Ruthless by Carolyn Lee Adams + Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

 Series: N/A
Author: Carolyn Lee Adams
Page Count: 256
Published: July 14th, 2015
Publisher: Simon Pulse
  4 Stars ★★★★

Ruth wakes up in a pickup truck, unaware of how she got there. She soon discovers that she was taken by a man, and he's transporting her to his cabin in the woods. Her captor thinks that he has the right to kidnap and "fix" or punish girls like Ruth, girls who are "bad". Ruth soon learns that he's done this at least six times before....none of the previous girls survived. Ruth, however, is determined that she will live and bring this sick man to justice. She just has to survive against her captor's guns, unhelpful locals, and the dangers of the forest. 

So this was a great book. I really loved the majority of it! I read most of it in one sitting. This book is fairly short, however the length was perfect for the events that the author described. The pacing was well done, there was never a dull moment. 

This story is told in the present and in flashbacks from both Ruth and her captor's lives. This provided not only mystery but important context to help the reader understand the characters on a deeper level. I found myself both disgusted by Ruth's captor, but also a bit sorry for him. As for Ruth herself, she did have a history of being rude and inconsiderate, however I admired her for her determination and change of heart. 

I feel like some parts of this book were too unrealistic.... people refused to help Ruth when she was clearly in trouble. Maybe I'm naive but I have trouble believing that people would be that heartless. I also think that her captor wasn't depicted as being as cautious and thorough as I'd assume one would be in his situation.... I won't say much else because I'd spoil parts of the book, but I think that someone committing crimes as he did would be more careful. 

Overall this was a great book! If you'd like a short, thrilling book about a kidnapping, this is a great pick. 

Find Ruthless on Goodreads

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 Series: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Page Count: 412
Published: December 11th, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
  4.5 Stars ★★★★

Mytica is a continent with the countries Auranos, Limeros, and Paelsia. Jonas lives in Paelsia where the people live off of money earned from their wine, while Lucia and Magnus live in Limeros with the "King of Blood", and Cleo is the princess of Auranos. When Cleo's visit to Paelsia ends in tragedy, a chain of events starts that sparks a full-out war. Meanwhile, witches hide in plain sight, forbidden desires plague Magnus, and the Kindred, a set of four magic crystals, are sought after. Who will survive the coming conflict?

I loved this book so much! It was almost perfect, it only lost .5 stars because I feel like some characters rushed into things (i.e Cleo's romantic feelings... can't say much else without spoiling). Besides that, I loved it. 

I loved the different cultures in the different countries. They were so unique compared to each other, they seemed like they could be real places. Injustices suffered by the Paelsian people were heartbreaking and kept me reading on, while conflicts faced by the Limerian and Auranian characters left me conflicted and reading for hours!

I like the way that the author combined magic with medieval-style royalty and castles, along with romantic tension and violence. Yes, this book had a lot of violence, I was actually really surprised by this. However I don't mind fictional violence so I enjoyed the tensions and fear that this created. There were many emotional moments, and a lot of people died. Be prepared when you're reading this to possibly have your heart shattered!

This was a great book! I had some minor issues with it but overall it was really awesome. I recommend this to fans of fantasy books and books with many characters, violence, and multiple viewpoints. 

Find Falling Kingdoms on Goodreads