Ruin and Rising Review

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Series: Grisha #3
Published by Macmillan on 2014-05-20
Length: 10 hrs and 57 mins
Genres: Fairy Tales & Folklore, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Pages: 32
Format: Audiobook
Goodreads

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.

 Julie’s Review:

Finished Ruin & Rising. First 75%=yawn at all the planning. Last 25%: edge of your seat yelling OMG! No! Yes! Great ending.

— Julie S. (@juliecookies) August 14, 2014

I don’t even know if I can write this review without spoilers, because OMG!

As you can see from my shared tweet, the first I dunno 2/3 or 3/4 of the book was so boring to me because of all the planning and trying to figure out how to defeat The Darlking, and the small skirmishes, and the running around. Not my cuppa because very little actually developed. I really dislike when I find myself speeding up through certain parts of the book because I’m bored. Boo on that part.

But… BUT!!! That last bit was EPIC of epicness. It was disturbing, and scary, and omg DEVASTATING, but the ending was really good.

The final reveal of the identity of the third amplifier was awesome. I didn’t see it coming, even if Jessica (from Rabid Reads) did. She’s cooler than me. So now we have the dread that Alina has to kill this… someone that means so much to her… and… well… GAH CAN’T DO THIS WITHOUT SPOILERS BUT TRYING! But how, how is she supposed to go on after doing this? Is this murder worth saving Ravka. Well, DUH but what will Alina become? Well, something else that’s for sure. (Kind of reminds me of True Blood here and Sookie’s light.)

I really liked the story line of Morozova’s family and how specific people are connected and all that really cool stuff. Baghra was a really interesting character and her reveal in this book was quite unexpected, and exciting.

I absolutely loved Mal in this series, and this book was no different. His self-sacrificing ways to do everything Alina needs, even if it means stepping aside, just makes him more heroic. And his story line, omg. Let’s just say my heart was broken, but then healed and I’m OK now but at first I was not and I might have been yelling at the book a little.

Nikolai, I do like him. He does the right thing, and he’s so sarcastic about it. I like the way he confronts the King and his overall regal way about him. But also, what The Darkling does to him is so freaking awesome! Ok, so I might be a bit twisted, but I like when my characters suffer a little. Not a lot, mind you, but a little suffering is good.

Alina’s final showdown with The Darkling was quite… um… enlightening? Ok I had to use a bad pun there, but that was a unique twist that I wasn’t quite expecting, but ultimately I am happy with. I think Alina handled The Darkling well, even though it seemed a little too easy… she did treat him with the respect a Grisha of that kind of power deserved, and I liked that.

I was happy with how everything wrapped up, the right people got the ending I wanted them to have, so I’m satisfied.

So that was my attempt at spoiler-free though some hints were dropped. Did you read this? Tweet me your spoilery thoughts!

Subscribe to Chapter Break posts.