The Ruthless Land

Legends of the Godskissed Continent #3

by A.B. Endacott

“Lying is not simply about telling a plausible story, it’s about being able to tell what someone will want to believe”

To outsiders, the Fourth Country is an unforgiving place. Under the leadership of ruthless women, powerful families regularly wage brutal campaigns against one another to increase their land and wealth, and men live in a state of complete subjugation.

Lexana, heiress to the Farwan family, is sent to the Academy, an elite institution where the daughters of powerful families learn and refine techniques to maintain and gain power. There, she finds herself attracted to Jaxen, one of the teachers who defies convention and goes about unveiled. His apparent disregard for what is expected of him leaves her both uneasy and fascinated.

Then the impossible comes to pass, and disaster befalls the Farwan family. Lexa must leave the Academy to find her mother and help restore her family to power. Jaxen insists upon accompanying her, arguing that she cannot survive without his help. Lexa can’t be certain that she can trust Jaxen, but he is right; she needs his help if she is to succeed.


Set after the events of Queendom and King of the Seven Lakes comes a standalone book set in the Godskissed Continent which explores questions of family, equality, love, and betrayal.

277 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 29, 2018

About the author

Alice Jane Boer-Endacott was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, amid a home filled with books and cats. From her earliest days as a bored young child she has always used her imagination to escape the drudgery of reality by creating works of fiction. Her first manuscript was a gripping saga involving a ghost horse creatively named Ghost, written at the tender age of nine.

After procrastinating assignments during her Masters degree in Executive Management and Corporate Anthropology, and discovering that she had accidentally written three novels, in a not-so-shocking-twist, she decided to become an author.

Her first book, QUEENDOM OF THE SEVEN LAKES, was written at a time when she was playing Dragon Age Inquisition (and is thus living proof that computer games are socially valuable activities). Alice’s hobbies include eating, reading, writing, woodworking, and having deeply analytical discourses about contemporary media with her three cats.

Queendom of the Seven Lakes can be found at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077GTFNG6


Its sequel, King of the Seven Lakes, is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BB35CD3/

And the standalone novel (set in the same world), The Ruthless Land, is available at: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DK57KX2/

Reviews

[Teagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨Alice has created such a rich and interesting world that continues to be expanded upon in all of her books. She’s turned what has been a society norm for many, many years on its head and it’s really interesting to read a story where women have historically held all the power.
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Ruthless Lands was a wonderful edition to this world, you get to explore and understand the ways of The Fourth Country and meet new characters who you grow to love and see some from the previous books written. The ending I didn’t see coming, but admittedly I think I wanted to believe one character would do the right thing despite what others said. One thing that made me so excited was the representation of period 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻 I loved how it was woven into the story. It’s a normal, natural thing all women experience and seeing it in books is very rare, but Alice smashed it out of the park!
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If you haven’t read any of Alice’s books, what have you been doing? They are incredible page turners full of rich story telling and wonderful characters!

[Jayse · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars!
Slow to begin with, but I adored the characters and of course the land Alice has created.

Romance, adventure and a great twist at the end which I didn't see coming.

Another great installment set in this world.

- Jayse

[Abi Pellinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went on an AB Endacott binge in a pretty short period of time! Next up is The Ruthless Land which is the first book I've read from Alice that isn't set within the Second Country and that has a different narrator. Although I'm sad to be leaving Elen-ai and Gidyon behind I have loved exploring more places within this beautifully written world.

Within The Ruthless Land, set in the Fourth Country, we follow Lexana as she is sent to the Academy atop a mountain, and filled with monks, in order to learn and develop knowledge that will be useful in running her family's business that she is the heiress to. While there she starts to connect with Jaxen, one of the teachers in the Academy. When the worst happens in regards to her family, Lexa must leave to find her family and escapes down the mountainside and begins to make her way across the Fourth Country with Jaxen's help.

Parallels can be drawn between the Fourth Country and countries with mandated face coverings for some of the population. Unlike most countries in real life, where women are the ones made to cover themselves, the Fourth Country insists that men cover themselves, showing that men have a lower status in society here similarly to in the Second Country. This was explored in such an interesting manner by Alice and I really loved the conversations she brought up about it.

Watching Lexa and Jaxen make their way across the Fourth Country avoiding bandits and roaming gangs, as well as keeping Lexa's identity under wraps so that those who would be hunting her don't find and kill her, was so engrossing and I found myself speeding through this book. I was so invested in all of the characters and their relationships and the only negative I can say is that I wish I had gotten to learn more about the Academy and the monks and teachers that lived there.

The book is set after the events of the Queendom duology and I love the links that Alice made between the two, one character in particular appears in both books and I was really surprised when I came to love her in this book! I love the different viewpoints that Alice has managed to show of this person and their role in the world. This can be read completely as a standalone book set in the Godkissed Continent (the same continent as Queendom) so don't worry about that, and I absolutely recommend picking it up, along with everything else Alice has published! She is one of my absolute favourite authors (and a lovely person to boot!).

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Coin and the promise of a perfectly-planned attack are all well and good, but capturing the heart of someone can get you further than you might ever have imagined."

1) Plot/Pace

This book is very different from Elen-ai & Gidyon's even though this is set in the same God Kissed Continent universe. In this story, our main character is Lexana (Lexa) Farwan. She is the heiress to the powerful Farwan family in the Fourth Country. The Fourth Country is very different than the Second Country. If you thought that country was savage then you are not ready for, as the title says, the ruthlessness of this country. Families rise to power and fall even harder. It is hard to know who to trust because everyone is out for more power, more money, and more blood. The thing about this country is that the women rule (not like in the Second Country on a throne) but, they are the leaders of their homes. They can have multiple 'elui' also know as slave husbands and are meant to serve the women. The men have to be veiled and those who aren't are seen as indecent. Lexa starts off the story at an academy that will teach her how to gain and maintain power. One teacher is Jaxen, a man who walks around unveiled and teaches his students the power of seduction. Lexa finds herself drawn to him because he doesn't follow the rules of what is expected of men. While at school, tragedy befalls Lexa's family and she must find them to restore her family to glory. With the help of Jaxen, Lexa sets out to achieve the impossible but in a ruthless land who can you truly trust? I will SCREAM from the rooftops about this author until she is hyped up the way she deserves to be. A.B. Endacott is one of the best fantasy writers to grace the genre. This story was just as amazing as Queendom and King but a whole new story. I could not put this down. Every twist and turn had me on edge and that ending still has my heart pounding and I can't believe she did this to me. The pacing is perfect and as always is intense and fun. I can't wait to read more and more of her work.

"You have such deep eyes, Lexana. Anyone fortunate enough to look into them would just about fall to the bottom of your heart. You should not lower them," he murmured.

2) Characters/Romance

Lexa is so different from Elen-ai but just as incredible. She is smart and kind-hearted. But make no mistake this girl is not weak. She may make mistakes and this land may be too heartless for her but she is not spinless or feeble. She does what she has to do till the very end of the book. She sets out on a journey not even knowing the fate of her family and works hard to find them. She was amazing and full of knowledge and I can't wait to see how her journey continues as a side character in the First Country's book. Jaxen was sexy and seductive. I loved him and his past is so tragic. He is a man who has really been used and abused. He just wants to be free and it hard for him on the journey but he helps Lexa a lot along the way. The author really makes such complex characters and I love how a few crossed over from Queendom and King. The development and the side characters are awesome as well. As always her romance never takes over a story. Yes, this romance was more prominent than the one in King but it still isn't overbearing or insta-love. The romance is actually extremely necessary to set up the whole story all the way to the end. Lexa and Jaxen really gripped my heart and it was intense. A girl struggling with tradition and wanting this unconventional man who hates how men are treated and this terrible past and just wants to be free but wants her to. It is such a good love story that will really turn your head upside down. And people Endacott writes her sensual scenes with such class and so sexy. She gives you the illusion without making it cringy or going into all the explicit details. It is just enough.

"...The best way to seduce someone is with the truth."

3) Writing

The author never fails to amaze me. She gets me so invested in these stories and all the political turmoil happening. I am transported to these countries and she always leaves me wanting more. The stories end but I need more. She gets me so interested in the history of each place but doesn't bore me to death. Her storytelling makes all the politics and life of the people so interesting. I am never disappointed and I think those who are fantasy lovers and especially high fantasy lovers will adore these books. These stories are not lighthearted. They are filled with betrayal, seduction, lies, deceit, death, murder, vengeance, and magic. READ THESE BOOKS!!!!!!

His other hand plucked the soap from her and began to fun it across her back. "What are you doing?" She asked softly, enjoying the sensation of being pampered. His voice, when he replied, was the low, seductive tone that left shivers on her skin. "One of the many tasks of an elui is to clean his wife."

[Brit McCarthy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am back in the Godskissed Continent and immediately wrapped up in it all again, following along another storyline in a different Country from Deliverance of the Blessed. In The Ruthless Land (set before Deliverance) we meet Lexa Farwan. Quiet, unassuming and mathematically studious, her mother has sent her to the Academy where daughters of the elite can learn how to plot against each other. Because here in the Fourth Country, women sit on top and men are only subservient to them. Most men, that is.

Jaxen, one of Lexa's teachers, is not like most men. He doesn't veil himself, as other men do, thinks and speaks outside the norm, and makes her (and me!) uncomfortable. I did not trust this guy at all, but I'll admit I did start to let Lexa convince me - like a fool.

The Ruthless Land had a bit of a slow start as we were introduced to the characters and the conventions of the world they inhabit. We watched relationships build, emotions play out, and societal norms begin to be questioned. Then Lexa's world falls apart and she must leave the Academy. This is where it starts to get reaaaaal interesting.

Lexa, being raised in comfort and power, gets an education in the real world when she hits the road to find her family. You can see her becoming more and more aware of what it's like out there, but we also see her getting distracted. She's missing some dangerous red flags.

I really love the worldbuilding, the characters and the way the pace builds - slow and steady, but absolutely racing by the end. I like that Lexa has to make hard choices, sometimes in the blink of an eye. And I appreciate so very much that even in this different world, A.B. Endacott still has her women thinking about and dealing with everyday things - like PERIODS.

I, very smart of me, ordered yesterday the five remaining books based in the Godskissed Continent. And I highly recommend that you get on it too!

[John Alvord · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. One thing that was very thought-provoking was the setting that has the men in society veiling their faces. Add to this that the women are also in control and the men are subservient and you get a different perspective on things.

One thing that distracted me was the frequent errors in grammar. I didn't highlight as I sometimes do, so I cannot point them out specifically. The errors were primarily missing pronouns.

[RogueThreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. I absolutely love A B Endacott’s writing style and the world she has created. I am super excited for more books. Lol. I honestly did not expect the way things went but it is The Ruthless Land.

[Ally · Rating 5 out of 5]

A+++ political drama that left me betrayed and sad

[Eleanor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an addition to this world! I loved it 😍

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lexana Farwan's family has been in a powerful position for many years so Lexa has had a rather privileged life. However, that is about to change.

Click here to read my full review!

I enjoyed reading The Ruthless Land and recommend it to those who like survival, adventure and/or dystopian novels.

[Kelsey Carter · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. Alexa was a good character. She tries to do the right thing even though it may not be wise sometimes. Jackson was also an interesting character. I wonder if he’s really dead. I’d like the relationship between Alexa and her mom. It seems very conflicted. The Academy was cool. I would’ve liked to see a little bit more of it. And more of the friendship between the girls who were about to take power.Overall rating six out of 10

[Jessika · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Lying is not simply about telling a plausible story, it's about being able to tell what someone will want to believe."
Once again, it was too short as I couldn't get enough of these characters!!
Unlike the first two installments of the series which were set in the Second Country, this one is set in the Fourth Country. In the Fourth Country, it is custom for all men to be veiled, and for them to not be is seen as socially unacceptable. Men in this country are also generally taken on as 'elui', or slave-husbands.
As well as being set in a different country of the continent, the story followed a new protagonist, Lexana, heir of the Farwan family.
Lexana (Lexa) was a fantastic character to read because of her character development, and for simply the character she is. She is viewed as different to the other heirs as she is seen as more kind, generous and sincere than most. She even finds the tradition of taking an elui on as unsettling, despite growing up with the notion that she must do so. She has a kind heart who finds trust in one of her teachers, who then embarks on a journey with her, to provide aid, when misfortune hits her family. Together they travel and through that time, Lexana learns many valuable lessons, about herself, the people around her, and more about the country she has spent her life growing up in than she thought she would ever need to know. Her character is seen growing through her experiences and as she gains more understanding of the wide world around her.
Something interesting that was included in this story, just like many people in reality do, Lexa found a crutch in a drug that dulls the senses, atleast for a short period of time.
Though set in a different country and following different characters, it is still clear that the country is connected in ways to the Second Country in the first two installments. This is through references of trade, differences in customs, and mention of characters introduced in Queendom and King.
Filled with truth, love, loyalty and family, this story had me on a reading binge!

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given the arc to read to help with a commission that I was doing and I gotta say, I enjoyed this a lot. The world and setting that Alice created was really interesting! The characters were well written and believable. One thing that I noticed whilst reading this was how good the dialogue was! Dialogue is a pretty tricky thing to master, and to make it not sound cheesy and forced. But Alice is a master at dialogue! I have read many a books were the dialogue and characters just didn’t fit or match up, so reading this was really nice 😊