Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ruin and Rising

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 19, 2014

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. 

This book literally tore my heart in half,  no actually in pieces. So much happiness, and despair all squeezed into the final chapters of this series.. and all I can say about it is that it was a insane ride but an utterly amazing ending to the last book of the series. Ruin and Rising has got to be my favorite book of the Grisha series, and it totally has the qualifications to be. Though I am upset about how some relationships ended up. Ruin and Rising also showed us what we've all been waiting and preparing for. WAR, DEATHS, AND A LOT OF CRYING.

I gotta say that there was a lot of good character development in this book. Everyone, including Zoya, helped out and ultimately, with everyone's efforts they were able to defeat the Darkling. Though with the hefty cost of foes and allies alike. The bonds that everyone showed in this book was really great, which is why the loss of allies in this book really affected me. This book literally had me either on the tips of my toes, or being shocked at how they managed to mash so many heartbreaking things into it without it being too much. The deaths and devestation that came with this book truly hit me hard though. There noble sacrifices will never be forgotten. & May Oncat have a happy life without Harshaw.

One thing that has changed is my opinion of Mal. I mean *begrudgingly* I still don't approve of him and Alina, but that doesn't mean that he doesn't deserve her. All of his actions truly prove that he loves her, and I simply can't hate him just because I don't ship him with Alina. He has certainly matured a lot. He doesn't care that she's not the same girl he grew up with, all he cares about is that she's safe. So gotta say he's gotten better and isn't such a jerk in my opinion anymore.

Nikolai, oh Nikolai you are always a joy to have in the books. You gone through hardships just like the rest, and you along with everyone experienced things that should never happen to anybody. But still what happened to you was tragic and you'll never be the same. I still had hope that you would end up with Alina in the book but the moment this was said I realized that it wasn't gonna happen. .-.

The stars looked like they were close together, when really they were millions of miles apart. In the end, maybe love just meant longing for something impossibly bright and forever out of reach. 

Its ironic how this quote literally ended my hopes when I read it. Nikolai fell in love with her, but he couldn't reach her because she already had someone she loved and because of that she would always remain out of his reach forever. Something so close yet, unattainable. That broke my heart. -sigh- 

Now onto the Darkling. I've honestly could never hate him. Aleksander... such a common name indeed. He always leaves me so conflicted. Who is he truly?! The boy who said "I've lived a long life rich in grief", the boy who was so desperately lonely that he turned into a tyrant just to run away from it, or the grief stricken one who chased after his own mother when she jumped off the railing.. was he truly a villain at all? How could someone so wrong be so right!?! He wanted Alina to see him as a villain, yet he never harmed the students from the school. He just wanted to see her. The light that would balance out his darkness. He wanted her to change him. He wanted redemption. 

God if I could change anything about this book, it would be how she played out some of the characters. I truly wish that the Darkling ended up with Alina *yes, this ship in my mind overcomes Nikolai.. sorry guys*. Because this isn't right. It kills me every time the Darkling and Alina encounter each other. I go crazy since they both have this chemistry that undeniably attracts both of them to each other. Since that senerio can't happen. I just really want a side book showing the Darkling's *ahem* Aleksander's point of view. I need to know what drove him to do all of this! 

Well I'm done with my rant. Ultimately this earned 4.5/5 stars cause of the ending. Even though I would've liked a different outcome, in the end I felt really satisfied yet unsatisfied at the same time.. as strange as that sounds. How did you guys feel about Ruin and Rising? Did it also break your heart to pieces? 

Until then, Cindy 

~Book Haul of June-July~

Hi guys, summer has pasted by so quick and now its already July now! One more month of fun till school starts again. So I hope you guys are enjoying your summer to the fullest!! ^^ Here's my massive book haul of the month

1. Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

My disease is as rare as it is famous. Basically, I’m allergic to the world. I don’t leave my house, have not left my house in seventeen years. The only people I ever see are my mom and my nurse, Carla.

But then one day, a moving truck arrives next door. I look out my window, and I see him. He’s tall, lean and wearing all black—black T-shirt, black jeans, black sneakers, and a black knit cap that covers his hair completely. He catches me looking and stares at me. I stare right back. His name is Olly.

Maybe we can’t predict the future, but we can predict some things. For example, I am certainly going to fall in love with Olly. It’s almost certainly going to be a disaster. 

I actually finished this a couple days after borrowing it from the library and it was pretty good. This book was so unique especially with all the pictures in the book itself plus have you seen the cover? It's amazing isn't it?  The whole story is real cute, and it has such a major twist in the end that you won't even see it coming!!

2. Unmarked by Kami Garcia

He is here... and he could be anyone.

Kennedy Waters lives in a world where vengeance spirits kill, ghosts keep secrets, and a demon walks among us–a demon she accidentally set free. 

Now Kennedy and the other Legion members–Alara, Priest, Lukas, and Jared–have to hunt him down. As they learn more about the history of the Legion and the Illuminati, Kennedy realizes that the greatest mystery of all does not belong to any secret order, but to her own family. With the clock ticking and the life of someone she loves hanging in the balance, Kennedy has to ask the question she fears most: what is it about her past that has left her Unmarked? 

This is the second book in the series and the first book really got me hooked as since I really love paranormal books. So if you paranormal fans are looking for a book, this is one great series to start. This is also written by Kami Garcia, who was the co-author to the Beautiful Creatures series, which is yet another paranormal book series that is utterly amazing and that I would recommend to anybody. 

3. Tarnish by Katherine Longshore 

Anne Boleyn is the odd girl out. Newly arrived to the court of King Henry VIII, everything about her seems wrong, from her clothes to her manners to her witty but sharp tongue. So when the dashing poet Thomas Wyatt offers to coach her on how to shine at court—and to convince the whole court they’re lovers—she accepts. Before long, Anne’s popularity has soared, and even the charismatic and irresistible king takes notice. More than popularity, Anne wants a voice—but she also wants love. What began as a game becomes high stakes as Anne finds herself forced to make an impossible choice between her heart’s desire and the chance to make history.

I really wanted to try some historical fiction and when I saw this, it was perfect. I just learned about the infamous King Henry VIII in history class this year, and the absolutely hooked me when I first saw it. 

4. Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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. 

This is the last book in the Grisha series and I cannot wait to read it and find out how they defeat the Darkling. I'm really hoping that Alina finally gives Nikolai a chance and leaves Mal. Because seriously in my opinion Mal and Alina have no chemistry. To be honest though, I don't think that will happen considering the course the book was taking in Siege and Storm.

5. I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson

Jude and her twin brother, Noah, are incredibly close. At thirteen, isolated Noah draws constantly and is falling in love with the charismatic boy next door, while daredevil Jude cliff-dives and wears red-red lipstick and does the talking for both of them. But three years later, Jude and Noah are barely speaking. Something has happened to wreck the twins in different and dramatic ways . . until Jude meets a cocky, broken, beautiful boy, as well as someone else—an even more unpredictable new force in her life. The early years are Noah's story to tell. The later years are Jude's. What the twins don't realize is that they each have only half the story, and if they could just find their way back to one another, they’d have a chance to remake their world.

6. An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Laia is a slave. Elias is a soldier. Neither is free.

Under the Martial Empire, defiance is met with death. Those who do not vow their blood and bodies to the Emperor risk the execution of their loved ones and the destruction of all they hold dear.

It is in this brutal world, inspired by ancient Rome, that Laia lives with her grandparents and older brother. The family ekes out an existence in the Empire’s impoverished backstreets. They do not challenge the Empire. They’ve seen what happens to those who do.

But when Laia’s brother is arrested for treason, Laia is forced to make a decision. In exchange for help from rebels who promise to rescue her brother, she will risk her life to spy for them from within the Empire’s greatest military academy.

There, Laia meets Elias, the school’s finest soldier—and secretly, its most unwilling. Elias wants only to be free of the tyranny he’s being trained to enforce. He and Laia will soon realize that their destinies are intertwined—and that their choices will change the fate of the Empire itself.

7. Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton

She’s more gunpowder than girl—and the fate of the desert lies in her hands.

Mortals rule the desert nation of Miraji, but mystical beasts still roam the wild and barren wastes, and rumor has it that somewhere, djinni still practice their magic. But there's nothing mystical or magical about Dustwalk, the dead-end town that Amani can't wait to escape from. 

Destined to wind up "wed or dead," Amani’s counting on her sharpshooting skills to get her out of Dustwalk. When she meets Jin, a mysterious and devastatingly handsome foreigner, in a shooting contest, she figures he’s the perfect escape route. But in all her years spent dreaming of leaving home, she never imagined she'd gallop away on a mythical horse, fleeing the murderous Sultan's army, with a fugitive who's wanted for treason. And she'd never have predicted she'd fall in love with him... or that he'd help her unlock the powerful truth of who she really is.

8. Velvet Undercover by Teri Brown 

Samantha Donaldson’s family has always done its duty for the British Crown. In the midst of World War I, seventeen-year-old Sam follows in their footsteps, serving her country from the homefront as a Girl Guide and messenger for the intelligence organization MI5. After her father disappears on a diplomatic mission, she continues their studies of languages, high-level mathematics, and complex puzzles and codes, hoping to make him proud.

When Sam is asked to join the famed women’s spy group La Dame Blanche she’s torn—this could be the adventure she’s dreamed of, but how can she abandon her mother, who has already lost a husband to the war? But when her handlers reveal shocking news, Sam realizes there’s no way she can refuse the exciting and dangerous opportunity.

Her acceptance leads her straight into the heart of enemy territory on a mission to extract the most valuable British spy embedded in Germany, known to the members of LDB only as Velvet. Deep undercover within the court of Kaiser Wilhelm II, Samantha must navigate the labyrinthine palace and its many glamorous—and secretive—residents to complete her assignment. To make matters worse she finds herself forming a forbidden attraction to the enemy-a dangerously handsome German guard. In a place where personal politics are treacherously entangled in wartime policy, can Samantha discover the truth and find Velvet before it’s too late…for them both?

9. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Simon Snow just wants to relax and savor his last year at the Watford School of Magicks, but no one will let him. His girlfriend broke up with him, his best friend is a pest, and his mentor keeps trying to hide him away in the mountains where maybe he’ll be safe. Simon can’t even enjoy the fact that his roommate and longtime nemesis is missing, because he can’t stop worrying about the evil git. Plus there are ghosts. And vampires. And actual evil things trying to shut Simon down. When you’re the most powerful magician the world has ever known, you never get to relax and savor anything.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story — but far, far more monsters.

I've been obsessed with Rainbow Rowell since I read Fangirl. Her writing is so heartwarming and I just love it!! So like any other book fanatic, I searched up Rainbow Rowell immeadiately and got another one of her books. xD There I found out she actually had a book about Simon Snow! :O I was really surprised and happy so I got it and I really can't wait to read it. 

Until then, Cindy ;)