by the Nisseran authorities. Then a forbidden resurrection spell awakens a long-dormant evil, and Valory may be the only one who can vanquish this terrifying villain. Together with a band of allies—including an old friend; a haughty princess; and a mysterious, handsome stranger—Valory must learn to harness her power and fight back.
Weaving together her imaginative world of gritty fairytale magic with snippets from Beauty and the Beast and other classic stories, Hannah West’s dark and dangerous adventure is a gripping, immersive companion to her acclaimed debut, Kingdom of Ash and Briars. This richly packaged edition includes an illustrated family tree, detailed map, and embossed jacket with shimmering metallic effects.
Book Links
About the Author
Hannah West is the author of Kingdom of Ash and Briars and its companion, Realm of Ruins. She's always loved writing about magic and fairytales, but her time studying abroad in Orléans, France inspired her to finally write and publish a fantasy novel. She's a freelance writer and vegetarian living in Texas with her husband and their rambunctious blue heeler.
Author Links
Extra Materials
FREE ebook for the novella, Fields of Fire, on all digital retailers:
Click here
Disclaimer: It might be restricted by country.
Reviews
Realm of Ruins
The concept of fate and fulfilling a prophecy is always an interesting concept to explore in literature. Author Hannah West uses this concept as a foundation for her protagonist in Realm of Ruins,Valory Braiosa. West builds Valory is a strong individual who struggles to rise against the current of destiny and gain control over her powers as an elicromancer. Yet control is something fragile as glass and drifts with the slightest breeze. In a story full of action reader will find themselves surrendering to the tide of fate and find themselves steering their own waves to the future much like Valory.
Each character in the story is written with a distinct purpose that make them distinguishable characters that all strive to the unison goal of doing their part for the realm. Realm of Ruins is set at a high pace that matches Valory's journey as she encounters a secretive prince, battles against betrayal, and takes up the gauntlet of her predecessors to protect the land she holds dear.
I really enjoyed West's incorporation of the darker element's of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast in Realm of Ruins. West paid excellent homage to these fairytales by emphasizing how these classic stories center around protagonists who find the truth within a distorted world and provide readers with a window to something greater. West's allusions to Kingdom of Ash and Briars whisper through the pages in a manner that continually pulls readers into the world of Nissera.
Kingdom of Ash and Briars
Set 100 years prior to Realm of Ruins, Kingdom of Ash and Briars is the first installment in the Nissera Chronicles. While these books can be read independently, and in non-sequential order, I engaged with Realm of Ruins so much that I immediately turned to Kingdom of Ash and Briars to continue voyaging in West's imagination. Full of legends and magic, this world of fantasy is just unforgettable!
Favorite Quotes
"Winter still lingered in every shadow." ~Realm of Ruins
"These words were intended to be spoken amid joyous revelers, but somehow they were more precious whispered in the shadows of rebellion."~Realm of Ruins
"Destruction and transformation were only the results of the Water's true power: its power of choice."~Realm of Ruins
"The heart is even more powerful than elicrin magic. Have you ever been so angry, so torn, that you felt everything and nothing all at once?" ~Kingdom of Ash and Briars
"I got up and ran as a fox through the cold winter woods, feeling the snow settle in my fur, knowing magic would always run in the heat of my blood."~Kingdom of Ash and Briars
Realm of Ruins Playlist
Giveaway
Win 1 of 5 bundles of the Nissera Chronicles (US Only)
Bundle includes:
1 physical copy of Kingdom of Ash and Briars + 1 physical copy of Realm of Ruins.
Giveaway starts: 4th December 2018
Giveaway finishes: 17th December 2018
Click here
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