Book Review: Reign & Ruin

I am balanced for I am broken
Parts that make a whole
Each joy and sorrow token
Paid to mold my soul
For we are nothing
And we are all
The darkness that is rising
And the light that cannot fall.
- Poem of the Wheel



No I am neither joking nor exaggerating. Hands down one of the best books I have ever read. And yes, this is an Indie debut. A brilliant start to a promising 6 book series and I'm looking forward to reading each and every one of them.

Reign and Ruin is a remarkable romantic fantasy that manages to excellently combine passionate romance, impossible love, intense feeling, wondrous magic and skillful court intrigue. All beautifully complemented by two masterfully crafted characters.

Naime is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. Because of it's magic, and the power of a balanced Wheel.
She had been told from her earliest days that she would be the first woman to rule Tamar in her own right. That she would be the change and the balance the Wheel demanded to correct the wrongs of her ancestors. Those of the Sundering War, that had divided the Old Sultanate and broken the Wheel by murdering and driving away the destruction mages of the Sixth House.

The Wheel and magic itself are fascinating just as much as the individual characteristics of the six houses' mages, be they Aval, Deval, Sival, or Chara. Everything interconnected and everything centered around balance.


Fire and water, darkness and light, beginnings and endings.
"That is why there must be balance. To relieve the terrible with the beautiful, to make the beautiful more precious for the threat of its absence."
Remarkable! Especially when combined with a skillfully sketched oriental setting, inspired by the author's experience in Lebanon.

The customs and culture reflected in the court intrigue and power play were masterfully SHOWN not told, and skillfully complemented by just the right amount of historical and military background. And this is the most remarkable aspect of J.D. Evans' writing. She doesn't tell you anything but eloquently shows you everything, up to the tiniest detail.

Back to the story now, because I have strayed a bit :D, on this particular political and cultural background where women are seen more as pretty ornaments or prizes, Naime must precariously balance on the edge of ruin because she was a woman trying to attain a man's position.

Steering the Tamar Sultanate had always been a game and Naime, despite having been groomed for it, was still a mediocre player. But the time comes when the Sultan is no longer able to rule and Naime is forced to step up to the line and take over. Dancing on a knife's edge in a world where every single uttered word carries a complex weight and rhythm, where every single gesture or slip of composure may mean the difference in between success and failure, Naime has to fight tooth and nail to try and reign in the Council and keep her seat.

"You will never find a battleground more relentless and exhausting than a royal court in transition."

And particularly because of this, the beginning of the novel may feel a little slow-paced to some readers - due to the complexity of the setting and the court intrigue it does need quite a few pages to be laid out. But the pace picks up pretty fast and all this won't even feel slow for those like me, who revel in riveting court intrigue and power play.

A new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion. And Naime needs to find a way to save her people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel. An alliance with Sarkum that would come with the help of their destruction mages and their impressive army is the only solution she can find.

Except that her Council refuses to even consider allowing death mages into Tamar, let alone an alliance. So Naime has to start a dangerous game to outmaneuver them. A game that inadvertently entwines her fate with that of Agassi Makram.

A Prince of Sarkum and second in line to the throne, Makram is the deadliest death mage alive. Feared and scorned even in his homeland because of his destructive power. Darkly handsome and magnetic, he is perfection. Until he lets his magic loose and becomes death incarnate. No one is able to look him in the eye, let alone hold his gaze, out of fear of being turned into ash.

Makram shares Naime's vision and chooses to defy his brother and king, to make the alliance with Tamar possible and save Sarkum. But then he meets Naime. And how can he resist her when she really sees him and not his power? When she's not afraid to look him in the eye and even stands up for him in front of others? How can he set Sarkum and his brother above the woman he more than admires?! So Makram dances on a razor edge line in between admiration and attraction. And it doesn't help at all that Naime does the same.

Fighting their passion for each other, the two must work as one to not only succeed in Naime's plans, but also escape with their lives from traps drawn both with pen and sword. And the love story between them is one of the best I've ever read. The passion and the love!! The stolen moments and forbidden touches that show so much of feeling!!! Those were downright exceptional. This author has a talent in making you feel as well as see the tale unfold!

There is so much I could tell you about both Naime and Makram, so much of praising I could do. But it's best if you discover their story by yourself. I guarantee you will love them. Especially Makram. (*dreamy sigh*)

Written in an old-style lyrical and flawless prose, Reign and Ruin will appeal to all fans of romantic fantasy, but especially to those who love it mixed with a lot of court intrigue, rich wordbuilding and an intricate magic system.

I read it on KU but will buy the paperback to add it to my shelf of favorites and am eagerly waiting for the sequel.
It is one of the best books I have ever read after all. So I'm gonna end this review with a heartfelt suggestion:
If you love romantic fantasy, YOU HAVE GOT TO GIVE THIS A TRY!
and you might fall in love too, with the passionate story of a Sultana and her Agassi. :)

Check out this book and more of J.D. Evans over at www.jdevansbooks.com