Coming out on October 4th this year, Emma Kennedy’s Golden Ruin is this indie author’s debut novel. The overarching genre “sapphic sci-fi western” is the perfect fit for this unique read. The seemingly contradictory genres of science fiction and Western are incorporated smoothly, with a fun mix of androids and human and lifestyle tech enhancements with ranches, horses, and outlaws.
Here’s the book summary:
In the aftermath of a chaotic gold rush and the resulting war, a mega-corporation emerges, seizing control of the nation’s gold and the technology produced from it. Those defeated scattered to the coasts, left to fend for themselves. The once vibrant California now contends with radiation, harsh elements, and bandits.
Cassidy moves to one of California’s last two surviving towns for one thing: to save her life. Suffering from a mysterious illness, Bell Valley is her last chance at finding a cure. Despite her best efforts to keep her distance, she’s drawn to the town and its locals. New beginnings are hard — even harder in the wastelands, and it doesn’t help that her enigmatic boss, Willa, wants nothing to do with her.
But as things start to change between the two of them, Cassidy is being tracked by a man with a dangerous bounty on her. Will she be able to save herself before it’s too late?
Stardew Valley meets Westworld in this emotional adventure in the wastelands.
Golden Ruin is a sci-fi/western with a slow-burn sapphic romance. This book is a standalone.
I loved how my mind worked to fit the sleek imagery of tech like oculars, Comms, or synth gold body parts in with the dusty wastelands that California became. It was especially fun to think about these alongside typical Western settings like a saloon or classic church. Kennedy also does well with seamlessly dropping world-building facts in the story. My interest was piqued anytime a new word came up, like “shiner,” “synth,” or the Corporation.
As for the slow-burn sapphic romance, Cassidy and Willa are a perfect pair. I love that they’re in their thirties, and it was an interesting dynamic for Willa to have been married beforehand. The push-and-pull of their relationship, their little arguments, and even their final admission of love are all imbued with realism.
Plus, they’re not the only representation. The casual use of they/them pronouns for Sam made me happy, and their relationship with Alex was wholesome. I was even sitting on the edge of my seat for Finn and Annabelle!
I only noticed a few things that put me off the novel. For one, Cassidy’s name is repeated too often, particularly at the beginning of each chapter. Instead of opening with “Cassidy” in the first sentence, I prefer authors to have sentence and paragraph variety. I expected more openers describing the environment or the weather, separate from what Cassidy was doing or thinking right at the start of the chapter. I also found her thoughts about “leaving soon” repetitive at the ends of chapters too. It made sense as those lines slowly disappeared when she settled into this new life, but I didn’t think it needed to be every time.
It did feel like some things could’ve been explored more too. As much as I loved the little teasers of the world, it only made me curious. I want to see more tech and more of the Corporation-centered society that Cassidy left behind. Neither the wastelands nor the Corporation cities seem like perfect fits; now that readers have seen the Corporation-abandoned reaches of America, I want to delve into the super sci-fi-enhanced cities.
The middle of the novel is also somewhat slow, but the beginning and end are worth pushing through. It was still interesting to see Cassidy go about daily life and interact with her friends and others. I loved the game nights and hikes, sprinkled in with the mysterious man in white and her worsening condition. Her illness and symptoms were also achingly realistic. As someone who struggles with chronic pain and fatigue in their own life, it was almost a relief to see a main character struggling with being sick. Her frustration at not being helped or believed, and at feeling so hopeless that the cure was expensive and unattainable reflected a lot of my feelings towards the American healthcare system, especially when navigated as a woman.
The last few things I want to say include HUGE spoilers for the ending, so skip this paragraph if you’re going to pick this book up. The man in white twist was perfect. The whole time, I wondered why nobody ever mentioned him or saw him take Cassidy. When it was revealed he was only ever a part of her imagination and loosening mind, I was taken aback (in a good way). His unsettling stalking made sense, as death and anxiety were following Cassidy the sicker she became. It’s unclear whether he’s a true angel of death or a figment of her mind, but I loved it either way. I also loved how the doctor who saved her didn’t turn out to be all good either, highlighting the sacrifices sick people go through to be better.
The ending wasn’t a big surprise, but plenty of those elements were. I don’t fully agree with what Willa at the end, but I understand it as someone who would do the same. And I have to say, any author who writes an epilogue has my whole heart.
Rating: 4/5 stars.
Golden Ruin publishes on October 4th and is available to pre-order on Amazon or Barnes & Noble. Kennedy is also offering a fun paperback pre-order bundle that includes a signed copy, bookmarks, an art print, and a Polaroid!
Emma Kennedy can be found on Instagram, TikTok, or personal website.
Thank you Emma Kennedy for providing this ARC ahead of the official release in exchange for an honest review.
