Emelina Flores and Prince Casimir are fighting harder than ever before for their people and for their love in Avenged, Amy Tintera’s addicting sequel to Ruined.

About ‘Avenged’ by Amy Tintera

In the sequel to Ruined, the romance of The Selection and the epic stakes of Red Queen come together in a story of revenge, adventure, and unexpected love.

Emelina Flores has come home to Ruina. After rescuing her sister Olivia from imprisonment in rival kingdom Lera, Em and Olivia together vow to rebuild Ruina to its former glory.

But their fight has only begun. Olivia is determined to destroy everyone who acts against Ruina, but Em isn’t as sure. Ever since Em posed as Prince Casimir’s betrothed in Lera, she’s started to see another side to this war. And now that Cas has taken the throne, Em believes a truce is within reach. But Olivia suspects that Em’s romantic feelings for Cas are just coloring her judgement.

Em is determined to bring peace to her home. But when winning the war could mean betraying her family, Em faces an impossible choice between loyalty and love. Em must stay one step ahead of her enemies—and her blood—before she’s the next victim in this battle for sovereignty.

‘Avenged’ book review

Ruined was one of my favorite books of 2016, but I was kind of worried that the sequel wouldn’t live up to my expectations (just because of how much I got into the first book). But I am happy to say that Avenged is just as good (if not better than) Ruined. Amy Tintera has really outdone herself.

When we last saw our main characters, Lera was practically burning to the ground (literally and figuratively) and the Ruined were making their way home. Though they’re headed in separate directions, the world they inhabit is not all that large and so our characters are constantly crossing paths (and in interesting combinations that lead to fascinating encounters). Their close proximity really makes what they’re fighting for all the more important because all of the cultures are essentially sharing the same spaces.

While the first novel felt a lot like a spy novel or spy movie, Avenged feels more like a political thriller. A lot of the tension and thrills in this novel come from the politics all the main characters are forced to engage in. While there are a few action sequences (some more brutal than others), the book’s strength is its portrayal of politics and consequences. While that kind of stuff would normally seem quite boring, Tintera has a way of making even the smallest maneuver feel absolutely exhilarating.

Though the characters’ games of political chess unfold slowly, the novel never feels like a slog to read. In fact, if there’s one thing that Amy Tintera excels at, it’s the slow burn (and not just when it comes to the series’ romantic relationships). While you can sort of tell where certain story lines are going to go, it’s the slow-burning journey the characters and plot take from Point A to Point B that make the novel such a great read.

That being said, the romance in this series couldn’t burn any slower (but in the best way possible). The scenes between would-be and sometimes-couples are dense and full of emotion. They’re tantalizing and intimate. There were a few scenes in this book where I could even feel my anticipation growing and my breathing accelerating at the same time. Amy Tintera’s writing is so good, you’ll feel each and every emotion as if it was yours to begin with. If you enjoyed the relationship between Em and Cas in Ruined, you will love its continued development and maturation in Avenged.

Yes, Avenged has a lot of the same markers as other second books in a trilogy (lots of planning and regrouping, more exploration of the larger world of the novel, fewer pivotal events) and feels a lot like the “calm” between two storms. Yet, it’s never dull and never feels like trilogy filler. It’s an intriguing page-turner from beginning to end that’s almost impossible to put down.

If you read and loved Ruined, you’re going to want to get your hands on this sequel. (And if you have yet to pick up Ruined, you really need to sort out your priorities.)

Avenged by Amy Tintera is available now from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and your local independent bookstore. Also, don’t forget to add it to your Goodreads “to read” list!
 

Related: Read Hypable’s review of Ruined, the first book in this series