Bright Ruin by Vic James

Wow! Loved the Dark Gift series by Vic James and Bright Ruin was a fantastic finale. I have waited so long for the last book! Now that the last page is read, I am left with that crushing feeling caused by end of series withdrawals. I can only hope the author has more in store for readers (aka me) in the future.

Going into this last book, I was wondering how all of the political intrigue was going to end and who would be the winners and who would be the losers. Therefore, it was great that the book picks up right where Tarnished City ends. I am happy to report that some characters got what they deserved and yet others did not. Of course, this is a dystopian series, so I expected this along with the deaths of characters whose actions warranted a better result. 

The thing that surprised me the most is how my feelings about the charter of Silyen changed. I never liked him, I found him to be too creepy for my tastes. In Bright Ruin, Ms. James delved deeper into his psyche and it helped me to connect with him. If she hadn’t, I would have been sorely disappointed with how it all shook out in the end. Also, Luke and Abi have changed roles, Abi has now taken over the role of revolutionary and Luke is the one who is sympathetic towards the Jardines (or at least one of them).

I would love to give more details, but if I did, I would spoil this exceptional tale for other readers. I will tell you that this series has some of the best world building I have ready in a long time. The charters were done with such foresight and thoughtfulness. Even when the roles of Luke and Abi changed in the story, you get it. The plot moved along swiftly and even though the story moves between multiple characters it all worked seamlessly. No doubt I will reread this series again sometime in the future.

I highly recommend this series to all loves of fantasy, especially those readers who crave that dystopian element. Word of caution, you need to read the books in order starting with Gilded Cage. These books are not intended to be read as a stand-alone.

I received an ARC from the publisher, via Net Galley, in exchange for my honest review.