Review: Rule (The Unraveled Kingdom #3) by Rowenna Miller

Rule (The Unraveled Kingdoms #3) by Rowenna Miller

Orbit

Publication Date: May 19th, 2020

Paperback. 432 pages

About Rule:

"In this epic conclusion to the Unraveled Kingdom trilogy that began with Torn and Fray, the magical seamstress Sophie Balstrade joins forces with her brother the revolutionary leader and her betrothed the Crown Prince in a deadly bid to change history. 

The civil war that the charm caster Sophie and the Crown Prince Theodor tried so desperately to avert has come to Galitha. While Theodor joins Sophie's brother and his Reformist comrades in battle, hoping to turn the tide against the better-supplied and better-trained Royalist army, Sophie leverages the only weapon she has: charm and curse casting. She weaves her signature magic into uniforms and supplies procured with the aid of unlikely foreign allies, but soon discovers that the challenges of a full-scale war are far greater than the entrepreneurial concerns of her small Galithan dress shop. The fractured leadership of the Reformist army must coalesce, the people of Galitha unite against enormous odds, and Sophie create more than a little magical luck, in order to have a chance of victory."

Torn (The Unraveled Kingdom #1) Review
Fray (The Unraveled Kingdom #2) Review

I am both satisfied and heartbroken that The Unraveled Kingdoms trilogy is now over, but I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to wrap up this beautiful and intense story. The previous two books were sent to me courtesy of Orbit, but because of COVID things have gotten a little crazy and rather than simply request it on NetGalley, I decided to pre-order this one specially because I felt like I should support both Rowenna Miller and Orbit right now--and I'm so glad I did because that cover looks even more beautiful in person!

Where do I begin? First, if you haven't read the first two books in this trilogy but plan to and don't want any sort of spoilers, then you may not want to read this review in full detail. I won't give any spoilers for Rule and I will try to refrain from saying too much that could give away details from the first two books, but there will probably be some general plot details that do slip through, so consider yourself warned. :)

Despite attempts to prevent it, a civil war has erupted in Galitha, where Reformists strive to topple the nobility and Royalist army in order to give the people of Galitha better rights. This is the moment that the previous books have been building up to--the final stand on whether or not the people of Galitha can be successful in their revolutionary endeavor. Though they had success int he past with passing important bills, we all know that that doesn't mean any problem is over, and tensions have finally reached their final point.

Sophie, our sole protagonist, remains a truly captivating character to follow, and it has been such a incredible journey watching her grow in both her physical powers as a charmcaster as well as her personal growth into someone somehow even more independent and headstrong than she already was at the beginning of the trilogy. In Rule, Sophie learns just how high the stakes have risen and what true battle is like, along with all of the loss, triumph, and struggle that comes with it. I've also liked watching Sophie's relationships with Theodore and her brother, Kristos, develop over the course of The Unraveled Kingdoms trilogy. There are a lot of ups and downs between them, especially when it comes to Sophie and her brother, and it was such an enjoyable to see how they handled all the different conflicts and intense moments that happened and how those ultimately shaped everything in the end.

I also liked Miller's inclusion of women's rights issues that pop up in this world, and I think the way that she chose to incorporate it had a very real-world authentic feel to it. Although the people of Galitha are fighting for better rights and quality of life, there's no real emphasis on the women of Galitha and that they should have more opportunities, such as running for political office. Sophie repeatedly brings this up to Kristos and Theodore, but is repeatedly told that that is not what they are fighting for right and that she should bring it up again later once they've established their new way of life in Galitha. Of course, Sophie doesn't take this as an adequate answer and continues to push, and I thought it was a really thoughtful and important way to show how there are so many more sides to any revolution than appear, and that just because one problem might be solved, it doesn't mean everything is perfect.

Along those lines of not everything being perfect, I also appreciated how Miller had her characters discuss not only the current civil war, but what the future could look like if they actually won. Contrary to what most books and stories make it sound like, winning a war doesn't mean things are automatically perfect for the victors--instead, Sophie, Theodore, her brother, and other chosen leaders must figure out how to go about creating this 'better' life in an equal and acceptable way for everyone. This is no easy task, and I appreciated how much prominence Miller gave to these issues.

Overall, I've given this amazing conclusion to a magical and politically intense story five stars! I have loved following this revolution of sorts from the very beginning where Sophie is working at her store and focusing on building up her business to being a vital component of one of the most important moments in Galitha's new history. If you like revolutions, politics, the idea of charms being sewn into cloth items, and people who never give up on fighting for what they believe is right and fair for everyone, then absolutely pick up this trilogy!

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Review: Fray by Rowenna Miller

Fray (The Unraveled Kingdom #2) by Rowenna Miller
Orbit
Publication: June 4th, 2019

Paperback. 496 pages.

About Fray:

"In this epic sequel to Torn, the magical seamstress Sophie Balstrade navigates a royal court and foreign alliances fraught with danger -- and may well have to risk everything for love and for country. 

Open revolt has been thwarted -- for now -- but unrest still simmers in the kingdom of Galitha. Sophie, despite having built a thriving business on her skill at both dressmaking and magic, has not escaped unscathed from her misadventures in the workers' rebellion. Her dangerous foray into curse casting has rendered her powers unpredictable, and her increasingly visible romantic entanglement with the Crown Prince makes her a convenient target for threatened nobles and malcontented commoners alike. With domestic political reform and international alliances -- and her own life -- at stake, Sophie must discern friend from foe... before her magic grows too dark for her to wield."

When I read Torn, the first book in the Unraveled Kingdom trilogy, I was excited by how much I fell in love with the world, magic system, and main character Sophie Balstrade. I'd been anticipating picking up Fray ever since, and it managed to up the intensity and plot to even further than I expected.

This series has always had politics at its core, but Fray took this trilogy to even higher political heights than in Torn. There is so much plotting and planning and political maneuvering that I almost started feeling dizzy at times--and it was brilliant. Miller does a wonderful job of creating a historical-inspired setting with strong political and social world-building, as well as developing a feel for the natural environments of the different locations that exist within it.

Sophie remains a truly charming character. What I love so much about her is that she is far from perfect and comes into this story with her own preconceptions and ideas about social classes, how to make improvements, and many other world views. It is through her experiences, the experiences of others, and her dealings with others that she continues to expand her viewpoint on the world and become a better person everyday. What really stands out about her is that she is not afraid to admit if she is ignorant in regards to a specific topic and will not attempt to force out an uninformed opinion, a trait that I find rather mature and impressive. Her strength really shines in how tough she has to be when dealing with an extensive amount of people who have developed their own hatred for her for how she is helping the lower classes. There were a few things I didn't love about what she chose to do at various crossroads and that felt slightly out of character, especially in regards to her prized clothing store, but I also see this as a turning point for Sophie as she embarks upon a new phase of her life. Plus, I have no idea what could still happen in the next book.

Theodor is another character that comes into the story from a very specific background with fairly specific viewpoints, but he grows as a person in the first book and also in this book. He is another great example of how well Miller can develop multi-dimensional character with real human growth and struggles. Nobody's perfect in this book--the "good" guys sometimes need to learn things, the "bad" characters can sometimes make sense, and in a sense many of the people who aren't outwardly bad do many things that are seen as welcome and positive by some, whereas others would see those actions as wholly negative and unhelpful.

I really love how Miller handled the issue of a revolution from lower classes of citizens against the elite. Sophie is used as a sort of middle man, since she is now engaged to Theodor and can actively try to influence the elite. In doing this, Miller touches on the difficulties of Sophie struggling to make everybody happy. The lower class want a lot all at once, but they have to start off by taking only a little, which they say as being counterproductive when in reality it is the best way for them to get what they want. It was exciting to see how she worked all of this out and showcased it in the ways that she did. The violence that erupts as a result of misunderstood actions or overly passionate feelings coming to a boil place an enormous role in this story as well, and I appreciated how she incorporated all components into a cohesive and thought-provoking novel.

And of course one of the things I love most about this trilogy--the magic! I loved getting to explore more about the depths of this magic, including the darker side of it and how it can be manipulated for bad intentions as well as good, which Sophie usually does.

Overall, I've given Fray 4.75 stars! I cannot wait for the finale!

*I received a copy of Fray in exchange for an honest review. This has no effect on my rating of the novel.*

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