Reign & Ruin

This book was cute and there were feminist undertones that were nearly impossible to miss. If I don't think about this book for too hard or too long, it leaves me with a warm, fuzzy feeling. But when I sit with the book for a bit, I can't help but be troubled by the resolution of its non-romance plot. My complaints about this book, mirror the issues I had with [b:Spellmaker 54245639 Spellmaker (Spellbreaker Duology, #2) Charlie N. Holmberg https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1592969483l/54245639.SY75.jpg 72395126]. Ultimately, if your villain raises valid points about inequities in your society, and those inequities are left unaddressed by your protagonists, it leaves a sour taste in my mouth. How am I to root for people who would let unjust systems stand untouched? Makram's brother Kinus gets a lot of flack for rightfully pointing out that in the old system the most powerful mages held power whether they were good people or not. Yet, Naime and Makram want the return of the old system for the balance of the wheel, forgetting that it was when the wheel was in balance that a mass genocide of one of the houses occurred. The wheel's equilibrium did not stop Naime's ancestors from hunting an entire people. Yet she advocates a return to that system with no checks or balances that would ensure future generations would not commit the mistakes of the past and it seems there is to be no restitution for the damages caused in the past. I don't need every fantasy I read to end in a democracy. However, I need the protagonists to thoughtfully grapple with the inequities of their society and at least come to a semi-sensible resolution. One of the few series in which I have seen the protagonists engage with the valid points made by the antagonists is the [b:Daevabad Trilogy Collection 57213849 Daevabad Trilogy Collection (The Daevabad Trilogy, #1-3) S.A. Chakraborty https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1614338979l/57213849.SX50.jpg 89547986] and reading [b:Reign & Ruin 50607309 Reign & Ruin (Mages of the Wheel, #1) J.D. Evans https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1579555916l/50607309.SX50.jpg 73107342] has made me appreciate it that much more.

I was given an e-book of this to judge for the Indie Ink Awards for Prettiest Book Interior. I really wanted to judge it fairly for the category, as I had several under it, so I actually ended up getting a physical copy for myself. The designs on the chapter headers as well as the pages are absolutely stunning. One of the most beautiful and designed books I've ever seen. 
The subject matter of this book though, I will admit is not really my speed. This would fall under smut or spice, or what I refer to as fantasy porn, and that is something I typically do avoid entirely. So, it's kind of hard to judge around all of that because the book itself is mostly following with that. The story itself is probably 70-75% sexual tension, with the actual climax of the story being the climax of its characters... 
I will say that otherwise, the story is mostly a political struggle. Any author that can write a book entirely about inner conflicts tends to get some respect from me. It is a slow burn and very dialogue heavy. Every character has a part to play and is part of the game. It has a ‘good for her' ending with a female lead that is strong and powerful, and the ending is definitely earned throughout the story. 
Personally a 3/5* for me. If it wasn't for the sexual content, this book would probably have been missing an important piece to the story, but for me, it's also what held back my enjoyment.