Ruins An Exciting, Satisfying Finale to Partials Series

(Image from Barnes & Noble)

(Note:  While this review will not contain spoilers for Ruins, it may inadvertently reveal plot surprises from earlier Partials books.  As always, I recommend reading books in a series in order.)

As the tension between humans and Partials reaches a deadly breaking point, Kira Walker knows it's up to her to bring the two sides together.  Half human, half Partial, the 17-year-old wants nothing more than peace between the two species.  It won't be easy to stop the killing, the hate, the prejudice that is driving the two sides to war.  Especially when both have weapons capable of annihilating the other.  Even with the help of friends from both species, the outcome for Kira—as well at the world at large—looks pretty bleak.  If she gives everything she has, everything she can, will it be enough?  Or is this the end of it all?

Like the first two books in the Partials trilogy by Dan Wells, Ruins offers a high-stakes, adrenaline-fueled apocalyptic survival story.  Laced with humor, romance, and a whole lot of blood, it's engrossing for sure.  In this finale, all the story's loose ends are wrapped up neatly—probably too neatly—making for a satisfying end to an exciting series.  Still, I have the same complaints about Ruins that I did about Partials and Fragments—the characters remain pretty flat and the prose is more tell than show.  Overall, then, I liked Ruins, but didn't love it.  Same with the series as a whole.  It's entertaining, just not my favorite.

(Readalikes:  Partials and Fragments by Dan Wells)

Grade:

If this were a movie, it would be rated:

for language (no F-bombs), violence/gore, and sexual innuendo

To the FTC, with love:  I received a finished copy of Ruins from the generous folks at HarperCollins as part of my work as a judge for the Association for Mormon Letters Awards.  Thank you!