Aliina then goes on to assemble a group of around twelve Grishas and begin their expedition to reach the surface. To further establish her presence, she even goes on to brand her symbol on one of them. She commands the ‘Soldat Sol’ (or ‘Sun Soldiers’) to pledge their loyalty to her.

The light answers Alina’s call, and she can feel the power raging within her-the Sun Summoner is finally back.Ĭharged with her power and regained confidence, Alina makes a spectacle of her powers. Amidst all the chaos, Mal manages to throw a bomb toward the chimney, making it explode. Even Alina is surprised and doesn’t seem to grasp the reality of the situation. The Apparat explains that they have been plotting behind their backs to make an escape from the White Cathedral. The Apparat storms in along with Alina’s Grisha friends, who are held prisoners by Tamar and Tolya. The other surviving Grishas include- David who spends most of his time peering into old journals looking for clues to find out more about Morozova and the amplifiers Genya who is now infamously referred to as ‘Razrusha’ya’ or the ruined after the Darkling’s ‘nichevo ya’ had left her with scars, the two Infernis Stigg and Harshaw the Squaller Zoya the Healer Maxim Nadia and her brother and finally Sergei.Īfter some persuasion, the Apparat allows Alina to spend some time with Genya in the Kettle (Kitchen of the White Cathedral), only to be interrupted soon. She is neither allowed to associate with her friends nor go above the ground, and her only purpose has been reduced to focusing on becoming a better saint! Therefore, the powerless Sun Summoner has no choice but to entertain the whims of the scheming Apparat. When chaos and crisis had taken over the capital city of Os Alta, it was the Apparat who had helped Alina and provided a safe haven for her friends. It has been over two months, and we see that Alina and Mal, along with a handful of other Grisha survivors, have taken refuge underground, in the White Cathedral, under the watchful eyes of the Apparat.Īlina is weak and feeble she strains at the minimum physical activity, and her hair has turned white. ‘Ruin and Rising’ begins with a detailed aftermath of the encounter between the two most powerful Grishas. Bardugo’s second book, ‘Siege and Storm,’ had a dramatic ending, where we found out that Alina had lost her sun-summoning powers while battling against the Darkling in the Grand Palace.

Ruin rising