4

Ruin and Rising

Leigh Bardugo
Book
August
2021

Review:

The second book was my favorite in the series, but the way this was wrapped up was perfect. It was great that she had a saint's end just like she had a saint's beginning. There were many surprises, but Mal's backstory and family history were my favorite. It was so sad how many people were lost in a pointless war, but all wars are like that, so… I think that the way they paid it forward and allowed for future generations of orphans to be cared for is amazing. It is interesting how the author starts and ends the book in a different perspective because it gives it a finality you don’t get in most books. I like how the amplifiers ended up affecting her and what her curse was. It made the world a better place, and that makes me so happy. I absolutely love the character of Misha, and it is amazing how I grew attached to him in leads than a book. I will be reading the six of crowns series and am excited to see what she does with that. This was a great book with a fantastic ending.

Trigger Warnings:
Classism, Victim blaming, Facial difference discrimination, Persecution for witchcraft (mentioned), Rape and sexual assault (recounted), Parental abandonment (implied), Trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Suicide attempt as self-sacrifice (recounted), Alcohol consumption, Blood and gore depiction, dead bodies, eyeball trauma and branding, Physical sickness and scars, Death of a brother, son, girlfriend and friend (recounted), Murder and attempted murder, Explosion, knife violence, physical assault and poisoning, Captivity, blackmail, hostage situation, exile and banishment, War themes, and Animal death and bodies (recounted)(hunting)

Synopsis From Book:

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.
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