Queen of Ruin (Grace and Fury, #2)

by Tracy Banghart

[Jo]

I received this eProof for by/free from Hachette Children's Books via NetGalley for the purposes of providing an honest review.

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!