Mundie Moms

Friday, December 26, 2014

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, Book Review



By: Leigh Bardugo
Published by: Henry Holt
Released on: June 17th, 2014
Rating: 4.5 Stars - I Really Enjoyed It!
Source: book from publisher to review / purchased 
Purchase it from: Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Add it to: 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.

Another favorite series of mine comes to an end this year, and what an ending it was. Ruin and Rising was everything I had hoped it would be, and then some. Ruin & Rising is an action filled, emotionally charged book. The stolen moments between some of the characters was so bitter sweet, and perfectly paced with all that is going on around them. The character banter in this book is awesome! It provides the right amount of sass in the midst of so much despair and destruction.

Leigh Bardugo has created such great characters who's relationships and banter are great in this book. Out of all the books in this series, the banter in this one is my favorite. I really enjoyed seeing how the characters grow and evolved. Their strengths and weaknesses made them more relatable and realistic than ever. With all that is going on, and in the face of war/a revolution, I admired the characters who bravely stood behind Alina, and the cause they all believed in. Each of the characters all support each other when needed, and I really liked that about each of them.

Bardugo does a brilliant job at emotionally pulling me into her story. War makes up much of this story. Understandably this has a far reaching effect on all those in this series. It changes each of the characters. It causes new alliances, causes strategy changes to be made, allows for sacrifices to be made, and emotionally changes the characters. Together, they lift and support each other, even when at times it seems like they should just give up. 

The men of this series made it harder than ever to pick a favorite. Banter wise, Nikolai takes the cake. I seriously loved him in this book. I Leigh wrote a book about Nikolai, I would go pre-order the book right now. Oh Mal. I have been torn about him since the previous book, and his not so awesome choices. But, I had faith in him, and he proves he's the Mal I had hoped he was. This war has changed him, like it has all the characters. The one thing that hasn't changed is his devotion to Alina. What I wasn't excepting to feel is something for the Darkling. Sympathy. I loved how Bardugo told his back story through Alina's wanting to understand him more and the power that binds them. The men of the Grisha are fabulous in this book. You can check out my interview with Leigh about them here.

Alina and the women of the Grisha series prove that they can definitely hold their own with the guys. I love that they are just as tough and strong as the men are. I liked that Alina learns to open up to them more through the heartbreak over the death and destruction that rages on in this book. Something that effects all of them. She realizes she can trust them. Alina herself is someone, like Mal and like the Darkling, who is broken. Like the guys, her brokenness and her strength drive her to accomplish what she has set out todo, even if it seems impossible. 

The relationships between Alina, Mal, Nikolai, and The Darkling are well created. I liked that each of their relationships comes full circle in this book. Bardugo does a great job at allowing readers to understand why Alina feels the way she does about each character. Why she's drawn to them the way she is. I loved the stolen moments she has with a certain character, and the friendship she has with another. I also admire her for giving another character the closure he desperately needed. 

Ruin and Rising is a fitting ending to a series I'm sad has to come to an end. It's such a great series, and one I've been a huge fan of since I first got my hands on an arc of Shadow and Bone. If you've not yet read this series, I highly recommend it. 

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