RangerKnights

The Book of Ruin 3

Fiction - Science Fiction
388 Pages
Reviewed on 01/15/2021
Buy on Amazon

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    Book Review

Reviewed by Rabia Tanveer for Readers' Favorite

RangerKnights is the third book in The Book of Ruin series by W.G. Hladky. Chaos is ravaging people from every corner, and it seems like only the RangerKnights have the power and the wits to protect everyone from the threats. While RangerKnight Lovell Weir and his team are ready, their work is made even more difficult when Prince Asem is made to travel along with them. Amid the chaos, Prince Asem learns how difficult it is for the RangerKnights to survive and make sure people like him are safe. As tension runs high, both Asem and Lovell have to make difficult decisions and hold their desires back. There is no place for personal desire in a post-apocalyptic world where lives are taken, and relationships tested every day. What will Asem do? Will he let go of his dreams and do his duty? Will Lovell be able to stick to his duty and not give in to what he wants?

What a way to start the new year. Author W.G. Hladky weaves a believable universe with characters that demand the attention of the reader. The intricate plot is the driving force of the novel, but the characters make it entertaining. Characters like Prince Asem seal the deal for me. He is human enough to grab my attention yet unique enough to feel like a part of the story. Lovell is the kind of character that is confident, in the center, and demanding, but he is also confused and vulnerable. With the combination of these characters and the intense plot, this novel proves to be a rare treat for the readers of science fiction. There are no clichés, nothing mindbogglingly odd, and everything is so realistic that I felt like I was part of the story. Exceptional!

Grace Masso

RangerKnights is the third book in The Book of Ruin series by W.G. Hladky and it treats extraordinarily complex and exciting themes — mystery, religion, slavery, friendship, royalty, and cultural diversity against a dystopian setting — while featuring characters that are sophisticated and memorable. In a post-apocalyptic world, mutilators wreak havoc on the people and unleash horror wherever they are and a dominant, mysterious group raids the neighborhoods and captures slaves. The Inquisitors and the skinweavers are other forces to deal with, each exerting their power ruthlessly. Against this backdrop, the Andatunisian emir sends his son, Prince Asem, to accompany the American RangerKnights on a dangerous mission that will take them to the mutilators’ lair, the ominous basilica, and the stronghold of the skinweavers. Can they restore order where everything seems broken and where dangers grow in unexpected ways?

RangerKnights is an action-packed story that takes readers through a dangerous adventure as they follow the characters on their mission. The story is skillfully written; the worldbuilding is impeccably good and it is easy to imagine the locales and to have strong mental pictures of places where the story takes place. The characters are real and well-developed, and I particularly liked the way the author builds the theme of friendship. Young Prince Asem quickly develops a liking for the RangerKnights and the connection he has with Lovell Weir is fascinating. In a world that is torn apart by conflicting interests and dangerous groups, each longing for more power and control, the reader witnesses cultural intercourse as a young man begins to appreciate the beauty of another culture. The conflict is well-handled, and it is developed at different levels, and the subplots are ingeniously written to heighten the suspense. W.G. Hladky’s prose is exquisite, the story original, and the characters unforgettable. The story is well-crafted for fans of science fiction and fantasy and anyone looking for an action-packed story that is suspenseful and entertaining.

Pikasho Deka

RangerKnights is the third and final installment of The Book of Ruin series by author W. G. Hladky. Prince Asem of Andatunisia welcomes his older sister Princess Narzarin's return home after being rescued from the clutches of General al-Wahasha's captivity by the American RangerKnights. When Asem gets his hands on one half of the Book of Ruin, Master Rostami encourages him to find the other half. His search leads him to the home of the RangerKnights, high above the Transylvanian mountains, and to seek help from Senior Chief Lovell Weir and his team. A sci-fi novel set in a futuristic dystopia, RangerKnights is the perfect conclusion to the highly acclaimed Book of Ruin trilogy that should satisfy the appetites of readers who gorge themselves on sci-fi and dystopian novels.

Author W. G. Hladky has created an authentic and highly imaginative tale that takes the reader into a wild world of solar storms, floating castles, and stubborn princesses. RangerKnights is an action-packed blockbuster of a novel that moves at a blistering pace with plenty of 'aha' moments. All the characters felt likable, with Asem and Lovell being my favorite of the bunch. I especially liked Lovell and Narzarin's character arcs where their relationship starts off with growing mistrust and evolves to one of mutual respect and admiration. Even though it's the third book of the series, RangerKnights also works seamlessly as a standalone novel. I enjoyed it immensely and I would recommend it to readers who relish well-written sci-fi books with intricate plotting and worldbuilding.

Steven Robson

RangerKnights: The Book of Ruin Series, Book 3 by W. G. Hladky immerses the reader in a future Earth which is both familiar and foreign, scoured by the relentless glare of an ever brightening sun powered by eons of conflagration. This is a world defined by The Flash, a cataclysm hurled by the sun to torch humanity and leave scattered vestiges of societies recovering under burning skies. Andatunisia is one such realm, and Prince Asem Farhad Hossein Farahani will become integral to his country’s future survival; this is his story. In pursuit of his goals, Asem will meet and form inseparable bonds with the RangerKnights, a society of Americans isolated within the Transylvanian Mountains after The Flash, which has long desired to reunite with their home country. Asem’s first assignment involves the recovery of the second Book of Ruin, and this task propels him and the RangerKnights into a series of incredible adventures; pulsating action and experiences that will forever change their lives and the fates of future empires.

W. G. Hladky’s RangerKnights: The Book of Ruin Series, Book 3 is vast in scope, casting an incredibly rich world into stark relief; the fierce sun, manipulated technology, foreign lands, and constructed lifeforms all leap from the pages with perceptual clarity. I found the personalities and relationships to be quite believable, unique, and strong enough to convey genuine empathy when tragedy or triumph ensued; the fate of Bethaline Agard was particularly moving for me. The relationship between Lovell and Nazanin was also quite interesting, with sufficient left unsaid to allow a number of questions to reside in the reader’s mind. RangerKnights is a wonderful read for those seeking exotic, futuristic adventures, who can accept that this distant world is very different from where we now stand.