Ruin (Ruin Saga #1) in Apocalypse Whenever

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Sep 16, 2014 Kathy rated it really liked it

Harry Manners’ new novel Ruin surprised and engaged me. I have been reading a lot of post-apocalypse books lately, and was not sure I wanted to try another despite how much I enjoy the genre in general. So many of the books I’ve read have been par – sub-par – sub-sub-par. Manners caught my attention at the start, and kept me interested and intrigued throughout the entire story.
Ruin begins 40 years after the “event” that signaled the end of the world – as they knew it. This is a great way to sta Harry Manners’ new novel Ruin surprised and engaged me. I have been reading a lot of post-apocalypse books lately, and was not sure I wanted to try another despite how much I enjoy the genre in general. So many of the books I’ve read have been par – sub-par – sub-sub-par. Manners caught my attention at the start, and kept me interested and intrigued throughout the entire story.
Ruin begins 40 years after the “event” that signaled the end of the world – as they knew it. This is a great way to start, since he is able to avoid having to go into the smallest details of living through an apocalyptic event and rebuilding civilization. It’s there – it’s already rebuilding – so the focus can be on other things going on in the world. Not that the initial problems and rebuilding in a post-apocalyptic world can’t be interesting, it’s just that they tend to meld together and feel like “been there, done that.” Starting 40 years into the event allows Manners to avoid the expected and focus on what the world has become. You then learn about specifics in flashbacks.
The writing is beautiful, with extraordinarily descriptive words that paint picture after picture for the reader. The characters have distinct personalities, and the more we learn about them the more intricate they become.
There is a drawback to beginning the story 40 years into the new world. When you meet the characters, you don’t know enough about the background of the developing society after the event or their personal experiences that shaped their characters and reactions to each other. In fact, there is one major issue that is hinted at/alluded to throughout the book that we still don’t learn when it ends. While you (slowly) learn some of this, it leaves the reader unclear about character motives and, quite honestly, makes it a bit more difficult to develop a liking, affinity, or sympathy – or the opposite – towards them. Rather than feeling like people you know, they feel like guests. While I appreciate the artistry in unfolding the characters and their history, a bit more information would have helped to get more fully engaged in the story.
Be forewarned – this is the first book in a series, and the story arc is NOT complete in any way when it ends. The reader is totally left hanging without any closure. I don’t mind this – I recognize that this is a long story with many threads, and trust I will get more answers in future books. Some, however, really have a problem with that, and should be aware before beginning the story.
Overall, I really enjoyed the book and I am eagerly awaiting the next installment!
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
And I am so very happy that I had the chance to read it.
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Sep 02, 2017 Netanella marked it as to-read · review of another edition

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