Reviews

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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kristinehauglid's review against another edition

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5.0

Yes yes yes! The ending did not disappoint. I also loved the character growth

jenzhg's review against another edition

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3.0

I read this a longgg time ago but one thing that stays PROMINENT in my mind is her WORLD BUILDING. WOW. The story had a GRIPP on me when I was younger and I’m sure that younger me would’ve given it a 5 stars. However, looking back, it wasn’t anything extraordinary so I’m going to give her a 3 stars for this entire triology even though it holds near & dear to my heart :)

king_david's review against another edition

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adventurous tense medium-paced

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

3.5

diana_blackmoon's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

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

3.0

It was mid.

fatimareadsbooks's review against another edition

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4.0

I feel very conflicted on how to rate this. When I first read this book, I gave it 3 stars, then I changed it to 4 stars, and finally settled for 3.5 stars.

I will be dividing this review into two parts: what I liked and what I didn't like.

What I Liked

- There was finally character development! Alina and Mal annoyed me so much during the first two books, so I'm glad that she's finally standing up for herself. I'm also really glad that Mal understood that this is Alina's destiny and accepted her.

- The side characters were very entertaining! I loved the dynamic between all of them and the 'band of misfits' vibe they've got going on. I found myself looking forward to their bickering, and Zoya's funny one-liners. Genya & David really went through some extensive character development which I loved. Harshaw and Oncat made me laugh and Tamar and Nadia were SO cute! I loved Mishal, and Nadia & Adrik's brother-sister relationship. The side characters were totally my favorite thing about the book, maybe even the trilogy.

- Nikolai. Nikolai was also my all-time favorite person in the whole series. I mean, his sass! *Fans self*. He's also a very good strategist and an even better King. After all that he's endured, I'm very proud of how he immediately started leading the people of Ravka. He's a very capable King of Ravka. I loved his lines and how he bickered with Alina - although I don't see them being romantically involved anytime in the near future. Their relationship is more of the sibling type, which I find very cute. However, I still got Nikolai/Alina feels.

- Writing. The one constant that I liked throughout the whole series was Leigh Bardugo's writing. The descriptions are easy to understand and the writing's very poetic at times. I've got quite a lot of quotes stocked up from this series.

Now, on to:

What I Didn't Like

- All the issues that I have with this book lie in the ending. The ending just felt very... unsatisfactory. It was cliché, and I'm certain the readers - myself included - can agree that there could've been something more.

- Alina's ending. Throughout Ruin and Rising, we see that Alina can be kick-ass and wield terrifying powers, and can lead people. This side of her quickly fizzles out altogether in the end. It's hinted that she has a great 'destiny' and she's meant to become Queen, or lead the Second Army, but she doesn't get any of that. Instead, what she gets is a white picket fence style ending with Mal. I respect her choices, but that still doesn't mean I understand them. She gave up her powers to live an ordinary life with Mal. Doesn't sound like Alina, to be honest.

-

Spoiler

The Darkling's death was very anticlimactic. A knife in the chest?! I mean, come on. I expected it to be more enthralling. Still, his death was very heartbreaking. I'm willing to overlook this point, because he was one of the most complex and intriguing characters in the series. I felt like he and Alina would've made for more chemistry rather than Mal and Alina.

Overall, this is a very contradictory book. The reviews are all mixed, so it all hinges on you. Narratively speaking, it all tied together pretty well - or as well as possible - but it still felt incomplete in the end due to the cliché finale. However, this book is a vast improvement over the first two books and it definitely makes for an interesting read.

I'm so excited to read Leigh's new series titled Six of Crows set in the same Grisha world. On the island of Kerch - Ketterdam, to be exact. Hopefully, I can enjoy it even more than Shadow and Bone!