ARC provided by the publisher—Orbit Books—in exchange for an honest review.

Surprisingly better than I expected. Ruination is a fast-paced and compelling standalone novel in the universe of League of Legends.

“A fool with power is a dangerous thing. And we live in a world overflowing with fools and power. —Extract from “The Helian Primer of Light”


I can confidently say that I, like many fantasy readers here, found out about Ruination by Anthony Reynolds through our adoration for the magnificent and magical show that is called Arcane. Similar to Arcane, Ruination is a canon story taking place in the same universe, Runeterra, as the popular video game: League of Legends. Prior to watching Arcane, I had played League of Legends only once or twice, and I didn’t know about the lore of the universe at all. Arcane was absolutely amazing. It sent me down the rabbit hole of reading and watching videos about the characters and deep lore of the franchise. And I am still so damn far from catching up to everything. This is to say I had no idea about the details of the story inside Ruination, but I did have an idea of where the story might lead. After all, this is a prequel novel to the video game, and this instinct did not diminish my enjoyment of the book. It improved it. And although Ruination may not blow away veteran fantasy readers' minds, if you are looking for an accessible and fast-paced fantasy story, you really cannot go wrong with choosing Ruination to read.

“Invariably, all nations crumble, fall, and are forgotten. And in their final death throes, they often drag others down with them. —The Histories of Empire, volume VI, by Tyrus of Helia


The passage above appeared on the front page of the book. I don’t know about you, but it immediately gave me the spark of ideas on where this story of honor, ambition, loyalty, obsession, revenge, and madness will end up. Whether that will come true or not, that is up to you to find out. But once again, Ruination is a standalone prequel novel—the FIRST ever novel—in the world of League of Legends. The story begins in Camavor, a brutal land with a bloody legacy. Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king, she vows to temper his destructive instincts; as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin’s poisoned blade strikes Viego’s wife, Isolde. As Isolde’s condition worsens due to the poison, Viego descends into madness and grief, threatening to drag Camavor down with him. And Kalista makes a desperate gambit to save the kingdom: she searches for the long-lost Blessed Isles to find a cure to save the queen.

“Better to act and risk a mistake than do nothing, trapped by indecision. —Ancient Camavoran proverb”


It is not far-fetched to say Ruination will become one of the most surprising read for me. It felt like I read at the exact right time. Most of the books I’m reading are big fantasy books, and sometimes it’s good and satisfying to read a great and relatively short standalone fantasy novel like this. Now, Ruination might not become one of your favorite books if you have read many adult epic fantasy books. At least, that's how it went for me. However, I would be lying if I said I did not have a bloody fun time reading it. The main reason I wanted to read Ruination in the first place was to get more out of the world of Runeterra. Arcane has opened the gate of curiosity in me to explore the lore and stories in this world, and I got what I wanted. However, do know the tale told in Ruination regarding Kalista, Viego, Isodel, Hecarim, Ledros, Jenda’kaya, Ryze, and Erlok Grael was only a tiny fraction of the entirety of League of Legends. And I do hope we will get more detailed stories out of this world, whether in the form of another TV show like Arcane or another novel like Ruination. The potential is immense. Just like how one of the main themes of Ruination is to find the capability to keep hope burning in the face of oppressive darkness, I will make sure to keep my hope up more TV shows and novel in the world of Runeterra will come to pass.

“Even when a flame is smothered, and all seems lost, a single ember may be hidden beneath the ashes. As long as that one ember remains burning, all the darkness in the world can be banished. And while it glows, there is hope.”


Whether you are new or a veteran in the fantasy genre, I feel Ruination will result in, at least, an enjoyable read. The themes portrayed can easily resonate with many readers, and the characters in it were either likable or despicable, as they were intentionally written. But if you are new to the fantasy genre and you want to dip your toes first before exploring other more intimidating and complex series, Ruination is one that I can recommend with confidence. It is a standalone fantasy novel, and there is no continuation yet. It is not intimidating. The writing is straightforward, easy to read, and most importantly, the narrative is engaging and hard to put down. My only minor criticism is I wish we got more chapters after what happened at the end of the book. And I am not sure whether this is an issue, but Ruination is guaranteed to make you chase for more stories and background in the world of Runeterra. Enter with caution.

“A good general knows when a fight cannot be won, and when the best option is to retreat. It will hurt, but you’ll be alive. Alive, you can gather your strength and find those you trust to wield your weapons. Then come back and reclaim this city when the time is right. As long as one ember burns, darkness can always be banished. Stay alive, and keep that ember of hope burning.”


Lastly, it needs to be mentioned that the hardcover edition of Ruination is incredibly well-produced. With a gorgeous reversible dust jacket artwork by Valentina Remenar, interior character illustrations by Kudos Productions, maps by Tim Paul, and beautiful chapter icons for the three main POV characters, Orbit Books went above and beyond to make sure the standard hardcover of Ruination looks as beautiful as possible at a standard hardcover price. Heck, there is even a high-quality book trailer animated for it. So well done on that, Orbit Books. It is my selfish and wishful thinking, but I wish all standard hardcovers in the fantasy genre could receive this kind of treatment.

Overall, just like Arcane, Ruination was a superb addition to the League of Legends universe. I’ve seen reviews and thoughts from the players of the game, and the majority of them agreed that this tragic story with a tone of hope, honor, and love is worth reading. The characters, especially Kalista and Ledros, were so likable. I have no idea whether the next book in the series will be a continuation to Ruination or another standalone story in Runeterra, but whatever it is, I will be reading it for sure.

“They are no better than any of you, for all their finery and wealth… They are weak, for they have never had to fight for their place. They’ve been given everything on a silver platter, every privilege, every honor, where you’ve had to fight for everything, every day of your lives. And that makes you stronger than they can ever be.”

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"Ruination: A League of Legends Novel" by Anthony Reynolds is a thrilling and immersive addition to the League of Legends universe. Set in the world of Runeterra, the novel follows the story of Senna, a former prisoner of the Black Mist who becomes a sentinel of light and fights to protect her homeland from the encroaching darkness.

Reynolds' writing is fast-paced and action-packed, with vivid descriptions that bring the world of Runeterra to life. The characters are well-developed and complex, with motivations that are both relatable and intriguing.

The novel also does an excellent job of exploring the lore and mythology of the League of Legends universe, delving into the history and beliefs of the various factions and characters. Fans of the game will appreciate the attention to detail and the way the novel expands on the world they know and love.

As most other people have said, I am not well versed in the League of Legends lore but to be honest if that caveat was not on the front of the novel I would not have known! I was initially interested because we had recently binged the Netflix Arcane series so I thought I would see if this was similar. Despite being in the same world it is actually nothing like that series and to be honest it does not suffer from that, which is good.

The story mainly follows Kalista who is a battle-hardened warrior of noble blood and only wants to serve her uncle, King Viego. I loved Kalista, she is not power hungry and she has more interest in what is right for her kingdom than any self interest. It was also interesting watching her wrestle with her sense of right and wrong as Viego descends into darkness after his wife is mortally injured by an assassin.

The other portion of the story follows another character on the Blessed Isles who you actively dislike from moment dot. I won't say too much about his portion of the story for fear of spoilers, safe to say, I no likey!

The world building in this book is in depth and beautiful, I felt like I could have been there on the blessed isles, looking out to sea and around the island.

I am looking forward to further books in this series and interested to find out what happens, at under 500 pages its a fun quick read.

Thanks to Little, Brown Book Group and Netgalley for an advanced readers' copy.

I have never played League of Legends and I didn’t realise this was a game inspired book BUT I really enjoyed it as a piece of epic/ High fantasy. Fast paced with great world building. This was a lot of fun.

I've been a fan of League of Legends for a while and after seeing that there's a book, I knew I had to read it! You don't have to be familiar with the game to read the book.
Camavor's future lies in the hands of the king. When the queen took ill, the king was beside himself and didn't act in a kingly manner, those closest to him became worried about what this might mean for Camavor. The fear of the queen dying makes everyone desperate to find a cure, Kalista decides to search for the Blessed Isles and bring back a cure. Will she find a cure, and if her quest is successful will she be back in time to save the queen?

The first thing that stood out to me when I started reading this book is that there aren't any info dumps, unlike other books that are based on video games. The story has a good pace, it's easy to keep track with the characters and get lost in the world created by Reynolds. I pictured the characters and the world while reading, I saw the vivid colours and felt the adrenaline high during fights. The magic system is unique and the characters were well-developed. I was surprised by certain events and character behaviour, get ready for the plot twists!

This book was an epic adventure! Anthony Reynolds did not disappoint. I was hooked from the start and those last few chapters were so intense; I abandoned all responsibilities to keep on reading. I highly recommend reading this book. If you're a gamer or not, this fantasy will have you glued to the pages.
Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for gifting me an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A fast moving fantasy, based on the game League of Legends. A must for fantasy lovers out there, whether you are a gamer or not this book doesn’t disappoint. Solid character development it follows Kalista in search of a cure after the queen is poisoned leaving the king consumed by grief. I enjoyed it a lot.

Ruination by Anthony Reynold first caught my eye with its brilliat cover and it wasn't until I looked into it, I found that it was set in the world of League of Legends, recently made popular by the Arcane Netflix series. I have limited-to-no knowledge about this but that didn't take away from enjoying this as much as I did.

Camavor is a brutal land with a bloody legacy. Where the empire’s knights go, slaughter follows.
Kalista seeks to change that. When her young and narcissistic uncle, Viego, becomes king, she vows to temper his destructive instincts, as his loyal confidant, advisor, and military general. But her plans are thwarted when an assassin’s poisoned blade strikes Viego’s wife, Isolde, afflicting her with a malady for which there is no cure.
As Isolde’s condition worsens, Viego descends into madness and grief, threatening to drag Camavor down with him. Kalista makes a desperate gambit to save the kingdom: she searches for the long-lost Blessed Isles, rumored to hold the queen’s salvation, if only Kalista can find them.
But corruption grows in the Blessed Isles’ capital, where a vengeful warden seeks to ensnare Kalista in his cruel machinations. She will be forced to choose between her loyalty to Viego and doing what she knows is right–for even in the face of utter darkness, one noble act can shine a light that saves the world.

This was a thrilling read that really held my attention throughout. The story itself was just as engaging as Arcane and the suspense throughout was enough to keep my head filled with thoughts constantly. Reynold's world-building was so dynamic and realised and the lore made me want to check other media available set in this world. The battle sequences were top notch and genuinely got me excited for more novels in this format. This was an easy read which is just what I was looking for. It was full of thematic layers that gave us a broader look at the vision for League of Legends.

The writing style of Reynolds was reminiscent of Martin and Lynch where the narrations are flowing and enriching but it does require a lot of patience. There can be complicated parts where things get going and the characters are complex and diverse. The plot may have been surprisingly simple, but this is an epic fantasy adventure that really ticks all the boxes needed.

A fun, fast paced fantasy adventure, this is great for all readers! It will be my go to "beginners fantasy", by which I mean it is something that I can recommend to anyone who is just getting into the genre. Whilst it doesn't do anything to move the needle and plays a lot of things quite safely, I thoroughly enjoyed my time with Kalista and crew.

First I must confess I had never heard of “League of Legends”, so characters and game connections would be lost to me reading this. My review is based on it as a fast moving fantasy novel in isolation to the game.
I enjoyed it a lot, strong female lead character with good supporting characters. When a Queen is poisoned, the king allows grief to consume him and Kalista is sent to search for a potential and mysterious cure. A bit like a game, it is slightly linear, ie go here, do something then go there etc, but it works due to the writing and strength of characters. It does get dark towards the end in ways I wasn’t expecting but that just added to the fun.
Great stuff, be more than happy to read more in the series.

Ruination is based on the game League of Legends, as I've never played the game I can't comment on the accuracy, it was the book cover and the blurb that made me want to read this.
The story starts with a celebration in the kings hall, when assassins strike, leaving Queen Isolde fighting for her life - with a condition that there is no known cure.
There are rumours of a long lost isle that may contain a cure, but no-one knows for sure, as it's said that the isle is concealed by a mist that ships can't penetrate.
So as King Viego descends into madness from his grief, his niece Kalista sets off on a quest to find the Blessed Isles and the cure to save the Queen and kingdom.
This is a quest style fantasy, with engaging characters and detailed descriptions, that are well written.
I'll definitely read the next book.
Thanks to Netgalley and Publisher for the ARC.

I never played A League of Legends nor I read stories by Anthony Reynolds but the blurb and the cover attracted me.
I thinks it's a good and well plotted fantasy novel, I appreciated characters and world building.
Kalista is a strong female character and I liked the pace and the storytelling.
I'm curious about the game now even if I don't know if will ever play it.
It was an entertaining story and I recommend it.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Even if you've never heard of League of Legends (like me!), this is a great fantasy novel. Well written, with great world building and interesting characters, it keeps you hooked all the way through.

The ending was incredible, and I'd have loved to see more of the after, rather than the brief epilogue. I'd invested so much in the characters and the story that I felt a little let down.

Despite that, it is a great read that I highly recommend.

Never having played LoL I went into this book only knowing it was inspired by the game.
I really liked a lot of parts of the story, and it kept me turning pages. However, sometimes I felt that the flow was broken, by the discourse seeming like it was being narrated by a D&D dungeon master (not necessarily a bad thing, but it broke the flow), by the fact the plot was missing details and depth, or because there was little exploration of some of the main characters.
It is a novel with terrific potential for an awesome fantasy series, that I, no doubt, would devour, and I wish the author would have considered exploring the story in depth to give us such a series.
I like it nonetheless and it is a 2.5 star for me (rounded to 3).
Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Now, wasn’t that just the most pleasant surprise!! I went into this book without any prior knowledge about the wider League of Legends universe (aside from having watched and loved Arcane), so I had no idea what to expect here. Well, I am happy to say that I was completely hooked by the engaging epic fantasy story that I got!

RUINATION mainly follows the story of Kalista, the niece and close advisor of the narcissistic young king, Viego, of Camavor. She wants nothing more than to relieve Camavor of its bloody legacy, but her plans are hindered when the king’s beloved wife falls ill to the poisoned blade of an assassin. Viego takes this hit very poorly and quickly descends into madness, so Kalista takes it upon herself to do anything to heal the queen and keep her country safe. She fares out to the fabled and mysterious Blessed Isles to seek a cure, but her quest soon proves to be more dangerous than anyone could ever have expected.

Now, I think you can definitely feel that this story is set in an existing universe, because the worldbuilding was absolutely tantalising and I was completely immersed. This might be a relatively short fantasy novel, with it being under 500 pages, but it is filled to the brim with rich worldbuilding and intriguing lore.
There was a constant feeling of suspense and intrigue, especially surrounding the mysterious Blessed Isles, which kept me glued to the page. And the story itself is full of interesting revelations and unexpected twists and turns, which made this a super compelling and engaging read.

The character work was also really well done. Kalista was an extremely interesting character to follow and I immediately latched onto her. She is strong, curious, independent, and willing to do anything to save her country. Her relationship to the king was one of my favourite aspects of the book, because it was just so complex, as Viego is the type of character that straddles the line between villain and hero. She clearly cares deeply for him, yet she can’t deny that he is becoming a threat to his own kingdom as his mental state is deteriorating.

We also follow another POV from someone on the Blessed Isles, but I don’t want to say too much about that, because part of the fun was seeing the mysteries surrounding this character unravel. All I will say is that I loved this additional POV and I think it added a nice layer of intrigue to the story. Also, this character is a lot more morally gray than Kalista, which gave the story a bit of a darker tone that I really enjoyed!
I loved reading from both of these perspectives and seeing their storylines converge was extremely satisfying. Really effective and suspenseful storytelling, in my opinion!

Now, while I liked the ending of this story, I do have to say that I felt like it was a bit rushed. This book is fairly fast-paced the entire way through, but the final resolution happened at such a breakneck speed that supposedly hard hitting and emotional moments completely lost their impact for me.
I wish there had been another 25-50 or so pages to dive deeper and to see the fall-out, because in theory this conclusion was very satisfying, but the execution just wasn’t my favourite.

So, overall I really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I just took a leap of faith and went into this blind. RUINATION was an incredibly engaging and intriguing fantasy adventure and I am really looking forward to more stories set in this universe.

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

Being somewhat of a philistine I freely admit to never having read, played or to be honest even heard of League of Legends so I started this with no expectations whatsoever, I found this book to be a pretty damned good fantasy tale and although I would not describe it as Grimdark which I have of late preferred I would put it alongside the shannara tales, it's exciting with interesting and engaging characters and the story flows well. Would recommend