Mae has lived her whole life on Prosper Island. Ever since the death of her father the Prosper's have looked after her, that is until she comes to age which just happens to be this year. She's desperate to stay with the Prosper's on their Island filled with Magic, but everything comes at a price. To stay, Mae has to marry one of the Prosper sons, which would be fine except it's not the one shes in love with. To add to the drama, the spirits that live on the island have started getting ill and dying, with no reason why. But tonight isn't the night for these thoughts, tonight is First Night, when the Prospers invite all their friends to celebrate Lord Prosper first harnessing the magic of the Island. First Night always ends with a bang but nobody, least of all Mae, is prepared for the explosive end to this one.

This book wasn't a hit with me and one of the reasons why was the characters. Mae herself was brilliant, sheltered and incredibly naive having only the Island and the Prospers who inhabit it to give her any life experience. She doesn't make the best decisions, but when the shit hits the fan she really comes into her own and realises that she's been treated badly her whole life. Her journey took a while and there were a few back and forths which I found slightly annoying, but in the end she just stopped being walked all over and decided to make her own decisions.

The Prospers on the other hand were just a bunch of dicks. I mean this seriously, there wasn't one good one in the bunch, although the author tried her hardest to give them some semblance of a redemption arc. They treated Mae like literal shit, some would pretend to be her friend whilst never really meaning it, and others would treat her no better than an invisible servant. They were physically and emotionally abusive, and I thought they all got off a little too easy.

I loved how the story was told over one night, It added a pace and flow to the story that made it near impossible to put down. The short time frame made sure the stakes to this story were incredibly high, and added a depth to the tension and drama of the story. Cohoe's descriptive writing really helps drag you into the story and onto Prosper Island, it's both creepy and beautiful in equal measure. The magic system was... lacking. I never really got my head around it at all. How did Lord Prosper get control over the spirits if he had no magic to begin with? How did they mine the power for mainland use? What exactly did the power do? There were just too many unanswered questions and it played such a large part in the story that they really shouldn't have gone unanswered.

The romance was just, pretty bad. There was a love triangle where both 'suitors' were just dicks. Both using Mae for their own gain, though she couldn't really see it at the time, and when she did only seemed bothered by one of them. Cohoe does effectively use plot twists throughout the book, some predictable but not in a bad way. The main problem was the 'big' twist was based around the magic and because I didn't understand it, it didn't have the emotional hit I think the author was going for.

Overall, this book was saved by Cohoe's writing style and the overall pace of the story. Had it been a bit slower I think I would have DNF'd it. Filled with some truly unlikable characters, and not in a good way, with an under developed magic system and an MC that should have just left the rest of the characters to burn.

Review: I Loved It


Whilst this novel began slowly, it quickly exceeded my expectations and is on my best books of the month list!

The Pros: What Worked For Me

Although this story is based on The Tempest, it still feels like a fresh story. Basically, it doesn't rely too much on the Shakespearean play; the original is just a baseboard for this imaginative story to develop. 
I really liked all of the characters in the story. They were very well-developed, with their flaws and strengths. Their interactions with each other and their motivations were also realistic and easy to connect with.
The magic system is very unique!
The plot had plenty of twists and turns, especially at the 50% mark of the story.

The Cons: What I Didn't Like

I would have loved more descriptions of the world being created here. The story is set in the 1920s but readers only get a small glimpse of that time period.
I would have loved to learn even more about the magic system, as it was a bit vague.

Despite the vague elements of the story, I really enjoyed reading this book. I didn't even realise at what point I fell for the characters and the plot, but I was genuinely sad to finish this book. If you haven't already heard about this book or added it to your TBR, DO IT NOW!!! I, on the other hand, am going to add more books by this author onto my list!

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a meant to be a young adult historical novel set in the 1920s with a take on Fantasy. Based on Shakespeare’s classic play of The Tempest, it is set in a magical world on a small island.

As the main characters weave in and out of the story with spirits and magic controlling the plot line, you can’t help but
be intrigued with Mae and where the story will take her.

What I appreciate about this book is carrying a love triangle that isn’t the main storyline. I promise not to give Spoilers.
But if you love fantasy and the appeal of the ‘20s, then this is a boom for you.

A very unique way to retell the Tempest to a new generation.

Thank you NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest opinion

The book takes place over one day, one very busy super complicated day. Mae has been a ward of the wealthy and magical Prosper family since her father's death, but with her 18th birthday fast approaching she is afraid that she will be cast away from the family and the magic she so desires. Using the fanfare and distraction of the First Night party when everyone comes to the island, Mae is hoping to get one of her dreams to come true- one way or another.

Mae basically had no personality, she was what everyone wanted her to be in each situation, very biddable and meek. She started the book out wanting to catch the eye of her long time crush and then next thing you know she is engaged, confused (and confusing) and then power hungry, and then manipulative and scheming and then a wannabe hero? What? Her character growth (if you can call it that) was all over the place and I had a hard time rooting for her, understanding her or even really caring what happened to her by the time the book ended.

The magic and spirits really made no sense, it was more a vague concept that is not really described or understood by most people (including me), yet it is the center point of the whole plot/book. The book was very flat and I could not get into this story or really care about any of the characters at all. At times the author tried to make the secondary characters more developed or interesting, but it seemed like a random afterthought that could have just as easily been left out and not changed the story at all. This is the second book I have read by this author and I just think that maybe her writing style and I just
don't mesh. I am sure other people could possibly enjoy this read, but it was not for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was so excited to get approved for this ARC! YA fantasy books are my favorite genre, and I am honored to be able to review this book before its release date. When I read the description and saw that Chloe Gong (the author of These Violent Delights, which might be the most creative book I read in 2020) had written a glowing review, I knew that I had to read this book. Thank you again to the publisher for granting my request! I can't thank you enough!

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a Shakespeare-inspired island fantasy full of romance, magic, and "court" intrigue. The protagonist is Mae, an orphan who grew up playing with the rich Prospers, the proprietors of the island. Now that she's getting older, she is at risk of being sent off the island if she doesn't form a closer connection to the Prospers beyond mere friendship. She daydreams of being a couple with Miles. All of a sudden, it's proposed that Mae marry Ivo, Miles's older brother instead! The plot weaves in and out between this romance subplot and a more sinister subplot wherein the spirits on the island are mysteriously dying:

Here is an excerpt from Chapter Two when Mae discovers a "dead" house spirit:

"I couldn’t help myself. I came up behind him, just close enough to see, and then I gasped.
It was one of the house spirits, lying in a dissolving pool of its own translucence, a faint purple puddle on the tiles. A breakfast tray lay beside it. The china cup had shattered, soaking the eggs and toast with chocolate.
Ivo whirled on me. I stepped back, instinctively, but forced myself to look at him. Not to quail quite so completely as I had the last time...
It lay still, its gnomelike body leaking something soft and glowing, like liquid. I stepped closer and reached toward it.
Ivo seized my arm.
“Don’t touch it!” he exclaimed.
I jerked my arm away, but he held me tight. His hand was unnaturally hot on my skin, almost burning. A jolt of fear shot through me."

Did I mention that the man standing over this house spirit is the same man that Mae now has to marry if she wants to continue living on the island? I found Mae and Ivo's growing relationship to be intriguing, and I found myself forgoing sleep to continue reading this book to find out what happens. The book is indeed extremely creative, just like the book that it's being compared to, These Violent Delights. I found the idea of spirits powering the magic on the island to be very original, and the action in the book built up and up until it reached an exciting conclusion.

Overall, Bright Ruined Things is a stunningly original fantasy, perfect for fans of Shakespeare retellings like These VIolent Delights. I highly recommend it for all readers of the fantasy genre. If you were intrigued by any part of the description above, you won't regret checking out Bright Ruined Things when it comes in February!

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a young adult fantasy full of magic and intrigue. A story that is sure to send you on an emotional roller coaster ride. Forbidden magic, a family secret, and a night to reveal it all will keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next. I could not put this one down and look forward to reading more from this author.

This was a fun ride that gave me Gossip Girl vibes in a 1920s setting with a light touch of Shakespeare’s The Tempest.

In this YA novel we follow Mae, an orphan girl who lives on a magical island owned by the Prosper family. Though the island is the only home she has ever known, the high-society Prospers don’t think of her as belonging there, when they think of her at all. But Mae doesn’t want to get tossed off the island so she hatches a plan, marry Miles Prosper, learn magic and take her place in the family that has always been just out of reach. Unfortunately something isn’t quite right with the magic on the island, the spirits are mysteriously dying and Mae and her friends must unravel the mystery before it’s too late, for Mae and the island.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read through it in a single day and I was sad when it was over because I wanted to stay in the world that the author had created. The 1920s setting was beautifully executed and our heroine Mae has character growth that is much stronger than what I have seen in other YA stories. The mystery is somewhat predictable but may offer surprises for readers in the YA age demographic which I am not a part of. The commentary on class differences and the privilege of the ultra wealthy were fine, but the lack of diversity in the cast had the message ringing a little hollow (there is one side character who is a lesbian, and that is it, the only mention of anyone BIPOC is about a famous pilot who is a black woman who has zero significance to the story). Also, calling this a retelling of The Tempest is a stretch. While there are a few similar themes, the only similarities in the story itself are the island setting, an air spirit similar to Ariel (called Aeris in the book), and the patriarch of the Prosper family being a magic user.

I would recommend this book for fans of YA stories that have mean girls, and shrinking violets who find their strength.

I was granted eARC access to Bright Ruined Things via NetGalley last year, but I guess publication got delayed? My eBook copy has a different cover and my records say it was meant to be published in October 2021. Either way, it wasn't, and then it fell to the backburner. Then I saw the audiobook offered on NetGalley, decided to take a chance, and here we are! Thank you to the publisher's employees who approved me. My thoughts are my own and my review is honest.

Intended to be a reimagining of Shakespeare's The Temptest (one of the only major Shakespeare plays my Honours English teachers didn't have us study in high school,) Bright Ruined Things is set on an island removed from the mundane world where magic exists, spirits can be seen, and the world is never silent. Now the spirits are dying and it's becoming more and more clear that all is not as it seems. Can she solve the mysteries the island holds before she loses everything?

I devoured this book in a single sitting! I loved the 1920s flair to this otherwise otherworldly low fantasy with a strong element of mystery. The plot is very dramatic in a classic soap opera sort of way and just about every common romance trope makes its way into the plot, yet this isn't a romance novel. The magic system is fascinating, the interwoven web of deception and hidden truths is very compelling, and I really enjoyed our protagonist Mae.

With that said, no other character really stood out to me, and I couldn't even keep the men Mae was involved with separate in my mind. Which one was each young lady supposed to marry? Which one did each actually love? Which one loved each lady? Not sure!

The audiobook narration is excellent! The pacing is perfect, there was no distractingly overdone vocal pitching or put-on voices for different characters, and the sound quality was great. Although as mentioned above, I couldn't keep the men straight, that was certainly not a failing of the narrative performance.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is heavily influenced (but I wouldn’t call it a retelling) by Shakespeare’s The Tempest. It was released February 15th from Wednesday Books (an imprint of St. Martin’s Press). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

Bright Ruined Things follows Mae, an orphan who has spent her entire life on the Prosper’s island, as she struggles to find her place in the world. Not being a true part of the family, she has no claim to the island once she comes of age. But all she’s ever wanted was to belong. And to learn magic. However, the Prospers hide dark secrets that Mae isn’t counting on. What happens when she begins to unravel the lies? Is all of the beauty and wealth worth it? Mae will have to decide for herself.

So, this is a YA (young adult) fantasy. There’s magic and death and betrayal and secrets and love and all of that good stuff. It sounded fun, but I didn’t have high hopes for it going in. It started a little slow, but the momentum picked up a lot after the first few chapters and I ended up really enjoying it. A lot of it was predictable, but there were enough twists to keep me entertained. I had the basics of the plot figured out early on, but I wasn’t entirely sure of the “how” of everything, so that helped keep my interest going.

Mostly though, I loved the characters. I was team Ivo from the get-go. Screw everyone else. I’d read an entire book just about him. Mae was interesting and relatable until she decided to go rogue and stab everyone in the back. I get it as a plot device, but it felt forced and out of character for her. Coco and Miles were both great in their own ways even though they acted like dipshits for a while. But it was in character for them and they grew into decent people, so I forgave them. And I know I shouldn’t say it, but I actually liked Alasdair. He was a complete and utter douchenozzle, but he owned it. Never tried to be something he wasn’t. I appreciate that.

Really, my only complaint with this story was the very end. I don’t care for vague endings unless I know a second book is coming. Is he there? Isn’t he? It’s all up to the reader’s imagination! Ooo… no. If I wanted to write an ending to someone’s story, I’d go finish one of the three I’m currently working on. Just let me know if the dude gets the ending he deserves. But that’s just me. Some people like that vague maybe/maybe not stuff. I’m just hoping it’s bait for a second book.

The writing itself was nice. Things flowed pretty well and all of the pertinent information felt like it was spread out naturally in the story. At least I don’t recall any huge infodumps, so that’s always good. It ended up being a quick and fun read.

Ultimately, Bright Ruined Things was great. I had way more fun with it than I was expecting to, anyway. If there’s a follow up, I’ll definitely pick it up. And if I come across Cohoe’s other work, I’ll be sure to take a peek.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. Definitely recommend picking it up if you’re into YA fantasy. Even if you’re not, it’s still worth a look.

Bright Ruined Things is a reimagining of Shakespeare’s The Tempest. Because I haven’t read The Tempest, I did read a few summaries beforehand. For the most part, knowing the source material isn’t vital to understanding the book, but it was interesting to see what was borrowed from the play. If anything, those who have read The Tempest will be able to point out these things as well as recognize how the story diverges. From my limited understanding, a lot gets turned upside down in this reimagining.

Mae is the central character of the novel, and it’s through her that readers experience the day’s events. Because we only get Mae's point of view, it could be frustrating at times. I wanted to peer into the minds of a few individuals but was limited to only what Mae knew. However, it was a good kind of frustration because it contributed to a sense of mystery, amplifying it at certain points in the book especially when Mae could only hear one side of a conversation. My anxiety kept building as I became embroiled in trying to figure out who was lying and who was telling the truth.

Overall, I enjoyed the book but was left feeling somewhat unsatisfied. The book was well-written and thoughtfully plotted out. My lack of satisfaction may have largely been due to my dislike of nearly all the characters except for Ivo. While I was rooting for him, I couldn’t decide how I felt about Mae. Despite living on the island her entire life, Mae longs for the island to belong to her like she feels she belongs to it. This desire underlies her ambitions to learn how to use magic. The book is also a maddening read because Mae can’t seem to decide what she wants. Then there were those few times I wanted to cheer her on. I often had to remind myself that the book takes place in a single day, so it makes sense why she can’t seem to commit to a decision. Despite being frustrated with Mae, I believe Cohoe does a great job at showcasing how fickle emotions can be and Mae is fickle.

Bright Ruined Things is a search for belonging and family framed in the larger context of the mysteries surrounding the Prospers and the island. Although I didn’t care much for many of the characters, it was still a book I couldn’t put down because I needed to find out the ending.

(3.5 stars rounded to 4 stars)

I loved Ms. Cohoe’s debut book Golden Fury and I was delighted by her next book, Bright Ruined Things. The era and the atmosphere of this dark YA fantasy offers the perfect mix of Shakespearean tragedy, magic and adventure.

While the setting is phenomenal, it’s the characters that really drew me in. The main character, Orphan Mae’s plight, is full of family drama and revenge, and completely and utterly complicated! This is said in the best way possible. The world building is unique and complex but never difficult.

This is one I truly enjoyed and I look forward to what Ms. Cohoe brings next!

I'm sorry! I lost my entire review that I thought I had saved!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press/Wednesday Books for providing the arc of Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe in exchange for my honest review.

Bright Ruined Things is called a reimagined Tempest, one of Shakespeare’s last plays. It’s been a while since I read The Tempest but let’s see.

We meet our MC Mae, who has only ever lived on a private island owned by the wealthy family, the Prosper family, who control all the magic and spirits who inhabit the island. Mae herself is not magical, but she craves it. Dreams about it. She wants to be like her BFF, Coco, especially if that will catch the attention of her crush, Coco’s brother Miles. Mae has just turned 18, and she’s scared the family will ask her to leave. Instead, it’s “suggested” that she marry the heir to the family, the eldest son Ivo. After a falling out with Ivo, Mae believes Ivo hates her. Meanwhile, deep and dark family secrets begin to unravel everything Mae thought she knew about them and herself.

For me, world-building is not great. The characters could use some development. I wouldn’t say I liked most of the characters for more than half of the book. At times, Ivo found tolerable, but I wish he had been more developed than a cliché spoiled narcissist. The entire Prosper family was wealthy and powerful cliches. The addition of Sebastian was decent, I wish he was in the story earlier, but when you’re not rooting for the MC, it makes it tough to stay interested.

Bright Ruined Things has a gothic atmosphere that I know many will love, and the magic and secrets will work for sure tick boxes for many. It just didn’t work for me. I felt that being compared to the Tempest did not work. I mean, there’s a boat in it, some magic and family secrets that ruin them…I guess.
The other thing that made me sad, it’s supposed to be set in the 1920s; however, if I didn’t know that, I never would have figured it out. The language was very modern for the ’20s, and I never could figure out where this was taking place in America? Europe?

The good, it never dragged, I was able to read it fairly quickly considering I never really got into it, and I know plenty of people will enjoy the world; I just wanted more. Also, the ending didn’t disappoint.

This is a wonderful YA fantasy about fae, aether, an island, and is based on Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. It's fast-paced, and the protagonist, Mae, is someone you root for. I loved reading about the magic and family secrets that make up a lot of YA novels in a new and fresh way. Definitely recommmeded.

I do tend to enjoy most things Shakespeare even reimagined/inspired by stories....so when Bright Ruined Things was pitched as a YA historical fiction fantasy inspired by the Tempest I was sold. As it's original source material, Bright Ruined Things is told over the span of 24 hours on the day of the First Night; a party thrown by Lord Propser to celebrate his harnessing of the island's magic and ability to turn it into a fuel source.

The story follows Mae, an orphan that has grown up on the island with the family. In order to solidify her place on the island, she reluctantly accepts a proposal from Ivo, the oldest grandson, despite preferring the other grandson, Miles. Only Ivo and his grandfather are bestowed with the power to wield magic, much to the disappointment of other family members. Mae decides to team up with another character in order to learn the secrets behind the magic during First Night and things don't go as planned.

The story felt Shakespearean in nature. There were a ton of characters, eavesdropping, misunderstandings, part comedy/part tragedy, magical elements, a bit of romance and plenty of family drama to go around. The magic was subtle and I wish it had been more prevalent. I tend to enjoy stories set in the 1920s (I love big jazz bands, prohibition, Gatsby, the fashion, art deco, etc...) but there isn't much to remind you of the time period within this book. The cover sold me on this one....it's so pretty.

BRIGHT RUINED THINGS is a story about wealth, privilege and magic. I've never read The Tempest, but I am always here for a story that has Shakespearean vibes and BRT has it in droves. While I was expecting more of a flapper 1920s feel based on the cover, I will say that Cohoe did a fabulous job with her world-building and bringing an atmosphere full of mystery on the Island where the Prosper family resides that is plagued by ghosts and spirits. This book has a super fun ghosty feel that I also adored. I came around to really enjoying Mae as a MC with her ambition of being able to harness magic, and I loved seeing her character develop as she comes to terms with how the Prosper family and their wealth has impacted her life and the darker temptations she faced as a result. Seeing that really sealed the deal with how much I liked her. I also adored Ivo's character and thought that his and Mae's chemistry was off the charts. I also liked Coco and Mae's friendships and how it gets more complicated as the novel goes on. Unfortunately, I wasn't buying Mae with Miles who seems to be the main ship of this novel. I just didn't like how he treated her in the beginning and though I warmed up to him I was not a fan of that particular romance. And that ending. I am not sure how to feel about that, but overall I did enjoy BRIGHT RUINED THINGS quite a bit.

To be transparent, I’ve never read The Tempest, William Shakespeare’s play that Bright Ruined Things retells, so I can’t speak to the novel’s ability to repurpose elements from the original material. However, I can say that while this novel started off slow, the ending thrilled me, as did the characters’ developmental arcs.

Throughout the novel, I couldn’t decipher many of the characters’ emotions or motivations because lies and secrets surround every family member. At first, this frustrated me, but I came to enjoy their peculiarities—Mae’s naivety due to her insular upbringing on the island, Coco’s off-beat ways of dressing and showing her friendship, Apollonia’s coldness around everyone except Sebastien (their relationship actually reminded me of Mermista and Sea Hawk from She-ra and the Princesses of Power).

Mae’s character growth was especially rewarding. As an introvert, I easily related to her timidness and self-consciousness, even if there were times when I still wanted to yell at her for being such a pushover. Her infatuation with the Prospers irked me, though I understand that her confinement gave her no choice but to latch onto the only consistent company she had.

For this reason, I didn’t like the romantic subplot. I also struggled with the setting. Although the novel is clearly set on the island, which brims with magic and spirits that fascinate the mainland, the island feels under-described and not obviously set in the 1920s. I wanted to know a lot more about its beauty, particularly the spirits that, although ever-present, don’t feel urgent until the final climax.

The climax, then, was amazing. The pacing was perfect, and even characters that I disliked at the moment (cough cough Coco and Apollonia) experienced growth in the right direction. The most satisfying part, honestly, was watching Mae finally shrug off her timidness. She managed to shock me as well as all of the Prospers with her boldness. Even Ivo and Miles seemed unaware of her capacity for confidence, which is why I’m glad Cohoe let Mae be romantically independent in the epilogue.

Despite some initial misgivings, Bright Ruined Things was a strange but solid read filled with magic, family intrigue, and finding freedom from confinement. It might even convince me to read The Tempest!

I hate rating books 1 star. I really do. I would much rather DNF and move on with my life. But I liked the initial mystery surrounding the island, and I wanted to see how it all played out. I knew I wasn't going to be blown away, but I certainly didn't expect how the conclusion was handled. I see a lot of people are enjoying this book, so if you're interested in it, I suggest checking it out for yourself to formulate your own opinions. But I can't get over how the LGBTQ+ rep was presented nor can I ignore the use of slavery in the plot. It was just ick.

As an English major with a focus in literature, you can about imagine I've read a LOT of Shakespeare. So any chance I get to check out a re-telling of one of his plays, I am instantly down. With that being said, "The Tempest" (which this story is based on) is not one of the plays I know best. That didn't stop me from enjoying this book though. Even if I didn't know it was a retelling, I would have enjoyed it. There's romance-ish, magic, and insane characters-- what else do you really need?

Bright Ruined Things is a retelling of The Tempest, and it's set in a 1920s-esque world much like our own, except for the magic. One thing I liked about this book was that all of the characters are extremely flawed: the main character, Mae, is a people-pleaser to the point that she annoys those around her, even her 'best friends.' You don't often see main characters with such obvious character flaws, and I think hers in particular were depicted very realistically. However, that also meant that I didn't like Mae. Her thought process was annoying to read at times and I spent a lot of the book wishing that she would just leave the island and stop worrying about the rich people who clearly saw her as more of a pet than a person. 3/5.

Bright Ruined Things by Samantha Cohoe is a Shakespearean-inspired tale for the modern YA reader. Told by Mae, a ward of the Prosper family patriarch, this tale is full of magic, spirits, greed, unrequited love, and tragedy. I enjoyed the setting inspired by The Tempest and all the other aspects that are very in keeping with the intent of Shakespeare's plays which was to entertain the masses and allow them to see traits reflected exaggeratedly. The only character I felt sympathy for is Ivo, one of the many Prosper grandchildren. Even though Mae did not want to admit it, he is truly a tragic hero. He was caught up in a world that he disapproved of but felt powerless to change until the stakes became too high, and he could no longer look the other way. The other characters tend to be vain and selfish and the perfect foil to make Ivo's actions stand out for his heroism . The first-person narration pulls you into this atmospheric tale and keeps the tension high and the story very personal, but I wish I could more easily tell that it is set in the 1920s. There is very little in the story that reflects the period. If you are looking for a different kind of YA Fantasy, Bright Ruined Things is just the book you are looking forward to as your next read.