Title: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Release date: June 5, 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages: 368
Source: ALA
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 has solidified my love for all things high fantasy. Leigh Bardugo has a way with words. I was drawn into Ravka from the very first page and I could not put the book down. The Grisha trilogy is going to be awesome!
First off, the world building is amazing. Ravka is a country ravaged by war yet still maintaining a lot of it’s beauty. It’s a place any other you have ever read about or will ever read about. The Grand Palace, the Little Palace, the Shadow Fold, the Petrazo mountains, everything is so richly detailed and even the Shadow Fold seems beautiful in it’s eerie, desolate way. There was not a page in the book where I couldn’t picture the setting in my head.
The magical abilities of the Grisha are a bit confusing at first but they are quickly explained. There are different groups of Grisha and different abilities within each group. Above all the Grisha is the Darkling. He is the most powerful Grisha and his power (or powers) remain a mystery. It’s clear that a lot of thought went into the building of the Grisha ranks and talents. Leigh Bardugo did not do anything half-ass with Shadow and Bone and the Grisha is no exception. The training, the powers, the colors of the kaftas, everything about them was so interesting.
The characters were quite well-developed, especially for the first book in a trilogy. Alina was relatively strong in the beginning but her strength then was nothing compared to her strength in the end. She was brave, smart, curious, and sometimes quite clueless and blinded by love. She certainly had her weaknesses but they only strengthened her. Also, things never came easy to her. She had to work her ass off to learn her talents and how to defend herself. However, she never gave up.
One of the most underdeveloped characters (but still one of my favorites) was Mal. His story was a bit of a mystery but I hope that the next book will help clear that up. He was cocky at times, sweet at others. He was very easy to fall in love with. However, so was the Darkling. The Darkling was powerful and mysterious. He is a character that readers will definitely be drawn to. He was also one of the most well-rounded. His character was amazingly well-developed.
The plot really takes off at the beginning of the book. There are a few chapters spent getting to know the characters and the world but that is pretty much it. As soon as Alina and the soldiers enter the Shadow Fold things get crazy and they don’t slow down for the rest of the book. The ending ties things up quite nicely but definitely leaves readers dying for more.
Overall, Shadow and Bone is probably one of the best books I can recommend to high fantasy fans. It’s completely wonderful and I cannot wait for more from Leigh Bardugo.
Looking for more reviews of Shadow and Bone?
The Book Smugglers’ review
Squeaky Books’ review
Series:
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)
Siege and Storm (The Grisha Trilogy #2) – 2013
Ruin and Rising (The Grisha Trilogy #3) – 2014
I totally agree! The author made everything so well rounded it was perfect in every aspect. So glad you loved it too!
“Leigh Bardugo did not do anything half-ass with Shadow and Bone and the Grisha is no exception.”
Girl, you said it all. One of my favorites of this year! Great review.
Hm… I definitely need to take a look at Shadow and Bone. At first I was sort of put off by the dreary, melancholic cover, but now since you have mentioned that it is a high fantasy, I must try it. (I am obsessed with high fantasy, probably because there are so few of them)
Not sure if I would like this one or not but the cover is gorgeous!
OOh-LA-LA! Must have this book! Great review! It’s out now! YAY!
This sounds awesome I will defiantly be putting it on my TBR list. Thanks for the great review!!!
I am really excited to read this book!!! Thanks for the great review!!!
eek! every single review has been talking about how amazing this book is (including my sister’s review!) so I am seriously excited to start it, you are also not the first one to talk about the world building of Shadow and Bone. Also, Mal seems like a person I would really like! Can’t wait to start it!
– juhina
I absolutely adored this book and I’m so happy you did, too! I am anxiously awaiting the next novel in this series because this was such a powerful debut. Like you, I think that the most underdeveloped character is Mal, but I loved him all the same. Despite his mysterious background, his feelings were real and he was a character that you loved because Alina loved him so much. Great review.
I have a huge crush on The Darkling. I think bigger than the one I have on Mal. I totally saw him and Alina ruling, like, the world but with her helping people.
Love the writing and the magic! Totally unique world 🙂
Lovely review 🙂