Shadow and Bone Published by Henry Holt by Leigh Bardugo
Series: Shadow and Bone #1
on June 5, 2017
Genres: Fiction, YA, Fantasy, Romance, Magic, Paranormal, Action & Adventure
Pages: 358
Source: Purchased
Format: Paperback
Find the Author: Website, Twitter, Facebook, Goodreads, Instagram
Reading Challenges: Beat the Backlist 2020
Also by this author: Six of Crows
Find the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads
ISBN: 0805094598
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Alternative cover edition of ISBN13: 9780805094596.
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.
Plot
I’m not entirely sure, now, why I waited so long to read this one. I don’t know if I was just worried that the book wouldn’t live up to the hype or what.
But, I thoroughly enjoyed this book from start to finish.
Alina starts out as a poor orphan with no family and only one dear friend, Mal. And then all of that changes when she finds herself in a situation where a magic, she didn’t know she had, comes out–and comes out BIG.
I thought the plot was well thought out and definitely contained all the elements of a fantasy/romance that keep me enthralled.
Characters
Alina, as in most stories, is a heroine who starts out waifish and unsure. She was a bit naive and gullible but that kind of added to her charm. I do know that she’ll have to toughen up by the end of the series, though.
But, by the end of the book she made leaps and bounds. It is a trilogy, however, so I didn’t expect her character to be fully fleshed out.
The Darkling was…interesting. It’s weird because this story has such a following and so many people just love this character… But, I don’t. At least not yet. I’m hopeful that he comes around. He’s dark, secretive, and dangerous. I know that’s alluring for young people today, but–I need a little less psycho-killer to make me happy.
And Mal was okay. I don’t feel like I got to know him very well. I want to like him because I feel like he’s the better choice for Alina–but, at the same time, he just fell flat for me. Hoping that in the next couple of books there will be some growth there.
All-in-all, Alina’s character saved the day for me!
Writing
I thought the writing was beautifully done. Bardugo has a way with words. And it wasn’t too descriptive or boring–which can happen in a world-building fantasy.
Pacing
The pacing might have been my favorite part of the whole book. I really loved how things progressed and how I really was never bored.
Cover
Ah, the cover. I’m not sure what the consensus is on this, but I much prefer the new cover to the old.
This was my first time participating in the TBR List meme and I have to say… I LOVED it! I love picking up books that I already have and FINALLY reading them! For real, I have ALL the Grishaverse books on my shelves and have never picked them up. They’re just sitting there–taking space on my bookshelves! 😉
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About Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse. With over three million copies sold, her Grishaverse spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, The Language of Thorns, and King of Scars—with more to come. (To hear about new releases, tour dates, and giveaways first, sign up for Leigh's newsletter here.) Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including The Best of Tor.com and the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and the forthcoming Ninth House. Leigh was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Southern California, graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and even makeup and special effects. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
