Ruin & Rising
by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #3
Pages: 417
Published on June 17th 2014
by Henry Holt & Co.
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Format: Hardcover
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Also by this author: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising
The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.
Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.
Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.
Review
I have to admit that I was speechless after finishing this one. I really needed some time to think what I was going to say in my review. That almost never happens! Like I expected, Leigh Bardugo did not disappoint. This was a fantastic finale to an amazing series.
Ruin & Rising is the last book in the Grisha Trilogy. Shadow & Bone introduced us to this amazing world and the great characters we would all come to love. Siege & Storm stepped up the game and became an awesome set-up for an epic finale. You know the characters by now. You know the world. So I will not include any spoilers for this book or the others!
Next to the superb writing and amazing world-building, this book has the best characters to go with all that. I fell in love with all of them. Never have I felt so much for a villain than I have for the Darkling. I just can’t hate this guy and in the end I did really feel sad for him too. Mal was also a character that I couldn’t hate, even though he made me so angry in Siege & Storm and Ruin & Rising! I just love him and I’m glad he got his act together eventually. Stormhund is easily the best character of the entire series. He is my favorite anyway. I love Alina! She has grown so much in this series and she has changed so much since we first met her in Shadow & Bone. She’s been through a lot and she really deserved the ending she got. I love this fierce, loving, caring, loyal, sun summoning soldier. But I also loved Genya, Tolya, Tamar, David,… Even Zoya and Bahgra. The only character I didn’t love was the King. I didn’t like him, he was an ass. I hated him more than the Darkling.
Ruin & Rising is the epic finale I wanted and so much more. This is a brilliant, amazing, unforgettable series with a very satisfying and explosive ending. I highly recommend this to everyone. If you haven’t read these books yet, I suggest you do that fast!
About Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of Six of Crows (awarded starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, VOYA, SLJ, and the BCCB) and the Grisha Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band.
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WOW. 5 stars?! That is making me really excited. Even though I’ve been waiting for this for so long, I haven’t read it yet. Soon!
Twitter: Bieke Paesen
Jup, great ending to a fantastic series. =)
Ok, so I only quickly skimmed this review, but I’m loving the 5 stars!! I just got Siege and Storm so I can catch up on this series ASAP. Yay! 🙂