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Reviews tagging 'War'

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

119 reviews

riverlasol's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad medium-paced

5.0

Listen…. was is this book perfect in my eyes? No, it was not, but I am definitely allowing the Grishaverse to generally be some of my favourite books, and for Bardugo to become one of my favourite authors, so it is getting five stars. I will say that from the start of the series, I was a little worried about the main character and there were moments where I felt like she lacked depth, but by the time I got to the third book Alina had had great character development. Alina was essentially a total badass, but she continued to develop in this book, and I really did like the way that this book dealt with grief and loss. I did wish that it had addressed the toxicity of the darkling and especially his abuse to Alina, though. The thing that I loved most about this book was definitely some of the plot twists which I will obviously not be spoiling but I didn’t see any of them coming. this series or the Grisha verse at large might not be for some people but I am ready to wholeheartedly love it and I’m so glad I finally finished this series that is already becoming a modern fantasy classic!

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katiegraham00's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0


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blancake's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? N/A
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

2.75

I believe I’m not the right type of audience for this book, and I believe I would be completely obsessed with it were I at the age of 17 to 20. 
Now the series is a bit problematic with the way it covers some themes(trauma, grooming, meek/shy main character and don’t get me started on the whole Alina-Mal relationship). 
If you are looking for something similar “The hunger games” covers it much better in my opinion 

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nmtthews's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0


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ryankaybee's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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rose_88's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I enjoyed the book, and think it was a good ending to the trilogy. I liked how some of the plot twists seemed like they had been festering for some time
like the Darkling’s relation to Morozova
or some seems to come out of nowhere
like Mal being the third and final amplifier
. Once again, I think the book was very much a ‘we did this, and then we did this’. It felt like we were just being told what was happening in some parts, like when they were in the run and hunting the Firebird. 
One thing I liked was how Nikolai was portrayed. This book showed how he was willing to step up, even though he shouldn’t have never to. I absolutely adored how the King’s actions against Genya were handelnd and how Nikolai was ready to persecute him for them. I thought his fate of becoming one of the Darkling’s monsters was so sad, and wished there was more of him in the later parts of the book. I liked how he addressed the fact that he is actually a bastard, and in turn has no real claim to the throne, I’m really excited to see how that is handled and what he does in his own series, Rule of Wolves, especially because I know we get to see more of Zoya, who was just an absolute mood and girlboss during the whole series.
I thought it was a bit fast and could have been drawn out more, like their time at the Spinning Wheel, and then them running from the Darkling. I felt that Baghra was severely underused, as was Nikolai and Genya. I really didn’t see as much of them as i would have liked, and am still really curious about Baghra, her life, and The Darkling’s life before he created the Fold, and even before he met Alina.
I will say, I loved Mal and Alina’s relationship in this book, definitely more so than in the last one. They actually talked to each other, granted it took them a very long time to get their heads out of their asses, and they were able to confess their love and u der stand how much they felt for each other. I loved how after the battle they were able to just leave and go back to where they grew up with Micha and the cat and live a simple life. And j was SO HAPPY that Nikolai, Genya, David and Zoya still came to visit them.
Not a bad ending to the trilogy, and I cant wait to read Six of Crows, or the Rule of Wolves series. 

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onefineelephant's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

6/10. I am only rating this book this high because I like the premise and some of the side characters but I could hardly stand the actual plot and main characters. I am going to go through the small bits I liked and the big bits I disliked. 

Likes:
I liked the part when they break out of the underground cathedral. The scene in the kitchen especially is one of the best scenes in all of the books, imo. The journey to the surface was well done and I like most of the times that everyone is together, almost as a family. The scene where they are being cornered in the field and then Nikolai comes and saves them also was very good.
The Spinning Wheel is really cool and I liked that part of the book. I liked how Baghra sacrificed herself so that Alina and them could escape, it seemed badass and fitting. [After they escaped the Spinning Wheel, I liked the book significantly less.] I also liked the epilogue, it seemed very fitting for Alina and Mal and it was good to read that they and the orphans were able to have some joy.

Dislikes:
I can't stand Alina's power-craving sentiments or Mal's self-sacrificing bs. We barely got Nikolai in this book and then he was turned into a monster. Sergei's death really rubs me the wrong way because it makes it seem like people with mental health conditions are better off dead. The Darkling crashing the Spinning Wheel was super jarring to me and it felt like the author didn't know how to move the plot along so she decided to make him attack (even though it doesn't make any logical sense as to how he got all the way to the Spinning Wheel without being noticed). Nikolai becoming a monster doesn't seem logical either, it felt like a device for the author to just get him out of the picture for a while. Also, the big plot twist of how Mal is the third amplifier is honestly nauseating to me, especially how Alina "knew" the firebird wasn't the third amplifier because of how he "told" her. Then Alina freaking stabs Mal and murders him only to have her immediately lose all of her powers and have them transferred to all the non-Grisha in the area. None of the ending battle scene is logical and all of it makes me mad. Mal is somehow resurrected even though it is not explained at all. And then Alina doesn't even need to have any powers let alone all three amplifiers to stab and murder the Darkling simply because they "lost their connection so he didn't see it coming." It was extremely anti-clamactic and Alina showed too much pity and grace toward him. She stayed with him as he died, humored his request of saying his name, and then allowed him to be honored in death with a proper ceremony and no grave. It honestly makes me sick to think that this man who needlessly murdered and maimed hundreds of people because he "loved his country" was comforted during his final moments. He deserved no mercy. 

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colloreda's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25


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margaritaflower's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? N/A
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5


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kirstenf's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5


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