VERY smutty. Basically all smut, little plot. I was left a little wanting since I’ve heard good things about the author. I still found myself enjoying it, though. But it’s not as enthralling as other reads. ( )

A massive fantasy novel that is spinning it's wheels. The first four hundred pages are mainly about a cat and mouse relationship between a "highborn" man and a mortal woman (Calista) There is much flirtatious dialogue. as well as much sensual touching which the author clearly enjoys writing. In the final hundred pages or so we get to a plot at which point Calista seems to totally forget about her love interest with the "highborn" man' Pretty goofy. ( )

Everyone is stupid but the smut is hot.

The early part of the book is surprisingly good. If you look beyond everything being heavily tainted by constant lust and smut, there are some actually interesting and complex characters. There is not only the pretense of moral ambiguity but truly nuanced greyscale. There even are some philosophical themes here that have enough depth to capture some of the actual complexity behind these questions.
A lot of the elements don't feel like shallow token building blocks but actually fleshed-out ideas.
Heavy topics like the horror of war and trauma are presented in a very visceral emotionally gripping and believable way. Some of it slightly misses the mark by being tainted by the typical ideas behind patriotic hero complex. But overall it's far beyond the average fantasy novel.
But then the plot has to somehow happen and the author has to get her characters to do stuff and all of it goes out the window. Prepare for the full collection of all the stupid and shallow clichées you find in any cheap fantasy romance. Character inconsistencies, plot holes, and repeated tstl to a ridiculous degree by multiple characters. The underlying fundamental conflicts are not bad, but the actual execution is just terrible.
(Do I even have to warn of a cliffhanger in an Armentrout book? Well, there you have it I guess.) ( )

This is a new series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Fall of Ruin and Wrath is a fantasy romance about a young woman named Lis (short for Calista), who has interesting gifts — she has heightened intuition, can read people’s thoughts, and can have visions of the future. Set in a fantastical-possibly futuristic world, Lis is a lowborn, whose abilities have given her a place of comfort and security with the Baron of Archwood. One night, she comes across a group of men talking in an alley about a captured Hyhborn (the world’s elite — who are exceedingly powerful beings) She makes a choice, which puts her on a path of love, destruction, and ruin.
This book is my first JLA book, and I don’t have any basis of comparison to her other works. The overall concept of this book is interesting. This book ends on a cliffhanger, which makes me curious for the next book in the Awakening series. I’ll just have to read her other books while I wait.
Plot- 3.5/5
Characters- 3.5/5
Spice- 4/5 ( )

Fall of Ruin and Wrath is the first book in a new series for adults by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and it does not disappoint. Spicy enough for the most discerning of romance readers and with enough magic for fantasy aficionados, it defines the hot new genre romantasy.

Calista's world is one wherein humans live in nine protected cities and are subjects of the guardians who rule and the gods who reign over them. The feel of the world is very much historical with its lack of automation and modern appliances. However, the gods who rule feed off human pleasure, so there is an openness to vice that is anything but Victorian. The dichotomy is unsettling, to say the least, and a constant reminder that this is a fictional world.

The chemistry between Calista and Thorne is scorching, and I am here for every minute of it. Ms. Armentrout always creates relationships fraught with sexual tension, and Fall of Ruin and Wrath isn't any different. The romantic scenes are definitely for adult eyes, but they aren't any spicier than what you find in any other romance or romantasy novel these days. Because their tension-filled relationship isn't enough, at the end of the book, Ms. Armentrout throws out a hiccup that will have major implications for the future of their relationship, something that makes me anxious for the second book.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath is a strong start to a new series. The one issue I had with it is that it reads like what it is - a series beginner. You finish the story with too many unanswered questions. There is little actual story as Ms. Armentrout spends most of the novel introducing her world and the key characters.

Still, there are hints that the rest of the series will be spectacular, making Fall of Ruin and Wrath a worthwhile read. The scenes between Calista and Thorne alone make it quite the read. I can't wait to see where this series goes next! ( )