Ruin of the Scarred | Medha Nagur | Book Review |Sting of Love Book 1

Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur is the first book in Sting of Love series. A historical romance set in pre-Independence time in India, this story features a strong heroine, and a royal intrigue. So, read the book summary, genre, publication date, reading age, book quotes, book excerpt, meet the characters, similar book recommendations, and book review of Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur in this post below.

• Read Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur book blurb, genre, publication date, reading age, book quotes, book excerpt, meet the characters, author bio 

Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur Book Summary:

Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur is a historical romance set in India in the pre-Independence time when the country was suffering under the British Rule. Here in the kingdom of Bishnupur lives a young woman named Bidisha. Bidisha’s mother, Mokshita loved an Englishman only to be betrayed by him and then accused of his murder. This led to her family’s execution and her life on the run. So Bidisha and her mother have been hiding for years but now, she wants to clear her mother’s name once and for all. But for this to happen Bidisha has to win the favour of the Queen. So, with a plan in mind she succeeds in getting herself employed by the Queen. But is this really the start towards freedom or is this a way towards treachery and danger?

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Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur Book Review:

Things I liked:

Book Cover, Title, and Blurb:

I enjoyed Medha Nagur’s debut book, “It Ends With a Dream“. So, when I heard of her new book I was so eager to read it.

The first things that I loved about Ruin of the Scarred were the title and the cover.  What an intriguing title and gorgeous cover!

Then the blurb further attracted me towards this book that promised an exciting story of love, intrigue, revenge, and redemption.

World Building:

This book started with a bang and I was sucked in. The world building is spectacular in this book. So, it seemed like I was there in the British ruled India and could feel like injustice, cruelty, and hardships like it was happening to me. Medha Nagur has stayed true to the time and I applaud her research in giving the readers an immersive experience of a time gone by.

Also the shift between places is so smooth that everything seems real and gradual. While I enjoyed my trip down time to India still struggling to gain its independence, I was also saddened to experience the poverty and oppression of English people in their own country. The Industrial revolution, the superiority complex of the English, the racist and inhuman treatment of people of colour, and the social divide between the upper classes and the poor in England of the nineteenth century is so beautifully brought to light in this book.

Emotional play, and Narration:

Those were days of oppression, poverty, and cruelty, and the author has successfully managed to bring all the emotions to the table. So, my heart broke as I read of the injustice, and unhappy life of the common people of Bishnupur who were getting robbed not only by the British but by their own king!

Also the emotions felt by the characters makes them all the more real, and relatable.

Then I enjoyed the simple, and fluid narration of the story that kept me hooked throughout. The author has managed to keep the intrigue alive all through the book.

Characters:

All the characters in this book seem real and relatable. Be it Bidisha, a dutiful daughter burning with the determination to clear her mother’s name. Or Prince Trinabh, a ruthless heir to the throne who seems arrogant and self centered, and yet who has hidden depths. Then there is the frail second Prince who is thought to be worthless. And his devoted servant cum best friend, Debesh who will go to any lengths to safeguard his master.

So, all these are complex characters with hidden agendas, unknown characters, and an unpredictability to them that adds further excitement to this story.

I also enjoyed the clash of wills, and scorching chemistry between Bidisha and Trinabh. And the unwanted yet undeniable attraction between Bidisha and Debesh.

Things that could be better:

However, while I was interested to know more and stayed turning the pages of this book, soon I started getting the sense of something missing in all the play that stopped it from achieving its true potential.

Also I missed a glossary in this book. There were many words that I could not understand and a glossary would have been helpful.

I also wanted to know more of Mokshita’s and Rani Maa’s perspective to everything. But I am hopeful I will get their side in the next part of this story.

Bidisha’s character is loud and unnecessarily aggressive at times:

Bidisha seemed too loud to me. Sometimes seeming like a cranky child with a chip on her shoulder. Her first response to any and everyone was to shout and provoke them. And though I understood and empathised with her, still her actions seemed unnecessarily aggressive at times. She should have been more mature with a plan in mind but only seemed to be fumbling with her impetuous nature and no clear plan of action. Maybe this arc is required for the story to progress in the next part of this duet. So, I am eager to see how Bidisha grows as a character.

I wanted more showing and less telling:

Another point of contention was that there is too much telling and no showing through events in this story. I wanted to make my own impressions of people but while everything was developing to something, suddenly I was told everything about a character with no clear development. Like for Prince Trinabh, he is shown as enigmatic, ruthless, and a man with his own goals but then suddenly we are told how he was tormented at the hands of his mother in order to toughen him and the next instant Bidisha who had been hating him so far starts to feel sympathy for him. My question is how does she know this? Who told her this when she seems in confidence of no one in the palace?

Then the characters’ behaviour had me confused at times. Like one instant Prabir is ignoring Bidisha and the next we are told that he is in love with her. Then Bidisha seems to be in love with Trinabh but again and again makes a move on Debesh. And then this circle repeats.

The King is shown in cahoots with the British. So, he is happy to sell his people for favours from foreigners but then Bidisha suddenly is of the opinion that killing the main British trader will win her mother the favour of the King. I was so confused here. I wanted to see the story tell me these things and my brain make these connections rather than everything told to me. So in all, I wanted more showing and less telling. But I am reserving judgement because maybe this arc is required for the story to progress in the next part of this duet. So, I am eager to see how the author takes the story forward..

Book Length could be shorter:

The story is lengthy and I think it could have been shorter and still told everything it wanted to convey to the readers. Like the whole British trader angle and travel story seemed unnecessary to me. What did it do to move the story forward? Other than the heroine and one male character giving the readers’ an in-depth glimpse of the Industrial revolution in England and the life there which was beautifully done though. However, as I noted this I also need to mention that maybe all the importance for this angle will be revealed in the next part. So I am hopeful and excited to get my hands on the upcoming book in “Sting of Love” duet.

Conclusion:

All in all, Ruin of the Scarred by Medha Nagur is an adventurous and exciting story of a daughter’s quest to clear her mother’s name, and win their freedom. With royal intrigue, politics, a real and beautifully developed world, and splendid narration, this historical romance will engross you. So, I am so eager to read the next part that will release later this year.

4 out of 5 stars to this immersive book that successfully took me back to a past time, Njkinny recommends this book to all historical romance lovers above the age of eighteen. So, go grab this book now free with kindle unlimited, and gift it to your loved ones.

Buy From:

AMAZON

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