"The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne. Alina forges new alliances as she and Mal search for Morozova's last amplifier. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that alters her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields"--Provided by publisher.
I loved this series and the ending was pretty perfect. Bardugo is not for readers who want nonstop action. There are places in all of the books that lag, but the world-building is honestly perfect, the characters are believable and engaging, the stories are thrilling and she mostly avoids the common issue with fantasy finales of going too far and creating a parody of her own work. I absolutely loved this series and now can't wait to read King of Scars.
Ruin and Rising finds Alina and her ragtag group prisoners of the Apparat and a bunch of religious fanatics who claim to serve her but seem to want to keep her to parade round as a saint. Everyone wants to use Alina. I liked the story arc, although I was a bit worried she was going to end up with everyone as enemies.
Sometimes the bad guys in fantasy seem to have all the odds in their favour. If you've got monsters of darkness at your fingertips, it doesn't seem like there is any chance for good to prevail. I suppose what gives Alina a chance is the fact that the Darkling wants her by his side, perhaps he really is lonely. A human weakness that makes the climax just a little bit easier to believe.
OK, I totally guessed about the third amplifier. The ending was all a bit …
Ruin and Rising finds Alina and her ragtag group prisoners of the Apparat and a bunch of religious fanatics who claim to serve her but seem to want to keep her to parade round as a saint. Everyone wants to use Alina. I liked the story arc, although I was a bit worried she was going to end up with everyone as enemies.
Sometimes the bad guys in fantasy seem to have all the odds in their favour. If you've got monsters of darkness at your fingertips, it doesn't seem like there is any chance for good to prevail. I suppose what gives Alina a chance is the fact that the Darkling wants her by his side, perhaps he really is lonely. A human weakness that makes the climax just a little bit easier to believe.
OK, I totally guessed about the third amplifier. The ending was all a bit too neatly tied up though, especially after a long run up and it was over very quickly. However I'm glad I went back and read these books. There are a lot of characters who have their own complexities, and sometimes I felt I wanted a bit more that wasn't just about Alina.