If you’ve just finished Siege and Storm, you’re probably feeling a bit breathless. Leigh Bardugo doesn't exactly make it easy on her characters—or her readers. By the time you crack open Ruined and Rising, the third book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the stakes aren't just high; they're catastrophic.
Alina Starkov is broken. The Sun Summoner, once the beacon of hope for all of Ravka, is hiding in a hole in the ground. Literally.
The story picks up in the White Cathedral, a subterranean network of caves where the Apparat—that creepy, pale priest we’ve all learned to distrust—is keeping Alina as a "guest." But it feels more like a prison. She’s stripped of her power, her health, and her sunlight. It’s a claustrophobic, grim start to a finale that eventually explodes across the Ravkan map.
Honestly, the transition from the glitz of the Little Palace to the dirt of the underground sets the tone for the entire conclusion. This isn't a fairy tale about a girl becoming a queen. It’s a war story about what you have to burn away to save a country that might not even want saving.
The Search for the Firebird and the Cost of Power
The central engine of Ruined and Rising is the hunt for the third amplifier: the Firebird. We already have the Morozova’s Stag and the Sea Whip. According to the lore, the Firebird is the final piece of the puzzle that will give Alina the strength to finally tear down the Fold.
But here’s where Bardugo gets really clever with the subversion of the "Chosen One" trope.
Most YA fantasy builds toward a moment of ultimate power. You expect the hero to level up until they are a god. But Alina’s journey is the opposite. The more power she seeks, the more she loses herself. Her obsession with the amplifiers starts to mirror the Darkling’s own descent into madness. It’s a uncomfortable parallel. You’re rooting for her to find the bird, yet you’re terrified of what she’ll become once she has it.
Mal Oretsev, everyone’s favorite (or most polarizing) childhood friend, is right there with her. His role in this book shifts from the pining soldier to something far more foundational. If you felt he was a bit bland in the first two books, this is where his character arc actually pays off. He isn't just a love interest anymore; he’s the anchor keeping Alina from floating away into the void of her own ambition.
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Why the Darkling is More Than Just a Villain
We have to talk about Aleksander. The Darkling.
In Ruined and Rising, he is at his most desperate and, arguably, his most human. He’s won. He has the throne. He has the Fold. But he’s hollow. The "merzost"—that nasty, corrupted magic that creates life from nothing—is eating him from the inside out. Those shadow monsters, the nictovo’ya, aren't just cool minions. They are physical manifestations of his loneliness.
What makes this book work so well is the connection between Alina and the Darkling. Through their mental bond, we see the cracks in his armor. He doesn't just want power; he wants someone who can live forever with him. It’s a toxic, warped version of companionship, but it feels incredibly real.
The scenes where they communicate across distances are some of the best writing in the series. They are intimate, frightening, and tinged with a weird sort of grief. You realize that if things had been different—if the world hadn't been so cruel to the Grisha—these two might have been the architects of a golden age instead of the harbingers of an apocalypse.
The Crew That Stole the Show
While Alina and Mal are the heart, the supporting cast in Ruined and Rising provides the soul.
- Nikolai Lantsov: The prince formerly known as Sturmhond. He brings the levity. Even when he’s dealing with a literal monstrous transformation (no spoilers, but it’s rough), his wit remains the highlight of the prose.
- Zoya Nazyalensky: This is where Zoya becomes the powerhouse we love in the later King of Scars duology. Her icy exterior begins to thaw, revealing a fierce loyalty to her people rather than just a throne.
- Genya Safin: Her recovery from the Darkling’s "gift" is one of the most moving depictions of trauma in modern fantasy. The way she reclaims her beauty and her agency is worth the price of the book alone.
- The Twins: Tolya and Tamar bring the muscle and the faith. Their dynamic adds a necessary layer of world-building regarding how the rest of the world views the Grisha as saints.
The Ending: Subverting the Expectation
The final confrontation at the Shadow Fold is usually where people get heated.
Without giving away every single beat, the resolution of Ruined and Rising is bittersweet. It’s not a "happily ever after" in the traditional sense. Alina doesn't end up as a glittering goddess-queen on a golden throne.
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Instead, Bardugo chooses a path of sacrifice.
The loss of magic is a recurring theme here. What is a Grisha without their power? For Alina, the answer is both devastating and liberating. The "Ordinary" ending—the idea of returning to the dirt and the grass—is a bold move. Some fans hated it. They wanted her to stay powerful. They wanted her to rule.
But that would have missed the point of her arc.
Alina’s greatest struggle was never the Darkling; it was her own hunger for the light. By letting it go, she finally finds peace. It’s a quiet, domestic ending that contrasts sharply with the high-octane battles that precede it. It’s human. It’s grounded. It’s a reminder that sometimes, the greatest victory is just being allowed to live a normal life.
Deep Lore: Morozova's True Legacy
One of the most mind-blowing reveals in the third book involves Ilya Morozova himself. We find out the true nature of the amplifiers and the lineage of the main characters.
The revelation that the third amplifier isn't a bird, but a person (specifically Mal, a descendant of Morozova’s "resurrected" daughter), changes the context of the entire trilogy. It means that the connection between Mal and Alina wasn't just childhood luck. It was destiny, or perhaps a cosmic joke.
This twist recontextualizes every interaction they’ve had. Every time Mal was able to "track" something impossible, it wasn't just skill. It was the pull of the power within him. It turns their romance into something much more complicated than a simple love story. It’s a biological imperative.
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Moving Beyond the Trilogy
So, what do you do after you finish the last page?
The Grishaverse doesn't end here. In fact, many argue it’s just getting started. If you liked the heist elements or the darker tone of the later chapters, Six of Crows is your next logical step. It takes place in the same world but moves to the bustling, grimy city of Ketterdam.
If you’re more interested in the fate of Ravka and the surviving characters like Nikolai and Zoya, you’ll want to jump into the King of Scars duology.
Ruined and Rising serves as the foundation for everything that follows. It closes the door on Alina’s chapter while leaving the windows wide open for the rest of the world to breathe. It’s a messy, emotional, and high-stakes conclusion that proves why Leigh Bardugo is a staple of the genre.
Your Grishaverse Action Plan
If you’re looking to get the most out of the Shadow and Bone experience, here is how you should handle the aftermath of book 3:
- Read the Short Stories: Pick up The Language of Thorns. It’s a collection of Ravkan folktales that gives immense depth to the culture and superstitions mentioned in the main books.
- Analyze the Map: Go back and look at the map of Ravka provided in the front of the book. Trace the path from the White Cathedral to the mountains of the north. Seeing the geography helps explain why the logistics of the final war were so difficult.
- Check the Timeline: Remember that Six of Crows happens a few years after the events of this book. Keep an eye out for mentions of the "Civil War" and the "Sun Saint"—that’s Alina’s legacy.
- Watch vs. Read: If you’ve seen the Netflix show, keep in mind that the series compresses these events significantly. The book offers a much more internal, psychological look at Alina’s decay and eventual rebirth that the screen doesn't quite capture.
The end of the trilogy is a lot to process. It asks big questions about whether the ends justify the means and if anyone can truly hold power without being corrupted by it. Whether you loved the ending or found it frustrating, it’s undeniably a conclusion that stays with you long after the lights go out.