Fall of Ruin and Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout: Full Summary

Fall of Ruin in Wrath by Jennifer L. Armentrout is a fantasy romance novel taking place in the From Blood and Ash and Flesh and Fire universe.

The story follows Lis, an orphan who has intuition that let’s her see the future. The society is broken up to a class system with the being born from the ground named Hyhborn ruling while the rest of the class struggles.

When Prince Thorne of Vytrus visits, Lis is assigned as his companion and despite his brutality, she begins falling in love with him.

Although it’s debated whether or not you should read Fall of Ruin and Wrath while reading the other two series, I definitely think you should as it opens the door to theories and connects the world further.

Read our full summary of Fall of Ruin and Wrath.

Calista’s Childhood and Her Hyhborn

Calista (Lis) is a mortal (lowborn) in the kingdom of Caelum, living at the orphanage with her best friend Grady. One night, the Hyhborn (members of the ruling class) arrive. Calista is worried they’re there because of her intuition, a gift she can use to hear others’ thoughts and can see their future.

They overhear the orphanage’s principle who they call Mister, talking to Lord Samriel. Lord Samriel intructs his Rae (warriors) to check the children. A Rae looks into Lis’s eyes, doesn’t find what he’s looking for. Upon seeing the scars in Lis’s arms, he kills Mister and leaves.

Years pass and Lis serves as a courtesan to Baron Claude Huntington of Archwood. The Baron is a caelestia, he has both Hyhborn and low born descendents.

Her friend Naomi, another courtesan, comes and asks Lis about his sister who just gave birth. Claude has a habit of using Lis’s gifts for his own gain. Lis can sense Naomi’s sister will be fine.

Naomi asks Lis if she is excited about the Feasts. The Deminyens, are the ruling class of Hyhborn, they can manipulate elements and others. They are mysterious and very little is known about them. King Euros and Prince Rainer rule the Court of Primera and those are the two Deminyens that are known of.

Over the years Lis has thought about the Hyhborn she’s seen at the orphanage building a phantom connection to him, referring to him as her Hyhborn.

After Naomi leaves, List feels guilty because although she felt that her sister will be fine she will not see the end of the Feasts.

Lis sists with Baron Claude while he holds court overwhelmed by all the people and her intuition’s whispers. Her relationship with Baron is different than his other paramours, the baron favors her because of her gift.

When Baron’s not paying attention his captain of the guard Hymel taunts Lis. He is a cruel and angry man.

A wealthy merchant named Elise Ramsey warns of a possible war since as princess of Visilia has begun building an army. She killed two messengers of King Euros. After Ramsay leaves her intuition whispers her “he’s coming.”

Lis goes out to the stables to brush her horse Iris, unable to sleep. He intuition asks her to listen. She overhears Mickie and Finn, two guards talking about how they captured a Hyhborn and of their plans to sell his blood and body. She also hears that they were instructed by Muriel. Her intuition urges her to save the Hyhborn.

Lis finds the Hyhborn in the barn, spiked on the table with lunea. Buckets are collecting his blood. She sees swirling, brownmarks on his skin. She is shocked to see that the stranger is her Hyhborn.

Lis helps the Hyhborn. The stranger at first suspects it was her who attacked him, which Lis clears up. One of his captors arrive and attack Lis but the Hyhborn defends her.

The Hyhborn cleans himself up, and Lis realizes she can’t see his future. The Hyhborn heals himself and sees that the brown marks on his face are gone. The two has an instant attraction.

Deminyen can instill pleasure in people which allows them to feed. They clean up at a nearby house and go their separate ways.

The Hyhborn Returns

Lis wakes up the next morning tired and wanting to ask Claude about the shadow market. She has the lunea dagger on her bedstand, something she’s taken instinctively.

Grady is intertwined with the rebels. Lis doesn’t want to lie to Grady so she tells him about her Hyborn. Lis hears the same thing from her “intuition”, that he’s coming.

Claude summons her. Lis tells him about the shadowmarket but not the Hyhborn she saved. He gets angry, worried that the Court of Primvera will retaliate. Lis remembers hearing someone named Muriel, driving the Hyhborn harvesting, but Claude doesn’t know someone of them name. Lis also realizes she’s never heard of that name before in anyone’s thoughts or with her intuition.

Lis attends a party which people have sex, openly. A man approaches her to hook up with her, but Lis hears the name of his wife in his mind so she brushes him off. Naomi brings up Claude’s bad mood.

Naomi touches her sexually and Lis is interested. Later she is drawn to the gardens. She can overhear two Hyhborn lords talking, one of whom is her Hyhborn. Nathaniel, the other lord, is angry with her for eavesdropping, but her Hyhborn punches him and Nathaniel burns only ash remaining.

Muriel arrives and her Hyhborn tells him he killed Nathaniel. Nathaniel threathens Lis to which the Hyhborn pretends to not be phased by which enreages Lis. She is thrown in the air and loses consciousness.

She wakes up hearing the lord speak to a name named Bastian, someone who is healing her via touch. Lis sees orbs that’s flying around, to which her Lord says they are souls and they like her.

The lord introduces herself as Thorne. He feels special to Lis. The connection between them become special and almost intimate, but they are interrupted by the light around them disappear and the Thorne tells Lis to run.

Ni’meres, Hyhborn with bodies of eagles and heads of mortals attack Archwood. Claude’s guards tell him they are looking for someone. Claude asks what she knows to which Lis replies with her intuition not working on Hyhborn. Claude gets angry.

Thorne is Revealed to be a Deminyen Prince

Claude summons Lis. Members of the Royal Court are visiting. Claude is nervous because he’s late on his taxes. Instead of scolding for his recklessness, Lis asks what he can do for her. Claude asks him to keep one of the royal men company as his courtesan during their time there.

Lis sees Maven, the woman rumored to be Claude’s grandmother. Maven prepares for a night to be spent with the royal man. She goes to the bedroom of the royal lord assuming he’s waiting for her. When she arrives at the room, it is Thorne who grabs her and asks her what she’s doing in his room.

Thorne recognizes her and tells her he had no idea she was coming, calling her na’laa. They banter. Lis tries to hear his thoughts again which she fails at. Thorne tells her if Claude tries to harm him he will retaliate.

Thorne asks if she truly wants to service him and Lis confirms. He tells her to draw him a bath and they get to know one another. Lis tells him her real name is Calista and Thorne tells him he’s from Vytrus. All Lis know about Vytrus is that the prince of Vytrus is one of the few Deminyen that the lowborn know, and he is unpredictable. Lis asks the Prince’s name of Thorne and he tells her she already knows it.

Lis reacts with shock and Thorne asks if she’s finally afraid of him. She realizes she is not. Every time she tries to feel his thoughts she finds a white wall. Lis tells thorn she likes plants and wants to be a botanist.

Thorne asks Lis to get into the bath with him, which she does. The exchange becomes sexual. When Thorne asks how did Claude decide to send Lis to him, to which she lies that she services Claude’s guests all the time. Thorne calls her out on it. They pleasure each other and Thorne asks why she is truly sent to him. Lis admits she’s sent to get information.

Thorne considers the confession and tells Lis to inform Claude that he is there to talk about Iron Nights. He also makes Lis promise not to tell Claude she told Thorne the truth about why she’s there. Thorne asks her to stay but Lis decides to leave and see Grady.

She tells Grady what Thorne has told her. Grady is excited about the rebellion. He tells Lis he wants to move, and Lis hates the idea.

Lis tells Claude and Hymel who Thorne truly is. Claude dismisses Hymel much to his anger. He questions if Lis enjoyed her time with him. Later Hymel pulls Lis and twists her arm, asking what their private exchange was about. Lis threatens him with telling him how he’ll die.

She goes to her room and falls asleep, finding Thorne in her chambers when she wakes. She pretends to be annoyed but Thorne flirts with her. He asks about Lis’s report back to Claude. He then sees the bruise on Lis’s arm. Lis reassures him that it wasn’t Claude. Thorne kisses her arm and the bruise is healed.

When Lis questions why Thorne is truly in her room, Thorne tells her although Deminyen is not capable of feeling, he cares about Lis.

Later that evening on her way to dinner, Lis sees that her eyes have blue rings around her brown eyes. The color disappears quickly.

She arrives at dinner to find Claude drunk. Thorne, Rhaziel and Bastian arrive at dinner. She finds the same white wall in their minds but she breaks through and overhears them complaining about Claude’s intoxication. She realizes Claude knows her ability to break through Hyhborns’ shields and wonders what he truly knows about her gifts.

Thorne tells Claude and the others that the Iron Knights, the rebellion forces, are working with the Princess of Visalia and the Westlands. They want to capture Archwood. Thorne says Archwood is under his protection and soldiers will arrive soon. He mentions Archwood will be useless should it fall and be destroyed.

Dinner finishes with Claude, Thorne and Lis remaining at the table. Claude begins touching in front of Thorne, and eventually suggests Lis sits in Thorne’s lap. Throne gives her pleasure and asks Claude that Lis keeps him company during his time in Archwood. Lis immediately rejects the offer but Claude agrees. Angry for being offered like an “object”, she says she should be asked how she feels. Thorne says he always gets what he wants.

Once Thorne leaves, Claude tells her he knows she only stays because Archwood protects her and apologizes for using her gift. He wants Thorne to protect her during the upcoming conflict. Lis doesn’t think Iron Knights will attack Archwood, but Claude reveals he is related to their commander, Beylen. She assumes Beylen is caelestia.

Claude prods more about whether Lis is interested in Thorne. When Lis reveals she does, Claude tells her Thorne can give her everything he can’t, which is everything.

Lis and Thorne Get Closer

Bastian comes to retrieve Lis. She fakes being ill. A few minutes later Thorne shows up in her room. Thorne carries her to his chambers despite her wishes. Thorne explains she thought she was enjoying time with him since she found pleasure. She realizes that Thorne as a Hyhborn doesn’t understand human emotions and only comes to logical conclusion.

She confronts Thorne about not being compassionate with the Lowborn like the other Hyhborn. Thorne agrees with her, pointing out that the situation with Iron Nights could’ve been avoided if Hyhborn treated Lowborn better. He tells her King Euros would’ve much rather destroyed Archwood and build new cities.

Shocked, Lis questions why. Thorne replies with it would save Hyhborn who’ll die defending the city. When Thorne mentions he’s defended cities or destroyed them on the King’s command in the past she realizes he’s just a cog in the machine. Thorne tells her when she chose to save him, she showed him some mortals are worth saving.

Thorne tells her Hyhborn wants to prevent another war like the Great War hundreds of years ago, which destroyed the world. Deminyen existed before the mortals, and mortals believe they are celestial beings. When mortals were created, the Deminyen originally coexisted with them. However they eventually went to the ground, hoping when they wake mortals will be more like them. Mortals build up the world with technology, nearly destroying the planet which woke up the Deminyens.

The Deminyen considered how to handle mortals’ destruction of the world. King Euros, one of the survivors of the Great War, decided to stop humanity’s destruction but save mortals from extinction.

Thorne reveals this information is forbidden. He tells her she can leave if she wants but Lis stays.

Thorne takes her to bed and asks her about her life and childhood. She tells her about the orphanage. She tells him about Grady and how he’s like a brother for her.

Thorne tells her he was made in the ground beneath the Wychwoods. Lis goes down on him and then pleasures herself. Lis asks if his heart beat before, and Thorne tells her his heart beat until he’s lost his ny’chora. When Lis questions what that is, he replies with everything.

The next day, Thorne is gone. Lis runs into Grady and tells him about King’s desire to destroy Archwood and how Beylen is caelestia. Lis remembers Claude referred to Beylen as starborn. Grady reminds her that the prioress at the Priory of Mercy used to tell her she is born of stars.

She visits Maven who confirms she is Claude’s grandmother. She also reveals caelestia is those whose ancestry go back before the Great War. She also tells her the old blood allows the stars to fall, so the Hyhborn no longer let caelestia to be created.

A star that falls, makes a mortal divine. It gives mortals supernatural abilities, like Lis’s. Lis doesn’t understand what Maven means. Maven doesn’t elaborate and tells Lis, Thorne has come to Archwood for what’s his.

Hymel bursts into the room to question Lis’s presence.

Later Lis wonders the gardens, thinking whether she could truly be caelestia. She is filled with a sense of rightness when Thorne shows up. She learns more about Thorne, that Deminyen comes out of the ground together and that he has a brother and sister.

Lis asks if Thorne can feel caelestia which he confirms he can. She concludes she must not be caelestia. She asks about the starborn, but Thorne doesn’t tell her much. They dance in the garden. Lis feels the urge to run from Thorne, which she does. He chases her then with her consent, they have sex.

They lie in bed together. Thorne tells her he is leaving for a couple of days, but will return before the Feasts. Lis ponders Maven’s words and connects that Thorne is looking for not something but someone that is his.

Lis asks Claude if he knew she was caelestia. Claude apologizes for not sharing it with her sooner and tells her he didn’t want her to get taken away. Claude tells her he is starborn and he thinks Lis is too. Claude hasn’t told her because he was worried Lis would want to meet Beylen, despite him being a traitor.

When Lis tells him Thorne has told her she is mortal, Claude doesn’t quite believe that and urges Lis to tell him about the day they checked the orphanage.

Fall of Ruin and Wrath Ending Explained

People prepare the manor for the Feasts. Hymel meets with the Hyhborn lords without Claude. She checks for him in his rooms and suddenly struct by a vision of people in masks, blood and sapphire jewelry covered in blood.

Lis realizes the Feasts will hurt a lot of people. She tells Naomi to leave and take her sister with her. She tries to find Claude again, she hears something isn’t right. Instead of Claude, she finds Hymel in his chambers. She tries to convince him to cancel the feasts, to which he refuses.

The Feasts begin. Claude is nowhere to be seen, and Thorne hasn’t returned. Lis sees a blond Hyhborn who reminds her of Lord Samriel, the lord who came with Thorne to the orphanage. They have another man with them. He smiles at her.

She watches the revelry. When Lis has the same vision from earlier once more, this time it is accompanied by screams. She urges everyone to go back inside as ni’meres begin descending from the sky.

Chaos erupts and people scream. Overwhelmed by the senses around her, Lis crumbles. Lis sees many Hyhborn men and Rae warriors walking in the courtyard.

Ni’mere alert the others to Lis and Grady’s presence where they are hiding. Lis has the lunea dagger sheathed on her side and when the ni’mere attack, she stabs one. They barricade themselves inside the library. Lis continues having visions of her companions dying. The Rae and the Hyhborn storm the library with Hymel at their head, telling them he saw Lis enter the library.

One of the lords begin breaking the bones of her companion, and threathens to continue doing so until Lis comes out. Someone Hymel calls Prince Rohan drag them out and tell them to grab Grady. Lis begs for his life. Rohan tells them to take to Lis’s chambers, as soon as Lord Arion let’s them, a name Lis doesn’t recognize.

Hymel asks about Thorne to which Prince Rohan answers with he’s been stalled. Rohan promises Lis will be protected from Thorne as she is his to kill.

Samriel begins asking Lis about her powers. He seems to only know about her visions but not her ability to read thoughts, which Lis doesn’t reveal. Lis realizes Samriel knows she is an orphan and she got the information from Hymel.

He asks if Lis has had sex with Thorne which Lis lies about. He tells her she has a glamour on her that hides her eyes. Samriel reveals when a mortal is born from fallen stars, they are linked to a Deminyen. The mortal, named ny’seraphs are given gifts to help their Deminyen. Hyhborn believe that they were given the ny’seraphs to be more approachable by mortals. He then tells her most Deminyen kill their ny’seraph to sever their compassion for humans to strengthen themselves. He tells Lis she does not need to worry about Thorne and she will be taken to the capital and be handed over to King Euros.

Hymel arrives. Lis punches him in the face. Hymel tells her to remain quiet and asks her if she’s learned anything from Samriel with her intuition. He tells her Claude has fled Archwood.

The man who smiled at her arrives, revealed to be Lord Arion. He tells Lis to close her eyes and speaks in a different language. Lis feels a sharp pain in her head and when she opens her eyes, she has the eyes of caelestia.

Lord Arion turns to Hymel, thanks to him for everything, then breaks his neck.

Two days later Grady and Lis are at an inn. Rohan thinks they are being followed. They bound Grady to the bed but didn’t bound Lis. They also haven’t searched her, so she still has her lunea dagger on her.

At night, lanterns flicker and screaming begin. Arion comes, and takes Lis. Lis questions if lowborn lives are so worthless, which Arion tells her he thinks so. Lis slaps him. Arion compels him to obey. He threatens to harm Grady if she doesn’t listen.

They get on Arion’s horse and she asks where Grady is. He tells her they are separated. Lis assumes it’s because they are being followed. They ride on horseback for hours. Arriving at Wychwood, they slow down.

Arion is thrown off his horse with an arrow protruding from his head. Shadows in trees stir, looking like ravens. All of a sudden, Thorne is in front of her.

Lis sees a vision of herself getting stabbed with Thorne holding the sword. It is the first time she ever had a vision about herself. She runs.

Lis is tackled to the ground by Thorne. He tells her he’ll always catch her. She thinks he’s her salvation and her doom.

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That’s everything from Fall of Ruin and Wrath! It’s a lot more different than the other two series and offers a completely different perspective.

Did you read Fall of Ruin of Wrath? How did it compare to the other two series in JLA universe? Let us know in the comments!