“All magic is beautiful,” she said, “and terrible. Do you not see the beauty in yours, or the terror in mine? You can stop a heart, and I can stop your breath.”
She is heir to a Sultanate that once ruled the world. He is an unwanted prince with the power to destroy.
She is order and intellect, a woman fit to rule in a man’s place. He is chaos and violence and will stop at nothing to protect his people.
His magic answers hers with shadow for light. They need each other, but the cost of balance may be too high a price. Magic is dying and the only way to save it is to enlist mages who wield the forbidden power of death, mages cast out centuries ago in a brutal and bloody war.
Now, a new war is coming. Science and machines to replace magic and old religion.
They must find a way to save their people from annihilation and balance the sacred Wheel—but first, they will have to balance their own forbidden passion. His peace for her tempest, his restlessness for her calm.
Night and day, dusk and dawn, the end, and the beginning.
Reign & Ruin by J. D. Evans blends romance, magic, and courtly intrigue into a story driven as much by emotion as by politics. Set in a richly imagined, Middle Eastern inspired world, it follows characters whose choices are shaped by loyalty, ambition, and the complicated pull of desire. It’s romantasy that leans into connection and chemistry, while weaving a plot full of shifting alliances and quiet power struggles, making it a compelling read for fans of both romance and political fantasy.
Julia
I really liked the setting of this story, which draws inspiration from Middle Eastern cultures rather than yet another version of medieval Europe. The court politics, the traditions, and especially the Sultana fighting to claim and hold power in a world ruled by men, all worked very well for me. I have a soft spot for stories where a woman must navigate systems built to keep them out, and this book captured that struggle convincingly.
The magic system was also interesting, though I wish it had been explored a bit more. We get hints of its depth and the ways it shapes the world, but I would have liked clearer rules and a stronger sense of how it fits into the wider political and cultural landscape. It felt like there was more to discover than the story ultimately showed.
The romance, however, wasn’t for me. That’s not to say it’s badly written. Readers who enjoy strong emotional and physical chemistry between characters will probably find a lot to like here. It’s just I personally struggle to stay interested when a story focuses so heavily on romantic and sexual tension. Because of that, I found myself skimming through some of the more intimate scenes to get back to the political side of things, which was what really drew me in.
There’s also a certain amount of repetition in the writing. We’re told several times he can’t use his magic and that they’re drawn to each other but must resist. After a while it felt like the story was looping over the same ground rather than moving forward.
Some of the political scheming and dialogue were a bit predictable or slightly stiff at times, and a few plot turns felt more like convenient drama than natural development. Still, I genuinely enjoyed the political elements, the court intrigue, the shifting alliances, and the quiet, dangerous power games. Those parts made the book worth reading for me.
Reign & Ruin is a solid romantic fantasy with a rich, vividly imagined world and plenty of political tension. The mix of magic, intrigue, and desire wasn’t for me, but it will appeal to readers who enjoy stories driven by passion and power. A fine read with strong themes of ambition and identity.
Kerry
Unfortunately, I am not the right reader for this novel. Whilst I did enjoy the political machinations, the determined female main character who was prepared to upset years of patriarchal rule, and hints of some cool magic, I ended up skim reading quite a number of pages when it came to the sex side of things. I don’t mind some romance in novels but “will we, won’t we” scenarios annoy me, and if there’s sex to be had I prefer the fade to black scenario rather than graphic details. Like some of the other judges I enjoyed the non Western setting, albeit that it felt like a Western perception of the Middle East.
Whilst Reign & Ruin wasn’t for me, readers that enjoy a well written romantasy will definitely enjoy this novel and the other books in this series.
Adawia
Firstly, the cover. I don’t always love character covers, and I certainly don’t expect a cover to perfectly accurately depict what’s inside, artistic licence and all that, but this cover is pretty perfect as far as I’m concerned, particularly aesthetically. I’m rubbish at conjuring images, even when descriptions are very well done, so having a great cover makes my reading experience substantially better.
Reign & Ruin is a romantic fantasy that manages to perfectly balance the romance aspect with character and worldbuilding, plus political and military manoeuvring, in a complex plot. It’s an engrossing read, presenting an entirely satisfying story while leaving plenty open for the story to come. We get enough backstory to understand and connect with the characters, mixed with plot machinations that pave the way for what’s to come.
Admittedly, upon rereading this book, I’ve come to appreciate Naime’s struggle even more. She walks a fine line in the male dominated realm of politics and leadership. With enemies and detractors aplenty and dwindling allies, navigating her succession is not only difficult, it’s dangerous. She’s expected to choose a husband who will rule as Sultan, with her as little more than a consort. She has decided, however, with the blessing of her addled father, the current Sultan, that she will rule as Sultana with her husband as consort. It’s what she’s been raised for and she’s the best person for the job. Trying to negotiate an alliance with a neighbouring country while finding a suitable husband who will stand with her and allow her to rule in her own right, and who will not be influenced by her enemies in the court, seems hopeless until it’s not, and even then…
The relationships are all beautifully done, and the characters and worldbuilding feel authentic to the setting, in a fantasy context of course. The romance is handled very nicely and balances the political manoeuvring and action well. The author has done a fantastic job plotting and writing this story, with the dialogue, the banter in particular, being very well done. There are beautiful cultural and linguistic references that I would call Ottoman influenced. I may have previously considered them a little excessive, but having recently returned from a trip to Palestine, I’m reminded that much of the poetry in the speech is actually quite accurate. People really do speak like that in certain parts of the world, and I was able to appreciate the language and speech conventions a little more, even the kind of cheesy bits, thoroughly relatable.
I also want to mention the actions of the main characters match what we are told about them. What I mean is, for example, Naime is known for her beauty, intelligence, and compassion. Even though we also see her insecurities, her vulnerable side, we get to experience her intelligence and compassion, we see her resilience and steadfastness through her decision making and her actions. We’re not given a selfish, confused, silly character and expected to believe that everyone sees her as the opposite, with beauty.
This romantasy helped me realise I really can actually enjoy romantic threads in sweeping fantasy stories, and I’ve since found quite a few more to become engrossed in.
Our ranking now stands at:
- The Thief Who Pulled On Trouble’s Braids by Michael McClung (champions’ review/original review)
- The Lost War by Justin Lee Anderson (champions’ review/original review)
- The Sword of Kaigen by M. L. Wang (champions’ review/original review)
- By Blood, by Salt by J. L. Odom (champions’ review/original review)
- Murder at Spindle Manor by Morgan Stang (champions’ review/original review)
- Small Miracles by Olivia Atwater (champions’ review/original review)
- The Grey Bastards by Jonathan French (champions’ review/original review)
- Reign & Ruin by J. D. Evans (original review)
- Where Loyalties Lie by Rob J. Hayes (champions’ review/original review)
You can see the full score sheet for all the other blogs judging the contest here.
Jennie Ivins