Friday, September 24, 2021

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

 Book Blurb:

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an 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 will 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 very future she’s fighting for.

  

The Schwartz Review:


This series was definitely worth the read. The characters were extremely well developed, and I found myself getting emotional with them throughout their adventure multiple times. Being able to write characters and a plot that can make the reader feel is a skill that Bardugo has in spades!

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I grinned and followed her down the aisle of graves. At least she was predictable. 


Throughout this entire series, Alina knows who her enemy is. The dark and dangerous fold and the leader of the second army, the darkling. But Bardugo manages something that isn't easily done... She turned our villain into a tragedy that pulls on our protagonist's heartstrings, and eventually, the readers' as well. 

"I don't think so. The Darkling and I are . . . connected. We probably always will be."

Alina is trapped in a war she wants no part of, but her heart leads her and those who follow her to the very end of this book. The ending was bittersweet, slightly unexpected, and a breath of relief at the end of an anxious race toward the finale. One of my questions remained unanswered, which was a bit disappointing, but it was such a small detail that I'd still rate this a fantastic five star read.

The Unsea always felt like the end of everything. It wasn't only the dark, it was the terrible sense of isolation, as if the world had disappeared, leaving only you, the rattle of your breath, the stuttering beat of your heart.

With plenty of suiters after her heart, and none of them truly despicable, it was interesting to see how the romance played out. Her band of friends and enemies held dynamic relationships that grew immensely as the books went on, and the plot was so rich with detail that I couldn't stop reading until the very last page.

The Recommendation:

The classic good versus evil with magic, war, and a deathly sea of shadow splitting the land and dividing its people. If you enjoy Fantasy, YA, Magic, with a splash of Romance, then you'd probably enjoy this read.

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