Ruby Ring

by Lyndon Morgan

This is Lyndon Morgan's latest book "Ruby Ring,” a psychological mystery based in Wales. Wrapped up in poetry, music, and suspense; it is ultimately about the struggle of a young woman trying to resolve a mental conflict that she has lived with for centuries. Each chapter has a song associated with it, which you can access by scanning the QR code at the head of each chapter. It provides a vehicle for emotions, feeling of loss, forgiveness, love, and expresses them in words, poetry, images, music, using motifs from Welsh the Mabinogion, ancient burial grounds, stone circles, and Druids. It has a feeling that is a unique expression of Wales, what it means to be Welsh, and what it means to be part of the broader Celtic culture.

252 pages, Paperback

Published September 23, 2022

Reviews

[Mariel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruby Ring
by Lyndon Morgan

I received a complimentary copy from Rowanvale Books and am voluntarily leaving a review.

She's done a pretty good job protecting her heart — content with her solitary life, never letting anyone close enough to get to know her. So far, it has helped keep her emotions and memories at bay. But as much as she tries to convince herself she’s fine, a fear buried in her past keeps threatening to rear its ugly head. The more she pushes it down, the more memories begin to resurface — her father, her mother and that horrible day she won’t let herself remember.
Eventually, she will need to stop and catch her breath, and she will have to face the skeletons in her closet.

Ruby Ring by Lyndon Morgan is a poignant story about finding oneself, secrets, and overcoming trauma. The book follows a young woman as she grapples with her tumultuous past, including her upbringing and the psychological mystery that surrounds her. As a result, she has lived the majority of her life alone. Still, she begins to form relationships with others, forcing her to come to terms with the past and allow herself to show vulnerability if she wants to get closer to others.

The author did an excellent job of developing the characters and I found it fascinating learning about her through her internal dialogue. The book passes through three sections which are cleverly woven into the storyline. Initially, I thought the female main character was a little cold and selfish. But as I was given snapshots of her past — her confusion and apparent heartache — my heart softened and I was biting my nails waiting for the truth and hidden resolution.

I am impressed by the poetic writing and I found nothing to dislike. Throughout, Lyndon Morgan has included several QR codes that are linked to various passages in the book. These QR codes open up beautifully appropriate songs/music which, when played while reading, heightens the sensation and transports the reader to a whole new level.

I recommend the book to lovers of mystery and suspense and also to readers who enjoy mythology. However, I would alert sensitive readers to heavy topics like abuse etc.
I have chosen to give the Ruby Ring a rating of five out of five stars because of the immersive storyline and unique musical concept. Moreover, I appreciate how the story is like a giant puzzle; with each chapter revealing another piece.

[Max R. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ruby Ring is a psychological mystery book that spends the majority of its length feeling like a fantasy novel. Throughout, the reader is left with countless questions as Rhiannon is led by supernatural forces from Welsh mythos from one crisis to the next.

As someone who loves learning about mythologies worldwide, I was looking forward to seeing what kind of Welsh stories would weave their way into this book, and I thought the inclusion of music would be an interesting way to experience it. Unfortunately, I found the QR codes at the start of each chapter distracting, especially with having to keep the music video open and ready until the cue to play the song, so I’m still not a fan of this kind of mixed media approach.

As far as the story went, it felt like Rhiannon had no agency or effect on the events taking place, which made it difficult to be invested in her as a character. There were also quite a few details during the historic portion of the book that were anachronistic for the time (pre 1000 AD) and the context for the most commonly mentioned Welsh myths seemed to come much later in the book.

However, my main complaint is that the ending was very short, sudden, and contradicted all of the answers that were seemingly being set up in the rest of the book. It felt like shock value for shock’s sake, rather than a satisfying conclusion or clever twist, and abruptly included very adult themes.

Content warnings for this book include acts of self-harm, repeated mention of sexual assault, and descriptions of suicide. In my opinion, these topics were not handled respectfully.

I was given a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books and this review is my voluntary, genuine opinion.

[Shaina Beksinski · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received a free copy of this novel from Rowanvale Books. However, this review is my honest opinion and is not biased in any way. What initially intrigued me about this novel is that it offers a QR code for each chapter that leads to a corresponding song, sung by the author. I thought this was a unique concept. I was also interested in reading this novel because it states it's a psychological thriller. However, the majority of the book reads like a fantasy to me, especially since it delves heavily into Welsh mythology. The first chapter was the perfect start to a psychological thriller though, with suspense and mystery - I loved it! However, the story quickly loses this appeal, in my opinion. I also feel like the characters' dialogues lack originality so their conversations melt together. A lot of the dialogue feels corny and some of the phrases said during the setting in 950 would not have been used during that time period, and hence, are not historically accurate. I also continuously wondered where the story was headed, I feel like the story went on too long without hinting at what was happening psychologically, especially since the story needs to repeat itself. Also, I think a stronger transition was needed towards the end of the novel because I was surprised it went from being a fantasy, back to being a psychological thriller. I think the author had a unique concept for this story idea, but unfortunately, the presentation fell short for me.

[Hannah Mcintosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Why won’t she let anyone in? What is she running away from? Are the voices she hearing her own?

Considered both a psychological thriller and a coming of age story, this novel follows a young woman named Rhiannon. She begins to connect with others for the first time in her life, in doing so she unravels the painful truth of her past.

This novel is completely innovative in every context; the writing style, the embedded QR codes, the Welsh mythology, the whimsical ambience and of course… the story-line. The author has gone above and beyond to provide an immersive experience for the reader.

I would highly recommend this novel to those who read classic-literature. The writing style is poetic and deeply descriptive, it mirrors the times of Jane Austen and F. Scott Fitzgerald.

Thank you to Rowanvale Publishing for providing me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Haris Hussnain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I review a book by
Lyndon Morgan

I received a free copy of this novel from Rowanvale Books. However, my review is not biased.

I quite like Ruby Ring. It's a good book. I like how it's based on one person and everything surrounding her.

Welsh myths and legends

I really like how Morgan has based the book on myths and legends. I particularly like the use of music, which is very folklike and really creates this multi-sensual experience. The gimmick with the QR codes is a nice touch. I like how the story of each chapter builds up using a song to provide some context. Some really great poetry.

Addons and recommendations

I personally think that it would be cool if some of the book were in the medium of Welsh. Also, it would be great to see Characters like the Pastor more fleshed out and maybe have backstories.

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always wanted to visit Wales; it is indeed one of my dream destinations. So, when I saw that the story is set in this part of the world, I knew that I had to read it. What I discovered was an excellent psychological thriller, one which draws you right from the start and keeps you on your toes until the very end. I just love the level of suspense and how she manages to build up the story, making the reader so curious to see what happens next. The book also features Welsh mythology, which makes the story even better. There is also a unique element to this book, in the sense that each chapter has a song associated with it. You can listen to it by scanning the included QR code, which is pretty cool. All in all, this was an interesting read, and I am glad I gave it a try. I received a free copy of this book from Rowanvale Books, but the opinion I posted is my own and not biased in any way.

[Habibah Ahmed · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was really excited for this, psychological thrillers are one of my favourite genres.
I thought it was interesting having the QR codes to scan and listen to have matching/appropriate audio, but it didnt work properly and was a bit impractical.
The story itself felt lacking, it jumped about a lot, there were many things to focus on rather than 1 main focus and it jumped from psychological to fantasy and back so it felt a bit messy. Some of the historical inaccuracies were hard for myself to move past as it bugs me a lot, makes me feel as though the author wasn't invested enough to do some research which then makes me think why should i invest my time in this book?
It was a good read, but not one that will stick in my mind

- i recieved a few copy from Rowanvale Books but that has not influenced my opinion in the slightest

[Kelly Windley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an amazing story taking you through different time periods of interest with a surprising but very fitting conclusion. The addition of music which complements the story as you read is such a nice touch which matches the stages and mood of each section, I did at some places forget to push play on the music as I was too engrossed in the story! Highly recommend this book, it’s like nothing I have ever read before, it had a good flow and really held your attention! I was lucky enough to receive an ARC from Rowanvale books and chose to write an honest review to show my appreciation, a very mind expanding book, hope to read more from the Author 🙏

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall I really enjoyed the unique nature of this book. Scanning QR Codes to listen to music whilst reading is a great idea! I really loved how it shaped my reader experience. The Welsh Mythology side is also particularly interesting and it was fascinating to read a story that depicted it so well.

At some points, I felt like there was a lack of flow within the writing itself and I felt that it needed more description. But, the jumps between genres is a great read so I do highly recommend it to other readers!

I was given a free copy of this novel to read from Rowanvale Books but my review is my honest opinion and not biased in any way.

[Alannah Cossey · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book was very poetic from the start and really drew me in. I enjoyed how the narrative structure was brought in and I felt connected to Rhiannon throughout. I felt compelled to follow her and see where the book would take her. I didn't expect that overall route that was taken or the final destination of the book. The addition of the music was a nice touch and added to the ambiance of each chapter.

I received a free ARC of this book from Rowanvale books. This review is unbiased and my own opinion.