Ruin and Rising (The Grisha #3) by Leigh Bardugo - Restarting April 19th 2021

[Farren]

Chapter 8

(view spoiler)[
I knew Nikolai would save them, and I'm surprised to say that I'm glad he also saved Baghra when the Darkling attacked. I'm glad that Genya was able to confront the king. But disappointed that Nikolai still wants to put her on trial for treason
(hide spoiler)]

Chapter 11

(view spoiler)[
Wow, Baghra's confession was the most interesting part of the story so far! I can't believe she's Morozova's daughter, and that she also had the same powers as the Darkling. It's crazy that she almost killed her sister with the Cut over something so ridiculous. I wonder if Alina really is decendant from the sister if she survived.
Nikolai's semi-proposal was sooo cute. I'm still kinda mad at him about Genya, but it was still such an awww moment.
Also, yay for Genya and David!
(hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Farren wrote: "Heather wrote: "finished ch 6

@Farren - I'm with you on feeling like not a lot has happened. [spoilers removed]

Also, YES!! I LOVED Lou - she was flawed and strong and badass and passionate and e..."

Oh wow... Yeah that is mind blowing.. I saw someone posted on here that the characters felt flat and one dimensional and there was no chemistry.. really demonstrates how different we all are as readers I suppose!

[Raghad]

up to chapter 6
@Heather @Farren
that's exactly how i feel about this trilogy, i'm reading it so i can read king of scars. i don't care that much about the characters (view spoiler)[ for a last book nothing really is happening. people keep attacking them and they find themselves in risky situations but i don't feel the risk. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Farren]

Raghad wrote: "up to chapter 6
@Heather @Farren
that's exactly how i feel about this trilogy, i'm reading it so i can read king of scars. i don't care that much about the characters [spoilers removed]"

Exactly! It's kind of like The Darkest Minds where they like travel and make plans for a while then a thing happens but it's never that serious, then more downtime, another event, etc. Except these characters aren't even as interesting as those

[Farren]

Chapter 14

(view spoiler)[
WHAT DID THE DARKLING DO TO MY BABE NIKOLAI?!
If you told me in the first book that Baghra would become a favorite character I wouldn't have believed you. Sad she's gone, but at least she went out like a bad bitch 🤟🏻
I love Adrik. He's such a tough kid.
How can the squallors hold their arms up for hours and hours? I can barely braid my hair without taking a rest and I don't even have a lot to work with haha
(hide spoiler)]

Glad the second half of the book is much better than the first

[Farren]

Chapter 17

(view spoiler)[
Whoa Mal is the third amplifier?! I knew his tracking abilities had to be supernatural but I wasn't expecting that at all.
So the Darkling kidnapped a bunch of children to use as bait, and readers still love him? I like villains, don't get me wrong, but people ship him with Alina and hate Mal and I just don't get that...
If they can keep appearing to the other person whenever they want, couldn't they just keep eavesdropping on each others' plans? That's what I would do lol
I was hoping the Apparat would redeem himself at some point but clearly that isn't going to happen so I'm hoping something nasty happens to him. Sorry not sorry.
Awww Nikolai still recognizes her. I'm curious how she will fix him
Also, it's about time Alina and Mal finally hooked up. I was starting to wonder if her and Baghra were the only females he wasn't going to sleep with
(hide spoiler)]

I have about 55 pages left so I'll be finishing this up tomorrow

[Raghad]

chapter 8 (view spoiler)[
Nikolai will make a great king for sure, i liked that he held his father responsible for what he did to Genya and i'm not mad that he will punish Genya too, he's trying to be fair.
why did Nikolai gave Alina that ring, i just can't see them with each other, i really hope they don't end up together.
also David was cute in this chapter.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Farren]

Raghad wrote: "chapter 8
"

(view spoiler)[I don't care that he wants to hold her responsible for conspiring with the Darkling because that was shitty of her, but I don't feel like she should be punished for poisoning her abuser just because he's the king. It sucks that him and the queen are now going to go off and live a comfortable life out of the public eye (hide spoiler)]

[Farren]

Finished

Hmm this was a tough one to rate. I think I'm going to give it 3.5 because the first half was just okay but the second half was pretty good.

(view spoiler)[
I knew Alina was going to have to kill Mal and that he would be brought back to life, but it's crazy that after all they've been through and strategized that all she had to do was stab the Darkling to kill him. I actually like that Alina lost her power after sacrificing Mal. I skimmed the author interview at the end and Leigh said she had planned that from the beginning and never considered changing it. Since the addiction to power is such a strong theme throughout the trilogy it was just perfectly fitting.
I'm glad Nikolai isn't going to have wings in King of Scars 🤭 I thought it was sweet that he still wanted to marry Alina knowing she had no power to benefit him, but I just couldn't see them together. I also liked that he pardoned Genya and offered her a job, but he also did the same for the Apparat and that was annoying. But hey, that's politics for you.
I'm not a Mal-hater, so I didn't mind that they marry and end up rebuilding and running the orphanage. Kind of reminded me of the end of the Vampire Diaries show
(hide spoiler)]

[Raghad]

Farren wrote: "Raghad wrote: "chapter 8
"

[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[
oh i thought he will only punish her for the darkling thing not poisoning his father. yeah his parents had it easy. (view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Raghad wrote: "chapter 8
Nikolai will make a great king for sure, i liked that he held his father responsible for what he did to Genya and i'm not mad that he will punish Genya too, he's trying to be fair.
why d..."

Through ch 8 as well now. (view spoiler)[ I'm happy to have Nikolai back but still not a lot is happening. I do agree that he will make a great king. His desire to invoke some level of punishment on both sides is good to see but I think the King got off easy. Really hope this story picks up some for the second half.. (hide spoiler)]

[Raghad]

up to chapter 11 (view spoiler)[
what happened to Nikolai? what did the darkling do to him?
Baghra is dead! i like her though :(
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

ch 11

@Farren (view spoiler)[ that sorta proposal was adorable but I just don't feel the chemistry with any of these characters.. the reveals about family relationships between characters was definitely a surprise and added some intrigue to the story. (hide spoiler)]

@Raghad (view spoiler)[That whole scene with the Darkling/Nikolai left me a little confused as well.. and I am with you on Baghra - she was one of the few characters I actually enjoyed reading about so I was sad to see her go :( (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Farren wrote: "Chapter 14


WHAT DID THE DARKLING DO TO MY BABE NIKOLAI?!
If you told me in the first book that Baghra would become a favorite character I wouldn't have believed you. Sad she's gone, but at least ..."

Ch 14 finished, hoping to finish this one at work tonight..

@Farren (view spoiler)[ SO MAD ABOUT NIKOLAI!!! I need him fixed now!!! I was also surprised by my love for Baghra but she definitely went out in glory and she deserved that kind of ending. Things for sure seem to be picking up some and I'm thankful for that. Not sure how I feel about Mal and her's kissing session - again, I just have not felt any chemistry between these characters >.< (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

Farren wrote: "Chapter 17


Whoa Mal is the third amplifier?! I knew his tracking abilities had to be supernatural but I wasn't expecting that at all.
So the Darkling kidnapped a bunch of children to use as bait,..."

hahahah I love your comment about (view spoiler)[ Mal's looseness with females... I'm happy for them finally hooking up but still don't feel the sparks.. (hide spoiler)]

Finished with ch 17 and pushing through. Talk about being blindsided with (view spoiler)[ the reveal about him being the amplifier. Also, completely agree about not getting how everyone ships the Darkling with Alina.. I liked him in the first book, he was really what got me hooked. But just bleh.. I love me a great villian but hate when children are brought into it >.<
Looking forward to seeing how she saves Nikolai since he obviously is still in there somewhere.. (hide spoiler)]

[Raghad]

HeatherH wrote: "Farren wrote: "Chapter 14


WHAT DID THE DARKLING DO TO MY BABE NIKOLAI?!
If you told me in the first book that Baghra would become a favorite character I wouldn't have believed you. Sad she's gone..."
finished chapter 14
(view spoiler)[
i didn't think much about Bagrah until this book either.
i don't feel the chemistry either. i think Alina is the problem lol i like the Darkling and Nikolai more when they're not into Alina and Mal is fine by himself.
i want Nikolai back.we barely saw him so far.
(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[HeatherH]

@Raghad - I agree, they're all much preferable without her lol.

Just finished.. its a very not memorable book/trilogy for me. I'm looking forward to SoC after all the love I've seen for it compared to these,

@Farren (view spoiler)[ I definitely agree that her killing the Darkling was anticlimatic. Also pretty disappointed about the Apparat. Otherwise the wrap up was decent. (hide spoiler)]

[Raghad]

finished
@Heather i read SoC and crooked kingdom before this series and it's WAY better.

@Farren (view spoiler)[
i like that Nikolai offered Genya that job. and yeah the way she killed the Darkling was too easy, stabbing is not how i pictured the Darkling death . i also like that she lost her powers and didn't marry Nikolai, she will not make a good queen. overall the series is fine, the ending was expected .i didn't feel anything when she killed Mal, i knew he will come back somehow.

(view spoiler)[ (hide spoiler)] (hide spoiler)]

[Farren]

Yes agree with you guys on all of this!

Alina's and Mal's love seemed more platonic and familial than anything, it shouldn't have been forced in a romance direction. Like if they had chemistry wouldn't they have hooked up like any time before now?

The reveal of the third amplifier really got me! I can't believe with a series as "old" as this one that I've never heard spoilers about it. I think that's when I started to actually get into the story rather than trying to just get through the story.

The end was anticlimactic but I went in with low expectations because I lot of people hated this book. It would have been so much better if things had felt high stakes or dangerous but they just didn't get there.

[HeatherH]

@Farren - that third amplifier was really the only exciting twist for me! And totally agree - I wish more authors would be ok with platonic relationships.. not everyone has to be coupled for the story to have a good ending!

[Maddie]

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Date changed. Restarting December 22nd 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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[Carolyn]

0%- The Darkling must die!!!!

[Carolyn]

17%-(view spoiler)[ Alina can do the same trick as the Darkling? She can appear to him like as a ghost? Creepy! I'm ready for them to get out of the underground. (hide spoiler)]

[Carolyn]

36%-(view spoiler)[ They're in some tower thing Nikolai invented in the Fjerdan mountains. The king has found out about Genya! Oh no! What will happen? (hide spoiler)]

[Carolyn]

I spent all day reading this book. It's SO good!

100%-(view spoiler)[ This did not end as I though it would. I can't believe Alina lost her power. At least, now Mal and Alina can be together. I love that they house orphans. It's like full circle. (hide spoiler)].

[Dr. Andy]

Ch 7 (view spoiler)[damn Alina is just traveling between all her allies 😂 so glad Nikolai found her tho. Agh I love this little shit. I’m excited to see if they’ll actually be able to find the fire bird. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Ch. 11 (view spoiler)[ Well damn that was a showdown! I can't believe Baghra sacrificed herself like that. Damn girl you're amazing and I'm so sad it came to that. The Darkling really needs to be stopped man. I hope Nikolai will come back!! I NEED HIM TO BE OKAY (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Ch. 17 (view spoiler)[ Fuck me Mal is the third amplifier. I really thought Morozova's relative was going to be Alina. That would've been so cool if the two branches of the family were darkness and sunlight. But I'm glad Alina and the Darkling aren't related. Because then I'd ship them even less. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Finished (view spoiler)[ The magic logic for how Mal survived was strange. It didn't make a lot of sense. But I am so glad Alina and Mal will be together! And Nikolai is saved, MY BABY <3 This was quite the ending. Overall, really enjoyed this trilogy. (hide spoiler)]

[Dr. Andy]

Carolyn wrote: "36%-[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ Oh man I loved how Nikolai was immediately on Genya's side. I'm so glad she found a way to poison the King for what he was doing, it was abhorrent and completely wrong. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting January 20th AND February 13th 2020. Happy Reading ☺

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[Claire]

Chapter 3
(view spoiler)[This one is off to a strong start! I hope it stays exciting though, S&S started strong too in a similar way and ended strong but I thought that the middle was meh. (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Chapter 8
(view spoiler)[Bye King! Nobody likes you, have a terrible life! :D

The girls' night in was cute, Alina obviously isn't going to end up married to Nikolai but especially now that she's become more confident in her powers, I kinda lowkey ship it. (Mostly because I still don't really care for Mal) (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Chapter 14
(view spoiler)[Of COURSE Mal is the third amplifier, I can't believe I didn't figure that out myself. I don't believe for a second that he's really going to die though, things will work out fine somehow.

I feel like this series needed more of The Darkling, we've barely gotten to see him in the last 2 books and knowing how these YA series work, he's almost definitely going to die very soon :< (hide spoiler)]

[Claire]

Finished!
(view spoiler)[Aw, I'm not a big fan of Mal/Alina but that ending was cute, I'm happy with it.

Not even the tiniest bit surprised that The Darkling died, but at least Leigh Bardugo was nice enough to write a novella for him :<

I can definitely see why people say that this series is very 'basic' and inferior to Six of Crows, but I still enjoyed it overall. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah A]

Starting this one today.

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

18 %, Chapter 3: (view spoiler)[When this started out in the cathedral I thought it would take ages again til something happens, luckily this wasn't the case. But I fear for the time when they are above ground and on the hunt for the third amplifier, I hope it doesn't take long and most of the story.

Alina can visit the Darkling, I like that. I hope we see more of him.

And the Apparat is creepy again, I can't stand him. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah A]

@Julie A.
(view spoiler)[ I know he is so creepy! I think I find him wrose in this book so far then in the 1st one. (hide spoiler)]

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

Sarah wrote: "@Julie A.
[spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[Yes, way worse. Because he's powerful now and can use his power over Alina, because he thinks he has the upper hand. I wonder if, in the end, he'll try to do something sketchy to keep his power. (hide spoiler)]

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

48 %; Chapter 9: (view spoiler)[I have to admit, right now Ruin & Rising is my favorite of the trilogy. I think it's a lot faster than the other books. There aren't just some boring hours where you wait for something to happen. I hope it stays that way, now that the company leaves to find the firebird.

I even liked the bit with the girls looking through Alinas dresses and trying to have a little normalcy. Zoya is one of my favorites.

Even though I like Nikolai way more, I think Mal and Alina will end up together. Especially because I hope Alina won't be a big part in King of Scars. (hide spoiler)]

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

75 % (view spoiler)[So, Mal is the third amplifier? I didn't see that coming, but maybe I was just unobservant while reading? I really like this one much more than the others and it gives me hope that I'll like the Six of Crows Duology as well as King of Scars. (hide spoiler)]

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

100 % (view spoiler)[I knew Mal would survive somehow. Barghas father revived his daughter from the dead and I suspected something similar would happen to Mal.

And Nikolai turned back to his old form after the Darkling died. For that part I actually wished that it took a little more than just the death but well. I haven't read the synopsis of any of the following books, but I so hope we get to see the Darkling again somehow, maybe just as a flash back but I don't want to part with this character.

R&R was my favorite of the series. It wasn't so slow like the other two books and it felt like there wasn't that much down time where nothing happened. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah A]

Julie wrote: "48 %; Chapter 9: I have to admit, right now Ruin & Rising is my favorite of the trilogy. I think it's a lot faster than the other books. There aren't just some boring hours where you wait for somet..."

(view spoiler)[ Yes, this one is so much better then the first two. (hide spoiler)]

Are you going to read King of Scars this month?

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

Sarah wrote: "Julie wrote: "48 %; Chapter 9: I have to admit, right now Ruin & Rising is my favorite of the trilogy. I think it's a lot faster than the other books. There aren't just some boring hours where you ..."

Yes, there's a buddy Read starting on the 12th. Wanna join us? :)

[Sarah A]

Yes I would love too. I have been meaning to read it after I finished Crooked kingdom but started Shadow and Bones instead.

[Sarah A]

50%(view spoiler)[ I really think the Darkling loves Alina in his own way. I did really like how he told her his name and no one knows it but his mother. I wonder if Morozova was the Darklings father? (hide spoiler)]

[Ta || bookishbluehead]

Sarah wrote: "50%[spoilers removed]"

Have to agree with you. (view spoiler)[I think he loves her in a very strange and twisted way. He's very power driven and she is powerful and without her he'll be alone again. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah A]

Finished: (view spoiler)[ I want to know how the twins brought back Mal from the died. I really liked the ending, where Alina still saw the Darkling as a person instead of just a monster. (hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting July 6th 2020. Happy Reading ☺

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[Kikijanika]

Hey,

Thank you for requesting the dread! How far in the book are you? I just started last night. It's been a while since I read Siege and storm, so I'm still trying to brush up my memory a bit :)