Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising is the final book in the fantastic Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo.
Time is running out for Alina. She must find the elusive firebird quickly in order to have enough power to stop the Darkling once and for all. But the Darkling's power and his hold over her is also growing. If she gets the power will she even want stop him?
I don't have much to say about the final instalment which I haven't already said about the previous two books. The language is, as always, beautifully wrought, the characters are well presented and realistic and the plotline flows wonderfully. All I can really say is that Ruin and Rising is an epic finale to a brilliant trilogy. We are kept guessing as to how it will all turn out right up to the very end. Without giving anything away I will say that there were a couple of points throughout this book where I was stunned speechless... you will know when you read this book what points I'm talking about!
This final book gives me everything I could hope for as the last in a trilogy. It is fast paced and exciting, there are happy, sad and bittersweet moments and by the end everything is tied up nicely without loose ends.
This trilogy as a whole is the kind I love best. It has something for everyone and I for one found it unputdownable. I would have no problem with recommending it to anyone. I wish Leigh Bardugo a long and successful career as an author as I am looking forward to seeing what world she thinks of next.
My rating for Ruin and Rising is 5/5.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

 

Siege and Storm is the 2nd instalment in Leigh Bardugo's Russian inspired Grisha trilogy.

Alina and Mal are on the run, trying to live a life away form the Darkling and the Grisha. Alina soon finds however that it is not possible to outrun destiny. She must choose between her power, her country and the man she loves. Is there any way she can protect all three?

AS with Shadow and Bone, the plot twists and turns and is basically a plot rollercoaster from start to finish! I seriously love not being able to tell what will happen next. It makes for an exciting read. As I said in my review of Shadow and Bone, this trilogy combines action, adventure and romance extremely well. In Siege and Storm we get a fuller view of how war-torn Ravka is and the difficulties surrounding our protagonists. (I debated calling them our heroes but decided against as with Bardugo you never can be sure how the characters will turn out at the end!)

Which leads me nicely into my views on the characters. Once again, Bardugo has produced magnificently intricate characters. As well as getting more insight and understanding of the characters from book1 there are also a few new characters to meet. My absolute favourite of these is the clever and enigmatic Sturmhond. I loved his plots and schemes and his comic inventiveness. He is like a chameleon - able to change between being ruthless and foreboding and cheeky and cheerful in the blink of an eye. I love this guy!

I was thrilled that Siege and Stone continued on so beautifully from Shadow and Bone without any lagging in plot. As such I also rate this book 4.5/5. 

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. It follows the journey of Alina, a young, lonely orphan who discovers she has an extraordinary power. The characters in this book are beautifully written and I had great empathy for Alina from the very first page when she's described as an "ugly little thing". As the story is told mainly from Alina's point of view she is of course the most well rounded character however, even the minor characters are three-dimensional and realistic. From the Darkling, a seductive, powerful and mysterious figure to Nadia and Maria who are shallow and gossipy, Bardugo really captures both the good and bad points of people.
Shadow and Bone is a brilliantly written fantasy. It is wonderfully descriptive without being overly descriptive. The story moves at a good pace and I found myself eagerly turning the pages to find out what was going to happen next. Whether you're a fan of action, adventure, magic or romance this book has it all! My favourite thing about this book is that it was in no way predictable. Just as I got a handle on what was happening and thought I could predict the outcome there would be a twist and I was once again left in a state of pleasurable uncertainty.
Though I believe this was originally marketed as a YA book, I would have no problem in recommending it to any fantasy lover. I would rate Shadow and Bone 4.5/5

So I haven't gotten off to the best start on this blog what with not posting anything since I set it up! What with a new puppy in the house and back to school stuff to sort, life has been a little bit hectic lately. This is changing now however. L is settled back in school nicely, puppy is calming down a bit and I've a few weeks before college starts back so time to get posting!
I wrote the following 3 reviews of the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo for my good friend at Bleach House Library.
Check her blog out here www.bleachhouselibrary.blogspot.ie