Ruin & Rising is the final novel in the Shadow & Bone trilogy. Leigh Bardugo received great acclaim for this series and even made it into a Netflix series, though it was never finished.

From the few episodes I watched, I thought the storyline and the acting were spot on, but a very steamy and violent. It was too much for me and I shut it off after a few episodes, but I know Bardugo’s fans were extremely upset about the cancellation of the show. If you check it out, just be aware that it is definitely for an adult audience.

Before we dive in to the review on the book, here is a reminder of how I rate what I read (these will be on a scale of 1-10, 1 being low, 10 being high):

• Plot Structure: How well the story was put together.
• Character Development: Level of growth a character achieves and how well the author makes them feel “real.”
• Language: Level of swearing, innuendos, verbal abuse, and other triggers.
• Violence: Level of fight scenes and gore.
• Sexual Content: Level of physical intimacy.

Disclaimer: The more I write, the more I critique books harder on plot structure and how the various elements work together. Thus my reviews reflect this. However, if you see a book appear on the blog, it’s because I enjoyed reading and thought you, as a fellow bookie, would enjoy it as well. As always, reading is subjective and what resonates with me may not resonate with you. And that’s OK! We’re in this to discover new books that are family appropriate and worth taking the time to read.

Let’s see how this book shakes out on my scorcard!

Book Description:

The Review:

Alina starts out in a bleak place after nearly killing herself in her attempt to kill the Darkling. Since then, she’s been living in a network of underground tunnels where she’s lost her connection to her sun summoning powers.

However, Mal comes to her rescue again and reunites Alina back to her power. Once they get topside, the pair hunt the Fire Bird to complete her trio of amplifiers, along with revealing the Darkling’s past. An interesting tale on its own, and likely why Bardugo made a graphic novel to explore this particular character.

Things I enjoyed with this book:

Throughout this series, I’ve loved the wit and dry humor used by all the characters. Bardugo also does an excellent job of crafting details to build suspense and leave unanswered questions that keep you turning pages.

I loved the twist with Nikolai. It was a great way to show the consequences of fighting against the Darkling and what the villain was truly capable of. Plus, Nikolai was my favorite character throughout this series, so I was interested to see how he’d handle this struggle.

The conclusion was well done and felt earned. It was also nice to end back at Keramzin where the series started, giving the story a sense of true closure.

Things I didn’t like:

This book has a fade to black sex scene that, while tastefully done, could have been done without. So often it feels that authors feel the need to put in a scene like this prior to the final battle as a “We may never be together again, so we might as well ‘get together’ now,” and so often it feels forced and unnecessary.

But this is just my opinion. I prefer closed door or less where romance is concerned.

How I rate this book:

• Plot Structure: 8/10; This was a heavy book as far as the storyline goes. We explore some dark places with the characters and the plot leads us along to the point that we don’t realize we’re being led until we hit the climax and can say along with the characters, “I knew it. I just knew it.”
• Character Development: 8/10; The characters were well developed. Their goals are clear and make you want to follow them on their journeys. Alina, Mal, Nikolai, and the Darkling all stretch and grow in this novel. They reach new levels of maturity, and they play off of each other well.
• Language: 4/10; There is some swearing and harsh words used.
• Violence: 7/10; This book can get graphic with the gore descriptions, especially with the monsters called the Volcra. Things can get quite dark at times and the descriptions are very detailed.
• Sexual Content: 7/10; We are led through some foreplay and a fade to black scene. Characters are constantly in each other’s bedrooms and promiscuity is frequent.

I hope you enjoyed this review. If there are any books you would love to see reviewed here, you can send those recommendations to me through this form. You can view previous reviews on Shadow & Bone and Siege & Storm.

Also, be sure to check out my series, The Comstock Chronicles, for a high adventure, epic fantasy with a clean romantic subplot.