I will not be giving feedback on this book as I couldn’t really get into it but I think others may enjoy it.

I did not read this book but would like to in the future. Unfortunately for me, it was archived before I could download it.

I was super excited to read Queen of Ruin having read and loved Grace and Fury only minutes before I picked this up.

We start directly from where we left off with Grace and Fury. With the two sisters having to deal with the disasters consequences of previous events. But it is these events that define them and they go from strength to strength. Becoming the strong, powerful leaders required to control the situation.

Out of both of them I preferred Nomi's story. It was subtler and less brutal. Also we got to find out more about Malachi and Renzo which was a plus. Mainly because we got a better understand on the hierarchy of this world and a much larger view. Instead of being set in two places - the place and Mount Ruin, we also got the coast and the sisters hometown and everything in between. 

For me, while I loved the story, the telling of it felt rushed. Like there should have been a third book but instead the action was crammed into one. I'm not complaining because it was an action packed read. But I felt like a longer book was necessary to stop the ending from being rushed. 

And there is so much more to happen. I wish that there had been an epilogue either a few months or years down the line. Just to see the changes. But may be there is a third book? (I don't think there will be but here's hoping!).

Queen of Ruin was a quick read, that finished the duology in a satisfying way. While not up to the standard of its predecessor and with so much potential left to give this is more likely to only satisfy those who are fans of the first book. Otherwise I am demanding more please!

When I read Grace & Fury the ending left me completely gobsmacked. I needed the second book like I needed air...and when I finally got to read Queen of Ruin, it definitely didn't disappoint.

The thing that struck me most was the transformation of the characters, particularly Serina. Although Serina's character underwent drastic development in the book first, I felt her grow even more into herself in this sequel. I absolutely adore Serina and I believe she's one of my new favourite protagonists. What I love about Serina is she's courageous, strong, passionate, and fierce. But, and think this is what distinguishes her from a lot of characters with similar qualities, she has a kind, gentleness about her. She's not a brutal character. She gives people chances, she feels deeply, and she fights for others. She's an extremely well-written character. Her loyalty, bravery, and determination makes her an excellent role model and a character that I'm delighted to know.

Nomi also changed in this book but her change wasn't as dramatic as Serena's. Nomi has always been the sister who is rebellious, a free thinker, and a risk-taker. I loved watching Nomi harness her energy, passion, and determination to aid her in dismantling the warped society she finds herself in. Nomi is a brilliant character too. She was born with the personality of a leader. In the first book we witnessed the power and authority simmering in her; I loved seeing these elements developed.

Nomi and Serina both possess bravery, loyalty, courage, and empathy; however, they also possess raw, painfully real vulnerability. They are both incredibly complex characters with multiple aspects to their character that fleshes them out.

Another aspect of Tracy Banghart's writing that added depth to the story is her ability to write secondary characters. All the secondary characters were unique and complex too. The ever-present danger and tension, as well as the knowledge that there was no safety, made me painfully aware of all the characters' possible demise. I care for the secondary characters. They each had their own backgrounds, stories, dreams, and fears that added to the powerful impact this book has. No character is sage and all the characters you care for makes this a heart-pounding reading experience.

I adored the love interests too. Malachi is gruff and aloof but melts in the hands of Nomi. It's quite adorable. Val is supportive and gentle. They love interests fit so well with the girls that soul mates take on a whole new meaning. They complement one another, motivate, and support each other. I absolutely adore Val and Malachi. They have open minds and are aware to the dangers and toxicity that pervades their society. They are willing to fight for change.

This brings me to the presentation of the relationships in Queen of Ruin. They were excellent. The sisterly relationship was utterly spectacular. Nomi and Serina were both strong, courageous young women. In a lot of fantasy books, one of the sisters has to be saved or the female protagonist requires rescuing. This wasn't the case. Nomi and Serina did rely on or receive help from their friends occasionally; however, they were mostly self-sufficient, resourceful, and independent. I loved how they were so protective, loving, and supportive of one another. They had such a wonderful relationship!

The romantic relationships were stunningly written too. The romantic partners in these books were equals. They fought and tackled problems by each others' sides. One romantic partner didn't make all the decisions nor was a damsel in distress. They made decisions together and discussed things. They supported, cherished, and loved. The relationships were incredibly healthy and well portrayed. With Malachi and Val, it was especially apparent how much they loved and were willing to fight for Nomi and Serina. They are incredible male characters and I loved them. There was definitely squealing when romance was given page-time because they were wonderfully written and swoon-worthy.

I also adored the writing and the plot. There can be no dispute that Tracy Banghart is an extraordinarily talented writer. Tracy writing voice is raw, real and utterly compelling. Her sentences are packed with heart-breaking honesty, tension, and suspense; however, they are also beautifully strung together to depict the bond of an unbreakable sisterhood and the determination and passion to fight for justice truth. Her writing was so incredibly powerful. The execution of realistic character development and the depth of the secondary characters showed her excellent characterisation. The atmosphere of intensity and danger was palpable too. I actually had to take a break from this book at the 70% mark because I felt like the threats the characters were face were facing couldn't possible have a good outcome. That's how good this book was.

I won't say much in the way of plot, as NO SPOILERS HERE! All you need to know is that it's shocking, action-packed, and brilliantly constructed. There were literally no dull moments. Queen of Quin sits at around 400 pages but I read it in 2-3 sittings.

Queen of Ruin was absolutely spectacular. It was a brutal and raw tale of an unbreakable bond between sisters, the courage that lies within the hearts of us all, and the power we hold to change a treacherous society. It's a powerful read of hope and resilience that I completely adored.

I give it: 5/5 cupcakes

Although the blurb for this was certainly intriguing, and I liked the look of the cover, this unfortunately just wasn’t the book for me.

Nothing wrong with it precisely, I just couldn’t seem to get going, so perhaps just one of those things!

Altogether, the blurb and the writing style made it appeal to me, but sadly... not one I would personally return to, and one I sadly couldn’t finish.

When I read Grace and Fury, I thought it felt a little unfinished, but Queen of Ruin provided everything that I'd been waiting for. I really feel as though this was one book split into two, rather than two individual books - perhaps the trend for series in YA makes it difficult to sell standalones, but I thought this would have worked better as a single story. That being said, Queen of Ruin is by far my favourite half, as we get to see girl power and women working together in a way that really elevates the somewhat generic 'chosen girl' aspect of the first book. Great feminist YA and one I wouldn't hesitate to recommend to those looking for more feminism in their fantasy.

I am hitting myself for leaving it this long to read this book. I forgot how much I loved Grace and Fury and how much I wanted to know what would happen next.
Queen of Ruin didn’t disappoint, here you find strong women, tired of being beaten down and used. Here you find women who stand up, who will no longer stay meek and silent. Instead they will take what is theirs - their freedom and their right to a voice.
I really felt the feminine power in this book and I am extremely glad of it. We always need more strong female characters out there paving the way and reminding us that we are not lesser than men.

I was in love with Grace and fury so had quite high hopes for this sequel. Although I ended up enjoying the book I do feel the ending was a bit rushed. The female oppression was very black and white, without much more exploring than men are "evil". For example: ' if we overthrow the evil men, women can finally be acknowledged as being equal with men and have rights and wages etc '. This is a bit too simplistic for me and I would have liked a bit more to go on, but all in all a enjoyable read.

Aw it's just not for me.
The cover - Love it and I loved the first one!
I'm a die hard ya fantasy fan but I just couldn't get in it.
It felt so young and I knew what they were going to say or what was coming next. It's such a controversial topic that could of went beyond but it just didn't.

Admittedly, I wasn’t a giant fan of Grace and Fury. I thought the book was decent enough, though there were some interesting concepts, but for the most part the characters just didn’t feel all there to me. I did give it 7 stars, because it was very readable, but it wasn’t the best book I’ve ever read. So I’m not entirely sure what made me apply for an e-arc of Queen of Ruin, except maybe my innate desire to finish things that I’ve started.

Anyhow, I’m glad that I did. There wasn’t a significant amount of character development really, definitely not as much as I was hoping, and yet there was a strong sense of character arc and growth, if that makes sense? While Serina and Nomi are still kind of vague in my head, I did have a great time seeing how the characters changed from book one to book two, and became awesome feminist heroines in their own ways.

Serina’s boyfriend is kind of cool, I guess, although tbf I can’t for the life of me remember his name, which doesn’t bode well for how interesting a character he was. He did come across as pretty bland, and although we got some backstory, it didn’t seem like he had much agency or desire of his own. He always just went along with stuff, which made him a bit boring. I did appreciate that there was a male character in the book who could be considered a feminist though. Considering the strong themes of this series, I think it’s a really amazing message to have in the book. After all, I think we as a society often forget that men can be feminists and play a part, too.

I’m normally not one for alternating POV books, so this was a little hard for me. It did quicken the pace of the book overall, I think, but at the same time there was definitely usually more going on with one character than with another, meaning I felt a bit meh about reading through one character’s chapter because I was keen to get back to the more interesting narrative. In terms of which one I preferred, I will say that the good thing about the alternating chapters was that I didn’t really have a favourite. Just that there were moments when one left off on a cliffhanger and the other was just about a character moving along a road or plotting something or whatever. But yeah, I guess the upshot of this is that there was always something happening. Perhaps if there were less switches between POV it might have been a much slower read because it would have seemed longer between beats.

I did really love the theme of women bonding together and fighting for their rights, despite conflicting personalities and ideas and things. It seemed like a very relevant message to send out, especially considering today’s social climate and the frequent news stories about sexism, misogyny and other utter B.S. I liked that Queen of Ruin, as the title probably suggests, also didn’t pull any punches. It didn’t hold back in delivering that message, and depicting the rage and fury of the oppressed women in Banghart’s novel. I admire it a lot for that alone.

If there are any downsides, I will say that, although I enjoyed much of it, there were moments that were just too unrealistic. I get that it’s a fantasy novel, and that should be taken into consideration, but there were plots and outcomes and things that just aren’t possible or probable. The ending especially was a little bittersweet because of this. Although my heart says I should enjoy the ending of the book for what it is, there’s another more rational part of me that is still shaking its head in disbelief.

Overall, I’m going to give Queen of Ruin an 8/10 stars. I adored the strong feminist tones and themes throughout the book, and I think there were some incredibly important and relevant messages in there. And I appreciated that there were male feminists too. However, I did still feel like the characters weren’t wholly fleshed out, even though I could see the arc for them becoming totally amazing, and I didn’t enjoy some of the less realistic moments.

I ADORED book 1, and I was so excited for book two to come out, however I felt disappointed reading it. Some of the magic from the first novel seems to have dissipated. The female characters were very well done and I could pick on the feminist themes which I am totally on board about however, the men lacked in my opinion. The plot also suffered a lot and struggled to actually continue reading it as it was not the page-turner the first book was, which is a shame.

Unfortunately, for me, it was only okay.

The second book in this series wraps up this nicely but it had a few issues in places. The final few chapters felt rushed and could have been expanded a bit further. It felt a bit too short in that way as I had questions regarding what happened at the end and it did not feel like they were answered thoroughly enough. The character development from the first book continued to be pushed further and it was good to see the other women from Mount Ruin being as fully fleshed out as Nomi and Serina. The emotional tension and depth did feel a bit weak in places and could have been pushed further to make the drama more hard-hitting and less weak.

Rep: Secondary dark skinned character, secondary lesbian characters in f/f relationship.

Trigger/Content Warnings: This book features authorised abduction, violence: fighting, guns/shooting, knives/stabbing, death, murder, mentions of paedophilia and rape.

I absolutely adored Grace & Fury by Tracy Banghart, so I was so, so excited to read the sequel, Queen of Ruin - and oh my god, it was bloody incredible!

Queen of Ruin kicks off seconds after Grace & Fury ended. The women on Mount Ruin have won their rebellion and are no longer prisoners. A large number of the guards are dead, some are locked in the cells, and the rest of them are free. It was Serina who brought about the rebellion, and it's to her, now, that the women look on how to move forward.
Nomi is on a boat with Maris and Malachi, the Heir, heading towards Mount Ruin. Malachi has been stabbed by his brother Asa - who also killed his father, the Superior - and his survival is unsure. But at least, finally, Nomi will get to be with her sister again.
But when Serina and Nomi are reunited, everyone's plans change. If Malachi survives, the women can help him overthrow Asa, and put Malachi on the throne, and ensure rights for women. But not everyone wants the same things, and now the women of Mount Ruin have their freedom, they get to choose where their future lies.

Queen of Ruin is absolutely amazing! These women are such badasses, and it's just brilliant! Nomi and Serina have really come into their own. Serina is leading the women of Mount Ruin after inspiring a rebellion - a far cry from the quiet, graceful, beautiful girl who always played by the rules. Nomi is wracked full of guilt for the state of Viridia and her part in it. If she hadn't trusted Asa, things could have been different. She's full of rage at his manipulation, but determined to do whatever she can to bring him down.

The pace of Queen of Ruin is slightly slower than Grace & Fury, but it's a good kind of slow. The women are free now, and they get to choose what they do next. Serina isn't going to force them to fight, when fighting is all they have done. But whatever they choose to do, nothing can happen until they have a way off the island. So they must train until the next prison ship arrives. But things aren't as plain sailing as they expect, when their plans fall to the wayside due to a number of unexpected events. Nomi has to get Malachi back to Viridia, and see what they can do about trying to take back the throne. But even though it's been a short while, things have greatly changed. Everyone thought Malachi's father was bad, but Asa is even worse. He's so much crueler, and enjoys the pain of others.

A lot happens in this book, in regards to strategy and obstacles. I think some will find the slower build up, and the quieter aspects of the book disappointing, but I actually loved it. They can't just make their way to Viridia and storm the palace, where would be the story? And things are never that easy, anyway. There was absolutely enough to keep me completely hooked. As with Grace & Fury, every chapter ends on it's own cliffhanger - because it's not just waiting around for a boat to arrive, or trying to make it to Viridia - and mate, things are difficult, and dangerous, and complicated.

I've found this entire duology to be so, so empowering. Women who will not sit back and let the men decide their fates for them. Women who will fight back. Women who won't take no for an answer. I bookmarked so many quotes that had me shouting, "YES!" I just completely adore these books, full of action and danger, and women taking charge. I only wish there was another book in the series, because although there is a satisfying conclusion, nothing changes over night, and their are still men who have their opinions on women, and I would have loved to have seen how those kinds of things are dealt with. I just think politically, it could be very interesting, and there would still be conflict - and you could throw in an [redacted] for extra conflict, and it would totally work and be believable! But I loved Queen of Ruin - an incredible, action packed, high stakes finale to the Grace & Fury duology - and will definitely check out whatever Banghart writes in future!

Plot: 3/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 4/5
Overall: 3/5
Queen of Ruin was the conclusion to the Grace and Fury duology and while it was better than the first book, I still found it a bit lacking.

At the start of the novel, the two sisters, Serina and Nomi, were reeling from the disastrous events that unfolded in the previous book. Serina, while battling her grief and guilt, was trying to lead the women of the Mount Ruin prison to freedom. Whereas, Nomi was struggling with Asa's betrayal of her trust and wanted to keep her family safe. However, they ended up joining together to fight for the rights of all of the women of their country and wanted to change the ingrained sexist ideologies surrounding women.

I liked the way Serina's character went from strength to strength. In this book, she truly became a fierce leader and warrior. Nomi's character development was subtler but she definitely became more confident and sure of herself. I admired them both for their courage to fight against a system that had suppressed women for years and years.

I also liked the other female side characters because they were nuanced and complex but sadly, just like the first book, the male characters were as flat as cheese crackers. Malachi was broody; Val was nice, nice, nice; Renzo was really nice too and Asa was the classic unhinged emotionless villain.

The reason I found it 'a bit lacking' was because barely anything happened considering it's a few hundred page book. I thought there was too much repetitive filler and not as much interesting content.

Queen of Ruin was a quick read with fairly deep themes but all in all not very impressive or original. I'd recommend it to people who enjoyed the first book.

Thank you to Hachette Children's Group for providing me with a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This was a strong follow up to Grace and Fury and a satisfying sequel in a duology. There was lots of focus on both sisters – no one was the rescuer or protector, they were both strong. Within the romances, all partners were equal, which was a positive thing to include in YA. Overall this is a good series. It hit slightly outside the target audience with me for the same reason the first one did – I’m just not invested in the world and I’m a bit exhausted from so many YA books that look at worlds where women are chattel etc. But that is very definitely me. These are good books for the right target audience.

3.5 stars!

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

Queen of Ruin is the second book in the Grace and fury series, and an adequate follow up to the first book. I thoroughly enjoyed the first book, but wished the world building would be a bit deeper and for things to be more developed and still feel the same on reading this one.

I warmed up to Val and Serina more in this book, as in the first book the romance felt like it was there because the author wanted to pair up both sisters. Val had felt more like a love interest rather than a character in his own right and while he still doesn’t really have much agency outside of Serina I found their relationship more endearing.

Malachi and Nomi were very sweet and I enjoyed reading about the pair just as much as I did in the previous novel. I just wish it had more time to develop, but because the plot moves along quite quickly the relationships did as well.

Overall while I enjoyed the book it just felt like everything needed to be built upon and developed more. In other words I enjoyed what was there I just felt like there needed to be more of it!

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Grace and Fury, and was really looking forward to this. I did enjoy it, but I felt that the impact of the first book was a little lost here, as you settle more into the reality of the world.

My favourite parts were around Serina continuing to come into her own as a leader, and the places where we got to see men’s reactions to women standing up for themselves. Be it the guards or Malachai, that was very powerful.

It felt weaker around Nomi still - she is more coping with situations thrust upon her rather than taking charge. I felt that this didn’t mesh with her history too well. Whereas despite Serbia’s background d it felt natural for her to grow and change.

The ending also felt a little sudden - so much happens so late that I wondered if perhaps there was another book! It does tie off well but just quickly and still leaves a lot of questions about the future.

3.5 stars and I would definitely recommend the series - despite various foibles, I feel that it has a very powerful message about femininity and what it means, and feminism and equality in general.

I really enjoyed Grace and Fury so i had fairly high hopes for its sequel.
This story picks up where Grace and Fury left off and is filled with everything that made its predecessor so good, action, banter and a kick ass female duo.
I was gripped by this story and read it in one day because i just had to know what was going to happen.

Would recommend!

"Asa would fall, and the women of Viridia would rise"

* * * *
4 / 5

First off, why are we using models on YA book covers still? Pretty sure they aren't even the same women as the other cover... That aside, Queen of Ruin is a fantastic and worthy sequel to Grace and Fury.

"She was with her sister, her family, first and foremost. Forever."

We pick up where we left off (I had to read a recap online): Asa has betrayed his brother Malachi, killing their father and shipping Nomi and Malachi with a deathly wound off to Mount Ruin prison. On the island, Serina and the other women have successfully overthrown the guards to take control. The sisters reunite and begin to plot to take down Asa.

Whilst both women are interesting with solid plotlines, I definitely felt more invested in Serina than Nomi. Serina is a more unique character: a woman who was once a conformer, happy with her station in life, who took the fall for her rebellious sister and learned to stand up for herself. Now she's in charge of an island full of angry women and she sticks hard to the principles of democracy, even when it's inconvenient for her, and she stands up for those she doesn't even like because it's right. Serina is fantastic. I even like her romance with Val, the prison guard. They feel natural together and don't hold each other back.

"The women of Mount Ruin held vigil through the long night, with their stories, their prayers, their regrests and hopes filling the space between them, until it didn't really feel like space at all"

On the flipside, Nomi is much more of a YA cliche. She's rebellious and flighty and hotheaded. She falls in love with a hot prince who used to act cold to her and is misunderstooood. I do dig the clear sisterly love and the respect between them. I wish they had more time together, and I definitely found myself more invested in Serina's chapters. Whilst I loved the feminist themes, I did find it a touch overdone and heavy handed at points, which dragged me out of my immersion.

Overall, Queen of Ruin was a fantastic sequel and the conclusion of an excellent duology that did a great job of being original and subverting expectations. I've definitely got my eye out for whatever Tracy Banghart writes next.

My thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for an ARC of Queen of Ruin.

This was a fantastic sequel to Grace and Fury that starts where the previous book left off and recaps the details in such a way that it would be easy to get into if you have not read the first book or have forgotten the previous book's events. I love the characters in this book as they had so much personality and were written so that they. felt real. This was a gripping book that had me up well into the night and I ended up finishing the entire book. This was a satisfying ending to the duology and I would highly recommend this to anyone as it has become one of my favourite books.

Thank you to Hachette Children's Group and to NetGalley for providing an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.