(5 stars)
Published: June 17th 2014
Synopsis from Goodreads: 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. 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.
Review: *Mostly Spoiler Free* (I'd read the previous two first though, if you haven't read them already!)
Every now and then, a book or series comes along and truly reminds me why I love to read. Every now and then I find a book or series that just takes my breath away and leaves me sobbing at midnight, holding onto my dog for moral support. Every now and then, a book or series leaves me filled with so many emotions at once that I can hardly handle it.
If it isn't obvious, Ruin & Rising was one of those books for me. To start with I was sceptical. Firstly because it has been a year since I read Siege & Storm, so I think the magic of the series was a little distant from me. Secondly because I saw posts on social media about some people for some reason not enjoying the ending. Of course, I wanted to decide for myself. Once I picked it up I finished it in just under two days, and I adored it.
There are so many series and trilogies where the ending falls flat. For me, The Grisha Trilogy only went from strength to strength. In Ruin & Rising, Alina is so different from the girl she was in Shadow & Bone, and yet the true essence of her remains – her kindness, her loyalty, her morals. She is not defined by the men around her. So many of them try to control her, collar her, try to shove her into the role of a perfect, softly-spoken little Saint, but in Ruin & Rising she shows that she makes her own choices, follows her own heart, and she will not be under anyone else's thumb.
In Ruin & Rising she truly comes into her own, being forced into ruthlessness and still being capable of forgiveness. She is not always likeable, not always strong, often tempted by power and murder, yet always desperate to do the right thing, and therefore one of my all-time favourite heroines in YA. She cannot simply be shoved into any one box. She is every bit the reluctant heroine and yet understanding of the fact that the situation is bigger than her own desires.
Mal has had a rocky time throughout the trilogy, and yet I think people are sometimes too quick to judge him, and too harsh when they do. His plot twist in Ruin & Rising I did not see coming at all, and I absolutely loved it! I feel like he finally grew up and saw the bigger picture in this book. He went from being a jealous, self-pitying boy, to being a man worthy of Alina's affections. He was never perfect but he is so human and real on the page, and I've always loved him for that.
As for the other characters, I loved their stories. Nikolai will always, always be a favourite of mine. We saw a different side to him (in a few ways) in this book, and he somehow always manages to break my heart while making a sarcastic comment. I could read whole books about him. There was a particular scene with Genya which stands out, of her confronting a previous abuser. It was just so powerful and brilliantly done. Other notable characters to mention are basically everyone in Team Sun Summoner; Zoya, David, Tamar, Tolya, Harshaw (& Oncat, of course), and obviously The Darkling. I've enjoyed his journey and in Ruin & Rising we learnt more about his story and background, which gave a lot of reason (but not justification) to his actions. I won't say much about him due to spoilers, but I was overall content with the ending as it was.
Writing wise, Ruin & Rising was pretty much without fault. I was just in awe of the plot, the characters, the individual character arcs, as well as the actual writing. Every line felt necessary, the dialogue was entertaining, heartbreaking, and inspiring in equal measure. The amount of work which has obviously gone into this trilogy was extremely evident and I'm so in awe of Leigh's talent.
I thought Ruin & Rising was a beautiful ending to the Grisha Trilogy and the characters each have a place in my heart, especially Alina. I finished the last page and unexpectedly burst into tears of happiness and sadness, almost like I was mourning the end of the series, as well as all of the loss the characters suffered. Also, I should add that THAT is how an epilogue is done – leaving me a blubbering overwhelmed mess of happy and sad tears. It was wonderful.
I'm so glad I discovered this trilogy, and I know I will come back to it countless times in the future. I'm so sad it's over but like I said, content with how it ended. One hundred percent one of my favourites, I don't even have to say how much I would recommend it!
Two of my favourite quotes: "You are on your knees," I said. "We are not negotiating." & "I am not ruined. I am ruination."
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