WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo Spoilers

InLovewSB · June 2014

***Spoilers***

Well, what did everyone think?

I was disappointed by how little the plot actually progressed over 260 pages. How much of the book was spent just traveling? Too much. Nonetheless, I was quite entertained by the book. I enjoyed the sarcastic/quippy dialogue, and I enjoyed the relationships. When Alina and Mal felt the jolt in book two, I was anticipating something with the firebird was amiss, so I wasn't surprised by this reveal in book 3. But I was left wondering why Mal couldn't just grab and hold her wrist if she felt the 'doorway of light' so strongly just from his touch on her wrist, and why didn't any other character ask this question.

The Darkling may be the villain that I enjoy the most of any in recent memory - he's bad and it's so good

I was still hoping that Alina would end up with Nikolai somehow right up until the final Fold scene, but I'm glad that they all remained friends. I like the thought of everyone visiting at the new mansion on the holidays.

booneybear · June 2014

I loved everything about it. (Especially that she added the character of Oncat).

I think the Darkling has to be one of my favorite characters ever. He was so human at time and so incredibly evil at other times. He was so conflicted and tortured. I loved him. I only wish that he could have been "redeemed" in the end.

I also ended up really liking Zoya. In the first book I wanted to rip out all her hair and punch her in the face. I totally did a 180. I loved her in this book.

I really enjoyed the way things ended but at the same time I wanted to see the following things happen:

1. I wanted to find something to finally stand out about Mal for me. Unfortunately this never happened. He remained a big blob of blandness throughout the series to me.

2. I wanted Nikolai to rule the entire world. The book could have just been full of Nikolai dialogue and I would have loved it.

3. I was routing for a Nikolai and Zoya hookup.

4. I was hoping the Darkling would be redeemed and Alina would realize that she was better off being friends with boring Mal and realize that she and the Darkling were made for each other. She had WAY more chemistry with the Darkling than she ever had with Mal.

I am sure there is more but that is what I have for now.

EliStar · June 2014

So I'm not 100% thrilled with this book. I thought it was great, don't get me wrong. But I was kind of sad at how many of my favorite characters were just left hanging. Not enough HEA for me, I guess. I was firmly on TEAM NIKOLAI and I guess I was hoping that somehow in this book Alina would end up falling for him. What happened to Zoya? Where did everyone else end up? Was Nikolai even okay? Was he happy?

I wasn't expecting redemption for The Darkling. I actually thought his story line in this book was perfect and he got exactly what he deserved. So many of the Darkling scenes had me completely swooning. That line about how Alina could make him a better man? Jesus. He is the hottest villain I have ever encountered in any book.

While Mal bores me most of the time, I do love the quippy banter between him and Alina. It was really cute. Just not as cute as the quippy banter between Alina and Nikolai. GRRRRR. The scene where Alina killed him? I didn't expect for one second that he was going to stay dead. That kind of ruined that whole bit for me. Also, while my prediction was that Mal was the firebird wasn't exactly right, it wasn't exactly wrong either LOL.

I think it was a solid four star book. I'm hoping the spin off series will have lots and lots of Nikolai in it!

SnShne322 · June 2014

Gah! I didn't hear about the spinoff yet! IM SO EXCITED NOW! I can't say much more than was already said, but I did like it quite a bit. I needed Mal to be more flashy, and he just wasn't. I was team Nikolai as well. I hope we see more of him!

MrsC7 · June 2014

Ditto a lot of what was said here. I didn't reread the second book so Mal being the third amplifier threw me. It kind of came out of nowhere for me and didn't quite sit right with me.

TEAM NIKOLAI. I'm sad he's so damaged. I want to know if he's happy - did he still want to be king or was that mantle thrust upon him? Does he ever find a queen who will understand him?And at the end, when he and Zoya visit Alina and Mal at the orphanage at Christmas time, how does no one at the orphanage know who he is? He's not just some handsome hazel eyed guest who never takes off his gloves. He's the freaking king of Ravka!

Oh the Darkling. You beautiful, tortured man. That scene when he's seducing Alina as she came to him in her first vision? SO HOTTTTTT. Way hotter than when she and Mal finally got together.

Overall, I liked it but didn't love it. A solid 3-4 stars.

j*&p* · July 2014

I just finished last night and I loved the last quarter of the book. The middle was just ok for me, the characters just moved around from place to place, but nothing really happened. When they were in the trekking out of the cave, I couldn't help comparing it to the cave scenes from Rae Carson's The Bitter Kingdom, which were so much more exciting. But from the moment Alina realized that Mal was the third amplifier I could not stop reading. And the ending part where the story changes back to third person? So perfect. (Of course, I am Team Mal all the way so this would please me.)

Nicolai always has the best one liners and I hope he ended up with someone who appreciates him too. I was rooting for Zoya, who grew on me too.

The Darkling just skeeves me out. Ever since I knew that he had blinded his mother and ravaged Genya, there is nothing that could possibly be remotely sexy about him for me. *Shudder*

I guess for me, Mal and Alina's relationship is a big part of why I fell in love with this series in the first place, so this is the ending I was hoping for all along. They were each other's beginnings and endings. Plus, Alina got to carry out her responsibility as the Sun Summoner to get the people out from under the Darkling's rule, but then didn't have to live this courtly life in the spotlight that she clearly didn't want.

@mrsC7, I kind of thought that Genya or someone else could have done some alterations on Nicolai before he visited the orphanage.

@inlovewSB, I wondered that too about them just holding on to each other. Why couldn't they just stand together for her to have the power of the amplifier? They should have at least tried that before going straight for the killing blow.

booneybear · July 2014

bumped for @taylormillgirl

MrsJenE · July 2014

MrsC7 said:

And at the end, when he and Zoya visit Alina and Mal at the orphanage at Christmas time, how does no one at the orphanage know who he is? He's not just some handsome hazel eyed guest who never takes off his gloves. He's the freaking king of Ravka! .

YES!!!! SERIOUSLY! NO ONE NOTICED WHO HE WAS!??? Come on!

I gave this book 3.5-4 stars. Wasn't my favorite, but there's nothing I can say that hasn't already been said.

#teamnikolai

RiverPlate · July 2014

I just assumed that nobody knew who he was because of the technology setting. I imagine that back in the day the peasants of England had no clue what the King/Queen looked like, other than some drawings or their images on coins. Which, when seeing them in real life without an entourage proclaiming them as such, would not make the connection.

EliStar · July 2014

RiverPlate said:

I just assumed that nobody knew who he was because of the technology setting. I imagine that back in the day the peasants of England had no clue what the King/Queen looked like, other than some drawings or their images on coins. Which, when seeing them in real life without an entourage proclaiming them as such, would not make the connection.

This is what I thought. They were running an orphanage, right? No one would know what the King looked like.

taylormillgirl · July 2014

Thanks for the bump!

I wanted to weigh in, but so many of my thoughts have already been expressed here. I thought this was a fantastic conclusion, but ditto on the frequent traveling. I would have preferred less of that and more Darkling interactions, ideally involving some steamy make-out scenes, despite the fact that I've always been Team Mal.

The Darkling is my favorite villain ever. I knew he had to die, especially after all the people he tortured and killed, but as sad as I was to see him go, I liked the way it was handled. (How Alina mourned him and treated his remains with respect.) And when she spoke his name at the funeral...sigh. My heart broke a little.

Regarding Mal, I didn't see the amplifier twist coming. I thought that was cool. The only thing I didn't quite buy was the revelation that he hadn't been with any other girls, because he'd only had eyes for Alina. But the resolution of their story was SO sweet. I found myself tearing up at the epilogue.

I love this series so much, and I can't wait for the spin-off.

booneybear · July 2014

taylormillgirl said:

The Darkling is my favorite villain ever. I knew he had to die, especially after all the people he tortured and killed, but as sad as I was to see him go, I liked the way it was handled. (How Alina mourned him and treated his remains with respect.) And when she spoke his name at the funeral...sigh. My heart broke a little.

All of this!!!! I loved how Alina handled his death. It stayed very true to her character and her feelings toward the Darkling. And it totally got me when she spoke his name too. Ugh.

WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo Spoilers

Re: WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo Spoilers

Choose Another Board

Search Boards

WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo *Spoilers*

Re: WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo *Spoilers*

Choose Another Board

Search Boards

WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo Spoilers

Re: WIJFR: Ruin and Rising by Bardugo Spoilers