Book Review: Exquisite Ruin by Adrianne May

Title: Exquisite Ruin
Author: Adrianne May
Series: The Labyrinth #1
Pages: 384
Publication Date: March 25, 2025
Publisher: Gallery Books
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:

In this deadly maze, the most dangerous thing may be the passion between them.

Sadaré wakes in a labyrinth, remembering nothing except that she is a powerful sorceress. Her only companion is a hostile immortal named Daesra—beautiful, dangerous, and demonic—who bound his divine soul for power and revenge.

Despite their animosity, the two have no choice but to work together to reach the center and defeat the monster who prevents their escape. But the longer they wander, the more deadly and alive the maze becomes—and the more Sadaré finds herself drawn to Daesra in ways she can’t explain.

As sorceress and demon develop a tenuous truce, the labyrinth gives Sadaré glimpses of their shared history of passion and pain that make her question everything she knows. Unlocking the secrets of her past may be the only way to survive and heal their entwined fates—but as she learns more about the betrayals that brought them to the labyrinth, Sadaré begins to fear that the monster at the center could be Daesra … or even herself.

LINKS: Goodreads | BookBub | Amazon | Bookshop.org

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My Thoughts on Exquisite Ruin:

A dark romantasy inspired by the minotaur myth, Exquisite Ruin follows a sorceress with amnesia and a demon who loathes her. Sadaré can’t remember anything before waking up inside a dangerous labyrinth, and Daesra can’t forget how Sadaré betrayed him—but if either wants to get out of the deadly maze alive, they have to work together.

The story leans heavily into themes of pain, power, and redemption with a writing style that often mirrors the surreal, chaotic, and ever-shifting world of the labyrinth. The maze feels almost like a character itself as it tests both Sadaré and Daesra, not just physically but emotionally too. I really liked how the environment heightened the tension between them while also serving as a metaphor for their tangled, complicated past and their fractured trust.

Sadaré and Daesra are both interesting characters, and I like how flashbacks are used to unravel their history, slowly revealing how the pair ended up bound together in every sense of the word. Get a fan, friends, because these two have a super steamy enemies-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. Their relationship is intense, twisted, and charged with unresolved tension, which makes for some very hot and spicy scenes. Sadaré also enjoys pain/pleasure, which is explored over the course of her journey, and there are some graphic BDSM elements throughout.

Overall, I thought this was a unique and spicy reimaging of the minotaur myth that I would recommend to monster romance readers. And that ending? Absolutely wild! That being said, I would definitely recommend checking out the content warnings because this romantasy is dark. Sadaré uses pain to access her powers, which leads to some violent harm inflicted, and the flashbacks of her past reveal things that are difficult to read.

Thanks to Gallery Books for sending me a copy of the novel. All thoughts are my own.

• enemies to lovers
• forced proximity
• Minotaur myth reimagining
• amnesia FMC
• witch x demon

AdriAnne May was a bibliophile who wanted to be an author before she knew what either of those words meant. She splits her time between Alaska and Spain with her spouse, her pugs, and her piles of books. She loves dancing, tattoos, and writing stories about sympathetic monsters. EXQUISITE RUIN is her debut adult novel, and she is currently working on its sequel, DIVINE DESCENT.

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