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 … 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.
Ruin and Rising is the thrilling final installment in Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy. This title has Common Core connections.
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Ms. Bardugo has brought this trilogy to an epic ending. The price of freedom is very costly. To live in eternal bondage is no life at all.
I do not recommend this book due to the profanity, sexual innuendo and homosexual scene.
I borrowed a copy from my local library. All views expressed are my honest opinion.
I finally finished the whole trilogy and I FREAKING LOVED IT SO MUCH!!!!!!! The second book is still my favorite in the trilogy but I really loved how the book ends and wanting more at the same time, which thankfully there will be!!!!! I will be rereading the Six of Crows duology in order to be fully prepared for King of Scars!!!!!!!
What fascinates me in this book is how Alina takes her role as a saint (Sankta Alina) and see her inner monologue about it. When I first read the Six of Crows duology, she is portrayed as this legendary hero, so it was interesting to see her perspective on that and how she despises it so much.
My hatred for The Darkling had amplified to it peak. I do not understand why people love him so much. HE IS A FREAKING PSYCHO AND NOT IN A GOOD WAY!!!!!!!!! Mal is way much better than him and I WILL SAY THAT AGAIN AND AGAIN!!!!!!!
Although there are no hints of romance, I AM SHIPPING ZOYA AND NIKOLAI A LOT!!!!!! I hope they get together in King of Scars!!!!!! And while I’m talking about those two, MY POOR BABY NIKOLAI!!!!!! He did not deserve what happened to him!!!!! I wanted to give him a hug!!!!! As for Zoya, her character development was the best and I really loved the final scene between her and Alina. It was very heartwarming that my heart aches so much!!!!!!
I also loved Misha (Baghra’s assistant) and how much he had appeared in this book. He is just an adorable cutie and I also loved his and Mal’s brotherly dynamic.
Tolya and Tamar are just awesome characters!!!!! I am hoping that one day Leigh Bardugo will write a book about those two characters. I need to know more about their past and more about Shu Han!!!!!!!!
My poor baby Adrick!!!!! He also did not deserve what happened to him, but I RESPECT his resilience in addition to marching forward even though he lost something precious (which I won’t say or it’ll be a spoiler).
The endgame of the book was full of thrill, suspense, and chaos at the same time!!!!! It was also brutal to be honest and heartbreaking but I love the revelation of Morozova master plan and it was very SATISFYING!!!!!!!
All in all, I really enjoyed this book and how it had ended and I’m excited to explore more of the universe (first by rereading Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom and then finally starting with King of Scars). This book gets a 4.5 stars from me!!!!
Alina is trying to have more power in order to defeat the Darkling, but her path is complicated, since she has to renounce to her true love and make more sacrifices than she thought in the beginning.
The Darkling has a plan to achieve his goals, and the time for the last battle is finally coming…
I liked the end so much 🙂
I enjoyed reading this book, and I do think this trilogy finished strong. This has to be my favorite book out of the three.
The Darkling didn’t show up as much as I would have liked, which sucked because he is one of my favorite characters. I wish we could have seen more of him and that his personality (not just the villain side of him) was unpacked more. We got to see a little more of that part of him, but I think there could have been more. (This applies to the entire trilogy)
The ending could have been more climatic. It felt lacking in suspense and didn’t pull at my emotions the way I would have liked. I felt more emotion when the search for the bird was completed and for what happened after the climax than I did the actual climax. The epilogue pulled at my emotions even more than those though.
It seemed a little repetitive when looking at the trilogy as a whole. Things were continually brought up about the past, the same moments mentioned multiple times throughout. It kind of lost its power after the first few times and made me feel like I’ve already read the scene when I hadn’t.
The beginning made me a tad irritated because Alina had grown so much in her character just to seemingly go back to the way she was in the beginning. I wanted her fire to come back for a moment and for her to stick up for herself and fight back. She may have been choosing her battles, but it just rubbed my nerves.
The pacing of the book was perfect for me. It wasn’t too slow, nor was it too fast. This book kept things interesting enough for me to want to continue to read the book and not put it down when I had started reading. I can’t wait for the Netflix adaption and to see Alina’s journey brought to life.
This book was my least favourite of the three. It had a very slow start. Bardugo keeps her world building momentum but the pacing is slower and the characters aren’t intriguing me as much. The struggles Alina faces with the Darkling feel samey after awhile. And the group all hiding away after he attacks them feels the same as well. It definitely had its moments of surprise and intrigue, especially involving Mal and also Nikolai, but the climactic scene wasn’t as gripping as I’d hoped it would be. Still, in all of that the trilogy as a whole was enjoyable and I would recommend it to someone who likes fantasy.
I really like the ending of this great trilogy.
In Ruin and Rising The Darkling now rules Ravka from his shadow throne.
Alina is weakened and hidden deep in an ancient networks of tunnels and caverns. The broken sun summoner must submit to the protection of the dubious of the Apparat and to people who now worship her as a Saint.
But she need to go outside of there an hunt the firebird and find the outlaw prince, if he’s still alive. She must forge new alliances and find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers if she want to stand a chance againts The Darkling and save Ravka from destruction.
This review contains SPOILERS. Read at your own risk.
The ending of this series is beyond perfect. Beyond anything that I could have conjured in my mind. It is an absolute piece of artwork. I only wish that I could use merzost so that I could create something tangible with this feeling so that I can display it on my wall and look back on it to feel the hurricane of emotions that I am feeling now. This ending feels so bittersweet to me. There are so many concluding thoughts that are difficult to sort out.
First and foremost, The Darkling. This beautiful, twisted, power hungry, lonely boy that only ever wanted to belong somewhere. His differences cast him as other and he was bitter towards all those that made him suffer in his darkness alone. The Darkling makes for such a compelling and believable villain because most of what he says and believes is actually true. He did want a safe place for Grisha, somewhere for them to belong. So he made the Second Army. This stems from his own struggles throughout his life being hunted and different. Of course, this isn’t enough for the Darkling. I hate to say it, but Bhagra pretty much poisoned his mind with ideals of power and strength. Sure, she wanted her son to have strength and to not be victimized as she had as a child. But I think that the message was lost in translation to the Darkling. What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men. Power became the Darkling’s ultimate goal. And then Alina popped into his life and he became all but obsessed with the idea of her with him. He had finally found someone with power akin to his own. Someone that he could live the countless years with and not be alone in his power any longer. I think that his feelings for Alina stem from that young boy who only ever wanted someone to belong with. To not be alone. To be with someone that was an equal. But by this point, the Darkling’s heart has already been corrupted by greed and power so his love for Alina became twisted and turned to the point of obsession. This is my second time reading this book and I still have convoluted feelings towards the Darkling. I love him, I hate him, I feel sorry for him, and I mourn him. I understand where he was coming from and why he did the things he did while still not forgiving him for all the people that he killed and the horrific things that he did. He is definitely my all-time favorite villain.
The Darkling
“You might make me a better man.”
Alina
“You might make me a monster.”
Alina, Mal, and Nikolai had so much character progression in this book. We get to see them at their lowest and then we get to see them determined to fight on. I loved Mal’s self-sacrifice. His love for Alina is evident in all that he does for her. It’s truly beautiful. I also loved the friendship that formed between Alina, Mal, and their group of Grisha. Even Zoya was among them so it was incredible to see her and Alina become begrudging friends by the end of the book. Their little group had a lovely camaraderie.
Now, the plot. Leigh Bardugo can wield a plot like a weapon and slay you with details shrouded in mystery. The turn of events that takes place in this book is absolutely brilliant. The way that everything from the first two books comes together is so clever and riveting. There is definite foreshadowing in the first two books, but Bardugo is so good at constructing her story that the reader doesn’t see the big reveal until the exact moment it happens. It’s incredible! Not only this, but the way she ties up all the loose ends at the end of the book is storytelling perfection. That ending took so much out of my heart, but it was absolutely perfect for this story.
I’m not going to lie and say that I am not a little broken inside after finishing this book. But I suppose that the best books do take a little piece of your heart in the end. I am ever so grateful to Leigh Bardugo for sharing this exquisite and irresistible world with us. Bardugo has become a Saint in her own right with her esteemed stories that have definitely become holy to me.
I recommend this book series to everyone! I would shout this from the heavens if I could. I will forever be a lifelong fan of Leigh Bardugo’s writing and I shall spread its gospel wherever I shall go. If you enjoy young adult fantasy that is utterly unique, with characters that you will want to embrace (or smack at times), and a plot that will leave your mouth hanging open at the end then you need this series in your life.
This series was everything! I’m ecstatic that I read it, sad that it’s over, and disappointed it took me so long to meet Alina, Mal, Nikolai, Zoya, the Darkling and so many other electric characters. Leigh Bardugo’s world building proves once again to be as illuminating as it is haunting. The series has everything: longing, romance, betrayal, greed, strife, grief, friendship. You’ll love each and every character no matter their plights. Epic, dark, intriguing fantasy sure to engage and empower you
Loved. I’m kind of sad that she didn’t end up with Nikolai but I loved it nevertheless! Can’t wait to dive into Six of Crows.
Cannot be read as a standalone.
This series is one of the best series I’ve read in a while. It has everything I love in a story. Strong heroine discovering her powers. Love that conquers all. An evil character that you love to hate.
Although I’m sad that this series has come to an end, I can’t wait to read her other books. Leigh Bardugo’s creativity and voice is in a league of its own!
In the final book of Shadow and Bone. We find that the capital has fallen. The Grisha are dead or underground. Alina now weak and under control of the Apparat. Now has to depend on others to survive and find a way out of the tunnels. Throughout Ruin and Rising we follow as Alina and Mal as they manage to get free of the tunnels along with other survivors and go on a hunt for the third amplifier. What follows is a fast-paced story of death and survival and ultimately a victory. I really enjoyed this world and was sad to have finished reading about it. I guess I can always read it again someday.
In the aftermath of the battle at the Little Palace Alina, and the few surviving Grisha loyal to her are hiding in the underground caverns of the White Chapel. Her sainthood is well established, and she is getting more followers everyday. All that she needs to do is find the Firebird, based on a painting in a book(that may or may not be a clue) & a vague memory, kill it, make the third and final amplifire, then defeat the Darkling & destroy the Fold. No Problem!
The end was a bit predictable, and slightly anti-climatic. The Darkling was hardly in the book, and I am a little disappointed because he was so fun. Yes, I am aware that I like the villain. It didn’t really make sense to have the villain hardly there in the climax of the story. It became more of a teenage High School drama with Alina not being able to choose between Mal, Nikolia, or the Darkling. Overall I loved the series, and thought it was really interesting. I liked the structure of the world, and how it worked. The love story was just a bit blah.
This trilogy (along with it’s companion stories, “Folktales From Ravka”) is FANTASTIC. Great world-building, really unique storyline and elements, interesting and flawed characters, great pacing and action. Recommended for teens and adults alike.