Who else is ready for another round of books?
That’s right, this girl!
Books are amazing, unique packages of magic and every month there is a whole slew of new additions to the fold. Here are some of my most anticipated books coming out this upcoming month.
This week’s Waiting On Wednesday is Crooked Kingdom by the amazing Leigh Bardugo!
Publication: September 27th 2016 by Henry Holt and Co
Summary from Goodreads:
Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.
I am completely obsessed with Six Of Crows, like… it’s kind of ridiculous. I have been eagerly counting down the days until I can get my greedy little hands on this gorgeous baby and now it’s so close I can practically taste it. Or maybe it’s just Nina’s waffles cloying my senses. Regardless, Six Of Crows is so fangirl worthy that not even years of squealing can do it justice. Seriously.
“Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing.”
Title: Ruin and Rising
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha Trilogy # 3
Publication: June 17th 2014 by Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 422
Source: Christmas bookhaul
Summary from Goodreads:
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.
My Thoughts:
Ruin and Rising in one word: painful. This book was brilliant. It was a flawless example of the perfect ending to an amazing series – no matter how much it tore my heart out in the process. I’ve said it before and I will say it again, Leigh Bardugo is a goddess and a master at crafting breathtakingly beautiful tales that transport you to a whole new universe. Just wow… truly. I cannot find the words to accurately express just how in love with this series I have become.
“I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but mine.”
Because I can, here is a quick play by play of my reactions to this book.
At the beginning (AKA time with The Apparat):
Reappearance of Nikolai:
Genya vs. The King:
Firebird discovery:
THAT scene with Mal when at the orchard:
Certain point in the battle against The Darkling:
By the end:
“Na razrusha’ya. I am not ruined. E’ya razrushost. I am ruination.”
In all honesty, that about covers it. But, in this case a picture is not worth a thousand words. Ruin and Rising is so much more than I could ever hope to convey to you guys – it was a gem, a diamond in the rough as it were (especially when compared to other series conclusions). This book was a no-nonesense, nitty-gritty final show down between light and darkness illustrated through the lives of a cast of characters I have come to love. There is no sugar coating, no “atta boy” or congratulations. It is dark, dirty, and raw. It gives and it takes. Despite the optimism at the end, this is in no way a happy ending.
“Maybe love was superstition, a prayer we said to keep the truth of loneliness at bay.”
Ruin and Rising tackles the difficult battle of balancing the intimate exploration of relationships with the hardships and trials of war. There is a delicate beauty in the way things are handled and taken care of throughout the plot – relationships are shattered and new ones forged, people face their fears head on and others tuck tail and run. It was an amazing balancing act, and Bardugo tackled it with awe inspiring ease.
“It’s a vow that if I can’t be anything else to you, at least I can be a weapon in your hand.”
There is never a dull moment in this book – even at the beginning. There might be a lull in the obvious action, but just like with Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising waged a battle of wits as well as showcased a brutal fight to the death. There are ups and downs, happiness and grief – it’s all there.
Ruin and Rising was a beautifully bittersweet conclusion to a fabulous trilogy that will forever be on my recommended list. The Grisha Trilogy is all things – it is everything I ever wanted in a series and more. My love for these books is infinite and I will never forget them. If you haven’t read these yet, I suggest you do because they are just that awesome. Leigh Bardugo, thank you for creating something so beautiful and sharing it with the world.
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading
This weeks Teaser Tuesday is for Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo!
“I will strip away all that you know, all that you love, until you have no shelter but mine.”
“Beauty was your armor. Fragile stuff, all show. But what’s inside you? That’s steel. It’s brave and unbreakable. And it doesn’t need fixing.”
“Maybe love was superstition, a prayer we said to keep the truth of loneliness at bay.”
“Weakness is a guise. Wear it when they need to know you’re human, but never when you feel it.”
Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha Trilogy # 2
Publication: June 4th 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 430
Source: Christmas bookhaul
Summary from Goodreads:
Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
My Thoughts:
Siege and Storm is a serious emotional whirlwind. It kicks off with a bang, drags you through resulting shenanigans kicking and screaming, and then leaves you gasping for breath after knocking the wind out of you. This book gets down into the nitty gritty of the inner workings of royalty and war – and it pulls it off with a golden, shimmering flourish.
“You two have a bad habit of acting like fools and calling it heroic.”
This book starts off weeks after the events of Siege and Storm, Mal and Alina have had some breathing room and a little time to readjust – despite the fact that they are still being vigorously hunted by The Darkling, his guards, and wayward Grisha. It doesn’t take long for their fragile illusion of safety and freedom to shatter and they soon find themselves in an even worse situation than before. And boy, let me tell you, Siege and Storm is one hell of a situation. The plot is action packed – though it can come off as a little bit slow unless you enjoy intellectual struggles like myself. Not only is this book a thrill ride of unmentionable proportions, it also weighs heavy themes with a gentle loving care that is pure evil genius. This book will make you feel all the feels and it is sooo going to hurt when you wake up in the morning.
Siege and Storm is much more structured when it comes to the contents. Well, maybe structured isn’t the right word here – it’s mature. Shadow and Bone is childsplay compared to this book – but that isn’t a bad thing. Shadow and Bone was testing the waters, putting the feelers out as it were – and Siege and Storm grabs you by the throat and flings you all around the room while laughing maniacally at your suffering. Wait, or is it the amazing sorceress Leigh Bardugo that rips your soul out? Either way, this is one of those rare cases where a sequel blows its predecessor out of the water while inconspicuously whistling. You don’t see anything coming, and trust me, Siege and Storm packs a serious punch.
“Vasily laughed. “I can’t decide if you’re a fearmonger or a coward.”
“And I can’t decide if you’re an idiot or an idiot.”
Aside from the amazing plot that I wish to continuously gush over, there are even more amazingly complex and wonderful characters thrown into the mixing pot of glorious people from Shadow and Bone. Nikolai… oh my precious, he is everything I never knew I needed and more. I have a serious soft spot for the sardonic, not so trust worthy ally that is Nikolai – a man of many names and nicknames which I shall not mention because: spoiler! Nikolai certainly knows how to make an entrance and then steal your heart away with the first words out of his mouth. Scootch your evil, attractive butt over Mr. Darkling – Nikolai is here to stay.
“I have loved you all my life, Mal,” I whispered through my tears. “There is no end to our story.”
On top of the amazingness that is Nikolai, we have lots of old faces going through torturous new trials. Alina and Mal… YOU’RE KILLING ME, SMALLS! Oh my gosh, I wanted to rip my hair out because of these two. Their relationship is so painful and yet I ship it so hard. The two of them together is a ticking time bomb so huge that when it explodes it’s going to make Yellow Stone look like an amateur. I do have to say, though, despite the relationship woes that will now plague me in my sleep, the growth – both good and bad (don’t ask unless you want all your hopes and dreams crushed) is astounding in its abundance. Alina is no longer the shell shocked, struggling to play along girl from book one. No, she is a badass ruler coming into her own power and she hates every second of it because it is destroying her. I love that about her, I really do. She feels real guilt, she isn’t blinded by her purpose to the point of disregarding the feelings of others as we so often see sugar coated in other novels. She feels their pain in a way that will make your eyes water like it’s allergy season – but the heartbreaking thing is her depth of understanding of her own hand in their suffering. It’s just cruel.
“He tapped the sun over his heart. “I came here for you. You’re my flag. You’re my nation.”
Siege and Storm could do no wrong by me. This book was pure perfection and it completely devoured every waking moment I could get with it. It is action packed, gut-wrenchingly painful, and a glorious stage for the conclusion to an amazing series. This is no filler story – this is an adventure within itself and it will never let you forget. This book will leave you shattered, breathless, and devoid of hope in the best possible way you can imagine. These books are something you truly have to experience for yourself in order to understand the remarkable craftsmanship that goes into these delicately weaving plots. Leigh Bardugo is an evil mastermind clearly hell bent on destroying my life, and I welcome her efforts with open arms. I cannot wait to see how this all comes to an end, I hope it’s a giant fire ball.
“I don’t care if you think I’m a Saint or a fool or the Darkling’s whore. If you want to remain at the Little Palace you will follow me. And if you don’t like it, you will be gone by tonight, or I will have you in chains. I am a solider. I am the Sun Summoners. And I’m the only chance you have.”
Reed's Reads & Reviews 