After escaping The Darkling yet again, Alina, Mal and the scant remnants of her 2nd army, are holed deep below the ground under the Apparat’s ‘care’ in a White Cathedral. So far away from the natural sunlight, Alina’s powers are non existent and she can feel herself fading. Now after months below ground, it is clear that the Apparat’s rescue and tunnel haven has turned into a prison.

His guards prevent them from speaking among themselves and she hasn’t even been close enough to speak with Mal. Unbeknown to Alina, Mal and her Grish have a plan in the making and its execution is sudden and swift. They are on the run.

An old alliance comes to their rescue and they team up with more Grisha and also have mind-bending technology at their fingertips.

Alina’s link with The Darkling has not dwindled, and she is drawn to him and their ‘like attracts like’ inevitability. The memory of his slaughter of thousands remains however, and she severs their connection again and again.

Now they seek a Firebird, sure that with three magic portents Alina will have the power to defeat the Darkling once and for all. A long trek reveals the truth of this power and the devastating sacrifice Alina has to make in order to use it.

The final reckoning with The Darkling is fast approaching. Alina struggles with feelings for Nikolai, her love for Mal, and her desire to be what The Darkling wants. The final battle is immense – a fight between good and evil, and a fight between the dark and the light.

This amazing trilogy is all encompassing, taking me deep into a world of a simple girl, an orphan in fact, who has no idea she has any special powers. When this power reveals itself, her life is transformed to one of turmoil, luxury, combat training, envy, Grisha history, politics, love, duty, despair and courage.

Leigh Bardugo has developed an outstoundingly detailed world in the Grishaverse, with separate races, languages, multiple well-rounded and genuine characters to cheer for, cringe at, or want to push off a cliff! The description was lush but not overpowering and the backstory and plot rich in complexity. Fantastic!

Read the rest of the series reviews here

No.1                                                No.2

(Fantasy, War, Friendship, Love, Series, Conflict, Magic, Grishaverse, Battles, Good vs Evil, Dark vs Light, Kings and Queens, Powers, War, Creatures, Horror, Violence, Quest, Politics, Mythical Creatures, Journal, Priest)