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

Leigh Bardugo

Start date: July 1, 2015

Finish date: July 31, 2015

Discussion: Series

Why we're reading this: It won the poll for the series in progress BOTM
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Series

* Continuing Series- Nightbane
By Bailey · 4 posts · 30 views

last updated Aug 12, 2025 07:32AM

* New Series- The Princess Trials
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last updated Aug 27, 2025 04:41PM

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What Members Thought

Feb 01, 2019 Kitty Marie rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2019-books, books-finished

This final volume is rushed and crowded and I don’t mean that in a necessarily bad way. A lot happens and the pace was kept brisk, a welcome change from the less eventful, less twisting and turning second book.

Some of my earlier problems with the first and second books were half-solved here. Side characters (coincidentally, the ones I was most interested in) are given either expanded back stories or just worthwhile developments and resolutions. Baghra, Genya, and Zoya stand out in particular. I This final volume is rushed and crowded and I don’t mean that in a necessarily bad way. A lot happens and the pace was kept brisk, a welcome change from the less eventful, less twisting and turning second book.

Some of my earlier problems with the first and second books were half-solved here. Side characters (coincidentally, the ones I was most interested in) are given either expanded back stories or just worthwhile developments and resolutions. Baghra, Genya, and Zoya stand out in particular. I came to like Mal again despite caring for him less in the second book. Even though he’s not a most important character, Nikolai in my opinion showcases the best that this author has to offer in terms of character dialogue and banter, most of the side character conversations pale in comparison.

A major drawback is the emptiness of other side characters who ought to have something going on- I’m thinking of Harshaw, Sergei, Nadia, characters like that. They are developed so thinly as to not matter. (view spoiler) As for Alina, she is a character that struggled to be compelling and likable for so long but I finally was at peace with her pretty early in the book.

The descriptions of settings and attentions to detail did not seem as all-consuming as the second book, but still seemed convincing and competently written. But to be honest, I didn't appreciate those parts so much and would have preferred more focus on aforementioned character back stories and development.

Without saying anything detailed about the ending, I was satisfied. The build up leading to it and sort of preparation on the part of the characters lended a sense of high drama to the ending. But what I like in particular though is kind of a subjective accident. I could imagine a darker and more sinister headcanon outcome, one that could easily fit into place. (view spoiler) ...more

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Apr 17, 2016 Susan rated it it was amazing

I LOVED this trilogy so much. I took longer on this book because I truly didn't want it to end ever. I am unsure how I feel about the ending but I guess overall I am happy with it. I am really excited about starting Sic of Crows which is going to be my next book/ ...more

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Aug 08, 2016 Cats W. Bats, Esq. rated it liked it

Shelves: young-adult

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. This book was a little bit of a letdown for me after the second book, which I enjoyed the most out of the series. I understand why Alina "had" to lose her powers (and why Morozova did what he did), but it still felt kind of unfair. I get Alina didn't need the powers to assert her personhood or that she mattered or whatnot, but after everything she went through it felt a little empty and unsatisfying.

Also, another thing (the major thing, tbh) that bugged me was the love triangle (quandrangle?) r This book was a little bit of a letdown for me after the second book, which I enjoyed the most out of the series. I understand why Alina "had" to lose her powers (and why Morozova did what he did), but it still felt kind of unfair. I get Alina didn't need the powers to assert her personhood or that she mattered or whatnot, but after everything she went through it felt a little empty and unsatisfying.

Also, another thing (the major thing, tbh) that bugged me was the love triangle (quandrangle?) resolution. Mal was such an asshole to her in the second book that I absolutely did not want her to end up with him by the end of the trilogy. I didn't want her with the Darkling either because he...well, he did terrible things to her and others and tried to kill her, and while I preferred Nikolai to Mal I knew she wouldn't choose him either because she didn't want to be a queen but still. She couldn't have ended up on her own? I feel like the only reason she ended up with Mal was because the author decided that was how it was going to end when she was writing the outline for the series and then refused to deviate from the plan. Which, if that's the case, is totally fine and valid! Except Bardugo threw in a major obstacle in the first book (their separation for most of the book) and then introduced other more interesting suitors. Mal reacts jealously and treats Alina horribly through most of the second book, making both of them miserable and Alina doesn't even seem to care. She's just miserable and unhappy and pines for him while he lashes out at her.

Alina and Mal finally get their act together in the third book and consummate their ~love~, but it feels kind of superficial because Nikolai was still being presented as an alternative up to the point he was whisked off by nichevo'ya (the other major thing I didn't like) and turned into a fucking volcra/shadow soldier or whatever. Of all the unfair, life-sucks-and-then-you-get-turned-into-a-shadow-demon things... Poor Nikolai didn't deserve that. He was just trying to help. :(

This review feels complainy but I really did like the book and series. I loved that Alina and Zoya became allies without really becoming friends (although the epilogue hints at perhaps friendship). And I loved Genya, as always. Honestly, I felt more chemistry between Genya and Alina than Alina and Mal. I would have rooted for that relationship. Most importantly I'm really happy Bardugo let Oncat live. If Oncat had died I would have chucked the book across the room and refused to finish the series. I'd like to believe Mal and Alina adopted Oncat and she lived out the rest of her days with them at Keramzin. ...more

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Sep 17, 2018 Kim rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, audible-purchased

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 14, 2024 JazzyReadz💜 rated it liked it

Only the last like 50 pages of this book felt important. Everything else was build up and kind of just a copy paste of the second book honestly. I want a book finale to be epic and this once fell a little short. It didn’t even make me cry. For shame.

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