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Bright Ruin

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Bright Ruin

By: Vic James
Narrated by: Avita Jay
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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 Action & Adventure Dystopian Fantasy Destiny Paranormal & Urban Fiction Contemporary Paranormal Science Fiction

Critic reviews

“Interwoven story lines and constantly changing allegiances will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last page. Fans of the series will be clamoring for this thrilling conclusion to James’s intricately plotted trilogy.”—Library Journal (starred review, Pick of the Month)

“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

Praise for Vic James’s GILDED CAGE

“Compelling and fascinating . . . [an] outstanding fantasy debut.”—Bookreporter

“A great book to start your new series obsession . . . for those who can barely get enough of the British dramas like Downton Abbey or the magical worlds of J. K. Rowling.”—BookPage

“Exquisitely wicked . . . a lavishly opulent, yet brutally vivid, alternate England which subtly questions modern beliefs . . . If ever there was a speculative fiction book that captured the zeitgeist of an era this is it.”—SFFWorld

TARNISHED CITY

“Highly recommended . . . There’s an admirable level of world-building. . . . with real moments of empathy and compassion [and] a true nail-biter of a cliffhanger ending.”—Fantasy Literature

“Multifaceted complexity . . . lively, determined characters.”—Publishers Weekly
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I loved how we got the answers about the lore of Skill and the Wonder King.

Like book two, it's dark and realistic that the rebels don't have it easy and the consequences are deadly. I liked the high stakes. I liked the family machinations, the scheming politics and its results.

The ending - I found it to be a mix of realistic and ambiguous. The political side was realistic with the rebels/commoners still not being in power, but power having to transition into something different.

Still, the whole series was solid. It's an underrated dystopian trilogy that should get more attention on BookTube and other social media.

4.5 out of 5 Wonder Kings

Just like how Book 2 began, there's no time jump.

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Great ending to this trilogy but I wasn’t ready for it to be over! Just like any great series, I’m just not ready to leave these characters yet.

Don’t end!

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Okay, this was a great book, a great series, but my only complaint is the rampant mispronunciations by the narrator. I wish I had remembered one specific example, and I had no premeditated intentions of writing this review, but it happens so frequently throughout this series that it’s highly distracting. As professional as the narration is in every other way, I just think that’s unacceptable. One example, that may have been an artist choice, was in the name Cillian. Most Brits, Irish, and Scots pronounce that with a hard C, as in “Killian”. But that could have been designed by the author.

Pronunciations!

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Gilded Cage, Tarnished City, Bright Ruin. The Dark Gifts Series. Author Victoria James has created a trilogy that will be counted among the classics. I loved all three books. There was never a slow spot or a dip in the action. All three books were at full throttle from the first page to the last.

I do not want to spoil the series ending for anyone who has not read it yet. (A piece of advice? Read the series.) The characters who the reader has come to care for continuing their stories. Each storyline builds to a stunning conclusion. I never even imagined the events at the end of The Dark Gifts trilogy.

As with the first two books, I purchased print copies as well as audiobooks. In the future, the print books are going to be passed on to a young person so I can share my love of the series with a new generation.

In the Audible version, Avita Jay does a great job narrating. The entire series has benefited from her talent. Male and female, upper class and working class, calm or raging, Jay handles all of it with perfection.

#UnlikelyHero #Magical #Dark #tagsgiving #sweepstakes

A trilogy that will be counted among the classics

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Wow! Each book is better than the last. This was my favorite though. I would have loved one more chapter. A bit more closure. But the author set it up nicely for your mind to fill in the blanks.

All the characters in this story were well done. I liked every single one. Even the villains. They were interesting and well written. My favorite is Silyen. He wasn’t exactly comic relief, but a relief from all the drama. And there was plenty of it.

I like how shocking every death has been throughout all three books. It sucks to lose the beloved characters, but I appreciate the emotion the deaths evoked by happening out of nowhere!

The pacing of the book is great so a lot was packed into the run time. The story was very interesting. For a story about politics and slavery, it remained unbiased and wasn’t preachy. That’s so rare among authors. It allows you to just enjoy the story and make your own opinions.

Everything about this series is refreshing and I’m so glad I took a chance on it despite the bad reviews from the first book. It was definitely best as a series and not one book. For such a complex story, one book would not have done it justice.

Silyen 🖤

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