Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Reviews

• 
  Kaylin (The Re-Read Queen)

  2 Stars
  
  Overview:
  
  

  Then he cupped my cheek, his thumb tracing my lip."You are all I've ever wanted," he said. "You are the whole of my heart.”

  
  
  
  
  ^My face right now.
  
  Let me preface this roast by stating-- my problem isn’t the love triangle. (If you can even call it that.) I’m not upset things didn’t turn out like I wanted, I’m frustrated the conclusion was a hot mess of nonexistent plot and unwinding character development. (Though I do obviously hate one of the love interests with all of my soul)
  
  In
  my review of Siege and Storm, I theorized there were two possible outcomes for this trilogy—One where Alina embraces the Grisha society and uses her powers, and another where she rejects them and reverts to a ‘simple’ girl. I was kinda right? Mostly wrong
  
  My main problem is how weak a character Alina becomes. She had a fantastic amount of development in the first book, when she discovered her powers and started to believe in herself. The second book introduced a theme of greed, and hinted the way she used her powers would inevitably corrupt her. It’s probably the driving conflict of this whole book.
  
  But it just flip-flopped back and forth before reaching a cop-out solution? It all works out spectacularly and everything is great, we can forget the past three books even happened????
  
  Seriously, there was even the introduction of a third love interest so everything is even more complicated, and Alina has to choose between three entirely different lives. But somehow she hardly makes any decisions the whole book.
  
  Pros:
  
  Genya and David were beautiful. Baghara as Alina’s quasi-yoda was also a nice touch.
  
  Nikolia’s humor and bravado was fantastic as always, and he was truly a bright-spot in this depressing book.
  
  Bardugo’s writing is still very enjoyable. I flew through this, as the narrative flows easily and seems much improved from the first book.
  
  The Darkling is super fascinating. Learning more about his backstory was one of the absolute highlights of this book, and his commanding presence made the pages he appeared 20x more interesting. He’s incredibly manipulative and cunning and there’s something so striking about his confidence in his actions.
  
  I’m not discrediting his awful and abusive nature (and I do NOT support that romance) but he works brilliantly as an antagonist.
  
  Cons
  
  Mal was better, I guess? I still hate him with the passion of a thousand suns. He’s still outrageously ‘perfect’ and always says something mushy or has a completely selfless reaction to everything. He just doesn’t feel real to me. Even though he never noticed Alina before, he’s going to act like he’s always loved her and that his every action revolves around keeping her safe.
  
  There’s something really icky about the fact that he can’t accept her with her powers. Why did Alina keep making herself smaller for this guy?? It was like we were supposed to swoon over all the ‘sacrifices’ Mal made for her, though he spent the past three books whining about how much stronger she was than him?
  
  What even was Nikolai the second half of this book, and was it necessary?
  
  The pacing here was just… off. So much of this was filler or the characters standing in a circle talking about their course of action. I enjoyed the team-dynamic to an extent, but it cut a lot of tension out of things, in my opinion. Everything barely moved along, interlaced with a few dramatic scenes, before reaching a very rushed ending.
  
  A very rushed ending that magically solves almost everything, undoes almost all the character development and was just… really lackluster?
  
  In Conclusion
  
  At least I can finally read
  Six of Crows now!
• 
  Brittney ~ Reverie and Ink

  Holy shit. This was brilliant and terrible and I have so many feels I can't even begin to describe.
  
  Ok ok, listen. I know there are so many conflicting reviews on this book. But as for me? I literally could not choose how I wanted it to end.
  
  I know, I might be a terrible person but I was totally OK with all three ending scenarios. At the beginning of this book, I was literally rooting for Alina to save the Darkling (or turn dark herself), Alina with Nikolai, and Alina and Mal (though this was my last choice, even if it was set up from the beginning). Ugh, honestly? I want three different endings. I want them all.
  
  First of all, I adore Alina despite what everyone says. She's far from the perfect heroine, and by golly, I love her for it. In the first book, she's very naive (though I loved her sarcasm). Since, though, she was forced to grow up, though she continually fights through so many weaknesses. Her arc is one of the most satisfying ones I've read in YA literature.
  
  But back to the ending, I gotta say I think Leigh Bardugo did the right thing, even though I so badly wanted to see the outcome of the other two. I don't want to give away spoilers and I get why somewhere upset but I can't help but think that there was no other truly appropriate endgame here. (Though I am still sad about the others...)
  
  So here it goes ... my little rants.
  
  *****SPOILERS AHEAD.*****
  
  MAL.
  Poor Mal. He gets shit from everyone. Dude messed up, I agree. Maybe he isn't as alluring or entertaining as the other gents in this book, true. But the guy gave up his life for Alina in the end. Give him some credit. Yes he was jealous in S&S and definitely of a poo head at times (some toxic masculinity issues - though remember he's a teen). And yeah, it got the best of him in the first two books. But in the end, he did everything in his power to help her, whether that meant finding the stag to make her more powerful, or fighting to make sure she ends up a queen. He always fought for her. Regardless of his feelings, he ended up dying for her.
  
  The Darkling's ...ending
  YES OK. I'm grieving, and I'll never get over him. Never. BUT. Guys, he was a mass murderer and kinda deserved his end. Does that mean he is any less appealing? Lord save me, but no. I love him. Best villain ever. He'll always be one of my favorite characters but I refuse to rate this book based off of those last few pages even though I shipped the hell out of him and Alina. I still do.
  
  In simple terms, he so badly wanted for her to be the one he could relate to, but before that, he wanted her for her power. Yes, they had so much chemistry, which totally altered his feelings if you ask me, but it doesn't change what he did to achieve his goals.
  
  (Also sign me up for any cat and mouse book because it's like... my favorite trope.)
  
  Alina losing her powers
  Yeah, I'm super sad about this too but I think it was the only way for Leigh to write her a happy ending. Do I wish it had been different? Totally. But from the beginning, Alina never wanted her powers. She was seduced by them later on, sure, but if you pay close attention to her narrative, she didn't want this burden. (But she became a badass either way.)
  
  Nikolai
  I literally cannot fit my feelings about Nikolai in a single review. Thank goodness he's getting his own series (after me begging for it since 2014).
  
  Also I read King of Scars. And I am dead bye.
  
  Anyway, I still can't rave enough about this series as a whole.
  All. Time. Favorite.
  
  
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• 
  Khanh, first of her name, mother of bunnies

  I AM SO PISSED. I AM SO PISSED.
  
  Please allow me the indulgence of using an extended metaphor to describe this series.
  
  The first book is the first stages of love. It's not true love, but infatuation. You are ensnared by his looks, enamored by everything he does. His quirks are adorable. His faults are overlooked because it's a part of who he is. It's part of what makes him special. So what if he has a habit of scratching his ass in public? It's cute.
  
  The second book is the "settling in" stage of the relationship. You now see his faults, and they're pretty annoying. His habits of eating like a Neanderthal is now more annoying, less endearing. You really wish that he'd stop checking out other girls. You want to change him, but you are still in love, these are faults you can deal with because you're in this for the long run. The disappointments are inevitable in every long term relationship, aren't they? Over time, surely things will take a turn for the better.
  
  Or so you think. Until he dumps you without explanation.
  
  And so we come to the third book. It's 5 years since you guys broke up. He crushed your heart, left it in little pieces. You still love him anyway, despite what happened to end your relationship previously because there's just something about him. Some inimitable quality that attracts you and keeps you hanging on no matter what.
  
  And now he wants to meet again. You're excited. It's been too long. You've desperate with anticipation. This might be it. You guys might still have a chance.
  
  You wait in a cafe, in your best outfit, breathless with anticipation.
  
  And then he shows up. Time has not been kind. His hairline has receded by 2 inches. He has a paunch, and a double chin. He's grown a mustache that could only be described as a "douche-stache." You had anticipated this, but it still comes as a shock.
  
  Still, you can't bring yourself to hate him. You remember all the good times. You feel the sense of familiarity that you get with no one else, however much your physical attraction to him has changed. There's history between the two of you...and for now, that's the only good that came out of this meeting. You wish you had just left it there, where hopes and dreams and the flights of your imagination could have brought you more than this encounter ever could.
  
  That is my feeling towards this book. Grievously let down.
  
  I'll be happy to discuss the book. Please put spoilers in spoiler tags if you want to discuss in the comments =)
• 
  Jesse (JesseTheReader)

  That was an interesting conclusion to the trilogy. I can't say I'm super satisfied with how things came together, but it was still enjoyable! My main gripe with this series is it's lack of plot. I wanted more from the story, all three books feel like this build up to the ending, but nothing happens during those build up moments. (obviously this is just my opinion, you don't have to agree with me!)
• 
  Wendy Darling

  They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things--if love can ever be called that.
  
  <3
  
  4.5 stars
  
  Oh, and Leigh Bardugo talked to me about the glorious, glorious food of the Grisha trilogy here during this fairy tale lunch:
  http://www.themidnightgarden.net/2014...
• 
  Emma Giordano

  la la la la la tis impossible for me to say anything coherent about the Grisha trilogy because I love it so much. What a wonderful conclusion. I'm so happy I finally continued with this series this year.
• 
  Melanie

  
  
  1.)
  Shadow and Bone ★★★★★
  2.)
  Siege and Storm ★★★
  
  This book was a whole lot of ruin and not enough rising.
  
  This review is going to have mild spoilers, especially with information about
  Shadow and Bone and
  Siege and Storm, so please proceed with caution if you haven't read this trilogy.
  
  Moral of this story:
  If you want the super hot guy you've been fantasizing about for years, make sure you never show that you can be more powerful than him in any aspect of your life.
  
  
  
  Mal wanted her powerless and he got his wish in the end, because fuck women making men feel insecure, right? Who would want to be a queen when you could live a life in hiding, filled with mediocrity, with Mal? I mean, you probably will have lots of super hot sex, right? Obviously, the Darkling and Nikolai accepting her for who she really is was completely overrated. /sarcasm
  
  What makes me the saddest is that I actually thought this series would be different.
  
  

  “Maybe love was superstition, a prayer we said to keep the truth of loneliness at bay.”

  
  How could Leigh Bardugo create this literary masterpiece that is the Darkling and just completely throw him away? He was heads and shoulders above any other character in this series and we only get to see him five times in this book; one of those scenes being the biggest load of bullshit I've ever read. I have no words for my disappointment.
  
  
  Shadow and Bone was honest to God perfect for me, I chalked my disappointment with
  Siege and Storm to "Second Book Syndrome", but this book was an abomination. The ending made me feel like I completely wasted my time and that there was really no point in this series at all.
  
  The most upsetting thing is that this could have been the best trilogy of all time
  
  This world, these characters, and the potential were astronomical. I'm actually still dumbfounded how this happened because
  Shadow and Bone was perfection, in my opinion. Maybe I'll feel differently once the bleeding stops, but I am just in disbelief by this safe terrible ending, when this could have been the next
  Harry Potter.
  
  
  
  The only positive thing I'll say is that
  Six of Crows is, so far, amazing and I don't think it will turn out like this lackluster ending. I will stand by the fact that I believe the Darkling is one of the best characters ever to be written, so I'm just going to pretend that Kaz Brekker is the Darkling reincarnated, even though
  Six of Crows picks right up where Ruin and Rising left off... I'm still going to pretend, because this is my coping mechanism!
  
  
  
  I will also say that Leigh Bardugo's prose is one of the most beautiful I've ever read, and it makes me want to read everything she creates, but I can't lie about the utter disappointment I felt when I finished the last page of this book.
  
  Unfortunately, we got a generic ending to this trilogy with no twists that ultimately turned Alina into one of the weakest female characters I've ever read. I obviously wanted her with the Darkling with some kind of redemption story, but I would have even been happy with Nikolai. Instead we get Mal who should be dead, and not even because of the knife, but because I want to kill him myself for all of womankind.
  
  I'm off to live the rest of my life through the Darkling fan-fiction. Goodbye, cruel world.
  
  

  “You are all I’ve ever wanted,” he said. “You are the whole of my heart.”

  
  
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• 
  Ayman

  i finally know the context behind "i am become a blade" and ive never wanted to unalive myself more. however, i am become a whore for Nikolai Lantsov, Major of the Twenty-Second Regiment, Soldier of the King’s Army, Grand Duke of Udova, and second son to His Most Royal Majesty, King Alexander the Third, Ruler of the Double Eagle Throne. aka Privateer Sturmhond ;)
• 
  Virginia Ronan ♥ Herondale ♥

  ”They will starve for you, lay down their lives and their children’s lives for you. They will make war without fear and die rejoicing. There is no greater power than faith, and there will be no greater army than one driven by it.”
  
  Three books and I still hate the Apparat! *lol* Guess that says enough about him and his despicable character. XD Despite everything he unfortunately has a point though. Now that Alina has become Sankta Alina for so many people they think that she’s the answer to all their prayers and hopes and to say this is quite a burden for a girl that considers herself to be ordinary isn’t even getting close to the truth. There’s a lot of pressure on our young heroine and even though she’s coping with it way better than she did in the past, this still doesn’t mean that she’s ready to do what is necessary.
  
  Mainly to destroy the fold and to dethrone the Darkling. To be entirely honest I can’t even blame her for it. The Darkling and her have some special connection and no matter how misguided he’s become, our favourite villain still has a good heart. It’s hidden more than just well in this final and last instalment but that doesn’t necessarily mean that it isn’t there. *sighs deeply*
  
  Also, am I crazy for still loving all those boys? *lol* Because no matter how much I think about it, I still like Mal, I still adore Nikolai and I still want more of the Darkling. XD And this after reading all three books! ARGH! Leigh why do you have to write such good characters? *lol* It’s just not fair! Well, anyway I’ll head to my characters section now because there is a lot I need to get off my chest and I don’t want to spoil you already! ;-P
  
  The Characters:
  
  ”None of them were easy or soft or simple. They were like me, nursing hurts and hidden wounds, all broken in different ways. We didn’t quite fit together. We had edges so jagged we cut each other sometimes, but as I curled up on my side, the warmth of the fire at my back, I felt a rush of gratitude so sweet it made my throat ache.”
  
  You are entering the Fold! If you don’t want to be spoiled or eaten by the volcra (which truth be told might be pretty likely) you better leave now. Don’t say I didn’t warn you! You’re entering at your own risk! *volcra howls in the distance* ;-P
  
  Alina:
  
  ”You are on your knees,” I said. “We are not negotiating.”
  His lips thinned, but after a moment, he dipped his chin in assent.
  
  Okay, I admit it. Alina was pretty cool in this book! *lol* I loved how she decided to take her fate into her own hands and no longer aimed for compromises. It was all or nothing for her and I really, really liked this! For once she was no longer a chess piece in the game but turned into one of the leaders instead. AND I enjoyed it! XD It was about time she got her own voice and I’m glad she finally realized that it’s up to her to change things. Plus, if we’re entirely honest to run away never really worked out for her anyway! The Darkling would have never left her alone and it was about time she fought back. ;-)
  
  ”Maybe love was superstition, a prayer we said to keep the truth of loneliness at bay.”
  
  ”This was what Ravka did. It made orphans. It made misery. No land, no life, just a uniform and a gun. Nikolai had believed in something better.”
  
  Mal:
  
  ”For all my talk of vows and honor, what I really want is to put you up against that wall and kiss you until you forget you ever knew another man’s name. So tell me to go, Alina. Because I can’t give you a title or an army or any of the things you need.”
  
  Three books and I still don’t get all the Mal hate!!! I mean seriously, why do so many people hate him so much? I think he’s a really nice and down-to-earth guy and I could understand each and every single one of his actions. Yes he turned Alina away; he only did it because he knew she needed more than just a soldier who had nothing to offer though. In my opinion he was only realistic and let’s face it, if Alina wouldn’t have lost all her powers in the end she would have never been happy and content in a relationship with him. AND Mal was ready to sacrifice himself in order to save their world so I really, really don’t get why anyone wouldn’t like him!? I never had the feeling that he’s annoying, quite the contrary so yeah: #IStillLikeMalAndI’mNotSorry
  
  Nikolai:
  
  ”Saints, Alina. I hope you weren’t looking to me to be the voice of reason. I keep to a strict diet of ill-advised enthusiasm and heartfelt regret.”
  
  OMG!!! If that is even possible I actually loved him even more than I loved him in book 2! Nikolai is the BEST and he deserves the world and so much more!!! <333 I just admire and adore him and I really don’t get how Alina was able to resist his charms! I would have accepted his proposal in a heartbeat! *lol* But then again I’m not Alina who is obviously besotted with Mal. XD It made me kind of sad that we didn’t get all too much of him in this final book, but I see the logic behind it. AND I’ll never forgive the Darkling for what he did to my precious baby!!! I didn’t expect him to turn him into a monster and when it happened I was gripping my book so hard and yelling at the pages that I was very thankful I read it at home. *lol* (Just imagine I would have read it in the train… XD) I can’t wait to hold “King of Scars” in my greedy and grabby hands and I NEED to know what happens next! >_<
  
  ”Nikolai had made a fool of the Darkling, and now the Darkling had taken my polished, brilliant, noble prince and made him into a monster. Death would have been too kind.”
  
  ”He’d mobilized all the remaining units of the army to secure the borders, sent messages to the coast to rally Sturmhond’s fleet, and had apparently managed it all on no sleep and two fractured ribs. No one else would have had the ability, let alone the nerve – certainly not a younger son and rumoured bastard. But Nikolai had been training for this his entire life, and I knew he had a gift for the impossible.”
  
  The Darkling:
  
  ”I have lived a long life, rich in grief. My tears are long since spent. If I still felt as you do, if I ached as you do, I could not have borne this eternity.”
  
  I might never forgive him for what he did to Nikolai but I still love him?! *lol* The Darkling is just one of those amazing villains I love to hate and despite everything he’s done there is still something good in him. His power and age made him ruthless and caused him to be detached from the world around him, but deep down in his heart he isn’t really bad. I guess you might say he is doing the wrong things for the right reasons. All he ever wanted was a united Ravka in which Grisha could live peacefully and together as one and for a while he even managed to give his country some sort of stability. He had a wonderful dream but he never realized that he became the one thing that stood in its way. The Darkling was a very complex villain and I’m so glad I read this series because villains like that are so rare to find. XD For that alone I’ll always cherish him. But that moment when he asked Alina to say his true name!? T_T I am deceased!
  
  ”Once more,” he said. “Speak my name once more.”
  He was ancient, I knew that. But in this moment he was just a boy – brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.
  “Aleksander.”
  
  Genya:
  
  ”Na razrusha’ya. E’ya razrushost.” I am not ruined. I am ruination.
  
  Boy, did I adore Genya for her guts!! <333 She stood up for herself and faced the king head-on and she didn’t just give him a piece of her mind but also accepted the consequences the truth might entail! THAT WAS SO DAMN BRAVE for so many different reasons!! I always knew why Genya is my Queen! XD I love that despite her scars she’s comfortable in her own skin and I’m so happy that she finally got the love she deserves! <33 After everything she went through she deserves a man who treats her right and David seems to be the perfect man to give her everything she needs! ;-)
  
  ”Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing.” He drew in a deep breath then awkwardly stepped forward. He took her face in his hands and kissed her.
  
  The relationships & ships:
  
  Alina & Mal:
  
  ”We’re going to be travelling together for who knows how long. Eventually, you’re going to have to talk to me.”
  “I’m talking to you right now.”
  “See? Is this so terrible?”
  “It wouldn’t be,” he said, gazing at me steadily, “if all I wanted to do was talk.”
  
  I know at least 50% of the people who read this series will be all like “NOOOO!!!” now but: I SHIP IT!!! Yes, you read right! I’m happy with the ending and them being together! I mean Leigh made it pretty clear that Mal is Alina’s one true love and I’m so on board of the “The childhood friend gets the girl” train! *lol* Because this NEVER EVER happens in YA!!! And I’m grateful Leigh actually made it happen for once! XD It might sound ridiculous but this is something new and I’m always there for new things in a genre I already know so well. Plus Mal and Alina had a great chemistry and I loved that they were always able to joke about their situation. They knew each other inside out and for me it was logical that they could be together! I mean it’s basically like in real life. I know so many couples that started out as friends (some even best friends) and then became a couple because they realized they love each other. So there’s that! I ship it and I’m content with the ending! Enough said! ;-P
  
  ”All at once, the pain in my chest was so bad it nearly bent me double. Because this was what Mal had been coming to show me. Because that look – that open, eager, happy look – had been for me. Because I would always be the first person he turned to when he saw something lovely, and I would do the same. Whether I was a Saint or a queen or the most powerful Grisha who ever lived, I would always turn to him.”
  
  ”He watches her the way Harshaw watches fire. Like he’ll never have enough of her. Like he’s trying to capture what he can before she’s gone.”
  
  ”I wanted more for you,” he said. “A white veil in your hair. Vows we could keep.”
  “A proper wedding night? Just tell me this isn’t goodbye. That’s the only vow I need.”
  
  ”They had an ordinary life, full of ordinary things – if love can ever be called that.”
  
  Alina & Nikolai:
  
  ”First vomit, then tears,” Nikolai said, coming up beside me. “Don’t tell me I’ve lost my touch.”
  “I’m just happy you’re alive,” I said, hastily blinking my eyes clear. “Though I’m sure you can talk me out of it.”
  
  Their friendship was so amazing!!! I always knew they wouldn’t end up together but I loved that they developed such a great friendship in the end. They are proof that a friendship between a man and a woman can work just fine and their easy banter was so entertaining to read. If they would have married it would have merely been an alliance though and they both deserved better than that. I’m glad Alina can be with Mal now because I know Nikolai’s story isn’t over yet and I’m sooo curious to find out who’s going to be his love interest. XD A lot of people think it might be Zoya but I never saw chemistry between those two so there would have to be a lot of build-up in order to make that happen. Maybe Nikolai will even have a coming-out as being bi?! (I swear it could be possible!) Well, that certainly would be something I’d love to read. *lol* Whatever happens and no matter if it will turn out to be a straight romance or a gay one, I’m so ready for “King of Scars”!!! <333
  
  ”I owe you, Alina. Ravka owes you. This and more. Do good works or commission an opera house or just take it out and gaze at it longingly when you think of the handsome prince you might have made your own. For the record I favour the latter option, preferably paired with copious tears and the recitation of bad poetry.”
  I laughed.
  He took my hand and pressed the ring into it. “Take it and build something new.”
  
  Alina & The Darkling:
  
  ”If only I’d known you’d prove such an apt pupil.” His voice was genuinely admiring, almost surprised.
  
  Ohhh I lived and breathed for their scenes! Their cat and mouse game was just too intriguing to read! They gave each other a run for their money and none of them yielded an inch! *lol* ARGH! Their relationship was so twisted and dark but damn was it awesome to witness! XD I think in a perverted way they both loved each other, but it just wasn’t enough to save the Darkling. It broke my heart that he had to die but the way Leigh wrote it I was okay with it. (Not like in “War Storm” when I was so damn disappointed about how it all ended …) The Darkling died with dignity and he died being loved by his opponent… It was a coherent ending and it was the ending he deserved. <3
  
  ”It’s true,” I said softly. “You are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience.” I leaned forward and whispered, my lips brushing the shell of his ear. “But I am an apt pupil.”
  His eyes flew open. I caught the briefest glimpse of rage in his gray gaze before I severed the connection.
  
  ”There will be nothing left,” I whispered.
  “No,” he said gently as he folded me in his arms. He pressed a kiss to the top of my hair. “I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but me.”
  
  Conclusion:
  
  “Ruin and Rising” was a good and solid ending for a rather unconventional YA series! It kept me entertained and always caused me to wish for more. By the end of this book I got really attached to some of the characters and considering how many YA books I already read, that’s certainly no easy feat. ;-) So if you’re looking for a typical YA series that’s still able to surprise you every once in a while, “The Grisha Trilogy” is what you’re looking for. XD Happy Reading!
• 
  aqsa

  may 2021 update
  
  i still haven’t finished the show yet but i’m writing darklina/alarkling fic hi:
  https://archiveofourown.org/works/310...
  
  february 2021 update
  
  anyway the shadow & bone trailer kinda slaps why lie 😭 all my besties make some mfing noise 🌘✨ about to get baited and clowned again but oh well
  
  january 2021 update
  
  i caved & am now anticipating the s&b show for no other reason except annoying nostalgia and my love for darklina... (also i love the casting for the darkling & alina? 😭)
  
  anyhow, i’m writing a darklina/alarkling fic if anyone is interested.
  https://archiveofourown.org/works/283...
  
  _____________________________
  
  december 2020 hell year update
  
  um hi is everyone looking forward to the show in april? i’m not since we’re gonna lose again but anyhow pls don’t read this review it’s so damn embarassing
  
  _____________________________
  
  putting this under a spoiler tag because its so cringe
  
  
  _____________________________
  
  June 2019 update:
  
  everybody stop liking this review i keep getting messages from ppl telling me why i thought this way like girl??? 😂 enough!!! let it rest already lol im tired
  
  _____________________________
  
  update Jan 2019:
  
  i swear the more years pass- the more embarrassing this review gets good lord .
  
  update august 2018:
  
  I have to admit, while Acomaf beat this ^ trash book in regards to storytelling, Acowar (Acotar #3) kinda sucked a lot so like... tread carefully and if anything- enjoy Acomaf only because I see that book as a standalone anyway.
  
  Also, fuck this book ✌🏽
  
  UPDATE:
  Okay so for those of you (like myself) who were disappointed with this ^ piece of trash- GO READ
  "A COURT OF MIST AND FURY" in particular, I should say-- as the book really sets the stage and it beats this in every way and is everything r&r could have been but miserably failed to be.
  
  All the past angst and bitterness is beyond this spoiler tag.
  HEY LOOK WHATS UP
  
  MORE ANGST
  
  I was talking to one of my tumblr friends a few days ago about some old wounds regarding this certain character who is like the other half of my dark heart and bad stuff that happened and then just this morning I was having a chat w/a GR friend about something related but it involved the angst over poorly written female protagonists and the boiling rage in the pit of my stomach over the lost potential of these certain protagonists. I was thinking this over in my head and I felt the need to apply a scenario to this one particular character(s) and notp that I (and a lot of my fellow friends) feel strongly negative about.
  
  I was thinking of how Mal would be a meninist in the real world and he would be the kind of boyfriend that would be living in his girlfriend’s house and one night he’d just look at his amazing, successful girlfriend Alina and be like,
  “Hey babe I just want you to know that I feel super uncomfortable by the fact that you make a lot more money than I do. And I also think that taking this route and that recent promotion you got, it’s just, it’s a bad idea. Maybe you should reconsider another job or just stay at home because I think that that power would corrupt you.”
  When I apply this scenario with respect to the books, it goes like this:
  Alina then suddenly feels terrible about how her boyfriend’s feelings are hurt and in turn she says,
  “Hey I totally understand how you feel, I mean I wouldn’t want to ever feel worthless at all, like remember how I use to feel so shitty all those years ago before I got the job at this multimillion company and before you ever noticed me and became my boyfriend? I know what you’re going through and I wouldn’t want you to ever feel bad by something that makes me feel amazing. So you know what? I’m going to sell my house and we can go live in that rundown apartment that my aunt who used to hate me lived in before she died. At least we’ll be together and we can be equal and not have to worry about other things that might help us prosper in life.”
  
  So now, lets apply this scenario to a way I prefer and think makes a LOT of sense and just sounds right:
  
  After Mal gives his little bullshit speech, Alina runs off to get her wallet. She pulls out a hundred dollar bill from her wallet, reaches for a pen writes a few words on the bill. They read, “You’re a piece of sexist garbage shit and not worth my time.” Then she throws the hundred-dollar bill in Mal’s apparently flabbergasted face and tells him to get the fuck out of her house.
  
  Then later that night as she’s lounging, she calls up her assistant Nikolai and tells him to connect her with CEO Morozova so she can accept his offer of promotion.
  
  Just wanted to throw in all that angst. Sorry it sounds like such a badly written fic lmao. But hopefully my point is made.
  
  ...........................................................................
  
  EDIT: 17/11/2014
  
  Look. Me and a friend wrote a mini post- R&R fic thing a while back on tumblr because we were depressed as hell. It's a little embarrassing sorry, bear with me.
  
  
  
  Me: Aleks is sitting peacefully in a garden full of blooming flowers trying to have a peace of his mind when the distinct bunch of white orchids catch his attention and he is forced to burden himself with the thought of a little white haired stubborn girl living her life out someplace without him accompanied by a useless tracker who’s sudden thought makes Aleks contemplate ripping someones spleen out and he wonders if the new king would aid him in doing so since they were both cast aside by the summoner and he promises himself that throughout planning he would also get some flirting tips from the king and maybe even take his new flying vessel for a spin and perhaps crash it right on top of Keramzin and shout at the top of his lungs “SURPRISE BITCHES” and once thats done maybe even take over the world lmao byE.
  
  Dani: ORPHANS RUN SCREAMING FROM ALL EXITS, AND ALINA EXITS KERAMZIN BRANDISHING A BUTTER KNIFE AND A PASTRY CAKE GONE AWRY THAT IS TOUGH ENOUGH TO KNOCK A LESSER MAN OUT
  "I KILLED YOU," SHE CRIES. ALEKSANDER GAZES DOWN AT HER, HANDS ON HIS HIPS AS HE SMIRKS.
  "I BET YOU THOUGHT YOU’D SEEN THE LAST OF ME." while subtly checking her out because he is a lonely soul..
  
  Me:Alina’s hand tightens around the butter knife, still slick with the saints know what since she was actually never a doozy in the kitchen (probably would’ve been better at the summoner job but that went down the drain) “I’ve taken you down once, don’t think I won’t be able to again” she says.
  Aleks squints at the pastry in her hand, “Not with that I hope. Looks deadly,” He mock smiles.
  Alina frowns, “With the amount of sugar I put in it? Yeah, probably”
  Aleks shrugs, “I have a sweet tooth.”
  Alina’s eyes widen, “Oh, I didn’t know. You never told me.”
  Aleks eyes almost threaten to bulge out of his sockets and he brandishes a hand at her in a taunting manner, loosing anger with every word “Really Alina? REALLY? Because last time I remember I tried talking to you (ok yeah I was pissed u turned me down for the sex BUT) even wheneva I tried talking to you, you FLEED OUTTA THE LIL PALACE LIKE THERE WAS SOME GODDAMN SALE AT IKEA SDFGHJASDASKJDKDSFFDSKJ ”
  
  ..........
  
  GUYS I CAN'T FUCKING GET OVER THIS SHIT AHJAHSJKKALJSLKSADKLSDKSJDLSJKDLk I HATE EVERYTHING
  
  except Aleks
  
  EDIT: 20/07/2014
  
  yo fuck this book bro lmfao
  
  
  EDIT: 06/17/2014
  
  Im not going to lie man, Im heartbroken oof.
  
  *Don't open this if you havent read R&R*.
  
  you deserved better Aleksander.
  
  ..............................
  
  alarkling teaser omg
  
  
  “If only I’d known you’d prove such an apt pupil.” His voice was genuinely admiring, almost surprised. To my horror, I found that pathetic orphaned part of me taking pleasure in his praise. “Why come to me now?” he asked. “Has it taken you this long to recover from our skirmish?”
  
  If that had been a mere skirmish, then we really were lost. No, I told myself. He’d chosen that word deliberately, to intimidate me.
  
  I ignored his question and said, “I didn’t expect compliments.”
  
  “No?”
  
  “I left you buried beneath a pile of rubble.”
  
  “And if I told you I respect your ruthlessness?”
  
  “I don’t think I’d believe you.”
  
  The barest smile touched his lips. “An apt pupil,” he repeated. “Why waste my anger on you when the fault is mine? I should have anticipated another betrayal from you, one more mad grasp at some kind of childish ideal. But I seem to be a victim of my own wishes where you are concerned.” His expression hardened. “What have you come here for, Alina?”
  
  I answered him honestly. “I wanted to see you.”
  
  I caught the briefest glimpse of surprise before his face shuttered again. “There are two thrones on that dais. You could see me anytime you liked.”
  
  “You’re offering me a crown? After I tried to kill you?”
  
  He shrugged again. “I might have done the same.”
  
  “I doubt it.”
  
  “Not to save that motley of traitors and fanatics, no. But I understand the desire to remain free.”
  
  “And still you tried to make me a slave.”
  
  “I sought Morozova’s amplifiers for you, Alina, that we might rule as equals.”
  
  “You tried to take my power for your own.”
  
  “After you ran from me. After you chose—” He stopped, shrugged. “We would have ruled as equals in time.”
  
  I felt that pull, the longing of a frightened girl. Even now, after everything he’d done, I wanted to believe the Darkling, to find some way to forgive him. I wanted Nikolai to be alive. I wanted to trust the other Grisha. I wanted to believe anything so that I wouldn’t have to face the future alone. The problem with wanting is that it makes us weak.** A laugh escaped me before I thought better of it.
  
  “We would be equals until the day I dared to disagree with you, until the moment I questioned your judgment or didn’t do as I was bid. Then you would deal with me the way you dealt with Genya and your mother, the way you tried to deal with Mal.”
  
  He leaned against the window, and the gilded frame came into sharp focus. “Do you think it would be any different with your tracker beside you? With that Lantsov pup?”
  
  “Yes,” I said simply.
  
  “Because you would be the strong one?”
  
  “Because they’re better men than you.”
  
  “You might make me a better man.”
  
  “And you might make me a monster.”
  
  “I’ve never understood this taste for otkazat’sya. Is it because you thought you were one of them for so long?”
  
  “I had a taste for you, once.” His head snapped up. He hadn’t expected that. Saints, it was satisfying. “Why haven’t you visited me?” I asked. “In all these long months?”
  
  He stayed silent.
  
  “There was barely a day at the Little Palace when you didn’t come to me,” I continued. “When I didn’t see you in some shadowed corner. I thought I was going mad.”
  
  “Good.”
  
  “I think you’re afraid.”
  
  “How comforting that must be for you.”
  
  “I think you fear this thing that binds us.” It didn’t frighten me. Not anymore. I took a slow step forward. He tensed but did not move away.
  
  “I am ancient, Alina. I know things about power that you can barely guess at.”
  
  “But it’s not just power, is it?” I said quietly, remembering the way he had toyed with me when I’d first arrived at the palace— even before, from the first moment we’d met. I’d been a lonely girl, desperate for attention. I must have given him so little sport.
  
  I took another step. He stilled. Our bodies were almost touching now. I reached up and cupped his cheek with my hand. This time the flash of confusion on his face was impossible to miss. He held himself frozen, his only movement the steady rise and fall of his chest. Then, as if in concession, he let his eyes close. A line appeared between his brows.
  
  “It’s true,” I said softly. “You are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience.” I leaned forward and whispered, my lips brushing the shell of his ear. “But I am an apt pupil.”
  
  **she said the fucking word slakhbjadfksjlfs
  
  ...................
• 
  Elle (ellexamines)

  There’s a repeated problem within this novel where the time skips. The first book ends with the leads off to a new adventure. That new adventure is compromised and they are in the same old situation as before the finale less than twenty pages in. The second book ends with the lead characters in a bad situation. They are out of that bad situation less than forty pages into this book. It’s a really weird element and makes this story feel really unpolished.
  
  Now, you might be thinking, Elise, I love you, but what the fuck does this have to do with anything? Because it’s emblematic of a larger problem in the book: this book doesn’t know where it’s going.
  
  This is a deeply weird book because it does not have a consistent tone or consistent character development or even, really, a consistent plot. It is a book with many interesting points and interesting characters and so many interesting themes and then the narrative doesn’t want to actually deal with that shit.
  
  ➽➽First of all, let’s talk about Alina fucking Starkov. Because Alina is… such a complicated character and I don’t think that nuanced nature is being written very well. She’s so interesting because inwardly, she considers herself weak, but she’s playing with fire and desperately trying to avoid her own antiheroine nature. There are ways the nuance of her character can make sense, but the narrative isn’t very clear about her motivations and her struggles... until it’s convenient for the narrative to give her character depth.
  
  ➽➽Perhaps more importantly, the narrative is trying to force a conflict out of her Being About To Go Bad. Which… we know isn’t happening. What antiheroine things does Alina do and think? Like, she complains a couple of times and… is sad, and then a couple of times per book, she threatens a guy with murder and it’s the most compelling she ever gets. Her narration doesn’t show us much at all of her desiring vengeance or Being A Power Hungry Antiheroine Badass; her primary motivation is usually a) being left alone or b) nonexistent. So we, as the audience, aren’t really afraid of her becoming a villain or turning bad. What’s the conflict here, then?
  
  ➽➽Forced conflict is kind of a general problem within book two between Alina and Mal, and though it lessens a bit here, there’s still this underlying feeling throughout the books that… the obstacles between Alina and Mal really aren’t that big? Yes, they’re in vastly different walks of life and that’s causing resentment on his part, but it really gets boring seeing them play out the same patterns over and over again.
  
  ➽➽ Nothing character-wise really grows or changes throughout the entire fucking series. I mean, think about Mal and Alina. Book one: Alina thinks Mal doesn’t like her back. Book two: Alina thinks Mal doesn’t like her back. Book three: Alina still thinks Mal doesn’t like her back, but also they can’t be together because... she thinks he doesn’t like her power back. But perhaps more importantly, think about Alina herself. Book one: Alina feels weak and not pretty enough, but also maybe she’s turning evil. Book two: Alina feels weak and not pretty enough, but also maybe she’s turning evil. Book three: Alina feels… maybe she’s turning evil. [But again, even if this weren’t repetitive, we as the audience don’t believe she’s turning evil!!]
  
  ➽➽I said it in my review of book two, but as a general thought on this series: Leigh just will not let this get dark enough. Alina makes for such a compelling antihero, but the only real motivation we see for her most of the time is a desire to be left alone. And that’s just not as compelling or interesting as her need for vengeance, her darker side.
  
  ➽➽What was the plot? Where did it go? All they did was travel more and then I think the ending happened at one point maybe.
  
  ✔✔I think the thing that really clearly improved in this book was the side character development. Tolya? Iconic. Nadia? Iconic bi. Tamar? Lesbian and iconic. Genya? So iconic. David? A good and totally iconic man. Zoya? Absolutely one of the most iconic characters in modern literature. Nikolai? I’d fucking give my life for Nikolai. I think this series gets that really good banter and those great character dynamics that I loved so much in Six of Crows, but watered down and we don't get enough of them because we're in Alina's head all the time. I really think Leigh Bardugo is meant to write multipov.
  
  So… let’s talk about the ending. Because it’s what everyone fights about. SPOILERS, obviously.
  ✔✔Alina ending up with the Darkling would have been kind of fucked up. That did not occur.
  ➽➽Did we ever resolve Alina's antiheroine shit? I don't think we did.
  ✔✔I guess she murdered someone and that was cool.
  ➽➽How the fuck did we resolve the Nikolai thing?
  ✔✔The epilogue was nice. It was. I really don't hate the ending.
  ➽➽I mean, it would have been cool if we resolved like, anything other than Alina's character?
  ✔✔y'all are going to kick me off Goodreads for this but I don't hate who she ended up with, he's kind of a bland character to me but like. i think from a character standpoint for her it makes sense
  ➽➽But all that being said, Alina's character doesn't get the development needed for the ending to really make any sense or feel like a reasonable payoff for the character.
  
  Yeah, whatever. I'm giving this two and a half stars because it was somewhere between okay and I-liked-it. But I'm out here reading this review and realizing I didn't really like this all that much. It has a lot of narrative and structural flaws and the series as a whole has just been very consistently disappointing. Honestly recommend just skipping these for Six of Crows, the inventor of modern literature.
  
  
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• 
  Tharindu Dissanayake

  "You learn more by losing."
  
  This is how a series is supposed to end! Ruin & Rising made up for any and all complaints I had on the series so far. Whatever I felt was lacking when it came to the depth of characters, or plot in first two books isn't even noticeable anymore: This one is by far my favorite of the trilogy. I've given each of the trilogy a 4-star rating, but the first two felt like 3.5-stars whereas this was like 4.5-stars. Everything's improved beautifully, and ends the trilogy much better than I had hoped for!
  
  "We're the side that's hopelessly outnumbered."
  
  Starting with the plot - it is way more thrilling, and full of suspense. I loved all the twists, which were spectacular and completely unexpected. Even with a complicated plot, Siege and Storm was a lot predictable and felt less eventful. But this one elevates the entire series to a better level. We start underground where we left things off with Apparat (Bardugo never gave him a chance, even down to that terrible name). Finding the third amplifier - Firebird - plays a major role in plot, but there are many other interesting parts to keep the interest in check, and help move towards the final battle. I had expected Nikolai to play a major role here, but he'll have to wait till King of Scars.
  
  "Courting death is an integral part of my beauty regimen."
  
  Though there aren't any new key characters here, the original team undergo significant development. I wasn't a big fan of the romance part of this series before, but here things took a turn for the better at last. The somewhat nonsensical love triangle (or square, it's hard to keep track of) was still there, but it wasn't as annoying as it was with the first two books. Since Bardugo's world building was great from the first book, it also means that these developed characters have contributed a lot toward making this book a great one. It was nice to see the characters still contained a good amount of humor, even during hardest parts of the journey. Zoya's status has gone from one-of-the-hated to one-of-the-awesome, and Genya-David duo helps things further.
  
  "I always get mean when I'm hungry."
  
  Considering how things turned out at the of Siege & Storm, the ending was much better than I had hoped for. One wouldn't expect the events to turnout very happily, making the ending unrealistic. But even with some disappointments, the ending was plenty satisfying in my opinion, giving the series a great ending. The only minor complaint I have is about the final battle with Darkling being a little too shorter than I would've liked. Bardugo did an amazing job with this villain, and I would've preferred to see a little more action there.
  
  "Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what's inside you? That's steel. It's brave and unbreakable. And it doesn't need fixing."
  
  While I was reading the first two books, I was under the impression that I did the right thing by reading SoC first. Ruin & Rising kind of changed that a little. I think this is the book that made the majority of the readers fall in love with this series.
  
  "Like calls to like."
  
• 
  Katerina

  *5 “you might make me a better man” stars*
  

  “I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but mine.”

  
  Agony. Pain. Tears. Heartbreak. Acceptance. This is the way the Grisha trilogy ends.
  
  
  
  A masterpiece. A gem.
  Leigh Bardugo gave everything she had in this grand finale. I'm numb and empty inside. I want to sit in silence and contemplate what happened and figure out the reasons why. I came to the conclusion that things were meant to end this way from the start. A battle of wills, a battle between Light and Darkness, self-preservation and sacrifice, greed and kindness, brain and heart.
  

  “I wanted to believe anything so that I wouldn’t have to face the future alone. The problem with wanting is that it makes us weak.”

  
  After I finished
  Ruin and Rising, I faced the question how do I want to remember the Darkling. He was a twisted, brutal tyrant, I could not possibly deny it and he proved it time and time again, each crime worst than the previous. But he was more. I choose to remember the brilliant dark haired boy, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity, feared by his own kind, facing the entire world alone and wishing to change things, to create a place for the Grisha and himself. He was misguided, controlled by his greed and desires but this boy still existed, buried under layers of darkness. I forgive him.
  

  “In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach.”

  
  There are so many other characters I want to talk about, but first I have to (grudgingly) admit that Mal finally won my respect, even though he's still my least favorite character. He understood his mistakes and what was at stake and it gave him a new perspective. I loved Zoya so so much, and David and Genya and Harshaw, and I'm so proud of Nikolai, the arrogant, all-too-clever fox who brought hope and laughter even in the most desperate times.
  

  “Na razrusha'ya. I am not ruined. E'ya razrushost. I am ruination.”

  
  It was a fitting ending. Suitable I dare say, even though I hoped that some things would turn out differently. So many plot twists and deaths that created a knot in your chest, desparation that threatened to drown you, mythical creatures, fanatic monks, flying ships, Saints and Demons, and in the center of the world-changing events, two orphans from Keramzin. Who said that otkazat’sya aren't important?
• 
  Ashley

  
  
  This perfectly describes how I feel about the ending:
  
  
• 
  Maria

  4.4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
  
  

  “Na razrusha'ya. I am not ruined. E'ya razrushost. I am ruination.”

  
  
  Look, I ain't gonna lie, I finished this book two weeks ago but hadn't had the time to write a good review about it (fuck you work) so I left it till this moment. And since then, because I'm a fucking goldfish, I don't remember shit. I delve into so many new stories each week, whether they may be tv shows, movies and books (obvs) that my mind is at its full capacity. My mind is 1tb and the fucking info is 587838tbs. Fuck off, mind, you're not a fucking hard drive, have more space! Anyway, let's start with the summary of the plot first, I hope I can remember something reading it.
  
  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 remember myself being satisfied with this book, hence the rating. I didn't give the rating right now, I just remember, after having finished the book, this was the rating that was stuck in my mind. Not quite a 5 star, but more than the previous ones. Which seems to me like something positive.
  
  I remember (yes, I'm gonna start every fucking paragraph with a shitty I remember now, such a good reviewer I am) that the first part of the book and the middle were my least favorite. All the extreme and fanatic religious shit from the beginning left me wanting to leave the book down, for a moment. I was also confused about the whole situation, cause it seemed so different from the previous books. Thank God, it changed after that.
  
  I remember that I quite enjoyed the character development in this book. Alina, Nikolai, Mal and the Darkling got major points for me after this book. Even Mal. Yes, Mal. I think Mal kind of redeemed himself in this book, corrected his mistakes and was less arrogant and selfish. He's still my least favorite character, but I saw growth in him that I didn't think I would. Good on you, Mal. Also, the Darkling (I first wrote the Darling, oh my God) made me forgive him in this book. After everything, he's just a lost boy who was mislead and took the wrong path. Alexander, I forgive you.
  
  I need to talk about Nikolai, BECAUSE I LOVE HIM EVEN MORE! There was so much less of him in this book, I WANTED MORE. When that thing happened to him... my soul was aching for him. I'm so happy for how everything turned out for his character, if I remember everything correctly. And I'm so glad it's not the end for this character, just the beginning.
  
  I will tell you the truth, I don't really remember why I saw character development in Alina. But I did, and that's important. I hated the fact though, that at the end Mal got what he wanted. Alina with no powers and him in a position of power. I wanted Alina to keep her powers, no matter who she would be with. I would prefer Alina having her powers and ending up alone. That's the 100% fucking amazing ending for me. But I guess this is an old book, shit was like this back then.
  
  Oh Leigh, your world is still fantastic and so unique. I'm so happy I get to explore this world again in many different more books, that for it to have stayed within this trilogy. I so can't wait to delve into the
  Six of Crows duology. And then the
  King of Scars duology. And the fucking NETFLIX SHOW. Oh, Leigh, such a gem you have created.
  
  I have one major complain about this book... it still didn't make me truly care about the secondary characters. There were so many of them, and they weren't as developed as much as I would have wanted them to. I think the story would be much richer, with a few more lovable and memorable characters. Just my humble, little opinion.
  
  Overall, this was a more than adequate and fulfilling finale. My review wasn't as detailed as it should have been, I remember I wanted to say so many more things, but everything in my mind is fuzzy now and I wouldn't want to write something incorrect. I also, read most of this book on the train, while I was going to visit a friend, and it was soooo busy and noisy that many things flew over my head. Anyway, till the next one K BYE!!!
• 
  Layla

  ~ 3.5 stars ~
  
  

  "I am become a blade"

  
  Writing is not that easy. But, Grammarly can help. This sentence is grammatically correct, but it's wordy, and hard to read.
  
  
  
  I know that line was purposefully written that way, but making fun of Mal is my passion, so I will take every opportunity I can get.
  
  
  
  
  This book was the best in the series. At least it was the one I enjoyed the most.
  
  
  ~ plot ~
  
  It was easy to follow and enjoyable for the most part. But that ending was horrible. It felt underwhelming and stupid and useless. And Nikolai was done dirty, he wasn't in this book enough.
  
  
  ~ worldbuilding ~
  
  I can't wait to read more Grishaverse books! I feel like this aspect is very interesting and I love the magic system.
  
  
  ~ characters ~
  
  Final opinions of the characters:
  
  Alina: She's literally giving me absolutely nothing. I don't care about her or her wasted potential. But the white hair is nice. I support that fashion statement.
  
  Mal: He has no personality whatsoever and I just can't stand him.
  
  The Darkling: His main hobbies include being dramatic af and flexing the gaslighting techniques he has perfected over the centuries. I don't like him as a person (obviously, my Queen Genya deserved better) but he's an interesting character overall. I feel like Leigh Bardugo did a good job with executing what he is supposed to represent. I'm happy it didn't give him a redemption arc, or else I would have screamed into oblivion.
  
  Nikolai: Superior in every way imaginable. I'm going to print out a picture of him and frame it then hang it on my wall because he is a masterpiece and should be recognized as such.
  
  Genya: She's a amazing. Genya is strong and deserved so much more than she got. I don't like how she was pushed to the side in this series, I do wish she was more involved, but I loved the little of her we got in this book.
  
  David: I really like him. He's smart and sweet, and I really would love to read more about him.
  
  Zoya: She grew on me much more this book but I'm not going to say I like her quite yet. Especially since I was really not a fan of how she was presented in the first 2 book. But she has great one liners and I can see myself genuinely loving her when I read King of Scars.
  
  
  ~ relationships ~
  
  Malina: Ew, I hate it. Imagine choosing mediocre Mal when Nikolai was right there. Also their dynamic is bleh and toxic. I really am not a fan.
  
  Darklina: I thought the scene where he told her his name was funny. That's all I have to say. Also I did think it dealt with ending their relationship well.
  
  Nikolai x Alina: Alina didn't deserve Nikolai anyways.
  
  David x Genya: They are so cute.
  
  Zoya x Nikolai: It started to hint at it, but I don't know. They didn't even really interact with each other in this book so I couldn't get a feel of it. Where is the chemistry? I have no opinion as of right now.
  
  Tamar x Nadia: If was very spontaneous and the build up was really easy to miss, but once again, there isn't much to judge it on.
  
  
  
  
  ~ final thoughts ~ Though this series was very mediocre and disappointing compared to the hype, I expected that going in, and I am glad to have read it.
  
  
  Buddy read with magnificent
  Morgan! Here is their
  REVIEW.
  
  
  
  Grishaverse books' rating/reviews:
  
  
  The Demon in the Wood ★★★★☆
  
  
  The Witch of Duva ★★★★☆
  
  
  Shadow and Bone ★★★☆☆
  
  
  The Tailor ★★★☆☆
  
  
  Siege and Storm ★★☆☆☆
  
  
  Ruin and Rising ★★★☆☆½
• 
  Sofia

  Leigh Bardugo has come a long way.
  
  Ruin and Rising was actually... okay. It was fine. (I rated the first two books one star. So this is a pleasant surprise.) I'm not exactly sure why it was better, but I think it's because Mal was hardly present. And because it quit the whole mean-girl subplot.
  
  I liked quite a few things about this book. Like the Darkling.
  
  I despised him in the first book and liked him a little more in the second one, but in this book, my favorite scenes were the ones with the Darkling. This book gives him more depth. He's morally grey. He wants Alina by his side because she's the only one who will really understand his power and his struggles. The way he became almost childish in his fear and innocent loneliness when she abandoned him gave his character more flavor and layers.
  
  

  He was ancient, I knew that. But in this moment he was just a boy - brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.

  
  
  He's been rejected his entire life. And when he finally finds someone like him, someone who might not treat him like everyone else has... She runs away.
  
  

  "You were meant to be like me. You were meant... You're nothing now."

  
  
  Of course, he's not a good person. He's a murderer and most definitely a villain. But the way he was written was great.
  
  The dynamic between Alina and the Darkling reminded me of Rey and Kylo Ren. The whole vision thing was very Star Wars-esque. The push-and-pull aspect of their relationship was really interesting to read about. It was definitely better than the dumpster fire that is Mal x Alina.
  
  
  Speaking of Mal. He was better because he was hardly there. Sure, I still cringed and raged whenever he opened his stupid mouth, but at least he didn't do it as often. Every time he talks, he says something toxic and manipulative.
  
  

  "I wasn't afraid of you, Alina. I was afraid of losing you. The girl you were becoming didn't need me anymore, but she's who you were always meant to be."

  
  
  oMg aLiNa DoeSn'T nEeD mE aNyMoRe !!
  
  

  "There were times....there were times I wished your power away."

  
  
  So he finally admits it.
  
  

  "What I really want is to put you up against that wall and kiss you until you forget you ever knew another man's name."

  
  
  I-
  Chill.
  Calm down.
  I mean, she kind of has to know Nikolai's name. Because he's her ally. And she has to know the Darkling's name. Because she needs to defeat him.
  
  
  Also, he got a tattoo that says I am become a blade. That's a poor decision if I've ever seen one.
  
  Mal has never accepted every part of Alina. There will always be part of him that rejects who she has become. And that's why they shouldn't be together. He doesn't even make an effort to understand her. He just rejects the parts he doesn't like.
  
  
  Alina was still bland and foolishly selfless, but at least she's a better leader now. However, she's still nostalgic about the idiot she used to be.
  
  

  I missed the girl who had shown the stag mercy.

  
  
  ...and had consequently thrown all the Grisha into this mess because she refused to kill a deer and instead let the Darkling turn her into a slave and use her to kill countless people. Yeah. I miss her, too.
  
  
  Zoya is the most relatable character.
  
  

  "I am surrounded by fools."
  
  "Maybe you're hungry," said Zoya. "I always get mean when I'm hungry."

  
  
  
  The banter in this book was pretty cringy most of the time. It rarely felt genuine; there was usually a forced feel to it. Zoya and Nikolai were the only ones who were actually funny. The writing was better than it was in
  Shadow and Bone, but there were still long infodumps and a healthy dose of plot convenience. The plot had third-book syndrome, where there's not much of a plotline and the characters are just running from one place to the other. I was actively interested, though, so there's that. The "crew of misfits" was bland because only a couple of them actually had personalities, but I'm willing to overlook that.
  
  
  
  🚨🚨SPOILERS AHEAD🚨🚨
  
  
  Nikolai spent most of this book in bird-volcra-winged-whatever form and he deserves better. I'm not even sure what the purpose of this subplot was, because it just made me wheeze every time he showed up, instead of feeling sad. I knew he would survive, because
  King of Scars exists. It was just so ridiculous. What is the point of having Nikolai become a bird?
  
  
  The ending was awful. Everyone got speshul Sun Summoner powers. This is never explained.
  
  In
  Six of Crows, not everyone in Ravka has sun powers. But it was implied in this book that everyone got a portion of Alina's power. This was an open-ended ending that I'm not a huge fan of. And afterwards, Alina goes back to the orphanage with Mal. Really? That's it?
  
  It's basically character anti-development. She started out in the orphanage and she ended up back in the orphanage. She should have had a position of power, even if she wasn't Sankta Alina anymore. But no. She ran away to live in the orphanage with Mal.
  
  Speaking of Mal, why did he survive? He's the firebird. That I can accept. But why was there a resurrection arc? That takes away ALL the emotional impact of his death. Meaning, I was happy when he died and then I wasn't. Also, don't you need to kill the amplifiers to harness their power? So why is he somehow miraculously alive if he was killed fully so she could get his power?
  
  I don't even know.
  
  
  🚨🚨SPOILERS HAVE ENDED🚨🚨
  
  
  
  Eh, it was fine. This series is definitely not anything special, but the finale was somewhat okay.
  
  2.5 stars
  
  
  
  __
  
  I thought I would rate this one star, but I was pleasantly surprised.
  As always, Nikolai and the Darkling carried the whole thing on their backs.
  
  review to come
• 
  Demi

  Moral of the story: A woman should never show more strength and power than her boyfriend. Ladies, you must give up everything so you can be with your man.
  
  The end.
  
  ....
  
  Also, fuck any defense for this ending. The fucking title is "Ruin and Rising", and by naming the book this, Leigh Bardugo completely misled everyone into believing this book would be something its not.
  
  Read this if you like heavily contrived romance that the actual plot suffers for.
• 
  jessica

  my original review wasnt much of a review, but more like an expression of awe. and gratefully, i still felt those feelings with this reread. so yes, my rating is very much based in nostalgia and personal bias. but man, this book (and series) is something else.
  
  i understand why reviews for this are mixed. where people saw filler, i read character development. and where others felt an imbalance of plot, i noticed the groundwork laid for character conclusions. so i guess what i am saying is the characters are what make this final installment shine for me. none of it would be worth anything if i didnt have such an attachment to them.
  
  so while i can acknowledge this isnt the most expertly written book/series out there, its one i adore and i know those feelings will remain for a long time to come.
  
  __________________________________
  
  i havent been this OBSESSED with a series (or author) in soooo long. you guys, i cant stop thinking about these books. how have i been able to live my life these past few years without knowing they existed?! i am truly blessed.
  
  ↠ 5 stars
• 
  Redhead Haze

  Alina really doesn't know how to play fuck, marry, kill.
• 
  Chelsea Humphrey

  Guys, I had completely forgotten how much this final installment means to me. I feel like I somehow appreciated it even more by listening as a reread; I wasn't worried about what was going to happen and was able to soak up every detail. Ruin and Rising will remain one of the most cherished books I've ever read, and I'm looking forward to finding out if the SoC duology works out as well to reread as audiobooks.
  
  ******************
  
  This book was everything. 💔🖤💔🖤💔🖤 I'm so emotional right now *SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY*
  
  I'll try to review this tomorrow when I can see out of my puffy, blurry, traitorous eyes. 😭😭😭
• 
  She-who-must-not-be-named

  Nikolai single-handedly saved this book from going down the gutter. And Oh my poor Darkling, didn't you find anyone else to obsess over than ALINA? I could've been your princess all along because I would've never rejected you for a guy with a questionable cranial capacity, just saying.
  
  *Excuse me while I go sulk like a lovestruck teenager*
• 
  Kiki

  If good high fantasy is a living body - blood pumping, juices flowing, joints moving, a hundred thousand tiny synapses and capillaries and white blood cells rushing and sparking and knitting together to form a natural machine - then this series is an empty ribcage, browned with age and disrepair. There are no lungs inside it; it doesn't creak and sigh with every nonchalant breath. It's just a pile of bones haunted by the ghosts of what it might have been.
  
  Look, I knew this series would not go out with the sort of bang I enjoy (teehee) but I sort of expected more. What started as sort of a semi-cool concept devolved into another limp quest for magic objects that obviously is solved by the power of love or whatever. Yeah, I know this is high fantasy, but what makes high fantasy relatable and enjoyable is the realism in it. We're dealing with wars and revolutions and tyrants and our world, our real world, has had its fair share of wars and revolutions and tyrants. Those things aren't fantastical, so I expect them to be handled with a little more finesse.
  
  I give this book two stars because of Zoya, and the writing, which was okay. It's not Austen, but it'll do. It's better than The Young Elites which literally made me want to sleep for a year. It was so dead, it felt like ashes. It was so dead, it tried to suck me into the underworld.
  
  Alas, this book was a lacklustre ending to a series that I have already mostly forgotten about. It was kind of fun in the beginning, but grew more and more limp and tasteless, like lettuce that's been sitting out for too long. Actually, that's a good metaphor. Wilted lettuce. It once was crisp and juicy, but now it's a bad taste waiting to happen.
  
  Fin.
• 
  Miranda Reads

  

  FOUR HUNDRED AND THIRTY PAGES? ARE YOU EFFING KIDDING ME???
  
  UPDATE
  
  whelp, it went about as good as I expected.
  
  One very snarky review to come
  
  
  YouTube |
  Blog |
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  Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads
• 
  Andreea Pop

  REVIEW:
  
  Actual rating: 3.5 Stars
  
  So. I am conflicted. I initially gave Ruin And Rising 4 stars. After like half an hour of deliberating and second-guessing my rating, I switched it to 3 stars. If you'll ask me in a week, I'll probably say it was a 4 star read. So to be honest, I think it's a 3.5 from me. There are several reasons why I did this to the last book of one of my favorite series EVER and I'm gonna complain about every one of them, so if I start writing in CAPS, please understand that I'm about to combust from overwhelming feelings.
  
  “I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but me.”
  
  I don't know why I gave it 4 stars in the beginning. I guess I'm loyal that way and I couldn't stand dishonoring this beloved series of mine, one I relentlessly recommended over and over. But I had to be honest with myself and admit there were things that bugged the hell out of me. Alina's missed big destiny she could've truly had. The lack of Darkling scenes. Mal's predictable role. And then there were things that balanced it out a bit. Baghra's and the Darkling's backstory -- finally!! The side characters, all awesome and, honestly, the only ones that developed in this installment. And, of course, Nikolai Lantsov, the prince of sass and strategy.
  
  Alina sparked in Ruin & Rising and showed me that she could be kick-ass, strong, manipulative and the no-bullshit-type. But this side of her vanished quickly and fizzled out altogether in the end. I expected her to be powerful, to have the destiny she deserved -- no, that she earned-- not just a happy-ending in the white-fence picket style. She could've been one of the major heroines in fantasy, but she settled for plain and ordinary and I know that for her it's enough. I understand her choices. I even somewhat respect them. But that doesn't mean I like them.
  
  
  
  
  “It’s true,” I said softly. “You are stronger, wiser, infinite in experience.” I leaned forward and whispered, my lips brushing the shell of his ear. “But I am an apt pupil.”
  
  I want to gush over Baghra. I loved that woman! And I loved how she truly loved her son. There was a gut-wrenching scene that brought me to tears in which you could see the dynamic between her and The Darkling, how like calls to like and how you have to start taking action for making the changes you wish to obtain. Baghra also spilled out her secrets and I was pleasantly surprised it wasn't 100% what we (Grisha hardcore fans) previously guessed. And her story only increased my love for her, because she could be cruel, frustrating, sarcastic to no end, but she never tried to hide her flaws and mistakes. Just imagining living in such regret for hundreds of years, no one to share the burden with, made me question my own happiness and how... vain I felt in that moment.
  
  
  
  
  “You want a love story too? There's none to be had.”
  
  Now onto the complicated things. The guys. The Darkling was definitely my favorite character from The Grisha Trilogy. He's so multi-layered and complex, compelling and brilliant, dedicated and conflicting. His allure is always shocking, because his ruthlessness should make me scream "The hell with him!". But no. The fact that he manages to make me teary eyed, although he's basically a killer spokes volumes of Bardugo's writing mojo. He's the best antagonist I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. You want to love him, to protect him, to hate him, to find out his every thought and secret and cheer him up once in a while. Yet the most gut-wrenching thing about him is how utterly alone he is. How he craves an equal. How he needs assurance that the world won't be just an empty vessel. And this whole revelation, along with his unraveled backstory, makes him so lovable in my eyes.
  
  
  
  
  “He was ancient, I knew that. But in this moment he was just a boy -brilliant, blessed with too much power, burdened by eternity.”
  
  I liked Mal in this book far more than I did in the first two installments. You see, if I were to describe him in a few words, it would probably be determined, easygoing and a huge ungrateful ass. But my opinion about Mal changed quite a bit in this last book. For once, he finally realized how Alina's power is a part of her and that she doesn't need changing. She's special for who she really is and her talents bring out exactly that. He definitely became the main brick of support for Alina. And his stubborn determination and selflessness to help her in her war against The Darkling truly amazed me. Yeah, he might be a bit boring and a stuck-up prick whenever he wants to be, but he's also that cute, loyal and funny best friend that knows exactly what you want, need or fear.
  
  
  
  
  Nikolai was awesome and won major points in my overall appreciation for this book. His quick wit, his arrogance and love for clothes, his clever mind -- the Prince was a stand-up guy, not judgemental, always thinking about what's best for everyone. But guys, he had to endure some pretty sick stuff in this book and it made me proud to see him rise again afterwards, because if there's anyone who deserves to rule Ravka, it's him. There's also a scene in the first half of the book where he basically tells the King to go shove something up his ass and shut the eff up, or otherwise he'll charge him with rape. I don't think I've ever wanted to cheer and clap and yell "hell yes" so hard.
  
  “Please tell me you plan to dress up as a volcra and jump out of a cake.”
  
  The secondary characters were incredible! Genya, oh how much I loved her! She is awesome and she is fully appreciated in R&R. I liked how strong she managed to remain through her tragic life story, with the same "I rock" demeanor, but the best thing of all? Her relationship with David. To see him finally stand up for Genya was simply clap-worthy. You're the man, David.
  
  “Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what's inside you? That's steel. It's brave and unbreakable. And it doesn't need fixing.”
  
  Is it impossible to believe I really liked Zoya? She's such a strong, sassy and unpredictable character! I think the biggest surprise was how much I constantly awaited the scenes with her. Plus, her one-liners were bazinga.
  
  “Maybe you’re hungry,” said Zoya. “I always get mean when I’m hungry.”
  “Are you hungry all the time?” asked Harshaw.”
  
  In addition to them, the twins were badass and compelling. They offered some funny release while staying loyal to Alina and being a very important asset to their goal. Harshaw was an okay character, but I felt we barely scratched the surface of his personality. Nadia and Adrik were interesting enough and Adrik's crush on Zoya was so sweet!
  
  You know my biggest regret about R&R? No, sorry, make it the second. No, the third. Errr, maybe the fifth. Anyway -- The Apparat's ass wasn't handed over to him. Really, someone needed to show him who the real boss was so he'd lose the whole diva attitude.
  
  About the ending... It broke my heart. I might've even shed a few tears. I refused to believe it was happening. Some will say it was perfect. Some will hate it with every fiber of their being. For me? It was bittersweet. Good things happened, bad things happened, but that's life so I don't have the right to complain.
  
  
  
  
  The romance might prove tricky to explain. Since we have quite a love, um, square, there was never a solid chance that we'll know who Alina would end up with. But I also wanted a different love story. One enchanting, complicated, defying and different. But I guess I have to look somewhere else for something that isn't prone to the same style of happy-endings. Le sigh. I don't want to spoil anyone, but I'm sure you can see I'm not quite happy about the endgame pair. And don't get me wrong -- I don't hate who Alina ends up with, I just thought that she'd be at her best with someone else.
  
  
  
  
  “It was something no other Grisha understood, and in the end, it was what bound the Darkling and me most closely—not our powers, not the strangeness of them, not that we were both aberrations, if not abominations. It was our knowledge of the forbidden, our desire for more.”
  
  Anyway, I appreciate and respect that Alina finally got the happy-ending she wanted. She's content, she has friends that she can call family and she's surrounded by everything she's ever loved. *squishes her in a hug*
  
  
  
  
  “A lesser Saint,” he said. “But perhaps a better queen.”
  
  This book was good, but I expected it to be grand. I don't know -- maybe I was way too involved and my expectations were way above the clouds, but there's no way I can be objective when it comes to the ending of one of my favorite series. Yeah, it gave closure and it tied loose ends narratively speaking, but after reading R&R I felt disappointed, sad and, to be honest, bitter. Because the fans' theories were better than the path Bardugo chose. Because this had so much potential for awesomeness and while it was still well written and interesting, it sort of failed to deliver the shock and amazement I've expected. Because R&R ended up being quite a cliche-ish finale. Because it was somewhat predictable (good guesses, Grisha fans).
  
  
  
  
  Maybe I could've overlooked how it ended and maybe I wouldn't be willing to pay someone to re-write it to my peculiar tastes (joking... I think) if it weren't for a slight issue. I was bored. Seriously. I found myself taking breaks from reading so I can avoid continuing it. But the need to know how it all clicked together won and I caved in to my greedy heart.
  
  I'll still read anything Leigh Bardugo writes. She's awesome like that and has killer writing skills, although I don't particularly agree with some of her decisions in this story. I can't wait for the other series entitled The Dregs and set in the Grishaverse! I loved this world and I can't sulk and pout about Ruin And Rising forever 'cause I'd miss all the awesomesauce that those books would surely prove to be!
  
  
  
  
  For now, I'm gonna cry and rock back and forth in a corner to express my temporary unpleasure and disappointment. I'll throw a bookish tantrum. I'll drown myself in Grisha fanfics. I'll forget that this was the actual ending. I'll delete everythinggg from my brain -- except maybe the Darkling scenes that were the best, I'm telling you. I'm sad this journey is over and a bit wowed about how it all went down, but The Grisha Trilogy will forever hold a piece of my heart, no matter that it crushed it a bit in the end. So please go read it, because it’s still one of the best YA Fantasy stories out there.
  
  ENJOY!<3
  
  You can also find this review here:
  http://raftul-cartilor-vampiresti.blo...
  
  BEFORE READING:
  
  Um. No. Simply NO.
  
  A WHOLE BLOODY YEAR??? 2014?!?! Leigh Bardugo has got to be kidding me!
  
  
  
  Why the hell did I read the first two books before the finale is published? #stupid #stupid #stupid
  
  
  
  
  After S&S I’m dying. That ending? She would rise?? You seriously cannot end it like that.
  
  
  
  
  Oh. And Team Darkling. Always. <3 I need him with Alina! Also, I hope he doesn't end up dead.
  
  
  
  
  P.S. The author said she had started to call book 3 Ruin and Racy. Hot moments ahead? Please God, let it be so. Alarkling ones.
  
• 
  Teodora

  my heart: MORE NIKOLAI MORE NIKOLAI MORE NIKOLAI
  my brain: and the rest of them too, you need to know what happens
  my heart: MORE NIKOLAI!!
  my brain:
  
  
  RTC!
• 
  Drcong O '

  This review is mostly gifs bc I just cannot write proper English words and the only English word that I am able to write is the word "fuck" and there is enough of that if you scroll down.
  
  Mal
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Alina
  
  
  The Plot
  
  
  
  The Darkling
  
  
  
  
  The Ending
  
  
  
  
  
  If you don't want a whole fuck migraine, don't scroll down. :))
  
  
  *eye twitches*
  *closes book and stares off into the distance*
  *takes a deep breath*
  *implodes*
  
  Literally trying not to fucking throw my fucking Ipad across the room. FUCK THIS BULL FUCKING SHIT.
  
  FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK 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FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK FUCK
  
  :) :) :)
  
  ---
  If there isn't enough The Darkling in this I'm going to shit bricks.
  Also if Alina and The Darkling don't become a thing,, I'm going to cut a bitch.
  
  Dear book, pls help me get up of this slump ty very much.
  
  and to make matters worse I've heard this has a shitty ending.
  
  great.
• 
  The Burning Rose (Jess)

  Ugh... so I stopped reading this book in the middle. Now I don’t know if I should re-read the whole series or just this book...
• 
  Nilufer Ozmekik

  I’m pissed! When I get angry I turn into worst kind of Daenerys Targaryen: They call me mad queen a.k.a DDDL : despicable drunk dragon lady!
  
  First of all: I haven’t disappointed so long when I read the final words of trilogy! I hated the conclusion with every fiber of my being!
  In my opinion trilogy has an important message: girls, please don’t be so powerful, learn to be someone ordinary to earn your boy’s true love. If you behave, you’re guaranteed to ride off to the sunset together!!
  
  We kept reading the same tirade stories throughout three books:
  
  At the first book: Alina has lowest self esteem: she thinks she’s weak and ugly, her feelings for Mal are doomed to be unrequited. And last two books she thinks she’s too powerful and Mal cannot accept real her! This means they can never be together!
  
  Oh poor girl! Open your eyes! Learn to accept who you are, what you are capable of and don’t you ever think to change for everyone! Can you hear me Alina! No, she insisted to stay deaf!
  
  Interesting fact, if she decided to choose dark side, accepting to be antiheroine, I would find her more honest,even badass which could help me to respect her more!
  
  I wish she chose to be with Darkling or Nikolai!
  In my opinion, Darkling might be the best of the best character created in fantasy universe. Just for my respect for him, I’m not giving two stars to this book even though I’m still spraying fire from my nostrils! ( I may also think to give half points for incredibly smart banters of Nikolai but no need to be generous grader! I am still not big fans of MCs)
  
  The other thing bother me was there was not a specific plot of this book. The big predicament at the end of the second book solved in few chapters in the beginning of this new one and then the story lost its direction. This book reminded me of fantasy of version of Seinfeld! At both of the concepts nothing happens ! But you deeply get connected with some characters so you patiently watch or read till the end to see some kind of juicy action make you feel better!
  
  Only thing made me happy was extra promising adaptation of Netflix ( only watched three episodes but so far I fell so hard for production design and great casting choices which reflect character impeccably)
  
  If anyone decides to write a fan fiction to build entire story around Darkling and Nikolai, killing Mal and turning Alina into villanelle! I’m game! That would be best dreamy version of the trilogy for me!
• 
  may ➹

  can you believe I had the NERVE to actually enjoy this book when I didn’t like the first two books I’m so disappointed in myself