| BOOK REVIEW | RUIN AND RISING BY LEIGH BARDUGO

Ruin And Rising
Author : Leigh Bardugo
Series : The Grisha
Genres : fantasy, Young Adult
Publication : August 18th 2015 by Square Fish (first published June 17th 2014)

synopsis : 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.

This is the final installment in the Grisha trilogy. I really loved this book !

Plot

So much happens in this final book !
At first, Alina is like a ghost, the Apparat cut her from all her friends. She is weak, weaker than she was before she became the Sun Summoner.
Mal, on his side, is determined to dedicate his life to Alina’s survival.

I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but mine.

The plot is really amazing ! It took me by surprise multiple times. The numerous plot twists were really well thought ! Especially the one about Mal, I mean what the hell !

Ruin And Rising is a well balanced dance between laugh, witty banters and moments that will make you cry !
Leigh Bardugo really shows off her talent as story crafter !

I care so much for these characters that now I’ve finished this trilogy, I miss them. A lot.
The story was really gripping, I was surprised so many times by how the story developed ! And there’s a brilliant character’s development !
Truly, there’s nothing negative to say about this book !
The relationships are really intricate and they feel real, you know ? Not everything is perfect, there are betrayal, tears, angst and that’s what I need to believe in it !

In this moment he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.

Everything was perfect : the plot, the characters, the world building !

Characters

• Alina really is an amazing character : her situation made her mature faster than she should have ! She is selfless, compassionate and whole. Her relationship with The Darkling is complex and intriguing. She can’t help but feel attracted. They are a lot alike. And yet she is now fully committed to Mal. I also loved how she acted with Nikolai, she never led him to believe that she could love him.
• Nikolai is an interesting character. He wants what’s best for his country and he also deeply cares for Alina. And the rest of his posse, they’re more like a family !
  What happened to him showed how strong his will is. He is one of my fav !
• The Darkling is one of my favorite villains ! He is really intricate. He is doing bad terrible things for initially a good purpose.
  He wants a world where the Grisha, HIS Grisha, are safe and well treated. That’s probably why it’s impossible to hate him and not to love him.
• Mal changed in this book. He is ready to fight for Alina but knows he’s not the best one suited for the Sun Summoner. Tricky situation !
• Zoya surprised me. She was a little more friendly in this book !

Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing.

 

In my opinion, this trilogy is a must read for all fantasy lovers !

About the author

Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising).

She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she’s lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. Her new book, Six of Crows, arrives Fall 2015.

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