Bright Ruin

September 3, 2018
Rebellion comes to a deadly boil in the final chapter of James’s Dark Gifts alternate history fantasy trilogy (after Tarnished City). In this alternate contemporary England, aristocratic equals with magical skill rule over the unskilled, relying on intimidation and outright slavery to keep businesses humming. The powerful Jardine family has maneuvered its way into claiming the all-powerful Chancellorship for the heir, Jenner, even though he’s unskilled. Jenner’s ambitious wife, Bouda, and his father think they’ve found a way to restore his skill, but first there’s the threat of a slave uprising to quell. As Bouda secretly schemes to build her own power, James weaves in side plots about a legendary Wonder King and the origins of skill, as well as the story of a young enslaved woman determined to avenge her family. With so many characters and subplots in motion, new readers may have trouble getting up to speed, but a little patience will be rewarded with this intricate tale of ruthless scheming and bloody betrayals backlit by an unquenchable glimmer of hope. Agent: Ginger Clark, Curtis Brown, Ltd.

October 1, 2018
The conclusion of the Dark Gifts trilogy (after Tarnished City, 2018) is set in a world with some eerily familiar?if exaggerated?political tropes and a dramatic class division based not on mere financial wealth but on a family's magic. It's certainly an engaging look at the work of revolution, and James doesn't allow for easy answers, even when the solution to a problem seems obvious, creating some juicy dilemmas for its multifaceted cast of characters. One uprising has already been crushed, leaving the Hadley family and the ruling Jardine family at the center of a battle for moral and political supremacy. Abi Hadley is in the center of the action, part of the revolution's planning team. Luke Hadley, wanted for murder, is in the countryside with the youngest Jardine, unraveling a vast and well-hidden national mystery. The ending is not, in itself, necessarily unexpected, but it leaves open doors for all of the characters, heroes and villains alike, and promises them a great deal of postrevolutionary work. The telling is fast paced, entertaining, and a satisfying end to an epic story.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2018, American Library Association.)

Starred review from September 15, 2018

In a modern-day England where commoners are forced into ten years of servitude to the magically skilled "Equals," the war between the rebels and the powerful Jardine family grows to a fever pitch. Resistance groups from around the country congregate in London for mass demonstrations, demanding that slavery be abolished and a new government that represents all citizens be formed. The final book in the trilogy (Gilded Cage; Tarnished City) follows the Hadleys as they become further entangled with the Jardines. Abi has escaped the Blood Fair, but her unlikely rescuer may or may not be an ally. Younger brother Luke is on a mission with Silyen, the most enigmatic and powerful of the Jardines, with whom he has formed a tentative friendship. As alliances are formed and torn apart, the only guarantee is that no one will come out unscathed. Frequent narrator shifts move the story at a brisk pace and allow readers to gain insight into each character's motivations. Interwoven story lines and constantly changing allegiances will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the last page. VERDICT Fans of the series will be clamoring for this thrilling conclusion to James's intricately plotted trilogy. [See Prepub Alert, 4/30/18.]--Portia Kapraun, Delphi P.L., IN

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

September 15, 2018

James wraps up her big-hit trilogy, begun with Gilded Cage and Tarnished City, about an alternate contemporary Britain where the lower classes are forced to serve a magically gifted upper class for ten years.

Copyright 2018 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.