Synopsis: 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.
Review: We've done it. This is the end of the initial Grisha trilogy. One thing Leigh does quite well in this book is show us new sides to familiar characters. In particular, the Darkling was brilliant. Some people might not like the idea of humanizing a villain, but Leigh does it wonderfully. She shows that the Darkling is only as evil as Alina makes him out to be. Nikolai was another great person to read about. He shows his capacity to rule and lead which are two separate things. The last character I'm going to talk about is Mal. I like Mal a lot in this book, but I appreciate how necessary he feels throughout the series. In every book, his ability to track animals is highlighted in some way and he feels important. Not just the bumbling love interest for Alina. The other characters are great, but these three stood out to me in Ruin and Rising.
This was a satisfying end to the series. We get to learn about Ravka's history and the legacy behind the amplifiers. We also get to see how well this group works together. From the very first scene, to the very last scene, they rely on their own abilities as well as their friends' abilities. I didn't mention this in the reviews for previous books, but Leigh isn't afraid to hurt her characters. This is particularly interesting because so many of them struggle with this battle against darkness. Sometimes, that darkness is within themselves. I appreciated these underlying themes, though not everyone will.
Fantastic conclusion to a fun series.
5 howls
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