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rubbertree14's review against another edition
Feel like she should’ve stopped with the Six of Crows series/ the Shadow and Bone, I think they both ended well. If Author wanted to continue with new series, a completely new story with new characters in this universe would’ve been cool to see.
I hate when a series continues and writers look at what characters are left and single and then just decide they should be together. Let’s get someone new in here! Or *gasp* not everyone needs someone.
I hate when a series continues and writers look at what characters are left and single and then just decide they should be together. Let’s get someone new in here! Or *gasp* not everyone needs someone.
shelbynik's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
lauralia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
rebekca3's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
writermags's review
5.0
It has been so, so long since I read a book that not only left me REELING at the end (in a good way!) but didn't already have a sequel released. I forgot what it was like to wait!! Now I'm going to suffer.
Here are some thoughts:
- I LOVED seeing so many wonderful characters come back, even if it was in a small way. When I read the S&B trilogy recently I was mostly meh about the main characters, but I adored the supporting cast. And now they're back! It felt like being reunited with old friends (even if I only read the trilogy like... a month ago.)
- We get to see more of Zoya and I very much support this! I wasn't really a fan of how she was sort of cast as Alina's "female rival" in S&B, because I felt like she was a cool character in her own right. But now we get to learn more about who she is as a person and witness more character development and I am VERY PLEASED.
- I liked the Nina in Fjerda storyline, but it was a little jarring to be reading that alongside the Nikolai/Zoya/Ravka storyline, since they didn't seem to overlap very much. Still, I loved Nina's journey and lived for every time she mentioned Ketterdam. And Hanne! She's great.
- Nikolai is fantastic. I expected nothing less. I've always liked his sense of humor and that he's lowkey kind of a nerd. In this book, we get to see more of who he is when no one is watching, so we see that he's not always the perfect, confident king he portrays himself as. I liked seeing the more human side of him.
-
I can't believe I have to WAIT for the next book now. I don't think that's happened to me in years. I never start in-progress series anymore. What have I done.
Here are some thoughts:
- I LOVED seeing so many wonderful characters come back, even if it was in a small way. When I read the S&B trilogy recently I was mostly meh about the main characters, but I adored the supporting cast. And now they're back! It felt like being reunited with old friends (even if I only read the trilogy like... a month ago.)
Spoiler
also everyone apparently got married when no one was looking? I'm not complaining, but it was sort of just casually mentioned and I was like wait WHAT I NEED THAT STORY- We get to see more of Zoya and I very much support this! I wasn't really a fan of how she was sort of cast as Alina's "female rival" in S&B, because I felt like she was a cool character in her own right. But now we get to learn more about who she is as a person and witness more character development and I am VERY PLEASED.
- I liked the Nina in Fjerda storyline, but it was a little jarring to be reading that alongside the Nikolai/Zoya/Ravka storyline, since they didn't seem to overlap very much.
Spoiler
until towards the end, that is.- Nikolai is fantastic. I expected nothing less. I've always liked his sense of humor and that he's lowkey kind of a nerd. In this book, we get to see more of who he is when no one is watching, so we see that he's not always the perfect, confident king he portrays himself as. I liked seeing the more human side of him.
-
Spoiler
Jarl Brum can rot.I can't believe I have to WAIT for the next book now. I don't think that's happened to me in years. I never start in-progress series anymore. What have I done.
jocelyntaylor1's review against another edition
funny
sad
fast-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
4.5
alexandra_ninelives's review against another edition
2.0
This almost took me a month, it was so boring. How the hell was this written by the same author as Six of Crows??
blurrypetals's review
5.0
April 6, 2021
[reread in anticipation of the release of Rule of Wolves as well as the Netflix adaptation, Shadow and Bone]
I'll be perfectly honest, I did not recall the plot of this book from the first time I read it. I recalled things as they came up, but other than The Darkling's dramatic return and Nina's adventures as a spy in Fjerda, I would have been hard-pressed to give anyone a full summary of the plot before this reread.
It was a really great feeling though, because I thought I had retained more of it than I actually did, so it was fantastic to rediscover all the other plots within the book such as Nikolai and Zoya's disappearance into the twilight fold, Isaak posing as Nikolai because of that disappearance, and everything to do with the saints. Again, I'm not sure how I forgot about all this good good stuff, but it was cool to be able to experience it twice.
That said, I really enjoyed rereading this to prepare for Rule of Wolves, but everything I said in my first review for this book still stands! It's a fantastic sequel to both The Grisha Trilogy as well as The Six of Crows Duology and I'm incredibly excited to see how everything wraps up in Rule of Wolves! Catch you on the flip!
February 5, 2019
I am screaming. Okay, not literally, because I'd probably get fired from my job if I actually screamed the way I want to scream right now, but figuratively, inside my head, I am screaming very loudly, trust me.
With that out of the way, I'm going to try to get past the screaming in my head, but it won't be easy, because and I'm losing my mind about it.
Um, okay, shit. This book is a sequel to both Ruin and Rising as well as Crooked Kingdom, and while I was expecting the direct sequel to Ruin and Rising, what with how I've colloquially referred to this as nothing but "The Nikolai Book," so it was an unexpected treat when Nina fucking Zenik not only showed up, but then proceeded to have a whole third or so of the book all to herself. If you read my reviews for Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, you'll find that I didn't enjoy Nina all too much there, but the reason I didn't was because I found Matthias incredibly boring and, since they were love interests, he really dragged down Nina, in my opinion. I wasn't glad when but it was a good choice in hindsight because now Nina is free to seek the happy ending all her comrades got but that she was robbed of.
The only thing about Nina's presence that I didn't like so much (and don't get me wrong, I liked her story very much) was that we didn't get to spend nearly as much time with Nikolai and co. as I would have liked. I loved the conflict he was going through, all the political hoops he had to jump through by day while hiding the fact that he turns into his Darkling-patented personal nightmare by night. That was the shit. I loved it and, while my internal screaming has quieted somewhat, I'm still just freaking out because I cannot goddamn wait to find out how this all comes crashing down in the next book.
Write the next book super duper fast, Leigh, pretty please? I don't want to wait another year for more Grisha delights. Please, Leigh, I beg of you. I beg of you. Make the screaming in my head stop. Please.
[reread in anticipation of the release of Rule of Wolves as well as the Netflix adaptation, Shadow and Bone]
"I am the monster and the monster is me."
I'll be perfectly honest, I did not recall the plot of this book from the first time I read it. I recalled things as they came up, but other than The Darkling's dramatic return and Nina's adventures as a spy in Fjerda, I would have been hard-pressed to give anyone a full summary of the plot before this reread.
It was a really great feeling though, because I thought I had retained more of it than I actually did, so it was fantastic to rediscover all the other plots within the book such as Nikolai and Zoya's disappearance into the twilight fold, Isaak posing as Nikolai because of that disappearance, and everything to do with the saints. Again, I'm not sure how I forgot about all this good good stuff, but it was cool to be able to experience it twice.
That said, I really enjoyed rereading this to prepare for Rule of Wolves, but everything I said in my first review for this book still stands! It's a fantastic sequel to both The Grisha Trilogy as well as The Six of Crows Duology and I'm incredibly excited to see how everything wraps up in Rule of Wolves! Catch you on the flip!
February 5, 2019
I am screaming. Okay, not literally, because I'd probably get fired from my job if I actually screamed the way I want to scream right now, but figuratively, inside my head, I am screaming very loudly, trust me.
Spoiler
I mean fuck guys she brought The Darkling back. She brought The Darkling back! AAAAHHHHHHHHHHH I am so distressed for Nikolai but I'm so fucking pumped that my boi is back from the actual dead holy shit, fam. Holy shit.With that out of the way, I'm going to try to get past the screaming in my head, but it won't be easy, because
Spoiler
The Darkling is backUm, okay, shit. This book is a sequel to both Ruin and Rising as well as Crooked Kingdom, and while I was expecting the direct sequel to Ruin and Rising, what with how I've colloquially referred to this as nothing but "The Nikolai Book," so it was an unexpected treat when Nina fucking Zenik not only showed up, but then proceeded to have a whole third or so of the book all to herself. If you read my reviews for Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, you'll find that I didn't enjoy Nina all too much there, but the reason I didn't was because I found Matthias incredibly boring and, since they were love interests, he really dragged down Nina, in my opinion. I wasn't glad when
Spoiler
he died at the end of Crooked KingdomThe only thing about Nina's presence that I didn't like so much (and don't get me wrong, I liked her story very much) was that we didn't get to spend nearly as much time with Nikolai and co. as I would have liked. I loved the conflict he was going through, all the political hoops he had to jump through by day while hiding the fact that he turns into his Darkling-patented personal nightmare by night. That was the shit. I loved it and, while my internal screaming has quieted somewhat, I'm still just freaking out because I cannot goddamn wait to find out how this all comes crashing down in the next book.
Write the next book super duper fast, Leigh, pretty please? I don't want to wait another year for more Grisha delights. Please, Leigh, I beg of you. I beg of you. Make the screaming in my head stop. Please.