Bright Ruin

Vic James

Oct 2018 · Dark Gifts Book 3 · Sold by Del Rey

About this ebook

In the “thrilling conclusion”* to the dystopian trilogy that began with Gilded Cage and Tarnished City, the people of Britain rise up against their magically gifted masters. They must break the system—or be broken.

MAGIC RUINS. WE RISE.

The rules are simple, the system cruel: the lower classes must give ten years in service to Britain’s powerfully gifted rulers. With one uprising crushed by the glittering elite, commoners and aristocrats alike now take sides for a final confrontation.

At the center of it all are two ordinary siblings: Abi Hadley and her brother, Luke. Each has reason to hate the ruling Jardine family. Abi, who was once their servant, now seeks revenge for a terrible wrong. Luke was imprisoned on their whim—but his only hope may be an alliance with the youngest and most powerful of the clan, the cold and inscrutable Silyen Jardine.
 
Risking everything to end a bright and shining tyranny, Abi, Luke, and Silyen find themselves bound by a single destiny. Their actions will change their fates—and change the world. But at a cost almost too terrible to contemplate.

What price would you pay for freedom?

*Library Journal (starred review, Pick of the Month)

Look for all three books in the mesmerizing Dark Gifts trilogy:
GILDED CAGE • TARNISHED CITY • BRIGHT RUIN

Praise for Bright Ruin

“Fast-paced, entertaining, and a satisfying end to an epic story [with] dramatic class division based not on mere financial wealth but on a family’s magic.”—Booklist

“A triumphant conclusion to this outstanding fantasy series . . . It will keep you up at night until you finish it, and you’ll take a huge breath as you can’t believe the story is over. If you haven’t read the first two installments, please do so, and then jump into the finale. You’ll fly through them all as you see Britain as you’ve never imagined—and you’ll hope against hope for the freedom that may never come.”—Bookreporter

“Rebellion comes to a deadly boil in the final chapter of James’s Dark Gifts alternate history fantasy trilogy (after Tarnished City). . . . [An] intricate tale of ruthless scheming and bloody betrayals backlit by an unquenchable glimmer of hope.”—Publishers Weekly

Ratings and reviews

4.5 stars This was one of my most anticipated reads and I have been dying to get my hands on it! Vic James has taken readers on an emotional journey with a cast of characters that will have you cheering one minute and then angry and crying the next. Bright Ruin is the third book in the Dark Gifts trilogy and is not a standalone. I was really conflicted reading this one. On the one hand, I couldn't read it fast enough, but on the other, I wanted it to last forever. I will apologize in advance for the vagueness of this review, but I don't want to give anything away. Just know that there are plenty of magical moments (some because of Skill and others not), as well as some painful endings and outcomes. I have grown to love these characters and yes, some definitely got theirs in the end, but the hardest lesson I learned over and over again, was that "you don't get to save everybody." That "nobody is safe" kind of dark cloud kept the momentum going in this story and kept me on my toes. Some of the goodbyes were so abrupt that one sentence the person would be alive and well, and the next, BAM!, dead as a doornail. I think the characters that I loved and surprised me most were Silyen and Gavar. They were both in this morally grey zone that had me both hating and loving them. Both characters evolved and changed throughout the series, but I felt that throughout their journeys, they remained true to who they inherently were - for better and for worse. That unapologetic, take no prisoners attitude, actually made them more endearing to me. Though things wrapped up very quickly at the end of the book, I liked that there was a certain amount that was left open ended for the reader. I'm really hoping that this opens the door (pun intended) to a future spin off. Overall, a fantastic series that I'm sad has come to its epic conclusion. *I voluntarily read an advance reader copy of this book*

About the author

Vic James is the author of Gilded Cage, which was shortlisted for the Compton Crook award and was a World Book Night 2018 pick, and its sequels Tarnished City and Bright Ruin. A current-affairs TV director who loves stories in all their forms, she has covered the 2016 U.S. presidential election and Britain’s EU referendum for BBC1 and has twice judged The Guardian’s Not the Booker Prize. She has lived in Rome and Tokyo, and currently lives in London.