Reviews with content warning for Gore - Ruin and Rising

Reviews tagging 'Gore'

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

59 reviews

blissofalife's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

A (mostly) satisfying end to the series! I was only left with a few questions, but mostly of the “what if” variety and not the “but what about” kind. The character interactions continue to be *chef’s kiss* and I’m sad the series is over. Guess I’ll just have to binge the Netflix series now!

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betweentheshelves's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I think this one might be my favorite of the trilogy. Even if the ending was a bit too convenient. The pacing felt better to me than the second one (which dragged quite a bit for me). The twists in the plot helped to keep the plot moving at a good pace and some of the side characters grew on me. Alina still isn't my favorite narrator, but I loved her little group of rebels. They were great.

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risseandshine's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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rorikae's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

'Ruin and Rising' is a disappointing final chapter in the Grisha trilogy.
My favorite aspects of this trilogy has been the worldbuilding, particularly the magic system and mythology. Where I felt the other installments did a good job of fleshing out the world as we learned more about the Grisha's power and the mythology of Ravka, a lot of that felt dashed in this last book. Certain explanations just didn't quite make sense and the ending felt wrapped up in an undeserved bow. So much hinges around Mal, despite him being the most frustrating and least interesting character in the series. I also think that the pacing in this book was off. The first half of the book felt on pace with the other installments, steady progress as we moved toward the big battle at the end. Then the second half of the book felt too fast while also feeling like too little happened. This is a book that suffers because of its focus on the love story instead of the plot.
Though I'm happy to have read the series and to get the base understanding for the rest of the Grishaverse, the end does really bring down the whole. I am glad that this is widely regarded as the worst series because I do really like the world and can't wait to see it explored more in Six of Crows and King of Scars. As Nikolai was one of my favorite characters in this series, I am very excited that he gets his own duology.

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ehmannky's review against another edition

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dark emotional 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

5.0

A lovely ending to a lovely series. This is a series that I think improves with each installment, with the first being a little underwhelming (it's mostly the whole school part that bores me), while book 2 and 3 work so well. I liked the emphasis on the idea that you are not meant to carry your burdens alone, that the community you build is there to create a kinder, better world and life with you. Lovely all around. And I also liked how many of the pervious characters (Zoya) really grew on me in this book.

I don't know why the ending to this is considered controversial or why so many people are in an uproar about it. It was such a lovely, soft ending that the characters deserved.

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emmagrace's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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a_novaturient_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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magicshop's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

I am not ruined. I am ruination.

i would like to thank the universe for providing me the strength to finish this series. hopefully it'll all be worth it in april

the good

i could feel bardugo's writing getting better in this one
i enjoyed the book more than the last two simply by sheer virtue of how used i was to the characters by now. even when they were annoying everyone was still more likable because i knew them better, the way you begrudgingly enjoy a shitty uncle's jokes because you've been hearing them for years and it's part of your affective memory
genya/alina still rules supreme
so does baghra
absolutely loved every single moment with The Gorls. somehow they were all collectively and individually more interesting than alina
TAMAR/NADIA!! THESE BREADCRUMBS ARE INVISIBLE TO THE NAKED EYE BUT MY GAY ASS IS STILL GOBBLING THEM UP!!!!!!!!!!
the alina/mal ending was really satisfying for them, i have to admit. it's kind of what i'd hoped for alina, and if mal is there too then at least alina is happier i guess.......i'll allow it

the bad

i think switching between alina and darkling povs would've made these series 100% more interesting to get through
i got sooooooooo tired of alina having to ~remind herself~ that the darkling ~is bad, actually~ every single time she had an interaction with him
i think that's what i didn't like about alina, she reiterates over and over and over and i'm like move the fuck ON.
it's just boring "character development" for her to still be having so many of the same doubts and fears as she was at the beginning of the series. we don't need to be reminded of these all the time anymore, we know she's considerate, thoughtful, and always doubting herself, and she needs to become less of the latter especially in order to turn into a more interesting character to read about. she needs to be dynamic and mutable, especially when we're inside her head all the time. reiterating the same things time and again is fairly realistic of an anxious person, especially one of her stressful and uncertain origins with as much as she has on her plate, but it doesn't exactly make for interesting progress in a book series. like i see what ur trying to do there bardugo and i think it's really cool in theory but it's simply not very compelling to read about. put me inside nikolai's mind instead or something. 😕
zzzzzzz genya/david canon status. she was stunning when she told him the truth of how he'd never wanted her when she wasn't broken, but then one pretty word from him made it all ok and they made out anyway. she was meant to be a lesbian and i will not forget, i will not forgive
i think the darkling's death could've been far less underwhelming (he didn't notice a knife coming for his heart even though he predicted just about everything else that happened perfectly? make it make sense) but his dying moments did kinda fuck me up so what the fuck do i know... i just think the darkling was a missed opportunity in general, his personality and insecurities could've been explored more deeply and become far more interesting
ymmv but i think mal should have stayed dead. or nikolai, though that would've destroyed my ass. someone important should've died. this book is very harry potter syndrome, actually it's worse than that because not even dumbledore dies

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aviery's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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