Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, 1)

Review originally posted on The Book Addict's Guide Once again I find myself singing the praises of high fantasy! I’d seen tons of praise for this book pretty much everywhere and after seeing Leigh Bardugo at Anderson’s Bookshop first on the Fierce Reads tour in June and again at Anderson’s on August 30th (although I actually finished the book before then!), just seeing her personality and hearing her talk about the book and how she came up with it really drove me to get into the story. I absolutely loved the development of the Grisha and the story behind their history and abilities. It seemed utterly magical but as we learn more about the talents, there’s a little bit of practicality mixed in as well. It was really interesting to learn about and I found it quite unique. Another thing I really enjoyed is that the romance aspect isn’t overdone. We first learn that Alina has developed a crush on Mal in the very beginning of the book, so that’s something we already know, but since Mal is also her best friend and pretty much only friend, that also makes him so much more to Alina. He’s incredibly important to her and it’s not just a lust factor. As for The Darkling….. well that’s just a pure lust situation! So yes, I really loved where the story went and I loved how it all came together in the end! Leigh Bardugo’s writing was also extremely enjoyable and I loved the new elements that she brought to the story. Characters-- Alina: I didn’t find myself like Alina so much as I could understand her. As an orphan, Alina grew up alone. She’s stubborn, she’s protective, she’s independent; it’s not like I’d want her for my friend but I admire her courage and determination to make the best of herself and the situation she came from. It did get a bit tiresome at first once Alina was figuring out her abilities and once she became part of the Grisha society that she spent most of her time trying not to be noticed and pining for Mal. But then the more I thought about it, the more it made perfect sense. If you’re a person who’s not used to attention, it’s overwhelming when people are constantly praising you, following you around, and giving you special treatment. As a poor orphan, Alina never experienced anything like that before. Even though her ability is extraordinary, it’s now something that has put her in an uncomfortable spotlight and ripped her away from her only family – Mal. The Darkling: **Mild spoiler alert in The Darkling section (it’s not really a spoiler, but if you want to be kept totally in the dark, skip this part!)** He’s mysterious, he’s sexy, he’s…. old? We find out that due to the nature of The Darkling’s power, it severely enlongates his life. He reveals to Alina that he’s well over 100 years old so um, thanks but no thanks? It’s kind of a Twilight situation here (which somehow I was totally okay with in Twilight but not okay with in Shadow and Bone – I don’t know – don’t ask me why). I can understand he looks sexy and he acts sexy, but.. but.. he’s an old man? So yeah, he totally just didn’t appeal to me after I heard that! Had the age not been a factor, we’d have a little bit of a swoon situation going on. After knowing that? Yipes. ---- Re-read review: This was quite the interesting re-read for me… I think this was the first re-read in which I had two totally different expectations going into it: When I first picked up SHADOW AND BONE almost two years ago (!!!), I was not a fantasy reader. I think I had read Graceling first and that was about it, so I wasn’t expecting much in the way of a new fantasy book and it turned out that I loved it! I was really scared going into the re-read this time because I had since fallen in love with this series and was afraid that the re-read just wouldn’t be the same. Honestly, I did read the book entirely differently. Well, in two ways — I bought the audiobook from Audible because I’ve started to really enjoy doing my re-reads via audiobook and also because I been obsessing over the series for two years now and all of the THINGS that I know, I’m able to pick up on so much more with a re-read. I must say, re-reading SHADOW AND BONE really proved to me how amazing SIEGE AND STORM was. As someone who wasn’t a fantasy reader before, I very much appreciated the whole revelation of having powers, learning how to use them in that almost boarding school-type setting, and the romances involved but reading all of these things a second time and especially after reading SIEGE AND STORM came across totally differently. Honestly, TOTALLY. For one, I already knew Alina had powers and exactly what they entailed, so I wasn’t as interested in the figuring out process so much as paying attention to the other details that I may have glossed over in my first read. The whole learning process actually wasn’t as appealing to me the second time around, I think because I really already knew how it happened so I was ready to dive into more character development of secondary characters which didn’t happen as much in the first book as it does in the second. SHADOW AND BONE is very much about Alina and about Mal and about their ties to the Grisha so my impatience didn’t exactly pay off haha. But of course, it was still enjoyable to go through that experience again! I read the romance aspect of this book entirely differently the second time around. During my first read, I did not get what was the big deal about Mal. I liked him and I loved his friendship with Alina but I didn’t fall for him (or the Darkling, really, but that’s another story) the way other readers did. During my re-read. YEAH. MAL. I’M THERE. I really got to know him better in SIEGE AND STORM so that made my connection in this re-read stronger but WHOO BOY, that best friend romance thing going on there…. *fans self* How was I not more into this during my first read!? I don’t understand. Because best friends falling for each other is a trope that I luuuurve and I was totally on board with it during my re-read. I also felt less love-triangley about the Darkling because knowing what I know now, it seemed more like a power play than a romance and I had it in my head that way more happened than it actually did in the book. Since I already knew about the world-building side of the book, I did pay more attention to the romance this time around which hadn’t really seemed to play a big part for me during my original read. Speaking of world building, that was something I really enjoyed even more. The more I read about this world, the more I fall in love with it. It’s always a little difficult to get a grasp on a new world with unique (and foreign) names so now that I know a little more about the Grishaverse, I really got a hold on what happens where and exactly what’s involved. As far as plotting and characters go, obviously now I know their connections, but even then I was formulating new theories about the Darkling and why we don’t know his name yet and what if it’s related to or connected to characters we’ve already met and don’t know it?! I think I enjoyed my original read a little bit more than the re-read but I am even MORE anxious to re-read SIEGE AND STORM and I’m still salivating over RUIN AND RISING and dreaming about how it’s SO CLOSE. I’m still in love with this world and this series and it will be bittersweet to end in June but I still can’t wait!

A few years ago, YA Fantasy was suddenly swamped with brand new series from brand new authors. REALLY good brand new series from brand new authors. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo was the second of that batch that I read, and I hadn’t really wanted to. The cover was weirdly creepy and looked to be inspired by Mother Russia. The only Russian anything I had ever read was Anna Karenina, and let me tell you—NOT a fan: “My life sucks, so I think I’ll throw myself under a train.” NOPE. Not my thing. So even though it was listed as YA Fantasy (one of my favorite genres), I blew it off. I didn’t need it. I still had one more book from Cinda Williams Chima’s Seven Realms series coming, and Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson was off to an excellent start. I bite my thumb at you, Shadow and Bone . . . *rolls eyes at self* Then I saw it included in one of those Big Deal lists of Top Summer Reads. And I am a HUGE sucker for those lists, so I decided to read it after all. And surprisingly, even though it was a reluctant edition to my summer reading list, I read it almost immediately. And I LOVED it. Love, LOVE, L-O-V-E-D it. Yeah, I tripped over some of the Russian-esque words in the beginning, but it didn’t take long to acclimate. And it was obvious from the start that this was my type of story. I know (though I don’t understand it) that there are tons-o-readers out there who don’t like romance in their YA Fantasy (or Science Fiction) books. If you are one of those, then this is not the book for you, but you should already know that based on the blurb: Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance. Not much room for misinterpretation, is there? And it was fairly clear that this was going to be a friends-to-more-than-friends story and those are the BEST. Until the Darkling showed up . . . Yes, ladies and ladies, here there be love triangles. Doesn’t bother me. I actually like a good love triangle. Keeps things interesting IMO. But for those of you who hate love triangles, read it anyway b/c the last book comes out in June, so you don’t have to wait very long to get your resolution. *bats eyelashes* Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev are orphans. They were raised together under the condescension of an ex-military, war-hero Duke who set up one of his residences as an orphanage. They were taught to read and write, and upon coming of age, they both joined the military—Alina as a mapmaker, and Mal as a tracker. They were all each other had growing up, and while they were still dear friends, Mal grew into a robust and handsome young man, who enjoyed flirting with, and chasing after pretty girls, while Alina stayed thin and sickly, and thought only of him<——it HURTS. They were both part of a group selected to cross the Shadow Fold, a desert-like area of the land covered in impenetrable darkness, and filled with loathsome creatures, to . . . come to think of it, I’m not really sure why they were crossing the Fold. Seems kind of silly to confront that kind of danger for some animal furs and new maps. Though there was a permanent military base in front of the Fold, so probably these trips occurred semi-regularly. Anyway, they were meant to cross in sand skiffs, powered and defended by Grisha (human wielders of the elements), but not long after they entered the darkness, they were attacked by an unusually large pack of volcra (hideous, flying, man-eating beasts). Death was eminent when a blast of light forced the volcra into retreat, and saved their lives. Can you guess where the blast of light came from? Hmm?? Can you, can you? Well, I’m not telling. *winks* Suffice it to say, that was only the beginning of the deftly created layers-within-layers story of Alina, Mal, and the Darkling (not to mention countless, wonderful secondary characters). The only thing that kept this from being a 5 star read for me was that the thwarting of the bad guy was a bit too deus ex machina for my tastes. Yes, there was foreshadowing that all was not as it seemed, but there were too many conflicts. If the solution was really the solution, then it seems to me that someone should have never been able to do what they did in the first place. Make sense? But ultimately Shadow and Bone was a fantastic read. I loved watching Alina blossom into what she had always been meant to be. I loved the agony of going back and forth between Mal and the Darkling, trying to decide who Alina should choose. I loved Mal and the Darkling b/c they were Mal and the Darkling. And I loved all of these things, and so many more, within Bardugo’s expertly crafted world of Ravka (not to be confused with Russia). If you’re a fan of YA Fantasy, and dark and creepy things, then Shadow and Bone should be at the top of your reading list. With the final chapter of this trilogy being released in June, there is absolutely no reason to delay.

There are very few books that I can finish in less than 24 hours. And while this book is not a hard to read, small texted, long book, I found it just fascinating and really interesting. Now this book did remind me a little bit of the Shatter Me series, but where this stands apart of Taheri Mafi's trilogy is the world building. Gosh...was the world building great! I really was able to immerse myself into the land of Ravka and wanted more after I read the final pages of this installment. In this novel, we follow Alina, a 16 (I believe this is her age, the author never really goes into how old she is) year old map maker in the land of Ravka, an alternative, fictional Russia. In Ravka, the land is divided mainly into two parts...East and West. Separated by a dark and mysterious untouchable area of the land called the Shadow Fold. Our main characters live on the East side of Ravka, and because the East side is land locked and also surrounded by enemies (the Shu Han and the Fjerda), it is the army's task to go into the Shadow Fold to reach the West side for supplies and food. Not too far into the novel, our main characters Alina and her childhood friend Mal, along with other army members, go into the Shadow Fold and something happens where Alina realizes she possess a power she didn't even know she had. And this is where our story begins. I won't go too much into it because I'll start spoiling but I did want to talk about the characters. Alina is a great female MC. To me, she wasn't whiney and was very likeable. She was perplexed about her power at first but I believe she soon began to embrace it. She truly believed the Darkling's cause and really felt like she could be the one to save her country. I also enjoyed her friendship with Genya. It's always nice to have a female MC have an endearing female friendship rather than focusing all their time on boys. Mal is the boy Alina's been in love with since who knows when. Mal, at first, saw Alina only as a little sister but you know a deeper relationship is going to develop. I wanted to like Mal more than I did in this book, but to me, he felt too ordinary. I hope to find out more about him as the series continues so I can give a bigger opinion of him. OK so is it weird that I actually like the Darkling and as much as I think it's not a good thing, I do ship him and Alina. Eeek! That's right, I said it! He's evil but I'd really like to find out what's behind his evilness. I don't think Leigh Bardugo set out to make a character like him without giving us a back story so I'm just waiting for that. Alina feels this pull towards him and I love how he amplifies Alina's powers. And in this book, the more Alina uses her powers, the more beautiful she becomes. And seeing how he amplifies it, it has to say a lot more than what this book is telling me right? Right??? I am so excited to pick up the second installment and I've already ordered the final installment on Amazon. So looking forward to June! These books don't really come by often in the YA genre. A book that's well written, a world deeply built out, a female MC that's bada**, a villain that's multi-layered, and a plot that's riveting. Awesome!

It's no secret that this is one of my favorite books of 2012. I couldn't stop thinking about it, wrote a blog post about it after just finishing, and kept rereading it in the following days. Ten Likes/Dislikes 1. (+) Alina, the protagonist - Alina had me from the beginning. First I really liked the orphan scene, Alina and Mal's wildness, and the way their friendship held but also changed over the years. Then came her sharpness and humor and strength (and sadness) regarding Mal in those opening chapters. Sometimes she does come off as being a little unsure of herself, but it wasn't enough to detract from her character. 2. (+) World-building - Absolutely fantastic! Volcra and the Grisha Orders and the history of Ravka and the other countries (I'd really like to know more there) and the Shadow Fold and the tents/Court and the tsarist/Russian feel-- everything! Loved it all! It saddened me to read a review on Goodreads that suggested that perhaps the Russian inspired feel was not done as well as it could have been (in terms of proper linguistic choices etc.), but at the time I was reading the book, I was so caught up in the details that I'm not sure I would've noticed otherwise. 3. (+) Romance - the best of both worlds - romance with the Darkling (as implied in summary) & with best friend Mal. (No, there is no love triangle. That's all I'm going to say though, because I don't want to spoil it for you). I believed in both romances equally, though I'm more inclined to the Darkling simply because I'm fascinated by his character. The scenes with Mal are more heartfelt, and the scenes with the Darkling are more mysterious-- the romances both worked and functioned in their own way. 4. (+) The Darkling - Can I take a moment here to praise the Darkling? At first, he seems like the typical brooding, dark and arrogant YA stock romantic interest, but there is so, so much more to him. When you have questions about a character and after reading the novel, can't stop thinking about the character because you want to know more, you know that the author has done a good job. I don't actually want to go into specifics about the Darkling, because you all should discover him for yourself. 5. (+) Character growth - Few novels that are a part of a trilogy focus the character growth in one book. Rather most seem to do it over the series, but Shadow and Bone has plenty of character that's refreshing to see for the start of a series. Alina starts off doubting herself quite a bit, but lessons with her teachers among other things help her grow into a stronger woman... And if Alina already has this much potential, I can't wait to see how much more she'll grow in the next two books. 6. (+) Prologue/Epilogue - I really love it when I can feel a book cycling back to the beginning and highlighting the themes. I also thought that the prologue and epilogue were particularly well written. 7. (+) Cliches - You might be a little confused by me writing that I liked the cliches but just wait. It is a little cliche to have an orphan who has a lot of power, to have the most beautiful girl taunted at Court despite her abilities, to have the "mysterious" romantic interest, but Leigh Bardugo makes them work. She put enough detail in there that I believed in the characters and didn't stop to think about how cliche the situation might be. 8. (+) Writing - It was pretty easy to get lost in the writing, in the sensuality and atmosphere of the world. Admittedly, sometimes I got a little confused when it came to the names (all the different ranks, etc.), but that probably wouldn't have been a problem had I been reading a finished copy with the list of all the Grisha Orders and not an egalley on my computer. 9. (+/-) Pacing - When I was reading the book, I was lost enough in the world not to care, but now that I'm thinking back on it, the middle was slower than the rest. It probably would've been better to have less of the Zoya drama / girl characters (whose names I cannot remember for the life of me) gossip and more action, more twists in the plot. 10. (+) The Cover - Big win. Thank God for a cover that isn't yet another close-up of a girl's face and actually features themes from the book. I loved, loved, LOVED this book. There have only been a few YA books this year that have affected me in the same way Shadow & Bone has (Incarnate, Insurgent, and The Golden Lily). Can't wait for my copy to arrive :).

Lately I've been selecting my reads despite my better judgement. For example, I watched S&B season one on Netflix and liked it a lot. Got me curious about the source material. Still, just to be clear what am I getting myself into, I checked 1-3-star reviews on Amazon. These are my favorite because fellow readers usually elaborate upon their lists of grievances. Still, my curiosity won over and I went for it despite fair, repeated warnings. Part One is by no means utter disappointment. It has its ups and downs, and I can see elements of a good story there. However, some of these elements are more sketched then truly developed and leaned upon. There are some questionable character development choices along the line and overall sense of stifling interspersed with occasional – genuinely engaging – bits on magic or some long overdue action. Self-deprecation of the female lead is pushed too far. Humor is quirky and I liked it for the most part, but constant, annoying self-deprecation ruined lots of good points. I assume heroine was meant to look strong (in a certain aspect, at least) and strong-willed but often comes across as pointlessly confrontational instead, at times just plain, old rude. After a while, between the lines, it seemed to me that the author either despised or was endlessly bored by her female lead and it shows. The author hadn’t missed a single opportunity to strip Alina of any and every single shred of agency. Her narrative arc mostly consists of floating between two powerful men – one objectively powerful, the other subjectively powerful (purely because he matters to her deeply hence his wishes count. Even override hers.) I would have greatly enjoyed learning more about the magic and its workings instead of revisiting Alina’s inner romantic turmoil. Perhaps even learn more about supporting characters. The best, most engaging and interesting character is the main villain. Whatever he’s like and despite his villain-ness, I found myself rooting for him because protagonists were so boring, even pathetic, in comparison. That Alina is to some extent attracted to him makes perfect sense to me and I like that plot deviation from typical heroine's tastes. Male protagonist is a dick for the most part. He does redeem himself to some extent by the end of book one, but the overall outlook isn’t exactly flattering. There’s a stretch of about a hundred pages or so depicting Alina’s time at the Little Palace, learning to master her powers. I found that bit curiously boring. Perhaps it’s the pacing or something else I cannot quite verbalize. Before that bit, I had no notion schools of magic could be boring. If not for Baghra, I would’ve simply given up and moved on to something else. Pacing in general is uneven to the point of feeling as if reader needs to survive whole chunks of the novel in order to enjoy the good bits. To be fair, good bits are really good. Sort of reward for the most dedicated readers who made it that far. At the risk of offending hard-core fans, I cannot quite see how it became a bestselling novel. Like I said, there are really interesting elements, just not expanded enough – and, sadly, drowned into pages upon pages of dull material. Each work of fiction has its fan base; however, it’s millions here that baffle me. I assume devoted fans dwell on the good parts while pretending the rest does not exist. This is the rare instance where I prefer filmed material to source material. Netflix tells different story and I think it tells a better story.

The Grisha #1 Publisher: Henry Holt & Co. (BYR) Publication Date: June 5th, 2012 Rating: 4 Stars Source: Purchase Pages: 368 Add it on Goodreads! Summary (from Goodreads): 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. I didn't even bother to attempt to omit anything spoilery. Just in case you're one of those people (like me) who is reading this and hasn't already jumped on this bandwagon. And this isn't even really a review. It's just my ramblings. Just in case that's not your thing, turn back now. Okay, so I mentioned in a tag one time that my least favorite trope to read about in a book is the one where the girl finds herself to be so boring and plain and not pretty, but actually she is and everyone loves her and blah blah blah. Well, I'm bringing that up because I was just reading other people's reviews of this book on Goodreads and someone was saying something about how they felt Alina fit this trope and I disagree. So I wish to babble about why I disagree. Also, it's probably the most coherent thought I have on this whole book. In the beginning of the book, Alina kind of strikes me as an outcast. She was an orphan of the forever ongoing war between Ravka and the neighboring countries along with her best friend, Mal. They grow up and join the military together and she seems to just be off by herself. She is a mapmaker and not even a very good one, in her own opinion. She is always wishing for the good old days when Mal actually noticed her or took interest in her. The way she is described makes me think of someone who is really sickly. She constantly has dark circles under her eyes, she's way too skinny, she can't sleep, she has no appetite, she doesn't have pretty skin, etc. Then going through the Shadow Fold, she unleashes her rare Grisha powers to save Mal from the volcra and she is consequently taken by the Darkling to Os Alta where she is trained to use her powers. She fails in her training with Baghra to use her powers at her own will, she fails in combat training with Botkin because of her sickly nature, and she fails in socializing with other Grisha because she doesn't believe she belongs there and doesn't believe in herself. People only seem to be interested in her for her rare Sun Summoner abilities. Then she has kind of a realization/flashback about her past and realizes that she doesn't have to hide her powers anymore. So she lets it out and her sickly-ness goes away. She can sleep and regains her appetite so she fills out and loses the dark circles, but I still don't really recall anyone describing her as pretty. Maybe I skimmed over the book too fast NEEDING to know what happens next, but I don't remember that at all. It seemed to me that it probably took a big physical toll on Alina to suppress those powers for so long. And as a result of all that, she gains more confidence and finds that she's finally found a place where she fits in. And as for the part of the trope where the character's got all these guys in love with her, I don't believe that the Darkling loves her. I think that he loves her power and how he can use it for his own gain. And as for Mal, I think that even though, to me, he came across as a huge douchebag in the beginning of the book, he probably always loved her. They grew up together and he took her presence for granted until she was no longer there and then he probably really realized what his feelings for her were. And as for everyone else in the book, I think that they all liked her just because they wanted to be friends with the Sun Summoner. Except Genya, I think Genya likes Alina because Alina sees her as a person and treats her like a friend. I really liked Genya. Anyway, so yeah, I really liked Alina. I found her to be really relatable. I appreciated that she didn't act like she always knew what was going on. I enjoyed that she made mistakes and ended up making some really tough decisions. I loved how she overcame everything. I thought she grew a lot in this book. I really enjoyed reading about her. In the beginning, I thought that Mal was kind of a douchebag, as I mentioned above. I didn't really see the appeal of him AT FIRST. He seemed to be looking at other girls when he had a perfectly wonderful girl right in front of him that he never even saw until she was gone. But I decided that I was firmly team Mal at the part where he tells her he sees her now, right before they find the white stag. Ahhhhhhh... I love how he regrets not doing anything to get her back when she was taken by the Grisha after she revealed her power and tries to do whatever he thinks he can to help her. He tracks the white stag because he knows it's for her and then when his assignment changes to tracking her, he does just that and then runs away with her and tries to find her the stag still. I love the relationship that they have. I love when they are rekindling that friendship/something more after he finds her. When the Darkling was introduced, I didn't really see what was so bad about him. He seemed like a genuine guy, all sad about the Shadow Fold and wanting Alina's help to destroy it and what not. And I was very happy about the kissing scenes. I DID think it was weird that he never really acted all that excited about kissing her though. I think he just wanted to make out with her sun summoning ability. Buuut then I saw his true colors and I was glad that she ran away. I really didn't find him to be all that villainous though, to be honest. I mean, yeah, he's not good. But I mean, there are definitely worse villains out there. At this point he kinda sounds like he just wants to use his Shadow Fold to force peace on all the warring countries. Things COULD be worse, but at the same time, he's probably got worse things up his sleeve. I don't know yet. We'll see. I enjoyed the writing of this book. I enjoyed the story and the plot. I liked all the characters. I can't think of anyone in this book that I didn't like. I can think of one thing that I didn't like about this book at all... I KNEW Alexei was gonna get snatched by a volcra in the beginning. I knew it. I knew he wasn't gonna make it through the Shadow Fold. I liked him in the brief time that he was around in the story. Poor Alexei didn't stand a chance. I'm really excited to see what happens in the rest of this series! I would highly recommend this book if you're into fantasy. I really just think that I have a thing for books where the characters have any kind of power. So if you also have this kind of thing, read this book!

Shadow and Bone was a marvelous fantasy tale. Bardugo created relatable characters and paired them with an exceptional fictional world. The hype of this book has been large. As with many popular books, they have the tendency to have all the same qualities. Not this one. Shadow and Bone is like nothing I have ever read. I can't wait to finish the trilogy. Pick up this fantastic series today! It's fresh, unique, and filled with action. Alina Starkov is an orphan. She was an abused child living in a house with a wretched duke, and cared for by an even more horrible lady, named Ana Kuya. Alina's life was drained of love. But when Mal , another orphan, shows up they immediately have a deep connection. Mal and Alina's relationship lays the foundation for this novel. They are the center that holds the world together. Mal is the only person that Alina can rely on. He is her rock. Alina has been in love with him since the beginning. The fictional world of Shadow and Bone is incredible. It's kind of hard to explain, though. Basically you have the country of Ravka, which is separated by the Unsea, or the Shadow Fold. The Shadow Fold was created hundreds of years ago and contains killer creatures called Volcra. Volcra are flying creatures that used to be the people living in the area before the Fold was created. Mal and Alina are both stationed near the fold in the First Army. Mal is a tracker and Alina is a mapmaker. This isn't a normal military base though. In Bardugo's world, there are Grisha. The Grisha are people with powers. They live in the Little Palace and are treated like royalty. However, the less important or powerful Grisha serve in the army, as well. There is a very distinct line between normal humans and Grisha. They do not associate with each other. During Alina and Mal's service, they travel with an army into the Shadow Fold. This is a daunting task that will have many casualties. Not even the Grisha can protect the army from the dangerous Volcra. Mal and Alina are both at the brink of death. Their skin torn from the Volcra's sharp claws. As Alina's life slips, a bright light as large as the sun shines out of Alina herself. When Alina comes too, she finds herself in the Grisha tent. Confused, she tries to play off what happened on the ship. There was no way she could be Grisha. She had been tested as a child and wasn't. There was simply no way. But the Darkling has other views on the situation. The Darkling is the leader of the Grisha. He is the ruler of the Little Palace and corresponds with the King himself. He has dark gray eyes and a handsome smile that everyone seems to fancy. The Darkling is also an amplifier. Meaning he can increase the power in a Grisha significantly. Items can also be amplifiers, and this comes into play a little bit later. The Darkling takes Alina into his grasp, and again, she lights up like the sun. The word choice and imagery that Bardugo uses in this part of the story is incredible. Having a girl light up brightly may seem a little odd, but the way that the author beautifully explains it makes is magical. The Darkling pronounces Alina as the Sun Summoner. She is destined to team up with the Darkling and eradicate the Shadow Fold entirely. She is taken away from camp, away from Mal, and to the Little Palace, to live her life as a Grisha Alina is revered at the Little Palace. She is prayed to and touched carefully. The Darkling goes to great lengths to protect Alina from harm. She is too important to risk. Without her and her light, there is no way to cross and destroy the Fold. This is the Darkling's only goal. Alina knows how important it is that she learn to use her powers. She needs them to help the Darkling! In her various lessons, she fails. Whether it is with her powers or in hand to hand combat. She lacks behind the other Grisha in everything, even theory. Alina misses Mal terribly and writes to him every week. However, she never receives a reply. Bagrha is Alina's teacher. She helps her control her power and pushes her incredibly hard. Almost too hard. There are times when the Darkling comes in and snaps at Baghra for pushing Alina too hard. The Darkling and Baghra have a very tense relationship, and Alina wants to know why. The Darkling and Alina have been getting closer and closer. But when she asks about Baghra, the Darkling just shrugs it off. Alina's only friend in the Little Palace is Genya. Genya is one of the lower classes of Grisha. She is able to change the appearance of a person. Her main project is with the queen, because the queen always has to look good, right? Genya also helps Alina look better after her stressful days. Genya and Alina often eat dinner together and discuss the Little Palace as friends often do. The other Grisha aren't so inviting to Alina. As the Sun Summoner, she works alone. Other Etherealki (a type of Grisha that controls the elements) usually work in pairs or groups, which makes Alina the odd one out. She also receives special treatment from the Darkling. For example, each Griash wears a Kefta. This is a large jacket or wrap that they wear. The different colors represent the different category of Grisha. Black is the Darkling's color, and he wants Alina to wear it too. Even thought it is a great honor, Alina turns it down. Eventually the Darkling gives her a black Kefta without asking her. I really liked reading about Alina's time in the Little Palace. It was interesting to learn about all the Grisha that lived there. They all have such unique qualities, but are really relatable. Genya falls for a man that is plain, when she is the most beautiful Grisha there is. The other Etherealki, as Alina describes them, are fake. They act like the common high school girl today. Sucking up to the most popular and talking bad about people behind their backs. Now let's talk about the most interesting part of Alina's stay at the Little Palace. The Darkling and Alina's relationship. When the Darkling first kissed Alina, I felt like it had taken him long enough. They obviously had some tension going on. Alina was strongly attracted to the Darkling, as were many people. She never told anyone what was really going on between them. In this part of the book I really liked the Darkling. He was dark (obviously) and mysterious. There were secrets in his eyes that the readers wanted to know. But these secrets were more horrible than anyone could imagine. One of the best parts of the book is the Ceremony held for the Grisha. When the Darkling and Alina step on stage in their black keftas. They put on a show of interweaving light and dark. It is described so beautifully. At this point, the Darkling and Alina's magic flow together like it was destiny. Next in the story we learn about the Stag. Going back to what I said about amplifiers being objects. This isn't a ordinary Stag. It is part of a herd that is said to be legend. If Alina kills the Stag, the antlers can be used as an amplifier so she can use her power freely. She is still having difficulty in her classes with Baghra and there is no time to waste. She needs this amplifier. The Darkling thinks it was made for her. Now it's time for the plot twist! So if you are reading this review and have not read the book, please read it. It will be much more fun. Was I the only one who didn't see the twist coming. The only one who actually liked the Darkling? I simply can't be alone, right? Of course I knew there would be some kind of twist that drew Alina back to Mal, otherwise what was the point of having their relationship in the beginning!? I knew there was going to be a twist, but wasn't expecting this. Come on, me, his name is Darkling for Pete's sake. So the Darkling has been lying. He isn't planning on destroying the Shadow Fold. He is planning on extending it. Baghra pulls Alina from her room and tells her she has to run. This moment was so intense. I trusted the Darkling's words. I didn't see anything that told me not to. I am sure that a re-read would warrant a lot of reasons though. But in this moment, i felt exactly as Alina did. Scared and betrayed and alone. Baghra tells Alina everything she couldn't tell her before. She is the Darkling's mother. She knew about his evil plans the whole time, but knew that he couldn't do it without the Stag. She didn't believe in the Stag at all, so she didn't think there was a reason to panic. But a powerful tracker has located the Stag, and it was just a matter of time until the plan would be revealed by the Darkling himself. She urges Alina to run, because the Darkling is pure evil. He created the Fold in the first place, and now, he wants to rule the world with it. I couldn't believe any of the words I had read. I just stared at my Kindle for a few moments. Wait...what? What about the kisses and the moments that Alina and the Darkling shared? I admit that I like Mal more than the Darkling, but it was still an intriguing relationship. And the way it was written was just flawless. I was sad to see it go, but if the Darkling had been lying about his goals, he wasn't good for Alina anyway. Alina runs. She escapes the Little Palace and heads toward the mountains-the last place she heard the Stag being mentioned. The Darkling's plot has a lot of terrifying aspects. For one, he is planning on killing the Stag himself and forcing the horns on Alina. By doing this, he will have complete control of her powers, and can use the light to escape the Volcra, and use his own power to extend the Fold and seize power. Alina spends days freezing to death in the mountains. She knows she will never find the Stag on her own. Thankfully, she runs into our heroic Mal. The guy we were waiting over half the book to make his daring return. He does. He more than does. Mal and Alina's reunion is amazing. They tell each other about their feelings. it turns out Mal never received the mail from Alina, so he assumed the worst. There were rumors that she was being tortured, so he teamed up with the Grisha to help find the Stag. He knows the location, and had to lead the entire tracking crew in the wrong direction. I didn't think this fantasy book would be so centered on their romance. Mal and Alina have a great story to tell. It wasn't some cheesy love at first sight thing. They had chemistry. They had a lot of it. The tension between them was even more than Alina and the Darkling. I love the friendship of Mal and Alina. It was a delightful addition to the plot. They reminisce about the time spent with Ana Kuya. While with Mal, Alina has an epiphany. Yes, she was tested to see if she was Grisha as a child. She felt the power being pulled out against her will. however, she realized what this meant. It meant a separation from Mal. She would never see him again. He would be here all alone. She faught against the amplifier with everything she had inside her. And for some crazy reason. It worked. She loved Mal enough to hide her Grisha abilities. She hid the fact from herself. She told herself she was human so many times that she started to believe it. Alina and Mal search for the Stag together. During the journey, Alina asks an uncomfortable favor from Mal. More than uncomfortable, it was devastating. Alina knows what will happen if the Darkling finds the Stag and puts the antler collar on her. She will have no choice to obey. To guide him in it mad search for power. She asked Mal to killer her before the Darkling got ahold of her. It was a really deep moment for the two of them and their relationship. She asked the for the one thing that he could not supply. But he agreed anyway. When they find the Stag, Mal goes to bring it down. Alina has a split second to make the kill, because the Darkling and his forces are close. So , so close. And Alina can't do it. She can't kill the helpless animal. In this moment of weakness, the Darkling arrives and murders it. The life drains out of the Stag and the Darkling demands the antlers be cut to make the amplifier. Alina and Mal are taken hostage. The collar is places around Alina's neck and the Darkling takes control. The group makes a return to the Little Palace. Nobody knows the real reason that Alina left. She begs the Darkling to show mercy to Mal, and he refuses. He tells Alina that Mal will be left in the Fold to die. The night that Alina spends in the jail cells with Mal was very touching. They could only hold hands through the bars. The destruction of Mal was coming, and there wasn't anything either of them could do to change it. This moment in their relationship was heartbreaking. I had fallen in love with Mal, and was going to be devastated if something happened to him. When the group of Grisha and soldiers make their way out onto the Fold, we witness the true horror of the Darkling. As he uses Alina to take out the Volcra, he is completely ruthless. After this night on the boat, the Darkling is one of my most hated villains in fantasy. Alina is a fighter. She fights every time the Darkling takes her powers. It's just not enough. The Darkling uses his own powers and extends the Fold into the nearby village. At this second, he turns into a true monster. He kills everyone in the village to extend the Fold. He leaves them to the Volcra. The Darkling's character development is surreal. He is horrifying and terrible. He acts in a strange and calm manner, which just makes it worse. He went from a leader that I respected to an awful, merciless monster. The other Grisha are surprised by the plan of the Darkling, but nobody will help Alina. She must fight this battle on her own. Mal is tossed out of the boat and the Darkling forces Alina to pull her light away from him, leaving his to the ravenous Volcra. Alina isn't finished, though. Her second epiphany is ever more powerful than the first. She realizes that she has the right to the amplifier collar as much as the Darkling does. She showed the Stag mercy, which the Darkling would never be able to do. Mercy wins over murder. She finds her power again. The Darkling's grasp is easy to shrug off and she rescues Mal, leaving the ship and the Darkling to die in the Fold. This book was fantastic. It deserves every star it got. I am thrilled to read more from Leigh Bardugo. This author is so talented. This world was painted with love, friendship and power. Shadow and Bone is a rare piece of work. It's one of those books that you can read over and over and over. I recommend it to everyone, not just fantasy fans. It has everything. Action, adventure, romance and twists. Pick up a copy because you won't regret it. Join Mal, Alina, and the wretched Darkling in the adventure of a lifetime.

I'm sitting here at my computer and I have no idea which awesome aspect of the story I should start telling you about first. There were so many things I loved. I realize that if I went in to depth about everything you would stop reading because it would be SO LONG! Instead here are some highlights. You can read whatever appeals to you :) Also I need a thesaurus because I just loved everything and I kept wanting to say it was super awesome/fascinating/interesting/intriguing/I loved, I loved, I loved, I loved, I loved! They book itself:. The cover is gorgeous. I love the Russian-esque building, the colors, the shading, and the font! Throughout the book there are really beautiful fonts used at the beginning of chapters or breaks in the story. Each chapter also has gorgeous embellishments. It's all just so pretty and adds to the feel of the story! The World: I was really impressed by the world building in Shadow and Bone. The reader really got to know about Ravka and its surroundings. I don't mean just the geography either (Although there is a map!) I felt like I got to know much of the history and beliefs that went in to making the people of Ravka who they are and the rules of the world what they are. As a bonus? Russian geography, folklore, and culture were used as the basis for Ravka. Leigh has a video of images that inspired the creation of Ravka on her website! Words and language: The Russian language also has an influence in the book. Leigh took liberties with it and changed the words so that they sound like she wanted them to (this is a fictional world after al!) and I LOVED it! Again, it really added to the feel of the story and enhanced the mystery and magic. Check out Leigh's guide on how to speak Ravkan to see what I mean :) Grisha: Coolest. Ever. I mean, the "magical elite"? How can you not love that! The lore and the different divisions of the Grisha were fascinating to me. I Couldn't get enough of them. I would totally read, "The Grisha, a History" if it existed! I think the fact that I was learning more about Grisha as Alina was made it even more intriging. Also, the division between the Grisha and the soldiers was super interesting as well. The whole First Army/Second Army division... loved it. Alina: This girl rocks. Seriously. I could write a whole post about how awesome I think she is. Don't worry, I won't here. It would be too spoilery! I will say this... Alina's whole world is shaken. She is whisked from being an unknown traveling with the First Army to being a curiosity at court (sidenote: The court! AHHH! So much love!) Following along as she discovers who she is and her place in the world around her really kept me reading. The Darkling: Yeah... THE DARKLING! Once you read the book you'll know why it's in all caps. For now check out this post from Jennifer Rush (her book Altered is coming from Little, Brown in Fall.) He is definitely the bad boy to end all bad boys! Mal: Oh Mal. I couldn't forget him! He's been Alina's friend since childhood but he is not the boy next door. I liked the little ways that we got to know more about him. Since Alina has known him so long (and we get the story from her) it felt like more of a treat to learn about him. Totally crush-worthy. Before/After: There is a "Before" section and an "After" section. These pages bookend Alina's telling of the story. They give the book more of a storyteller feel. They also blew me away. In my notes I literally wrote: "Before" = O_O So good!!! Shadow and Bone captured me from the get go. I wanted to know more and more and more about the world and the characters that Leigh Bardugo has created. I was totally engrossed in the romance, the mystery, and the adventure. This is a series that has skyrocketed to the top of my "most anticipated" list! Add it to your wish list RIGHT NOW!!!

A edição de colecionador vem em capa dura com ilustrações lindíssimas na capa e mesmo no interior. O livro é tudo o que esperava! Mal posso esperar pelas próximas edições de colecionador dos restantes livros da trilogia.

Een boek met een erg goede verhaallijn. Het heeft allerlei elementen van een fantasy boek maar ondertussen ook een roman. Verder zaten er ook plottwist in het verhaal, wat het erg fijn maakte om dit boek te lezen. Ben daarom zeker van plan om de andere delen van deze boekenserie ook te kopen!

Leigh Bardugo has fast become one of my favourite authors. Shadow and Bone drew me in from page one with incredible worldbuilding, deep characterisation, and exciting action. I couldn't stop reading and devoured this story in two days (which says something since I'm usually an incredibly slow reader). This is one of those books that makes you feel like you're living the story, experiencing all the feels! And there are plenty of those when it comes to the protagonist, Alina, and the handsome, ruthless Darkling. Alina goes through such a journey, falling in love, facing heartbreak, finding the fierce courage and power within herself to survive. And the best part is the twist that comes midway. I was shook. This plot is just so compelling and awesome. I'd recommend Shadow and Bone to anyone who enjoys rich fantasy worlds, very dark magic, court intrigue, complicated romance, and strong female protagonists. Sensitive readers or parents shopping for their kids might like to know there is a passionate kissing scene and one very violent death which is meant to shock for plot/characterisation purposes. But all in all, this book is AMAZING, and since stepping into the Grishaverse I'm hooked!

I really like the covers for this series. So much effort was put into them. I especially like the antlers on either side of the palace. The book also included a nicely drawn map. I also really like the chapter title illustrations. A lot of effort was put into the book's design. I can definitely see why though. YA lately are the same thing over and over, at least this one had something slightly different with the Russian and fantasy setting. The writing was clear and very easy to get into. I definitely found the writing better than most YA books. I really liked the prologue and the epilogue's writing, probably because it was written in third person. The setting was fun and I did enjoy it to a certain extent and there were one or two original things. Ordinary girl finds out she has power. Taken away by organization and trained. You wouldn't believe how overused this plot line is in fantasy. Despite this, Shadow and Bone threw in a couple of surprises and it was really fun to read. I really enjoyed it and it was such a fun read. It was plot and fantasy with a dabble of romance. The interesting thing about Alina was probably her power. I liked the villain. I think everyone likes him. He's probably my favourite character. I'll be picking up the sequel.

Livro lindo que veio em perfeito estado e antes da data prevista! Se você é um grande fã do Grishaverse, vale muito a pena. Em relação ao conteúdo extra, se trata de uma carta do Maly para a Alina, quando essa ainda está no pequeno palácio com o Darkling. Livro lindo que não deixa a desejar em aspectos físicos. Queria que tivesse um conteúdo extra do Darkling, mas parece que não foi dessa vez! Leitura em inglês em nível um pouco mais complexo, como todos os livros da Leigh, na minha opinião.