Think twice if…
- Content warnings: Blood, Animal death, Vomiting / emesis, Gore, Torture, Cancer, Body shaming, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Violence, Abortion, Child abuse, Parental death, Child death, Murder, Death, Grief
Ruinsong
by Julia Ember
The song-magic premise is gorgeous until it starts hurting people, which is exactly the point. Come for the sapphic rebellion and stay for Cadence realizing obedience is not the same thing as survival.
goodreads 3.46/5 3,135 ratings
Quick fit
Is this story right for you?
A decision-first view of the reading experience.
Length368 pages
Story statusStandalone
Spice1/5 · Closed door / fade to black
PacingSlow
Story profile
What the story promises
The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.
Romance promise
- Childhood friends
- F/F
- Slow burn
- Low
- Closed door / fade to black
- Earned hope
Show more
- Rebel leader / revolutionary
- Reluctant allies to lovers
- Longing glances
- Romantic fulfillment
- Survivor
- Forbidden love
- Tension / anticipation
- Tension finally satisfied
- Class difference
- Sweet / tender
- Mutual pining
- Emotional / vulnerable intimacy
- Star-crossed
Fantasy promise
- Ya romantasy
- Friends to lovers
- Royal court / palace
- High fantasy
- Witches/wizards/warlocks
- Enemies to lovers
Show more
- War front / rebellion
- Grimdark / dark fantasy
- Forced alliance
- Star-crossed lovers
Reading experience
- Dual POV
- Slow
- Dark
- Lush
- Heavy
- Medium
Show more
- Witch/mage
- Sapphic
- Atmospheric
- Damaged survivor
- Queer
- Dramatic
- Reluctant hero
- Plus size MC
- Intense
- Emotional
- Tense
- Yearning
- Character-driven
- Haunting
- Phantom of the Opera retelling
- Underground rebellion
- Power corrupts
- Slow descent into darkness
- Forbidden desire
- Enemies forced to ally
- Political intrigue
- War-torn kingdom
Similar stories
Similar in ways that matter
Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.
448 pages Completed
The Blood Spell
C.J. Redwine
Similar because
Childhood friends · Friends to lovers · Ya romantasy
Different because
It is completed rather than standalone. Medium pacing rather than Slow.
512 pages Completed
Onyx & Ivory
Mindee Arnett
Similar because
Childhood friends · Ya romantasy · Reluctant allies to lovers
Different because
It is completed rather than standalone. Medium pacing rather than Slow.
352 pages Standalone
Aicha
Soraya Bouazzaoui
Similar because
Rebel leader / revolutionary · Slow descent into darkness · Slow
Different because
Spice is higher (3/5 vs 1/5).
Book details
- Length
- 368 pages
- Publisher
- Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
- Language
- English
- Format
- Book