"Waiting on" Wednesday [17]

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

Publication Date: June 17, 2014

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

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.

I loved the first book of this series, Shadow and Bone, and I was disappointed when the second book, Siege and Storm, suffered second book syndrome (in my opinion). I have high hopes for this finale because of where the second book left off and I can't wait for it to finally be released to the world in just under a week.

Check out my review of Siege and Storm.
Check it out on Goodreads!  

Book Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

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

Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Source: Library

Summary

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.

(Courtesy of Goodreads)

My Review

Siege and Storm, the second book in The Grisha Trilogy, by Leigh Bardugo, takes us right back into the story of Alina, the Darkling and the rest of Ravka. After escaping the Darkling at the end of Shadow and Bone we find Alina and Mal on the run. The action-packed beginning that you would expect leads to a slower middle section where we learn more about Alina and her struggles and how she deals with them. Finally we end on another thrilling encounter between the Darkling and Alina that sets up the last book perfectly.

(Minor spoilers under the cut)