I am not one who likes the ends of books to be all wrapped up nice and neatly. But really?! All the parts I didn't care about got a nice resolution and the parts I actually care about got NOTHING. Nothing!
Silyen has somehow snuck his way up as one of my more favorite characters. Granted Luke is still one of my favorites from the beginning. They made quite the motley crew with Dog a long for most their shenanigans.
Abi was just meh, again, she has never been my radar for even remotely close to even liking. Gavar was even likable as he is hiding out with Abi, Libby, and Daisy.
Bouda was still just as bitchy as ever and well...we all hate the Jardine father....

Initial Thoughts: "I will be the first to admit that the first novel in Vic James' trilogy was not my favorite. However, I feel it drastically improved during the second novel and thoroughly enjoyed the read. This final novel though is unbelievable. It is a culmination of the previous two stories, complete with violence and gore, intrigue, battles of all types, near escapes, betrayal, and magic. The chaos that reigns between the Skilled and the Unskilled reminds me a bit of the one-percenter milieu and everyone else, with much of the fight between the two groups reminiscent of the current struggles between Republicans and Democrats. This story, however, has the added benefit of magic and people willing to make sacrifices for their cause. I tore through this series finale with gusto, even going so far as to sneak reading some pages during work. For a series that has what I feel is a lackluster beginning, the ending exceeded all my expectations and left me breathless with adrenaline. It will be difficult finding a novel to follow this one."

Now: I stand by my statements. Just the thought of Bright Ruin slightly elevates my heart rate. I especially appreciate that while there are a few clear Baddies, most of the characters fall into the gray area of morality. Neither bad nor good, they make the best decisions they can with the best information available in hopes of achieving their goals. Some of those goals may be a bit more altruistic than others, but that does not make them evil characters. I like that Ms. James did not make most of her characters so very black and white but forced them all to make choices between the lesser of the two evils. These choices lend the characters an air of realism, for it is easy to make blanket statements about right and wrong when things are calm but much more difficult to follow through on such statements when facing a life-or-death situation - of which there are many throughout the series. I rather liked the ambiguity of the ending as well because it fits with the chaos of the revolution. To end the story any other way would be to ignore the critical tenets of the story and defeat the purpose of many of the characters' struggles.  I remain impressed with the series in general and with Bright Ruin in particular because Ms. James pulled all of the story's strings and wove them together to make a much stronger story that culminates into something splashy and violent but also realistic. It is that realism which most impresses me and will continue to do so for a while.

BRIGHT RUIN brings to an end the DARK GIFTS trilogy which began with GILDED CAGE back in 2017. This series delivered on nearly every promise it made back then, resulting in an extremely satisfying experience for this reader.

We're back with all the same characters, (well, the ones that are still alive), and resuming their individual dramas in an unsettled London, dominated by Equals. In this series, Equals are born with special powers, magical powers even, which allow them to control all sorts of materials and energies. As such, this world Vic James has created allows those rich in these powers to control and enslave those who are not. (Absolute power corrupts absolutely, and all that.)

But what James has so Skillfully done, (Skill being the name given to these "powers"), is that she's woven in political commentary that is eerily on point with today's events all over the real world. Ruling classes and/or class warfare? Check. Political parties scheming and planning to keep the unSkilled quiet and working- with their noses to the grind? Check. Those rich in Skill, (or in our world, dollar bills), easily gain more wealth, while holding their feet to the throats of the those not so blessed? Check. Using fear to keep the masses afraid and not too interested in what's REALLY going on? Check.

"Fear was the superpower they all possessed. And unlike Midsummer’s monsters, there was no limit to the number of people they could control with it."

What Vic James has done here and done in a timely manner, (I'm looking at you, famous fantasy writers whose series' remain unfinished-you know who you are), is deliver a trilogy that has something for everyone. Even though it's categorized as YA, I would be wary of recommending this to the super young YA crowd, as many of the political points would go over their heads, (and possibly bore them), but also because there are extremely dark themes and violent scenes. That aside, I would recommend this trilogy to everyone else-fans of dark fantasy and horror most especially.

My only issue with this final book is that everything seemed to wrap up rather quickly-the denouement came fast and furious, and it seemed like one big blow or discovery after another-rapid-fire style. Not that I'm complaining, but I think I wanted to savor events just a wee bit more.

Vic James has proven herself to be an author to watch and I know that I will be watching closely for anything she puts out. If she can make me,(a die hard YA avoider), read and enjoy an entire YA trilogy, than who knows what else she may be capable of? I can hardly wait to find out!

In the meantime, I highly recommend this book and the entire trilogy.

*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for my honest feedback. This is it.*

Oh, how I loved the first installment in this series, Gilded Cage. Fascinating characters, non-stop action and thrills, inventively original story, it had it all! The second installment, Tarnished City, was just a bit of a let down, being more descriptive prose of everything little thing and not as much action or evidence of the Skill powers the Equals have. Several new characters were introduced, some favorites were killed off, but honestly, not much else really happens.

So we come now to the grand finale. I wanted so badly to love this book as much as I loved the first one. And I am so sad that I just didn't. I wanted to read more about the Hadleys and the Jardines, their interactions, their connection, their fighting spirit (Hadleys) and their Skill (Jardines). What I got was a 416-page discourse on the evils of an unequal society, of how the Haves will always feel superior to the Have Nots and how the little people should rise and rail against the power of the powerful. I already know this, these themes aren't new or original. There was the side story of new character Raewald, who had the definite beginnings of a fascinating storyline, but sadly, is only around for two chapters and then gone. There were many passages that it took great strength of will for me not to just skip over; paragraphs and paragraphs of descriptive and/or preaching prose, long soliloquies of various characters introspection about the meaning of life, Rehashing, in their thoughts, all the action that just took place in the last chapter. And if I have to read yet another description of the House of Glass, well, it will be too soon.

We do see a bit more of big sister Abi, who has joined a resistance effort to thwart and overthrow the Equals running the government. They don't succeed, its all very depressing, and more favorites are killed off instead of kept around to add interest to the fight. We see virtually nothing of Mr and Mrs Hadley, very little of her little sister Daisy and not all that much of Luke. There are only occasional glimpses of Jenner Jardine and his father and mother. Slightly more tales of big brother Gavar Jardine and even more tales, but mostly confusing, of youngest brother Silyen Jardine. Sadly, those were the characters that drew me in so much in the first book. We do see and hear a lot from Gavars' new wife Bouda, an Equal with visions of wielding power over everyone, and Midsummer, an Equal who is leading the resistance against, well, the Equals.

I like a story to come to a nice end, especially a trilogy. I like tidy endings that tie up all the loose ends, or at least give me enough information so that I can wrap the endings up myself, and I want to be left with a feeling of hope for the future of these people I will never get to revisit. I don't like an ending where the bad guys don't get their deserved comeuppance, and the good guys don't get their happy ever after. Where the fate of some characters we lived with over three books just fades away with no explanation of where they are or what happened to them. But most of all I don't like an ending that leaves me saying "What the hell? What is that supposed to mean?"

Vic James wraps up her hard-hitting DARK GIFTS fantasy trilogy with Bright Ruin, which picks up right where the second book, Tarnished City, left off. This series is set an alternative version of our world where a minority, called the “Equals,” has powerful magical gifts. What they are supposed to be “equal” to is a good question, since ― in England and several other countries ― they have used their powers to cruelly oppress the non-magical majority. Among other abuses, all “Skilless” are forced to spend ten years of their lives as slaves. Initially, the Skilless Hadley family, including older teens Abigail (Abi) and Luke, were planning to spend their slavedays in what they hoped would be relative ease, serving the powerful Jardine family. Their plans, predictably, fell into ruins, and the Hadleys have been scattered about Great Britain.

As Bright Ruin begins, Abi has barely escaped death in the Blood Fair, an old public execution tradition that has been unearthed by the Jardines. Luke, for his part, barely escaped death in the isolated Scottish castle of Lord Crovan, perhaps the most sadistic of the Equals, who delights in mental torture. Abi and Luke are now racing around England in different directions, each pursing their own part of the uprising against the tyranny of the Equals. Abi is supporting the main rebel group, which has support from a few Equals who have a conscience. Gavar, the oldest Jardine brother, has rather surprisingly thrown his support behind the rebellion, along with Midsummer, a young Equal woman with a pregnant unSkilled girlfriend, who has the power to bring stone statues to life. Abi’s goals begin to diverge from those of the rebellion leadership, as she concludes that a particular violent act may be the only way to effectively disrupt the rule of the Equals.

Meanwhile, Luke has fallen in with the enigmatic Equal Silyen, the youngest Jardine brother, whose main value in life is gaining knowledge, at almost any cost. Silyen is also interested in Luke on a personal, romantic level, but right now Luke is preoccupied with trying to rescue a friend from a Crovan’s castle of torture. To gain Silyen’s help with his quest, Luke promises to help Silyen find out more about the ancient, mythical Wonder King, a mysterious, near-forgotten figure who inexplicably still seems to be influencing Great Britain.

Vic James constantly surprises in the DARK GIFTS trilogy. The death toll is high, and nobody ― even main characters ― is safe. People develop and change, disclosing previously unsuspected facets of their personalities, or hidden agendas. Is Gavar trustworthy? Is the Speaker’s son, Jon, nurturing a relationship with Bouda Jardine to help the rebellion, or is he a hidden traitor? Is Silyen’s thirst for knowledge leading him to work for good or evil? There are nuances to the characters of people that make them multi-layered and unpredictable, and deceptions abound. Power corrupts, but sometimes the desire for power is just as soul-crushing.

The mystical Wundorcyning (Wonder King) provides a kind of Beowulf-flavored interlude that tickled my fancy. His scenes felt somewhat random at the time, but provide a key to the ultimate resolution of the story. There’s an odd element to it, though, involving death and its relationship to power, that challenged my ability to suspend disbelief. The ending of Bright Ruin, though exciting, leaves many loose ends and questions about the future of some key characters, not to mention Britain itself and even the world. While on the one hand that treatment is realistic, at the same time I was yearning for more explication, perhaps another scene or two to give a better sense of closure. Perhaps there might be future novels from James set in this world. One can hope!

I recommend the DARK GIFTS trilogy for fans of contemporary fantasy with a darker, dystopian edge to it, and who appreciate political machinations, social commentary, and unpredictable, well-drawn characters.

I loved this book! The full review will be posted soon at kaitgoodwin.com/books! Thank you very much for this wonderful opportunity to connect books to their readers!

This book was a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy of an alternate world where the British elite rule with gifted powers rule over the lower class rabble who don't. While the tragic fates of some of the characters were disappointing, I understand why they happened and that they would go down in history as heroes or martyrs for the cause.

I really enjoyed the whole series and was happy that each book was strong. I have read too many YA trilogies that start out promising, lose steam in the second book and fall apart in the third. This series did not and I look forward to what Vic James offers up in the future!

Bright Ruin picks up immediately after Tarnished City (which follows right after Gilded Cage, the first book in the Dark Gifts trilogy by Vic James); be sure to read the books together so you don’t lose track of the characters and setting. Bright Ruin is the climax and offers an ending that is meant to offer a path forward to an England that appears to have no future beyond more oppression and cruelty.

The Skilled Jardine family, including daughter-in-law Bouda, have immense talents that they use to achieve and hold power. Bouda is the only one who genuinely cares about the country – and she believes the Skilled are better and should rule and that Slave Days are the obvious and natural outcome.

Their counterpoint family is the Hadleys, mostly oldest Abi and goodhearted Luke. Vic James develops the characters to some extent but what we see in Gilded Cage we see in Bright Ruin, except that Gavar finds a conscience and Abi determination. Bright Ruin includes all the people from prior books, telling the story through Abi, Luke, Gavar, Bouda and Silyen.



** SPOILER ALERT**

England faces the basic problem of “what next”? Do the Equals continue enslaving common people? Do they lighten up a bit and make the slavery less cruel? Do they abolish slavery? The economy and social structure are built around 10 years of slavery for all commoners. You cannot simply end that without some plans for the future. Bouda carries much of the story line, where she continues to insist that Equals should rule and commoners slave, all while she wonders whether that is completely true. Gavar makes his choice because he loves his daughter. Silyen doesn’t really care; he doesn’t like slavery and cruelty but he’s not going to fight to eliminate it.

James had a challenge to wrap this up. She brings in new magic and a mythical figure and an enormous sacrifice from Silyen, whom we would never expect to sacrifice anything (or perhaps he takes this action to follow the wonder king). The result is not completely believable nor completely satisfying.



Overall I didn’t care for Bright Ruin as much as the first novel; I dislike series where the author writes themselves into a corner and then must have a miracle occur to conclude and that is what Bright Ruin feels like.

I was really looking forward to this last part of the Dark Gifts series. The book was good, but I did not like it as much as the beginning of the series. Looking back at my review for the first book, Gilded Cage I am reminded of what I liked about the first book, the character Silyen. I found him fascinating in a weird messed up way. He seems a sociopath, destructive and complicated. I was completely unsure of who this guy really was. A good guy with bad tendencies. A bad guy with a charming side?

In Bright Ruin, I still find him the most interesting thing about the story. Unfortunately, this is not a book about Silyen. He’s a main character but he is not the main focus. So when the story moves away from him and into the other side of the plot I started to lose interest. There is also a tie between him and the past that I found a little shoehorned in. It came pretty much out of nowhere and while it wasn’t bad, I wish it had been dealt with more fully. In other words, I wanted a Silyen series and this wasn’t it. It’s a good series, but I felt like it was strong in some parts and weaker in others. I’m glad I did read it though. I’d have felt odd not finishing the story and seeing what happens in the end.

Song for this book: Gaston – Beauty and the Beast (I can’t help it, Gavar Jardin reminded me of Gaston so much! ha!)

Bright Ruin completes this trilogy, set in an alternate version of modern-day Britain where a magic-endowed ruling class called Equals runs the country, while the vast majority of the populace live in servitude to them, having jobs and careers but required to obey the Equals. Bright Ruin picks up as the Equals have brutally quashed a rebellion seeking to establish equal rights for all. The ruling family, the Jardines, seek to consolidate power through brute force and through political alliances, to dominate the country. Meanwhile, another track follows the resistance as they seek allies, both commoners and Equals, in their struggle to topple the Jardines and their network of Equals. A third track follows young commoner Luke Hadley as he embarks on a journey with the terrifying Equal Silyen Jardine to unearth secrets from Britains past that have been purposely erased, and may give them the insight they need to either destroy the country or find a path forward.

This series has been one to relish, for its inventive re-imagining of history, to its many tragic characters who are continually beaten down, only to rise again and rekindle hope. There are brutal sociopaths and psychopaths sprinkled in, along with those who are straddling two worlds and will choose either good or bad. As the pressure mounts, all will have their character revealed- some as cowards and some heroic. The political machinations were interesting as some characters' motivations become clear toward the end. Some alliances are formed, and some are betrayed. As the sheer brutality of the Equals is revealed, it is interesting to see how the Equals will shake out- will they desperately seek to hold power, or will they rediscover a portion of their compassion and mercy that they had renounced.

The best story line for me was Luke and Silyen's. We don't know if Silyen is the worst sociopath in history or if he has an angle we can't see. We do know that Luke is all humility and compassion, and will readily give his life to save others. As Luke and Silyen travel, Luke's heart pulls Silyen in ways that he did not expect, and their developing friendship is one of the most unexpected turns in the series. There is much tragedy and heartbreak in this world, trickery, betrayal, brutality and death. But there is also hope, and some unexpected beauty emerges in the most unlikely places. Really an unusual and remarkable series- I have looked forward to each new book. Recommended.

This was the last book of the trilogy and though it had a very dramatic and exciting end, I felt like there could actually be another book in the series.
This story jumped between Luke, Silyen and Dog and the friendship that surprisingly grows between them. Abi and Midsummer and their plans to bring down the "Equal" establishment, and Gavar, being torn between protecting his ungifted daughter and the family that he is beginning to see is more and more corrupt.
The characters were really well fleshed out and people I didn't like so much in the beginning were surprisingly becoming more important to me. I was also surprised by who got what was coming to them and those who unexpectedly got what they certainly did NOT deserve.
Overall I thought it was a satisfying conclusion to a great series. It had some unexpected twists that I didn't see coming but it left a few unanswered questions. Definitely worth reading.

Thank you to Netgalley and Del Ray for a copy of the eARC in exchange for a fair review.


Disclaimer this 3rd and final book in the trilogy. Please read no further unless you wanted to be spoiled.


All the of the surviving players are back. Abi is still shocked that Gavar helped her, but when she overhears him talking to Bouda she makes her escape from his house. She needs revenge and she knows just the person to help her.


Luke finds himself imprisoned by Silyen, but they might actually have the same goals. Bouda wants to be Chancellor and she knows that Jenner is dangerous. All the pieces are laid, but even the best laid plans go astray.


I know that is not a lot to say about the book, but it is the ending and I don't want to spoil it much. I am not sure how I feel about the ending. It almost feels less than, but on the other hand it almost seems perfect. Maybe the longer I think on it, the more my feelings may change. This book picked up right after the ending of Tarnished City. It hits the ground with so much going on. I highly suggest a reread of the first two books before picking this one up.


I didn't reread this time, although I meant too. I don't think it hurt anything, but I didn't feel the same about the last two books as I did the first book. I loved every minute of the first book, but felt disconnected from the second two. However, I still love the worldbuilding and the game of thrones vibes this trilogy has. It is action-packed and full of plots within plots and choices that undo plots. It really keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Bright Ruin by Vic James is the third book of the young adult fantasy Dark Gifts series. From the title of the series to the intense book cover one should guess that this series is not all rainbows and sunshine but one that is incredibly dark and sometimes disturbing so while it is young adult I would recommend keeping this series on the the older crowd side of the genre.

The series takes place in a society in which the world is ruled by Equals who are aristocrats with magical gifts. Everyone else are known as commoners and at some point during their lifetimes they have to serve the Equals for a period of ten years as their slaves. Commoners can choose to serve at any point in their lives from 10 to 80 years old.

In Gilded Cage we met a family that when the youngest child turned ten the parents decided to sign the whole family up for their slave days to be completed together. Luke’s older sister Abi has arranged for the family to work together at a plantation owned by England’s most powerful family of Equals. But upon arrival the paperwork had been messed up and Luke is shipped off to a slave town separate from the rest of his family.

The series is one that definitely needs to be read as a whole with starting from the beginning with Gilded Cage then continuing with Tarnished City and Bright Ruin as the plot carries over and picks up where it left off from book to book. While I have rated in the middle with each of this books the series has definitely still held my attention all throughout. The world is incredibly dark and one that more angers me than falling in love with as do some of the characters but it’s thought provoking and creative so it kept me coming back from book to book. And now at the end I’m again rating at 3.5 stars but I would recommend checking this out if up for a darker society and content.

I received an advance copy from the publisher via NetGalley.

I’m not normally a big fan of YA dystopian novels, but if they were all like this series, I might become a convert.

One reason that YA dystopias generally don’t appeal to me is that I often feel like the author hasn’t really thought through the conditions of the world they’ve created, and their lack of worldbuilding throws me out of the story. (Like, exactly why would a bunch of adults decide it’s OK to do horrible things to teenagers? That’s an extreme place to get to in a society, given the human instinct to protect kids.) There is some of that in this series. I still find it hard to believe that the masses would willingly trot off to do 10 years of slavery in what are often horribly abusive conditions, even if the Equals, a ruling class with magical powers, demand it. However, I eventually got caught up enough in the characters’ efforts to change their political system to be willing to overlook how their country got to that state in the first place.

The other thing about YA dystopian fiction that turns me off is that the focus is usually on one special person who becomes the catalyst to change society. That’s so unrealistic it sets my teeth on edge. Here, many different characters have a role to play, and they have different motivations and even different end goals. For instance, you have Gavar, an Equal who mostly just wants to protect his non-magical daughter rather than overthrow the system, even if he sometimes hates it. Then there’s Abi, a commoner whose exposure to the abuses of the Equals turns her into a revolutionary who eventually gets to the point where she is willing to consider violence to achieve their goals. In the end, neither one of them is completely good or bad, and both have a vital part in how events play out.

The two people with the pivotal role in the outcome, though, are the seemingly amoral Equal Silyen and the commoner Luke. Silyen has been oddly fascinated with Luke throughout the series, and here their relationship finally gets fleshed out. I’m not sure I entirely buy where the author takes it, because nothing in the previous books suggests that Luke would wind up where he does with Silyen. On the other hand, I really liked how it all came together in the end. Silyen hasn’t always taken the moral path, and he repeatedly insists that you can’t save everyone. But when it comes down to it, the two of them are the closest thing to heroes in the book, with Silyen’s brains and Luke’s good heart ultimately allowing them to work together for the good of their nation. (And heroes deserve a happy ending! Someone should get one, anyway, with the high body count in this story.)

I’d recommend the entire Dark Gifts series for readers who enjoy dystopian fiction with political themes. Still, I hope the author will choose to write something that’s a little bit less grim, the next time around.

A copy of this book was provided through NetGalley for review; all opinions expressed are my own.

Bright Ruin is the third and final installment in author Vic James' Dark Gifts trilogy. The Dark Gifts trilogy is a character driven series filled with upstairs/downstairs drama, historical intrigue, teen rebellion, and romantic angst, while being set to the background of a captivatingly dystopian Britain. This is a world where three countries, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the Confederate States of America have individuals called Equals.

Equals are those who were born with Skills that makes them superior to normal humans. Skills are an ability, origin, unknown, manifesting in a very small fraction of the population & passed down thru bloodlines. Some skills are universal like restoration, healing, alteration, persuasion, perception, and infliction. Whatever the Skill a person has, they dominate life in England and elsewhere. They even have their own parliament called the House of Light.

Equals control everything: wealth, politics, power—and you. If you’re not one of the ultimate one-percenters—the magical elite—you owe them ten years of service. Do those years when you’re old, and you’ll never get through them. Do them young, and you’ll never get over them. Bright Ruin picks up right where Tarnished City left off. This is a series features revolving narratives from Abigail & Luke Hadley, Silyen & Gavar Jardine, as well as Gavar's wife Bouda Matravers, who I consider one of the villains of the series itself.

It's fair to say my favorite character is Abi. She's the one who talked her family into doing their slavedays together. She's the one who was betrayed by someone she thought she could trust, and was nearly killed in the previous installment after finding a calling. She's the one who has found friends, and allies among those like Midsummer Zelston who want to see the slavedays ended, and a free election where the people have say in what happens to their lives.

Meanwhile, there's her brother Luke, who has literally gone through one incomprehensible situation to the next from being taken away from his family, to being mind controlled into killing someone, to being condemned, and given away to a psycho who has already torn out the skills of one of Abi's allies. Luke is now somehow allied with Silyen to save his friend Coira. Silyen hungers for the forgotten skill of the legendary Wonder King who Luke apparently saw while he was captive in a Scottish castle.

It's fair to say the friendship and whatever happens at the end of this book between Luke and Silyen is the most curious part of the story. It is unexpected, and not necessarily a thing that anyone would see coming. The other most unexpected relationship is between Abi and Gavar Jardine. Having saved Abi's life in the previous installment, Gavar becomes his own character. He's really not the arrogant, temperamental, intimidating, womanizer that Abi first discovered. He's tired of his family. He is tired of Bouda's political shenanigans. He is also very protective of his daughter who has charmed Abi's little sister Daisy who is also a huge fan of Gavar.

Now the What the hell just happened moment of the story. Nope I won't tell you what happened. I will say that it is brutally twisted and not in a good way. What really happened? Are we just supposed to use our own imagination to figure out what happened? I am also one of those reviewers who found the whole story line with the King, Silyen and Luke, as well as Dog, very odd. Which lead to the ending which I also have issues with. I am also one of those reviewers who really didn't much care for Bouda. It's not fair what happens to certain characters, while she sits/sleeps around and gets what she wants whenever she wants.

I must say, that was the best ending to a series ever!!! I so didn’t see that coming!! I loved this series, all three books!!!

Opening line:
"The Snubbing Post, down by the river in Vauxhall, was a useful sort of place when the whole of London was looking for you."

WOW! What a ride! I have to say I thoroughly enjoyed the YA fantasy trilogy of Vic James. I'm not even sure how to sum up my review...
When I first think about this book, I think about the Skill and those who use it, abuse it and covet it. Many times through the book characters, especially Abi, wonders why no one sees how positively Skill can be used but the majority of the people don't want to recognize that or actually like having people grovel beneath them.
The next thing are the characters: Abi, Luke, Gavar, Syl, Midsummer, Bouda...all change in some way (my favorite comeuppance is Bouda). I may not like the character, but I enjoyed understanding them better.
Next, the politics. Holy Cow! So much maneuvering and posturing and greedy people in charge (this makes a monarchy look less desirable).
The writing. You know how in some books you can skim and not miss anything important? I couldn't skim this book. There was too much in even a sentence. I think this is the way Ms. James helped me understand the characters, even the ones I didn't like. Her writing is solid.
Skill. What the ending?? I'm still thinking about it today. I think I have a grasp on what happened but I really wish there was one or two chapters to wrap that up for me.
Overall, I totally enjoyed this series would even consider reading it again.

For the sensitive reader: 12 F words, over 20 other swear words, dark theme, brutal killings (not graphic but not glossed over), kissing (between men),

Thanks to netgalley for the early read!

I loved it, this was a fantastic ending to the trilogy. Man reading about Silyen was wild!! I don’t think there was a single character I didn’t like in the book, I even respected Bouda in some ways. Thank you for not tying up everything too neatly. I think the book still left me wanting more, but at the same time it answered enough questions that I felt happy with the ending.

I recently finished listening to the audiobook of the second book in this series, Tarnished City, and I NEEDED to continue the series. So, when I saw Bright Ruin on Netgalley, I knew I had to request it! I was so excited to be approved for a digital galley of this one in exchange for an honest review, but I made myself be patient and finish the book I was reading at the time. And then I devoured Bright Ruin, because there is no other word for it. I know there are TW/CWs needed for this one, but I didn’t note them so I’ll have to add them as I remember them. If you’ve read Bright Ruin and you noticed any TW/CWs that I don’t have listed, please let me know and I’ll update the list.

• War crimes
• False imprisonment
• Police brutality
• Gore
• Slavery

I liked getting back to the Hadley siblings, especially since we finally get to see how Daisy is doing in this one. We don’t get her point of view, but I did really like seeing how the arcs for Abi and Luke went from the beginning of the series to the end of this novel. The character who took the spotlight in Bright Ruin for me, however, was Silyen Jardine. I absolutely LOVE that we get his point of view in this novel. We get to learn quite a bit about what is behind his often strange actions. Also, his character arc. The ending he got. I cry.

The world doesn’t receive much development at all aside from the building up of new locations. It’s definitely assumed that you’ll have read the first two novels before picking up Bright Ruin. It still feels fairly immersive though, dropping you right into the world of Equal-ruled UK. I really like how at one point, one of the characters seriously considers escaping to Ireland. It kind of solidified for me that while the UK and other countries may be Equal-ruled, there are countries that aren’t and some are right next door.

The story itself flowed relatively well, though there were a couple spots where it felt like the pace faltered a little. I like how Vic James really focuses on how human nature can be, both the good and bad. I also really like that there is no clear cut “right” to be done and no right way to do it. Everything is grayscale, as it is in real life, and the characters have to make some really tough decisions to keep themselves alive and keep the story moving.

I’m good with how the story ended, though with half my faves dead I can’t really say I’m happy. 😂😭 I really like the direction the story took and I’m ok with the way everything ended up. I feel like any loose ends are just those that are left at the end of any good story, allowing the reader to believe the story goes on for those who survived Vic James’ vicious sword of a pen.

This book. Has left me. Wordless. Talk about having everything turned upside down and inside out. I can’t even get my thoughts together to write a review that makes sense…lol. But I will try.

I was excited to read Bright Ruin. I had loved the previous two books in the Dark Gifts trilogy and I was expecting to feel the same about Bright Ruin. Which I did. But this book also left me with a what the heck feeling. Why? Because of the ending. But I will get to that later in the review.

Out of all the characters in the book, I thought Gavar shined in this book. His character development from Gilded Cage was amazing. He went from being a pawn of his father to someone who decided to shake off the yoke of oppression that he lived under. I did have my doubts about him while reading Bright Ruin. I had doubts about his allegiances. But, I came to realize that the only one he was loyal too was Libby and through association, Daisy. That everything he did in Bright Ruin was to safeguard them. Of course, he was doing it under duress but still.

Speaking about Gavar brings me to Silyen. I didn’t know what to make of him for most of the book. The author did a great job at keeping his true intentions under wraps until the end of the book. Even when Luke and he met the King, I still had doubts about his true intentions. I should have known after the King’s death scene that Silyen had something up his sleeve. I also should have known when he made that deal with Dog “A life and an escape“. Grrrr. I also should have known his true intentions towards Luke. Thinking back, there were enough hints, I didn’t add them up. I will say that the kiss was electric and I am glad it was left at that.

I didn’t like Abi as much as I did in the first two books. I don’t know why I didn’t. I do think that she saw something in Gavar that surprised her. She saw goodness and the potential to help instead of harm. Which is why she trusted him with the plans to help break her parents out of where they were being held. Which is why she didn’t blame him for what happened when she found out the truth. I did like the change in her from the first book. She went from someone who accepted what life was thrusting at her to someone who dared to change things. That change was electric. A big part of that change was Jenner’s betrayal at the Blood Festival. But the other half of that change happened when things went sideways when her parents were rescued. Those events shaped her into who she became at the end of the book.

I thought Luke was useless in this book. Until Silyen took him to Crovan’s island. Then I realized, hey he is useful. I thought his relationship with Silyen was one of master and slave. But, as I read Luke’s part of the book, I realized that Luke was providing Silyen with something. I didn’t know what. Like I mentioned above, I was shocked at the kiss between them. But, I was also shocked by what Luke did at Silyen’s request. That took more bravery than anyone in the entire book. But, like I said above, I should have known it was coming. That whole death scene with the King was a huge indicator of what was going to happen. I failed to see it.

I want to mention how much I liked Dog in this book. I loved that the author gave him a voice and a purpose in this book. I also liked that his humanity was showing more and more. It counteracted nicely with what I knew about him.

It was the last chapter that bothered me. Luke’s storyline was not resolved. As was Coira’s, the King’s and Silyen’s. To end the book the way it did make me go “WHHHHHYYYYYY????” I can only hope that the author is going to do some sort of sequel to Bright Ruin. Something that explained what happened.

What I liked about Bright Ruin:

A) Gavar.

B) The kiss between Luke and Silyen

C) Dog

What I disliked about Bright Ruin:

A) What Silyen asked Luke to do

B) The end of the book

C) Abi. Just didn’t like her

I gave Bright Ruin a 4-star rating. This is a fantastic dystopian book. The characters were well fleshed out and the world building was amazing. I did have an issue with the ending. Other than that, loved the book.

I would give Bright Ruin an Older Teen rating. There is no sex (other than that amazing kiss between Silyen and Luke). There is violence. There is mild language. I would recommend that no one under the age of 16 read this book.

I would reread Bright Ruin. I would also recommend this book to family and friends.

I would like to thank Random House Publishing Book-Ballantine, Del Ray, and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review Bright Ruin.

All opinions stated in this review of Bright Ruin are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**