Book Review: RUIN AND RISING by Leigh Bardugo

Photo credit: Goodreads

I may have mentioned a couple times about my undying love for a YA Fantasy series known as The Grisha Trilogy (okay, I’ve mentioned it a lot). I’ve been looking forward to Ruin and Rising, the last book in The Grisha Trilogy, basically since the moment I finished reading Siege and Storm, so you can imagine my excitement when I finally got my hands on a copy. (If not, think: astronomical excitement).

My excitement, as it turns out, was totally merited because Ruin and Rising is an excellent read. But before I tell you more of that, here’s the Goodreads summary (NOTE: If you haven’t read Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm  you may want to skip over the summary because spoilers):

“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.”

I always hope, when reading the end of a series, that it’ll be exciting, have an ending that ties up all the loose ends and fits with the tone and messages of the series, that the climax will be appropriately epic and the characters will evolve, but not act unrealistically for their character.

Ruin and Rising did all of that and more.

I absolutely adore the time and detail Bardugo took to not only create an incredible world that feels entirely real, but delved into the history and mythology of the world she created and wove it intricately into the plot. I adore the characters to pieces (this is actually one of the few series where I love the antagonist and secondary love interest, The Darkling and Nikolai, more than I do the primary love interest, just because they were so epically awesome) and I honestly feel that the ending was perfect for the series. Closing the book, I felt happy and totally satisfied with the conclusion of one of my favorite YA Fantasy series ever.

The Grisha Trilogy is one that I’ll continue to recommend to anyone who will listen. Ruin and Rising is an excellent conclusion to an incredible series, and I, for one, will be insta-buying anything and everything Leigh Bardugo writes in the future.

NOTE: If you're interested in The Grisha Trilogy, I've previously reviewed Siege and Storm.

Have you read The Grisha Trilogy? Also, I'm more than happy to take more YA Fantasy recs! 

Twitter-sized bites:

.@Ava_Jae gives 5/5 stars to RUIN AND RISING by @lbardugo. Have you read this awesome YA Fantasy? (Click to tweet) 

Looking for a fast-paced YA Fant w/ amazing worldbuilding & incredible characters? Try RUIN AND RISING by @lbardugo. (Click to tweet)