A review by beckyyreadss
Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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

3.0

I wanted to read this series as it seems like a staple part of Booktok. Everyone has read it and with the series being out now, it gave me a push to finally move my ass and read this series. I feel like none of the books in this series stood out to me and they were all just at the same level. None of them stood out to me.  

This book started where the last one ended. The capital has fallen. The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Now the nation’s fate rests with Alina who is a broken Sun Summoner, Mal who is a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once great magical army. But, deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, Alina is under the protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the firebird and the hope that the outlaw prince still survives. Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova’s amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling’s secrets, she reveals a past that forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction – and claiming it could cost Alina the future she’s fighting for.  

The book and series dragged. I was so disappointed. Mal finally had a personality in this book that because he was planning to die. Alina just couldn’t make her mind up, one minute she wants Mal, then she wants to do right and marry Nikolai. Both of the guys putting pressure of her and then you’ve got the Darkling talking to her and threatening to kill her. Alina was built over the past two books to become this strong and brave woman and become a Saint and then the ending was just like her going back to the beginning and being like I don’t know what to do and need a prince to save me. Like how do you go from fighting everyone to just giving up. I don’t think Mal and Alina had a lot of chemistry and the relationship felt forced especially when she was getting along with the Darkling and Nikolai better than Mal.  

The one person that saved this book and series was Nikolai Lantsov and he wasn’t in the book for most of the middle part where all the action and the depth was. I loved Genya and David’s relationship and that’s what I wanted for Mal and Alina and it just never happened. Also, I was still rooting for the Darkling. 

I think the main issue I had with this series is that I was waiting for some big reveal or big plot twist and it was just flat the whole way through. I've heard that Six of Crows is better so hopefully it is.  
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