Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo (Fantasy)

In this, the third installment of the Shadow and Bone series, the protagonist, Alina, is trapped with her friends in a maze of tunnels. Following the loss of her light-summoning abilities in a battle with the evil Darkling, Alina has no choice but to give in to the orders of a mysterious priest named the Apparat. After months and months of staying in mind-numbing isolation, bound to a freezing cold room, she begins yearning for change—and so have her friends. One night, Alina’s closest friend, Mal, stages a revolt against the Apparat. With the help of his allies, Alina manages to escape unscathed, but not without a fight. Members of the Apparat’s army of worshipers chase after them, losing their lives while fighting against Alina’s newly restored power. Together, the group wanders through the tunnels for many restless nights. In their underground travels, they overcome blockade after blockade before finally coming across a doorway to the outside. A still-weak Alina, alongside Mal, begin their search for the firebird: a creature capable of amplifying her powers to an unprecedented level. With the weight of their homeland on her shoulders, can Alina locate the firebird and put an end to the all-powerful Darkling’s wrath?

This book managed to keep me hooked all the way through with its enticing plot and thrilling characters. It’s full of epic battle scenes and loaded with action. It has plenty of violence, twists, and a trace of romance. The dialog is realistically written, and never fails to make me laugh. I would recommend it to people with a love for the fantasy genre, and people that enjoy reading a good series. The locations are described beautifully and paint a vivid picture in the reader’s mind, no matter the place. Despite this, not all parts of the book were enjoyable. The ending was a bit bland and predictable, and some parts of Mal and Alina’s romance were a bore. There were a few scenes that dragged on too long, and the chapters feel endless at times. Even so, I never felt myself losing interest in the plot. I found myself becoming obsessed with the characters throughout the entire story, and believe they truly helped the book not become monotonous to read. As the backstories of the characters are revealed, my enthusiasm for them only grew. The world was developed enough to get you to care about it, but not so much that it becomes uninteresting. Overall, this book was very entertaining and a joy to read.

Reviewed by Cavin E., Grade 8