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Ruin and Rising

Pages
436
Published
2014
Language
English

Synopsis

The Darkling rules Ravka from the shadows, and the Shadow Fold has swallowed the land in darkness. Weakened and half-broken, Alina Starkov is hidden away underground, kept from the daylight that fuels her power and increasingly at the mercy of the fanatical priest known as the Apparat, whose followers have begun to worship her as a living Saint. Cut off from the throne and the war she once tried to lead, Alina must find a way to break free.

Reunited with Mal and the ragged remnants of her friends, Alina sets out on a final, desperate hunt for the last of Morozova's amplifiers — the legendary firebird — the one thing that might give her the strength to face the Darkling and end the ruin he has unleashed. But the deeper she digs into the mystery of the amplifiers, the more she learns about their true cost, and about the ties that bind her to the enemy she is sworn to destroy.

The concluding book of Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone trilogy brings Alina's story to its reckoning, testing every loyalty and every sacrifice as the fate of Ravka hangs in the balance.

About the author

L
Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is an American fantasy author, born in Jerusalem on 6 April 1975 and raised in Southern California. She graduated from Yale University with a degree in English in 1997, and worked in journalism, copywriting, and make-up and special effects before publishing her first novel. Her debut, Shadow and Bone (2012), opened the Grishaverse, which now spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology, and companion volumes including The Language of Thorn...

Characters

Alina StarkovProtagonist

Hidden away and weakened, Alina searches for the strength to face the Darkling.

The DarklingAntagonist

Now ruling Ravka from the shadows, opposed by Alina and her remaining allies.

Mal OretsevSupporting

Alina's closest ally in the final hunt for Morozova's last amplifier.

Nikolai LantsovSupporting

Prince and ally, fighting alongside Alina in the war's final stretch.

All characters in Ruin and Rising

Frequently asked questions

  • Do I need to read other books before this one?

    This book is the final installment of a trilogy and relies on the established world and character arcs from the two preceding novels. Reading the series in order is recommended to fully understand the magic system and the history of the conflict.

  • Is there a screen adaptation of this story?

    The events of this trilogy were adapted for the second season of the Netflix series Shadow and Bone. The show also incorporates elements from other books set in the same universe.

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