Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo is the third and final book in the Grisha trilogy. It completes the story of Sun Summoner Alina Starkov and her fight against the Darkling. In it Alina and her group of trusted friends must escape from the Apparat and his ragtag army of religious zealots, and track down the third amplifier, the firebird, before confronting the Darkling. Along the way, Alina learns more of Morozova’s background and his secrets. I enjoyed Ruin and Rising far more than Siege and Storm, which suffered from middle book syndrome and patchy pacing. What I liked The Russian style setting. As in the previous two books, Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm, I loved the world that Bardugo has created for her characters. The writing and descriptions really give a feel for Russia with a twist. The characters. We’ve been with these characters for three books now, and I appreciated the way they’ve grown and developed throughout the series. Their changing relationships were also very well drawn. Who would have guessed meeting Zoya in book one just how much Alina would grow to rely on her? I liked that their experiences have left their marks on…