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anielabooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Overall, this was a great series. I felt very attached to the characters, and I am excited to read the other books inside the grishaverse. Normally, I would get bored with talk of war plans but I think Bardugo did a good job at keeping it interesting. I also loved the ending she gave Alina; It was very heartwarming to see. The plot twists were well done and I hadn’t seen many of them coming.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body shaming, Gun violence, Rape, Suicide, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Bullying, Incest, and Infidelity
kaiulanilee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
By far my favorite of the three. I think the pacing and character work was the most well done and I found her writing developed really well. I had often felt while reading the other two that she was teetering on the edge of making things dark but not doing so because they’re YA novels. I think Ruin & Rising had the perfect amount of darkness and graphic descriptions to it where it felt both hard hitting but also appropriate for its age group. All in all, a super solid fantasy novel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gore, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Bullying, Cursing, Genocide, Incest, Panic attacks/disorders, Rape, and Death of parent