Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo, 422 pages

"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."

Great close to a great series. I've now read quite a few of Bardugo's books, and her world building and story telling is superb. I've come to love Nikolai and maybe even Zoya. Maybe. Many highs and lows to this story that will keep you reading. I'm sad it's over.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo ; narrated by Lauren Fortgang

"Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart."

Great start to a series I'm looking forward to finishing. Great story line with twists and turns that make you want to keep reading. I'd read stories in this universe before so I was familiar with the magic, but I still think it's an original magical world. I listened to this on audiobook, and the narrator, Lauren Fortgang, did a good job with the various voices. Not a lot of variations in her voice like with some narrators, but she did a good enough job that I wanted to keep listening. 

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo - 536 pages

"Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts 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 badly weakened, 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 the Grisha world."

Solid second book in this duology. I think it could even be open to more stories with these characters. Fun story with lots of twists and turns, great action, and characters that you love, but also kinda don't. I'm looking forward to reading a different series in by this author set in the "Grisha-verse."

Summer Days and Summer Nights edited by Stephanie Perkins

Summer Days and Summer Nights: Twelve Love Stories edited by Stephanie Perkins - 384 pages

This is the sequel to the holiday romance anthology edited by Stephanie Perkins -- My True Love Gave to Me.  I picked up this book as it has a sequel story to one in the first anthology.  However, I didn't think that short story lived up to its predecessor.  I did really enjoy the stories Head, Scales, Tongue, and Tail by Leigh Bardugo, The End of Love by Nina LaCour, and A Thousand Ways This Could All Go Wrong by Jennifer E. Smith.  Most of the other stories were interesting to read.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo - 465 pages

"Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first."

This is the second series written in this world, though I hadn't read that series yet. I was fine not having read it, but I could tell I would understand some underlying things a little better if I had. A slow start but I got really engrossed about a third of the way through. Characters that you hate to love and a story that brings them together as an begrudging family.

Crooked Kingdom A Sequel to Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom
A Sequel to Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
546 pages








Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts 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 badly weakened, 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 the Grisha world.

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo  546 pages

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 badly weakened, 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 the Grisha world.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
465 pages









Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction - if they don't kill each other first.....

Book 2 - Crooked Kingdom will be released later in 2016.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo  480 pages

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price - and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone.

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction - if they don't kill each other first.

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
The Grisha, book 1

Alina and Mal have always been together -- as small children in the orphanage and then as draftees in the army.  That all changes when Alina somehow saves everyone by summoning sunlight while trying to cross the Fold.  She is whisked off to become a Grisha.  She is the one who will be able to finally destroy the Fold and end war for her country.
I have been hearing rave reviews about this book for years.  I don't know why I never picked it up until now.  I'm sorry I waited.  This book was great.  I loved it.  Even though there was a lot of intrigue and story going on it was still a very quick read.  I can't wait to read book two.

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo  422 pages

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.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo  432 pages

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, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But 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.

Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo  358 pages

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life - a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha.and the secrets of her heart.