First off, I loved the beginning of this book because I knew off the bat that this book was going to have some dark themes and it was going to be pretty gruesome. There are definitely moments where I'm reading and imagining what is going on and actually flinching because it just sounds so horrific. 

This world has magic based on song - you don't have to be a good singer to make the magic work, but our main character Cadence has a voice that is not only beautiful but powerful. She is the strongest mage and can hurt people by singing the proper tune. It's kind of scary. 

Then we have Remi, who's the daughter of a noble family, and currently suffering under the Queen Elene's rule. Elene hates the noble class after her love, who was of a noble rank, basically dumped her and humiliated her. When she took power, she wanted revenge on everyone. And poor Remi and other nobles alike have to participate in this event called the Performance, where all the nobles gather and are tortured by a mage. And if they don't attend, it can mean almost certain death for them and their family. 

That's the starting point for this book. Now, going in, I knew this wasn't going to be a happy book with happy characters. But we're starting off with torture and the struggle between hurting people and living? Yeah, it gets worse. 

But while this book has some gruesome moments, there is a decent plot to it. Cadence is not happy having to torture others for the Elene. And Remi doesn't want to live her life in fear. As children, these two were friends, but after Cadence was taken in to apprentice under the Queen, and Remi was forced to flee with her family out of the palace, the two didn't see each other for years. Once they were reunited though, things are a bit tense, and our plot moves forward. 

One dislike I had for this book was the pacing. The middle was pretty slow and not much was going on. It felt like the author had to add so much filler to the story in order to make it a reasonable length, but I would have much preferred 50 pages to be cut out for a more concise story than having scenes of the same thing over and over again in order to fill up the page. 

And to be honest, Cadence was an annoying character. While I understand that she grew up under a tyrannical ruler and is very traumatized from these experiences, she was just so whiny. I'm sorry, it sounds so mean to put it that way, but she was. And the whininess came more so in the second half of the book. She wants to act so high and mighty, that she only does these bad things because she's told to, but constantly goes against what she says. And then says that she can't do anything against Elene, even though it's clear she's more powerful. 

Remi was a fun character though and I enjoyed her story a lot. I just wished that we got more scenes between the two, because the romance picks up very fast. To be fair, it's clear they had crushes on each other as children, but when they are teens and meet again, there's no love between them. And then BOOM, sudden love and attraction that seemed to come from nowhere. I'm not a fan of that. 

Overall, this book was really interesting. There are definitely torture scenes and it can get a little graphic, and a bit gory, but if you can handle that, then this book was still pretty good! I just wish Cadence wasn't so whiny and that we got a better development of the romance. Either way, definitely check out this book! I think there even might be a sequel? It's hard to tell from the ending.

Who doesn't love The Phantom of The Opera?! I myself am a die hard fan who looks for every POTO retelling. Ruinsong was a happy bubble of LGBTQ mixed with POTO and a dash of mystery that I found very entertaining. I was lost within this story from start to end.

Ruinsong is a fantasy told in alternating perspectives featuring two main characters who knew each other as children and reconnect as teenagers. One is the daughter of noble parents in a time when the nobility have been banished by the queen who subjects them to an annual performance by a singer who will enact torture with a magical song. The other character, her childhood friend, is a powerful mage singer who the queen has made her weapon. Together they work to find the courage to fight oppression and to live in a world where they can love each other.

This was a really compelling fantasy world. The magic system is interesting, I liked the main characters, and the darkness of the story. I appreciated that there was a through line discussion of complicity and the work to recognize it in ourselves to create change. The book is a standalone fantasy, which is a refreshing change of pace from reading a lot of fantasy series. The downside is there were a lot of things I wanted to see explored, that there wasn’t time to get into. But I still really enjoyed it despite that. I guess I don’t have to know everything.

Read if you’re looking for a standalone YA sapphic fantasy romance set in a dark, oppressive world.

CW: blood, torture, animal/human death, murder, manipulation

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings for the following:
Animal/Pet death
Abuse
Torture
Drowning

I'm so glad to have read this book because as it stands, it might be my favorite sapphic YA novel to date. I jumped in for the chance of magic being used in song and girls falling in love. I was so happy to see a interesting villain, endearing side characters, and a setting that kept me interested in the way the world was.

Following Cadence through her fear of what could become of her, then following Remy who's a bit more defiant, was really a good way to alternate. Had the story been told from just Cadence's pov, I feel like it woulda lost a lot of the charm. And besides their stories, it was enjoyable to see the girls grow from their differences towards one another, to a romance.

The Queen was surprisingly a delectable villain. I actually really -really- loved her, and enjoyed the idea behind her demeanor. Honestly I would love to actually have more snippets from her if anything more.

The magic was so well done. Not flashy, no long paragraphs describing it, but just the intricate descriptions of voice and sound. And knowing how mages are treated in this world, I loved (as bad as it sounds) how they are dealt with. While most stories rather destroy those who can channel powers, it was nice to see a different way, even though it was a saddening way.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book, and will continue to keep an eye for anything more from the author.

I definitely see where the author was going with this. I love villains who are villains, creepy and dark but who can turn it off and on at the flip of a switch. To me, the pacing felt off? Cadence and Remi fall in love almost immediately, and just as soon as we're introduced to the rebellion, the book is over.

Adverage plot and adverage characters. I was expecting to love this book because the cover is absolutely stunning but it was very forgettable.

3 Stars

Things I liked:
- F/F romance
- The use of song as magic and for healing, I loved this
- Strong female characters
- Bomb cover art!

Things I didn't like:
- Making sure to point out that the majority of the characters are white right up until the end when the author identifies a handful of characters as black - it just feels weird
- Nip!!! (that's all I'm saying)
- Very weak world building definitely could have been more robust (but I also finished The Eye of the World two days prior so I may be judging this a little harshly)

At the end of the day I enjoyed my time reading this but ultimately this will be forgettable for me.

I loved the Phantom of the Opera aspects of this novel and the magic system was so wonderful and well thought out. Also, the characters were fleshed out and realistic. A+ The reason why it’s not a higher rating is because the ending was very rushed and there wasn’t as much care with it as the rest of the book.

Ruinsong was such a treat. I loved this book. This is a book geared towards older teens, but does not have graphic romance or much language, from what I can recall (and I am specifically looking out for language in books.) The female/female crush was so sweet and so well done.

Cadence is a powerful young mage who can use her voice to control her magic. Because of her power, the queen in this world enlists her (and imprisons her) to use her voice to hurt others to keep the queen in power. Cadence must realize that her strength comes from more than her magic, and she must decide what she is willing to use her magic for.

Remi, a young noble, first sees Cadence at the annual event where nobles are gathered and then hurt by the mage. Remi is confused to see her childhood friend as the mage on stage, but when she is captured, becomes close with her once again. The two of them discover that their feelings are more than just friendly. They must work together to overthrow the queen, and in the process, fall for one another.

I loved the worldbuilding in this novel. I loved the characters, and I loved the acceptance. The magic system was fascinating and was something unique. I think teens will really love this book, and I will love giving it to them.

Content warning: There is some gore and animal death.

All the Phantom of the Opera vibes: how amazing is that?

The aesthetic feel of this book alone is just beautiful. We also get strong female lead, lots of magic, and a dash of well-written romance. The world-building alone of this book is what really did it for me. Absolutely gorgeous and well-done. A dark fantasy that YA readers will eat up for sure!

I loved the pitch for this story: wo young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other. The Phantom of the Opera vibes were great. I loved that this story was a standalone. I had trouble with how cartoony the villain was in this story. There was a lack of character depth in this story.

As a result of my various committee appointments and commitments I am unable to disclose my personal thoughts on this title at this time. Please see my star rating for a general overview of how I felt about this title. Additionally, you may check my GoodReads for additional information on what thoughts I’m able to share publicly. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to read this and any other titles you are in charge of.

The author quotes "Phantom of the Opera" as an inspiration for this magical siren-eque standalone. In this world, magical powers come through your singing voice - but not everyone has this power. In the current standing, the Queen controls the singers, and bends them to her will.

It's sapphic. It's YA. It's magical. YOU NEED TO READ IT. Or as one of my favorite TikTokers says, "it's gay, and it slaps".

This story was a true page turner for me, I couldn't wait to see how childhood best friends, Remi and Cadence, would navigate their now romantic feelings towards one another - while under the Queen's watchful eye. I was so intrigued with how Cadence would embrace (or not) her powers, and how Remi would adjust to catching feelings for the person who is most likely the most powerful person in their kingdom.

Loved the cover, loved the story! All I can say is I wish it would have been a series instead of a standalone. Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Children's Publishing Group for my eARC copy of Ruinsong, in exchange for an honest review,

A sweet story. I enjoyed how it changed perspectives so that you could get a clearer all-around picture of what was happening. The main characters had distinctive voices so it wasn't hard to figure out whose chapter you were reading. The magic seemed to be pretty well thought out as well.

Ruinsong is a glorious aria of plot, character and magic. Please read it if you enjoy: gaYS, friends-to-enemies-to-friends-to-lovers, music, magic, and myth.

I received a copy of this book from the publishers to review but opinions are my own!

This is a pretty solid little YA LGBTQ lite fantasy novel.

In this world, music is magic, and Cadence is the court’s Chantrix aka most powerful magical singer and does the bidding of an evil Queen. Unfortunately when her childhood BFF/turned crush gets captured by the queen, well things started to go downhill a bit. C’est la vie.

It was a bit cheesy and too convenient at times, however overall it was a very enjoyable read that was super easy to follow (hence why I said lite fantasy). I almost wish this was a series or maybe 100 pages longer just to really flesh out the characters and give me a bit more depth to the story, but like I said, I liked this one quite a bit.

If you’re a fan of Serpent and Dove, or The Giver, or Throne of Glass, give this a try for a stand-alone, WLW spin on things.

TW: animal cruelty and some gore.

4.75 stars

Thank you to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for the digital arc of this title.

Ruinsong by Julia Ember is a YA fantasy that had me riveted from the start. Cadence is a mage whose magical power comes from song. As she sings spells she has the power to manipulate temperature. As a young girl Cadence is taken under the wing of a malevolent queen who forces Cadence to use her power to torture those that the queen wants to control. The acts make Cadence sick, but at the same time she fears the power of the queen and other mages who are part of her court.

The story takes a turn when Cadence encounters a childhood friend Remy who is being held prisoner by the queen.

Things I loved:
- tremendous world building
- complex multidimensional characters
- voice magic - I loved this unique twist on magical powers
- sapphic relationship within the societal norms of this particular community- the book explains how the societal norms differ between mages vs gentry as to what is acceptable

Long story short, I loved this book. If I have a criticism it is that I wanted more at the end. I'd love to see another book in this universe.

The world in Ruinsong the author creates is full of cruelty and fear, and it wasn’t always easy to read. The history of the world, the mythology of the goddesses and the song magic system, the backstory of the current Queen’s ascension and the hierarchy of the people in this world is also described wonderfully without ever feeling like an infodump and I found myself quickly get pulled deep into the story. As someone who loves singing despite being a bad singer myself, I loved the magic system even when it was used in grotesque ways.

The plot itself wasn’t very complicated - its a straightforward tale of a tyrant queen and a brewing rebellion to overthrow her. This was mostly a character driven story and hence mostly full of inner monologues and conversations, rather than action. This did make the pacing feel quite slow and as if nothing much was happening, but then everything came to a head too quickly towards the end which felt too simple and unrealistic. Otherwise, the writing itself was easy to get through and while I’m not always comfortable diving into a new fantasy world via the audiobook, the narration of this one was very good and I never found it difficult to understand.

To conclude, this was an enjoyable standalone fantasy with a very cool singing magic system and two female characters with their own kinds of strengths, fighting back against an oppressive system. It maybe slow but this story of resilience and standing up to cruelty is definitely worth a read. But don’t mistake this for a romance novel - you’ll get to see the beginnings of a sapphic relationship but that’s not the crux of this story.

There was so much I enjoyed about this story. I really, really liked the world. The magic system was very unique with how the power of song is what controlled people. With different songs, different outcomes could happen but I wish there was more. While I loved this idea and how it took place in the story, what about other magic? Song was the only magic that took place in the world so I just wish it was a variety of different things. Only so many people could weild song magic also which made it unique but I thought there could have been more. The tone of this book was a darker one but it fit. Each description really helped lay out what this world is like and the consequences of each characters outcome. I thought it was very successful on how Queen Eline knew everything that happened. This really fed into her rule and how she controlled her people. There was this whole buildup throughout the whole book that I felt like the ending was rushed. The ending was done well and I did enjoy the outcome but I wish there was just more to it. I don’t know if maybe it’s because I’m used to series where it definitely has plenty of time to end versus a standalone but I just wish we had a little more.

The characters in this book were fantastic. Two point of views were given, Cadence and Remi. Cadence is used by the Queen to torture the nobles that didn’t immediately follow her rule during the uprising. What I liked most about Cadence is how practical her character was. She hated what she was doing for the Queen but what else was she supposed to do? She had her little rebellions throughout her time at the castle which made her seek out to overthrow the Queen more believable. This was such a great buildup and background information for the character because all of her choices made sense. I really enjoyed Remi as well because of her fiestiness. She did what she had to do in public but she was never afraid to voice her opinion. She continually fought back at every moment she could in her own way. It was easy to convince Cadence to be on her side and the pair did a fantastic job together. Their relationship just flowed and their chemistry was undeniable.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, Ruinsong by Julia Ember was a good book. I really enjoyed the world and how song was used throughout it. The ending felt a little rushed and I wish there was just a little bit of variety in magic, but overall, it was we done. The characters were both so perfect for this story. Cadence and Remi had the perfect chemistry and I’m glad both points of view were given throughout. Their development was great and I felt invested in both characters.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

"These mages put too much stock in their songs. They never notice how much you can say in silence. "†

Ruinsong is the type of novel that has such an interesting concept, it's impossible not to get sucked right in. It is set in a world where magecraft is performed through voice, specifically singing. One of the main characters, Cadence, is a particularly powerful mage whose voice is a weapon of torture at the Queen's bidding. Essentially, the Queen hates the nobility and they are required to pay their dues for being nobles by being tortured once a year. While this is an interesting concept, I also found myself wondering why so many, particularly those of the common class, mostly just found this system to be okay... History does support the idea "eating the rich", but still. This is a pretty intense way of doing things.

Unfortunately, the development of the romance between Cadence and the other lead, Remi, wasn’t very compelling. Remi was of the noble class, which was an interesting contrast. The women had been childhood friends and Remi had been previously tortured by Cadence's song. There is understandably some conflict when they are thrown together. There was a slow build, but I was left unsatisfied with where they left off. There were a lot of unresolved communication issues between the pair when they were suddenly just together/ in-love. I would have liked to see a few conversations later in the book, particularly over the lack of trust that continued right up until the end. I’m just not sure how you can be in love with someone if you never really trusted them.

Major trigger for me was the brutal murder of a pet.

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