Review : Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Summary (from Goodreads) 

Title : Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3)
Author : Leigh Bardugo
Publication Date : June 17th 2014
Publisher : Henry Holt
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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.

Personal Thoughts

I went into Ruin and Rising with much trepidation. I was worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations as many trilogies ending have done so far. I should have known better though because Leigh Bardugo gave me everything that I could wish for and more with this final installment in the Grisha trilogy. It's action-packed, intense and emotionally-draining, but well worth the read.

Alina has flourished immensely throughout this series and she has continued to amaze me step after step. She started off as young, naive and confused about her powers at the beginning of the series, but over the course of the books she has matured into this confident and brave woman who wasn't afraid to fight for the right thing. One of the things I've always admired about Alina was her loyalty and selflessness. She continued to show this side of hers in Ruin and Rising and continued to care for the people around her. One of the main complaints about this last book was how Alina was made to become weak because of the ending (I can't say much because of spoilers). However, I wasn't of the same opinion. After everything that she had had to withstand, I thought that the ending was exactly the perfect one that Alina deserved and desired. Alina might be the main character, but many of the other secondary characters really shined through in this installment, especially Mal, who has also matured and grown to become much more accepting of Alina and her powers. What I've always loved about Mal was despite not always being on the same page as Alina, he has remained devoted to her through and through. Not only that, he has supported her and given her reality checks when the power has gotten into her head. Their relationship was a bumpy ride, but theirs was a relationship that was built on love, sincerity and integrity.

One surprising character for me was Nikolai. He was still his usual sassy self and an absolute delight to be around, but events in the book leave his soul eclipsed and I'm hoping that we will get to see more of him in Leigh Bardugo's subsequent series also set in the Grisha world. There is definitely a story to tell when it comes to Nikolai. I, of course, can't talk about Ruin and Rising without mentioning The Darkling. I have always seen him as this large foreboding, but completely enigmatic and alluring villain, who the author made sure was not some kind of one-dimensional, sappy villain, but made him an entirely complex individual. In this finale, we get glimpses of his humanity. However, that doesn't forgive his despicable actions and in the end, he too got the ending he deserved. Leigh Bardugo's writing is all kinds of amazing. She knows how to hook readers in and have them flipping through the pages. I was pleasantly surprised by some of the plot twists that she tossed at her readers. Reading Ruin and Rising was such a sentimental and distressing experience for me. All throughout, my heart was racing, my hands were clammy, my heart swelled, my head hurt, all signs that I was reading an epic ending.

Thank you, Leigh Bardugo, for not disappointing me. Thank you for giving me an ending I will treasure for a long long time, but know that I also resent you for making my standards for every YA fantasy book colossal. 

Rating
Cover : 4/5
Plot : 4/5
Characters : 5/5
Writing : 5/5

**Overall Rating : 4.5/5**