Fall of Ruin & Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

1st in the Awakening series

★★★★★

Genres: Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Historical, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural

Tropes: Age Gap,

Fated Mates,

Forced Proximity, Possessive Hero, Magic

Moods: Adventurous, Dark, Mysterious

Ugh, the double-edged sword of book hangovers. I loved this book, but I wish I’d realized that not only is the next book not out yet, the author currently has two other series she’s writing that she wants to finish before releasing book 2. As much as I loved this book, if I’d realized that, I’d have waited, because this is a plot-heavy book, and God knows I’m going to forget everything that happened by the time book 2 rolls around.

All that being said, I was surprised how much I liked this book. Armentrout’s writing is very hit or miss for me. I’m not sure why, but the quality of her writing really fluctuates from book to book. Maybe it has to do with editing? 

I was really impressed by the characterization in this book. Nobody is a stereotype even when you can see how easy it would have been to make them one. Lis’s childhood friend, Grady, is a friend to her, like a brother, and not a romantic rival for Thorne. Claude, the baron whose protection Lis is under, is a weak and selfish person, but he also genuinely cares about Lis and his other “paramours” as he calls them. The characters in this book are a breath of fresh air, and I can’t wait to get to know Thorne’s friends better. We didn’t see them much, but when we did, they were a hoot. 

Safety Stats:

Ages:

Lis is 22, Thorn is basically some ancient god-like creature. So he’s somewhere in the hundreds of years old though his exact age isn’t stated.

Cheating:

None.

Other Man/Other Woman:

There are 2 scenes where Lis, our heroine, is involved in some sexual activity with OW & OM on page. She doesn’t have romantic feelings for either, but casual sexual activity is part of the household where she lives under the Baron’s protection.

Separation:

Lis is separated from Thorne in the 3rd act and basically kidnapped. Cliffhanger.

Triggers:

Graphic descriptions of violence and death.

HEA/HFN?:

Cliffhanger, first book in a series.