Synopsis from Goodreads:
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 just because Em and Olivia are out of Lera doesn’t mean they are safe. Their actions over the past year have had consequences, and they are now targets of retaliation. Olivia will destroy everyone who acts against Ruina. 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. Lera may have destroyed the Ruined for decades, but Em knows that Cas is different. And now that he’s 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, she 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.
I am a big fan of this series! I absolutely adored Ruined when it came out and I feel the same way about Avenged! This was one of my most anticipated reads, and I am pleased to say it met every single one of my expectations.
The Ruined series is definitely not the newest thing on the block. It reads really similarly to Snow Like Ashes or The Orphan Queen, but some how Tintera makes it feel like these books are the freshest, newest thing in fantasy YA.
Em and Cas are just literally….. SO FREAKING CUTE! I can’t handle the cuteness really. I’m such a sucker for the “I’m pretending to be someone else, so I’ll marry you and plot to kill you and end up falling in love with you.” I will forever read that trope and love it.
I really loved Avenged because we got a lot more ships and a lot more POVs. And with said POVs supporting characters became main characters AND I LOVED THAT! Aren and Iria particularly stole the show. Each of these characters just paved out Em and Cas and became such essential pieces to the puzzle. I can’t wait to see more of what happens with those two!
The politics of this series is really intense too. I honestly have no idea how all of the political strife will be solved, which is really cool as a reader. Ideally, I would love if Cas and Em unite Ruina and Lera, but Oliva has made sure that’ll be next to impossible. I’m ready for Oliva to die too because she is just so freaking frustrating. And she made Aren the cinnamon roll hurt, and that’s never okay!!
I cannot wait for book 3 and I just wanna read it all ready!!!
★★★★★
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