Road to Ruin

by Hana Lee Narrated by Natalie Naudus

Overview

An electrifying, gritty fantasy from debut author Hana Lee that takes a royal messenger on a high-speed chase across a climate-ravaged wasteland, featuring motorcycles, monsters, and magic.

Jin-Lu has the most dangerous job in the wasteland. She's a magebike courier, one of the few who venture outside the domed cities on motorcycles powered by magic. Every day, she braves the wasteland's dangers-deadly storms, roving marauders, and territorial beasts-to deliver her wares.

Her most valuable cargo? A prince's love letters addressed to Yi-Nereen, a princess desperate to escape the clutches of her abusive family and soon-to-be husband. Jin, desperately in love with both her and the prince, can't refuse Yi-Nereen's plea for help. The two of them flee across the wastes, pursued by Yi-Nereen's furious father, her scheming betrothed, and a bounty hunter with mysterious powers.

A storm to end all storms is brewing and dark secrets about the heritability of magic are coming to light. Jin's heart has led her into peril before, but this time she may not find her way back.

Editorial Reviews

Publishers Weekly

★ 03/11/2024

Savage, sexy, and deliciously screwed up, Lee’s apocalyptic fantasy debut is sure to draw comparisons to Mad Max but sets itself apart through an inventive magic system and a thorny bisexual love triangle. Jin makes a living as a magebike courier, constantly risking her life in the face of mana storms, human raiders, and saurian predators to transport messages and illegal luxury goods across the wasteland between city-states. Her most lucrative gig involves carrying secret love letters between Prince Kadrin of Kerina Sol and Princess Yi-Nereen of Kerina Rut, neither of whom realizes Jin has developed feelings for them both. When Yi-Nereen asks Jin to help her escape an arranged marriage, the two flee into the wasteland, pursued by both Yi-Nereen’s betrothed, who can read minds, and Jin’s bounty hunter ex-girlfriend. Forced to take refuge during a mana storm, they discover a hidden community and uncover dark secrets about the nature of their world and the magical Talents which, in this highly stratified society, determine a person’s worth. As danger mounts, Jin is forced to call upon Kadrin for help. The twisty plot, complex emotional entanglements, and perilous landscapes keep the pages flying. Examining power, privilege, and passion, this dynamic adventure thrills. Agent: Paul Lucas, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (May)

starred review  Booklist

Lee’s action-packed, Mad Max: Fury Road–inspired fantasy is a breathless, polyamorous adventure that will delight fans of well-built, fast-paced, queer sf/fantasy.

IGN

This inventive fantasy homage to Mad Max: Fury Road is an absolute blast, full of high-stakes scenes, an original magic system, and messy romances... Road to Ruin is full of twists and turns, so much fun to read, and is perfect for anyone excited for Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga—or any other Mad Max entries we might get in the future.

Parade

"If you’re hungry to see the new Mad Max movie, then Road to Ruin is the dystopian fantasy novel you need."

Andrea Stewart

"Road to Ruin is an absolute thrill ride, and the most fun I’ve had reading all year. Messy yet soulful characters, an atmospheric Mad Max world, cool creatures, and imaginative worldbuilding make this book a top-tier experience—one that will have you lining up for the next one!"

Thea Guanzon

Road to Ruin is an electrifying tale that proves impossible to put down. Hana Lee’s thrilling prose hauls the reader headlong into an epic adventure, laden with striking characters and world-building as deft as it is fearless. I’ll be thinking about this book for a long, long time.

JUNE 2024 - AudioFile

Natalie Naudus guides listeners through this high-intensity audiobook featuring a polyamorous trio. The setting is a postapocalyptic world in which a person's worth is measured by their talent for magic. Jin's career as a mage bike courier sees her traversing a dangerous and stormy wasteland, delivering love letters between the talented princess Yi-Nereen and the talentless prince Kadrin. An arranged marriage between the powerful Yi-Nereen and an even more powerful foe has her desperate to escape a life in which her only contribution will be birthing talented children. Naudus's intensifying pace enhances action-packed scenes throughout the dangerous landscape. Her emotional connection with the characters amplifies their complex relationships. This is a nearly impossible-to-pause audiobook. A.K.R. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940159391445
Publisher:	Simon & Schuster
Publication date:	05/14/2024
Series:	Magebike Courier
Edition description:	Unabridged

Read an Excerpt

Chapter One: Rock and a Hard Place
Second Age of Storms, 48th Spring

Dear Princess Yi-Nereen,

I don’t know if you remember me. My name is Kadrin, and I hail from Kerina Sol. Ten years ago, my father was sent as a diplomatic envoy to your city, Kerina Rut. I only remember bits and pieces of the crossing; I was nine years old and rode in a knight’s sidecar. But I recall very well the year we spent in Kerina Rut, especially the friend I made there: the daughter of the Shield Lord, our host, who did so much to make us feel at home.

After all this time, I have finally worked up the courage to write her. Do you remember me half as fondly as I remember you? My father’s time in Kerina Rut was shorter than planned, and our sudden departure must have taken you by surprise. I hope you will accept my long overdue apology and farewell.

I shall end this letter now, in case I am a stranger to you after all. But if you do recall the boy who collected colorful beetles and taught you to wish on falling stars, it would bring me no greater pleasure than to receive your reply.

Please take care,

Prince Kadrin, Third Heir to the House of Steel Heavens

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