Ruinsong

by Julia Ember

Overview

In Julia Ember's dark and lush LGBTQ+ romantic fantasy Ruinsong, two young women from rival factions must work together to reunite their country, as they wrestle with their feelings for each other.

Her voice was her prison…

Now it’s her weapon.

In a world where magic is sung, a powerful mage named Cadence has been forced to torture her country's disgraced nobility at her ruthless queen's bidding.

But when she is reunited with her childhood friend, a noblewoman with ties to the underground rebellion, she must finally make a choice: Take a stand to free their country from oppression, or follow in the queen’s footsteps and become a monster herself.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780374313357
Publisher:	Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date:	11/24/2020
Pages:	368
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.30(d)
Age Range:	14 - 18 Years

About the Author

Julia Ember was born in Chicago, but raised in London and Edinburgh. She now lives in Seattle with her wife, where they are the proud parents of two cats and a very fluffy pony. She has previously worked as a teacher, bookseller and wedding cake decorator, and she is also the author of the Seafarer's Kiss duology and Ruinsong. When she isn’t working on her prose fiction, Julia writes for video and app games.

Editorial Reviews

11/01/2020

Gr 9 Up—Since childhood, a ruthless queen has trained Cadence to use her magic as a weapon. Against a backdrop of eerily topical politics, Cadence struggles with her conscience and complicity in helping her queen stay in power by intimidating and silencing dissidents, and in a world where magic is based on song, those out of the queen's favor are often silenced—their vocal cords are severed. It's a task she's had since she was taken from her family at six, at the time a matter of survival. But when she's reunited with childhood friend Remi, Cadence starts to question just how responsible she is for the queen's campaign of intimidation. As the two young women are drawn to the possibility of covert and eventually open rebellion, their friendship rekindles and eventually turns to romance. Ember's novel unfolds at a leisurely pace, which may frustrate action-seeking readers, but the characters and their motivations are complex and nuanced and need the time to develop. Cadence's struggle, in particular, is relatable. Remi grapples with an emerging class consciousness and desire to leverage her privileged position to help those unable to help themselves. This is a solid fantasy that weaves queer romance with themes of social justice. Both Remi and Cadence are described as white, a number of other characters are Black, and among the non-noble classes, queer relationships are accepted. VERDICT An engaging fantasy novel that will push readers to draw parallels between the narrative and contemporary events and conflicts and, hopefully, empower them to use their own voices to stand up for what they believe in.—Erin Downey, Boise Sch. Dist., ID

School Library Journal

2020-08-14
Two young women shift from childhood friends to enemies to lovers.

In Cavalia, cruel Queen Elene has complete control of her population. Cadence is a corporeal mage; weaving spells through song, she can manipulate others’ bodies for healing, pleasure, or pain. This is Cadence’s first year as the Principal in the Performing, an annual event during which sadistic Elene forces singers to torture the kingdom’s nobles. Noble Remi is Cadence’s estranged childhood friend, attending the Performing in place of her chronically ill mother. Through a series of chance encounters, the teens reconnect. When Elene discovers their relationship, she forces Remi to become a prisoner/companion to Cadence to manipulate them both. As their fates become more intertwined, both Cadence and Remi must decide how far their feelings for each other go and what they’re willing to sacrifice to unseat the powerful queen. Both girls’ alternating first-person narrations often read like exposition, and occasionally repetitive background information feels underutilized. The setting—which evokes 19th-century Europe—sometimes clashes with more contemporary vocabulary. Uneven pacing slowly builds before racing to the finish. Descriptions of violence committed by corporeal mages are graphic but not gratuitous. Cadence, Remi, and Elene are White; diversity is woven into the text through Black background characters, Remi’s body positivity, Cadence’s dyslexia, and sign language.

Despite uneven craft, readers looking for inclusive Sapphic fantasy will be pleased to find this. (Historical fantasy. 14-18)

Kirkus Reviews

"A lushly written, immersive fantasy tale about how monstrous we're willing to become to protect ourselves — and how difficult it can be to learn to fight back." —Rebecca Schaeffer, author of Not Even Bones

“A darkly shining jewel of a story set in a fascinating new world. This queer romantic fantasy will replay itself in your mind long after you’ve finished, like an unforgettable melody.” —Sarah Glenn Marsh, author of the Reign of the Fallen series

"Ruinsong is a symphony of my favorite things: powerful girls, glittering gowns, and falling in love across a divide. Julia Ember's masterful storytelling immerses you in a world of ruthless magic and court politics. Utterly bewitching and emotionally devastating in all the best ways, Ruinsong is a queer fantasy that will captivate the heart and inspire the soul." —C.B. Lee, author of Not Your Sidekick

"An engaging fantasy novel that will push readers to draw parallels between the narrative and contemporary events and conflicts and, hopefully, empower them to use their own voices to stand up for what they believe in. —School Library Journal

"Anguish and dread suffuse every page of this harrowing tale [...]" —Publishers Weekly

From the Publisher