Book Title: Ruin and Rising
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Date Published: June 17th 2014 by Indigo
Number of Pages: 350 (Paperback)
Date I Read: May 14-17, 2020
Synopsis
(From Goodreads) 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.
Book Review
I know that most Grishaverse fans were mad at the ending of this trilogy. But I really have unpopular opinions about Ruin and Rising because I was so satisfied with the ending. Yes, it was bittersweet, but it tied things up pretty well, in my personal opinion. It turned full circle.
I honestly didn’t see some things coming. Okay, I might have.
If you didn’t know, what made me decide to pick up this book was the Six of Crows duology. I just LOVE that series so much that I made a decision to check out Bardugo’s other works. So coming into the Shadow and Bone trilogy, I was already a little bit spoiled of the events.
Having said that, I wasn’t expecting the ending that Leigh Bardugo came up with. It was just so fitting for Alina’s character arc.
Plot
Remember when I said in my book review of Siege and Storm that some parts were just fillers for this series? I felt the same way too at some aspects of Ruin and Rising.
It still dragged at times and the main plot somehow got tangled and lost with everything that’s happening. There’s that animosity with The Apparat (a character that I don’t talk about because he’s trash). Then there’s the mystery of Morozova and the amplifiers. And yep, there’s that love SQUARE which somehow, always gets into our main character’s mind.
It really gets overwhelming at some point, going from slow-paced to fast-paced in an instant. But as always, Bardugo successfully manages to weave these complex arcs.
I absolutely love the twists and turns that she came up with.
Characters
I really appreciate Alina’s character development throughout the trilogy. She’d seen too much, felt too much, experienced unimaginable things. She’s not the same dumb girl in the first book whom I hated. She became powerful yet still desperate. And most importantly, she finally accepted herself.
“I’m the Sun Summoner. It gets dark when I say it does.”
As for Mal, I still don’t get the hate for him. Sure, he’s annoying and whiny on the second book, but he’s nowhere near terrible! In fact, he was always loyal to Alina and followed her wherever she goes, despite wanting the exact opposite thing.
My relationship with the Darkling is complicated. At first, I hated him. Then I started to understand him in the second book. In the end, though, I just felt pity for him.
After the events of the second book, I know that Sturmhond/Nikolai wouldn’t just die like that. But I still whooped when he finally made his comeback! He’s still witty, charming, and brilliant as ever. I just love him so much that it hurts reading the second half of this book.
As for the supporting characters, I love most of them. For the most part, I was satisfied with their own respective endings.
Overall Thoughts
I honestly enjoyed reading this conclusion to the Shadow and Bone trilogy. I was glad to see how things tied up for our main characters and sets up the stage for the supporting cast.
Overall, the whole trilogy is a good introduction to the Grishaverse. However, this doesn’t really compare to the amazingness that is the Six of Crows duology.
Read my spoiler-filled book review on Goodreads for my unfiltered thoughts about Ruin and Rising.
Book Reviews of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy
Let’s Talk!
Do you love the ending of the Shadow and Bone trilogy as much as I do? Were you satisfied with how Leigh Bardugo tied things up?
Ended Up Reading 