The third book of the #FaithFallAlong by Becca’s Catch-up Bookclub was scheduled for March-April with the original live show on May 11th, but due to Mother’s Day it was eventually moved to May 18th, so I couldn’t experience it live. I did finish the book in time, but it took a while before I could organize my thoughts and write a review. I can already say one thing, the title of this third book is particularly fitting.

John Gwynne – Ruin (The Faithful and the Fallen #3) ★★★★★

Genre: Epic Fantasy

The Banished Lands are engulfed in war and chaos.

The cunning Queen Rhin has conquered the west and High King Nathair has the cauldron, most powerful of the seven treasures. At his back stands the scheming Calidus and a warband of the Kadoshim, dread demons of the Otherworld. They plan to bring Asroth and his host of the Fallen into the world of flesh, but to do so they need the seven treasures. Nathair has been deceived but now he knows the truth. He has choices to make, choices that will determine the fate of the Banished Lands.

Elsewhere the flame of resistance is growing – Queen Edana finds allies in the swamps of Ardan. Maquin is loose in Tenebral, hunted by Lykos and his corsairs. Here he will witness the birth of a rebellion in Nathair’s own realm. Corban has been swept along by the tide of war. He has suffered, lost loved ones, sought only safety from the darkness. But he will run no more. He has seen the face of evil and he has set his will to fight it. The question is, how? With a disparate band gathered about him – his family, friends, giants, fanatical warriors, an angel and a talking crow he begins the journey to Drassil, the fabled fortress hidden deep in the heart of Forn Forest. For in Drassil lies the spear of Skald, one of the seven treasures, and here it is prophesied that the Bright Star will stand against the Black Sun.

Well, the title couldn’t have been more accurate—this book utterly wrecked me. I finished it in tears, emotionally drained, and completely in awe.

“There are some lines that cannot be crossed, regardless of the greater good”

Ruin picks up right where Valour left off, plunging me back into a world spiraling toward all-out war. The stakes are higher, the cast even larger (14 POVs now!), and the emotional impact more brutal than ever. The sense of dread creeps in from the first chapter and never lets go. I had to pace myself while reading—it’s that intense, especially in the final third.

“The world is not scribed in black and white, but in shades of grey.”

Gwynne’s writing only gets stronger. His prose remains sharp and accessible, his pacing tight with short, snappy chapters that make it nearly impossible to put down. The battle scenes are more epic than ever, but it’s the emotional weight that hits hardest. Character arcs shine in this installment: full of introspection, questioning of loyalties, moral conflict, and devastating betrayals. Everyone is growing, evolving—or breaking.

“It had been like witnessing two storms collide at sea, a maelstrom of furious, deadly movement, utterly beautiful to watch.”

The reveals were absolutely harrowing and turned everything upside down. The manipulations were soul-crushing. That one duel was one of the most intense scenes I have ever read. And the last line? That broke me.

“Two for vengeance. One for love.”

This is epic fantasy at its finest: character-driven, emotionally charged, and with a masterful escalation in scope and stakes. I’m both terrified and excited to dive into Wrath.

Spoiler section – read at your own risk!

One of my biggest questions after Valour was how Nathair would react to the revelation that he is not the Bright Star. The answer? Painful. It was impressive (and frustrating) to see how Calidus managed to twist the truth, and how willingly Nathair went along with it. His confrontation with his mother was shocking—for Fidele, but also for us as readers. And then Veradis…

I had been hoping for the moment when Veradis would finally discover the truth. But before that happens, we see his steadfast support for Nathair—even when confronted with his father and brothers, he remains unwaveringly loyal. How things then end with his father was so devastating.
And then comes the moment I had been waiting for: Nathair confesses everything to Veradis’ and his reaction—so much pain, so much inner conflict. At first I feared that he would continue to follow Nathair…but what he does in the end! That cliffhanger is unbearable.

Speaking of Fidele, her journey with Maquin is so beautiful, despite all the ugliness they encounter and endure along the way. The development of their bond, how their feelings grow, is so raw, so real. Gwynne managed to turn these two secondary characters into real main characters that I truly root for with all my heart.

And then the big twist: the origin of the prophecy! Oh, wow, talking about turning expectations and traditions upside down!
From a strategic point of view and on paper, Meical’s plan makes sense. But that takes all emotion out of the equation. The moral toll in reality is truly immense. So many lives destroyed based on a strategy that has yet to prove its worth!

I feel so sorry for Corban. Just when he was beginning to accept his role, found his courage and finally dared to make choices, he discovers that he is not special. There is no divine calling at all, but he is merely a randomly chosen pawn in a larger game. Everything he believed in—and everyone he dragged down and lost along the way—was built on a lie.

And yet, despite its false origins, it feels like the prophecy is becoming a reality. Nathair is the Black Sun in all but name, and Corban acts like the Bright Star.
The names Storm and Shield, Veradis being called “True-Heart”—it’s like something is making these roles real. That Corban would use the names from the prophecy, when he didn’t even know them at the time, is thought-provoking…

Also, the contrast and symmetry between Nathair and Corban is fascinating. Both are confronted with who they are not, and their reactions to that are a beautiful mirror image. With Meical dead, Corban is the only one who knows the truth. Will he stay true to his honesty and share that truth? Or will he continue to carry this secret alone?

That fight between Corban and the Kadoshim (in Sumur’s body)—incredibly exciting! Goosebumps moment. The scene with Shield after, that perfect jump… I literally cheered.

And now? All the characters I root for are either captured, on the run or their fate is uncertain. Everything is a mess and I really have no idea what will happen and how they will get out of this. I especially hope that the solution is not a (too big) deus-ex-machina!