Confessions of a Book Addict: Waiting on Wednesday: Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo

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.

This book is SO close, yet so far away... I'm very very very excited for this one. This series is absolutely amazing. With Alina finally fully embracing her powers and being the badass we all know she can be, this book has promise to be the best in the series. Also, I LITERALLY CANNOT WAIT FOR THE DARKLING. Despite his evil nature, the Darkling is probably my favorite character in the fantasy genre. Ever. And that's saying something. Maybe all that evil concentrates into awesomeness?