Review: Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 17th 2014 by Henry Holt and Company
Rating: 5 out of 5

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Available from:

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Synopsis:

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.
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Review: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Publishers: Henry Holt & Co/Macmillan

Published Date: June 4th 2013

From: Bought

My rating: 5 out of 5

Synopsis:

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Review:

Siege and Storm is the second book of the wonderful Grisha Trilogy. A pseudo-Russian tale of commoner girl becoming more powerful than the king who runs the country. Grisha are the people born with magical skills. Some can muster weather, others can create. The worst Grisha is the Darkling whose only end game is to take control of the country and rule. And only Alina, an orphan, deserter from the army and late developer of her Sun summoning skill, can stop him. In Shadow and Bone we learned how Alina along with her best friend Mal travel across the Fold and Alina saves the lives of everyone, especially Mal's. At the end she runs from her life at the palace knowing the Darkling wants her power and also wants her by his side to conquer the country of Ravka.

We start this sequel as Alina and Mal are making a life for themselves far away from the enemy. Both are enjoying their life undetected and away from the threats of Ravka. Friends from a young age there is even a hint of the growing romance between them but their secret life is brought to an awful crashing end when the Darkling catches up with them.

From here on the adventure takes us through twists and turns. The privateer Sturmhond takes them on a journey and ends up revealing a more important side to his character. And soon word is spreading about a living saint, Sankta Alina - Saint Alina, the Sun Summoner. Supposedly raised from the dead and turned saint, Sankta Alina is the only one who can bring the Darkling finally down. But with rumours of his army growing larger and soldiers deserting the First Army, Ravka is on the brink of war.

You know when you're reading a good book and a thrilling series when you really can't bear to put the book down and you're grateful you have so much more to read. Then you reach the end and you feel that pain that says 'Now I have to wait another year - Why??'

Leigh Bardugo does not disappoint in this amazing sequel. The characters are as rich, humourous and as real as before. The range of emotions Alina goes through has heightened since the last book and I truly felt sorry for her situation. She neither asked for it or felt it was deserved. In the same vain Mal was a wonderful guy who stood by her, despite fighting his own demons of being non-Grisha and in the end he still accepted her for who she is. But the one who stole the book for me was Prince Nikolai. What a great character to bring into the second book. Funny, witty and clever with it. Alina would have been lost without him.

If you enjoy tales of magic, intrigue and heroes then this is the series you definitely should read. Don't forget to check out the small stories in between also. Here's a link to Goodreads where you can download or view them.

Grisha Series by Leigh Bardugo  

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You can reach Leigh Bardugo here: 

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Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Publishers: Macmillan Children's Publishing Group

Published: Date: June 5th 2012

Rating: 4 out of 5

Synopsis:

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.

Review:

In the fantasy land of Ravka, that is reminiscent of Old Russia, Alina and her childhood friend Mal are in the army. Alina has found being a mapmaker is one of the few things she can do because she enjoys drawing. Mal is good as a tracker. When they were 8 years old they were tested for possible Grisha skills (magic) but both were found to have nothing of value.

But when their lives are threatened crossing the infamous 'Fold', a swathe of darkness that hampers the land, Alina's power shines out like the sun and pushes the enemy away. From that moment her life changes beyond all measure.

This is a wonderful story, written with such super precision. The world building is easy to understand and no aspect of Alina's adventure drags on for chapter after chapter. The pace is steady and the conclusion is reached with wonderful tension building and leaves us wondering what will happen next.

Alina is a plucky, courageous character, and although I had doubts about Mal in the beginning, he did show his true colours towards the end. The Darkling was charming and came over altogether as a misunderstood leader who wanted the best for his kingdom. But his dark intentions come true near the end. In a way I was sorry it turned that way because I think the pairing of the Darkling and a Sun Summoner (Alina) would have been an interesting twist. I think in the end, when we get the next book, only Alina can save him from himself.

Altogether a great read that will keep you on the edge of your toes!!

-CB x

  Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the Six of Crows Duology and the Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising), as well as the upcoming Wonder Woman: Warbringer (Aug 2017) and The Language of Thorns (Sept 2017).

She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band.

You can reach Leigh Bardugo here:

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