Leigh Bardugo's "Ruin and Rising" concludes the trilogy she began with "Shadow and Bone" and continued with "Siege and Storm."

Each book gets a little better and a little darker.

In this volume, the evil Darkling sets his sights on capturing young Alina to exploit her powers so that he can rule the world. Alina can generate vast amounts of heat and light and can increase that power exponentially by finding and killing the three amplifiers. She has conquered two and seeks the third to improve her chances against the Darkling.

Meanwhile, the Darkling destroys cities and kills thousands in his quest to find Alina. Alina is on the run with a small group of rebels seeking the final amplifier and hiding from their pursuer.

The heroine makes alliances, decides who to trust, and wrestles with difficult moral decisions.

This is an exciting novel with plenty of action and unexpected twists. Bardugo brings her characters to life as they evolve in realistic ways.

"Ruin and Rising" is a satisfying ending to a good trilogy.