Queen of Ruin – Tracy Banghart

Queen of Ruin by Tracy Banghart

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Queen of Ruin is the second and final book by Tracy Banghart in a series about sisters, rebellion, and discovering who you truly are. As such, this review could contain spoilers for the first book if you have not read it yet. Nomi and Serina are not the two sisters that we met at the beginning of Grace and Fury. They have each gone through so many things that have changed who they are. Serina started as a quiet girl, training to become a Grace and has blossomed into a leader of a rebellion. Nomi was always fiery and passionate, but is discovering that she needs to think through her actions more and truly learn about the world. Each sister would do whatever it takes for the other, but now there is more in their lives than each other and they wonder if they can balance it all.

I still like Serina better than Nomi, although as I mentioned in my previous review that was not the case when I first began reading. The author managed to have both girls grow and change – and change my opinions. This book continues to follow Serina’s journey as she struggles to figure out her place as the leader among the women of the island. She is capable of so much more than she believes of herself and ultimately makes a great leader. Nomi is great because she reads in a society that does not allow women to read, she’s outspoken and brash – but even though you shake your head at her decisions, you still like her.

It was nice to see a little more character development from some of the characters that didn’t have much detail before. You get to know the Prince more and try to determine for yourself whether he would be a good leader, if he is willing to stand up for what is right or afraid to shake up the status quo, and what motivates him. There was even more development for Val, although I still felt like the relationships in this book weren’t necessary or built on strong foundations that would could see develop over time.

I was very satisfied by the conclusion of this book and greatly enjoyed my time in the world that Banghart built. Most but not all things were wrapped up at the end of this book – it led to a conclusion that left things open for a future in this world but didn’t make you dissatisfied because there were too many loose ends. I loved the focus on sisterhood and feminism, even if the romance and politics sometimes left something to be desired. Overall, a really enjoyable series!

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