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A review by stuffhanreads
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
Rating: 4 Stars
”Maybe love was superstition, a prayer we said to keep the truth of loneliness at bay. I tilted my head back. The stars looked like they were close together, when really they were millions of miles apart. In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”
The third instalment of the Grisha Trilogy was extremely good, a fitting end I would say to the series. We see Alina’s sainthood come back around to martyrdom, in the eyes of Ravka. It made a lot of sense for her character arc, she was subjected to so much faith and prayer from followers of the Apparat, she managed to finally get the quiet life she wanted and deserved with Mal. After so much death and fighting it felt right for her to have her happy ending, even if part of her feels lost without her Grisha powers. Just like Mal, who lost his tracking ability after his sacrifice.
I enjoyed the dynamics a lot more in Ruin and Rising, Nikolai and Alina’s friendship developing was fun to read. As well as finally seeing Zoya for something more than she is on the surface. In the first book, Shadow and Bone, I didn’t like her much, she was snooty, stuck-up and didn’t seem like she cared about anyone but herself. As the series progressed, she finally shows who she is under the surface, someone who cares, who feels the need to show her power.
I even enjoyed seeing the Darkling more, his character seemed to become more fleshed out, more human, as much as he hated it to be known. I also understand Alina’s reaction to killing him and his death, she felt pity for him, a lonely man who had no equal in the world, who’s ambition and thirst for power turned him to the wrong side.
The ending of the book was great, Alina and Mal finally marrying after Mal said he would all those years ago. Surrounded by Oncat and Misha, a child who they eventually adopt. It felt fitting that Alina would adopt him, a child who looked after Baghra, who lost everyone he loved. It felt very fitting.
”Maybe love was superstition, a prayer we said to keep the truth of loneliness at bay. I tilted my head back. The stars looked like they were close together, when really they were millions of miles apart. In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”
The third instalment of the Grisha Trilogy was extremely good, a fitting end I would say to the series. We see Alina’s sainthood come back around to martyrdom, in the eyes of Ravka. It made a lot of sense for her character arc, she was subjected to so much faith and prayer from followers of the Apparat, she managed to finally get the quiet life she wanted and deserved with Mal. After so much death and fighting it felt right for her to have her happy ending, even if part of her feels lost without her Grisha powers. Just like Mal, who lost his tracking ability after his sacrifice.
I enjoyed the dynamics a lot more in Ruin and Rising, Nikolai and Alina’s friendship developing was fun to read. As well as finally seeing Zoya for something more than she is on the surface. In the first book, Shadow and Bone, I didn’t like her much, she was snooty, stuck-up and didn’t seem like she cared about anyone but herself. As the series progressed, she finally shows who she is under the surface, someone who cares, who feels the need to show her power.
I even enjoyed seeing the Darkling more, his character seemed to become more fleshed out, more human, as much as he hated it to be known. I also understand Alina’s reaction to killing him and his death, she felt pity for him, a lonely man who had no equal in the world, who’s ambition and thirst for power turned him to the wrong side.
The ending of the book was great, Alina and Mal finally marrying after Mal said he would all those years ago. Surrounded by Oncat and Misha, a child who they eventually adopt. It felt fitting that Alina would adopt him, a child who looked after Baghra, who lost everyone he loved. It felt very fitting.