Don Víctor looked her up and down. A crease appeared between his brows and his long face lost its dignified stillness. He looked like an infant about to pass gas.

A woman could bear only so much. “If you wish to say I am plainer than expected, I ask only that you address your insult to me rather than talking around me as if I were a candelabra.”

Didn't see the humor coming. Wait but was this intended as humor? Sometimes I read and find something funny out of nowhere, I wonder if I'm supposed to laugh or not.

One of the things I loveee about reading Leigh's books is getting to see the consistent, repeating themes. Grief, surviving SA and more... And especially power.

Luzia, just like Alina, starts as a nobody. They both want to become more, yet they're constantly warned about the cost of power, of ambition, of greed.

(((((**Spoiler for Ruining and Rising's ending)))))

But we also know that Alina never did claim the position of power she'd been building toward, and to some people, it is even reinforcing the idea that women should remain small or give up power in the end.

So I'm really curious to see where this story's heading and I wonder if she'll do it differently this time.

To people who have read most of Leigh's works, what (other) themes do you find most intriguing?

"...and opposite him, bundled into the corner, a slender, sickly young man, his skin smooth and gleaming, his hair the cool white of a dove’s breast, his eyes glittering like oyster shells. When she’d met his pale gaze, she’d had the odd sensation she was lifting out of her shoes..."

This is so intriguing. I am very curious about this young lad, he reminds me of many things...

I binged all 3 books of this series in a week (which never happened before!) a while ago.

And I need these books turned into movies immediately!! Like I need them SO BAD. There are days I replay scenes from the books, and I'm like, this is literally a movie I never watched before, and it's SO GOOD. The books are so packed with actions and events. Everything is just so fast and fun, yet definitely easy to follow.

I know the books aren't even that famous, but a girl CAN DREAM.

I mean, it's a sign for a reread too 😌

This style of writing reminds me of Leigh's Ravkan short folk tales, like Little Knife, The Witch of Duva, and The Too-Clever Fox. Very fairytale, storybook vibe.