Shadow and Bone

Guys, guys, GUYS. How much did I love this book? I had some high expectations going in, and I was surprised to find each one of them fulfilled. Bardugo has a new hit on her hands with “Shadow & Bone” and I…can I just have that next book now? Please? This can’t be a standalone. It just

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can’t. ALL THE AWARDS FOR THIS BOOK!

Set in an alternate world (or an alternate Russia, maybe?), we have magic users and soldiers both being used by the government to further a war against its neighbors. Even from the first page, this world felt complete. Bardugo is very thorough in her worldbuilding, and makes the world itself as much as a character as Alina, Mal, the Darkling, and the rest. The fantastic felt very credible, and the idea of an Unsea was absolutely delectable. She starts us in Alina’s memory of the past, then in media res in terms of her current situation in the military. What was fabulous about this world is that even though there are limits to how far you can rise in power in terms of gender, it seemed pretty equal-opportunity in terms of who does what and in what position in terms of society and its structures. I loved that there was a militaristic court – right alongside the one we know from our own recent past the world over. The Grisha, while magic users, are also a huge part of the military, and are treated as such. The Darkling leads them, and weaves himself back into the world (especially the Unsea) that Bardugo created. Everyone tied back in so neatly, and that’s so incredibly hard to do, so snaps to Bardugo for getting her worldbuilding right on her first try.

Second, it’s made clear that this is Alina’s journey from the beginning. Not that of the Grisha people, not that of the Darkling (though he does tie into a pretty nice chunk of it), not that of the pseudo-Russia that everyone lives in. This is Alina’s journey, finding out that she is indeed a Grisha, and not just your usual one. As with any rule in high/epic fantasy that has magic/wizards in it, there’s usually a “chosen one” trope, and Alina’s it. She’s the chosen one for this trope. But you know what? Since so many people have done right by that trope in the past (and because Bardugo nailed it in her debut), I can forgive its use. But she’s not treated special for the whole book – only at first, but then she’s sent into Grisha bootcamp to catch up with everyone else her age, even though she does have the rarest power of all – one to balance out the Darkling. Life as a late-bloomer Grisha is not easy, and I love Bardugo for really torturing Alina and putting her through it all, because the payoff with the last third of the book is huge (and awesome).

Third, there is romance, but there’s the question of real attraction versus that of compulsion – or rather, that of being compelled forcibly by another into attraction. The Darkling is alluring, and then there’s Mal, the childhood friend – but this is not a love triangle. At first, I thought it was – it looked like it was going to be, and I was getting pissed. But the way Bardugo turned it on its head and asks the question between the lines of real attraction versus forced compulsion was very interesting. Even when Alina may not entirely be in control in terms of who she wants more, Bardugo makes her emphasis that this is all about Alina in the end, and her choices, and ultimately, not about the love interests themselves at all. It becomes a matter of going after power for one’s future, or for desiring a “normal” life instead. The love interests are used to mark the fork in Alina’s road in terms of her character arc, and who will she choose? The Darkling, who is power? Or Mal, who is normal? She twisted this all very intricately, and I did have to think about it for a bit afterward before I finally got all of the quieter connections she made with these romances.

Finally, her use of sensory language is some of the most powerful stuff I’ve read out of all of the debuts this year – and her competition in that has been huge in the amount of talented debut authors this year. I could taste the food, feel the fabric of the clothes, feel the words on my tongue, feel the chill of the air and the bruises from training, the terror of the Unsea and the thrill of lighting it up. She makes you feel things and it’s absolutely incredible. You can actually feel the magic. This is an experience you just can’t miss for that alone.

Final verdict? You simply cannot miss this debut. Really. It’s on my best of 2012 list so far, and hopefully it’ll make your list, too. “Shadow & Bone” is out June 5, 2012 in North America through Henry Holt BYFR/Macmillan, other places check with your local vendors. This is one you’re going to want to own, and it’s definitely going to be money well-spent.

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, and birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com)

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I was completely taken with Leigh Bardugo's debut. Shadow and Bone is marvelous... seriously. The world is richly detailed, the main and secondary characters are engaging, and the fantasy elements distinctive. I couldn't put it down!

Alina doesn't think she's anything special, until she accidentally

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taps into previously unrealized power within to save her best friend... power that marks her as Grisha. The Grisha are revered in Ravka and are much above Alina's current station in life. She is taken under the wing of the Darkling, the mysterious and powerful leader of the Grisha, and is forced to leave her best friend behind in order to train among her new found peers in a world she knows nothing about.

The time Alina spends training with her fellow Grisha successfully allowed the reader to observe external and internal changes of the heroine and was a great opportunity to learn more about the culture and world of the Grisha. I love how much depth and detail is present in Shadow and Bone, as it is usually the aspect of YA Fantasy I find lacking.

Bardugo doesn't make things easy for the reader. The reader and Alina are often unsure of who to trust, sharing the same insecurities. Except the reader doesn't have the weight of saving Ravka on their shoulders like the unsuspecting heroine...

And there's romance! And two possible romantic interests! And no love triangle! How is this possible, you ask? I'm not telling... because that would be very spoilery. And who wants that!?

Great YA fantasy doesn't come along every day... do not miss Shadow and Bone!

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I wasn't going to review Leigh Bardugo's Shadow and Bone, which has been hailed by many reviewers as one of the high points of the summer reading season (for young adults). Indeed, I have yet to see a negative review in any publication, and users will note the novel's current aggregate rating (4+

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stars as of 25 June 2012). When Shadow and Bone was mentioned in the Barnes & Noble Review as one of the three recommended summer "thrillers" for teens, I finally decided that I must weigh in.

I admit up front that I am not part of Bardugo's intended audience. I am not a teenager, nor am I a girl. (Bardugo and readers may or may take issue with the notion that Shadow and Bone is written more for female than male readers, but it nonetheless skews that way.) That said, I read young adult fiction, particularly in the genres of fantasy and science-fiction, because that's where much of the most creative fiction being published these days originates. Consider The Hunger Games, the novel in particular and the trilogy in general. Collins' series was much more inventive and fun than comparable works written for "adults." (Basically, I believe that, if a book is "good," the intended "audience" is irrelevant. It is worth reading.)

Perhaps it is this gender different, though, that explains my negative reaction to Shadow and Bone. I've already noted that all of the reader reviews I've skimmed were by females. I suspect that, like me, male readers will be put off. Shadow and Bone is in part a love story. That's not in itself so troubling for male readers, as long as it isn't the focus of the book. (The love story in Shadow and Bone is a bit more prominent than some male readers might prefer, but it is not off-putting.) The love story here is a triangle between Alina, the protagonist, her childhood friend/now soldier Mal, and a powerful wizard known as the Darkling. It's clear from the beginning that Alina loves Mal but doesn't feel able to express it to him. Through a variety of twists and turns, Alina and Mal are physically and emotionally separated from one another and Alina eventually falls for the Darkling, who is described in what I can only call very girlish terms. It is VERY evident that the Darkling, dark, gothic, handsome and mysterious, is an example of adolescent female wish fulfillment. Male readers will find this dull; nor does Alina's involvement with the Darkling add much to the story.

Alina's puzzling relationship with the Darkling (he's called THE DARKLING) aside, there are other aspects of Shadow and Bone regarding which I am more concerned. Along with Alina's affair with the Darkling is his sudden (THIS IS A SPOILER) and not very surprising turn to evil. The Darkling shows his true colors (evil, represented by black, in which he constantly cloaks himself, incidentally) halfway through the book. Although Bardugo goes to great lengths to convince the reader that the Darkling is actually good, and Alina falls for his tricks, the revelation that he is really evil is not surprising. That said, it is AWKWARD. It comes from nowhere, falling from the sky into the middle of the story. It simply does not make sense the way it happens and the way it is introduced into the plot. The Darkling's change is unconvincing not because the reader really believes that he is good (AGAIN, HE'S CALLED THE DARKLING), but because it is delivered awkwardly. The story makes a 90 degree turn without first preparing the reader.

The middle portion of Shadow and Bone describes Alina's training by the Grisha (the wizards who serve the nation of Ravka). This is an occasionally interesting series of chapters relating Alina's introduction to Grisha training and the ways of palace life. It's reminiscent of portions of the Harry Potter books: Magic! Visiting the village! Festivals! Again, Bardugo's extreme tendency toward the effeminate (not to be confused with femininity) mars this section. Much emphasis is placed on characters' appearances, not only their wardrobes but also, and especially, their physical features. Finally grasping her magical powers, Alina is rewarded by no longer looking pale, weak and haggard: Her true, physical beauty shines. Bardugo certainly has a right to her opinions and toward the dispersion of them, but I'm uncomfortable with spreading these views among an age group already awash in such messages. I'm not asking for the tired line of GRRL POWER here, but the casualness with which Bardugo relates the sumptuousness of palace life and the beauty of her characters is simplistic. If physical beauty is an important feature in the book, please examine in a way that is less shallow.

I found most disappointing Bardugo's failure to fully develop the unique setting she chose for Shadow and Bone. Ravka appears to be a bit of a mishmash of medieval Muscovy and late imperial Russia. Bardugo has rightfully been lauded for deciding upon a less conventional fantasy setting. I'm a fan of Russian history and often wonder why fantasy is limited to medieval Western European settings, so I, too, was intrigued by Shadow and Bone's premise. Sadly, Bardugo underutilizes her setting. The details that make fantasy settings great are lacking; compared to Deathless by Catherynne Valente (a fantasy set in Stalinist Russia), the setting of Shadow and Bone is wanting. Yes, the Grisha ride in sleighs and people wear furs, but detail remains at that level. Readers should not expect to find a setting informed by a depth of Russian history and folklore.

I rated Shadow and Bone two stars not because it was a failure, but because it failed to live up to its potential. Bardugo's prose is serviceable and her storytelling capabilities are fine, if a bit bumpy. The novel is shallow, though, and fails to fully develop some of its thematic issues. The setting was a clever choice but was poorly developed. Readers should not avoid Shadow and Bone, but should approach it with managed expectations. Suspend judgment until the second book in the trilogy is released. Perhaps by then Bardugo will have corrected some the errors she made in Shadow and Bone.

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Shadow and Bone is the first book in the trilogy of the same title and of the larger Grisha-verse.

It’s basically a generic Chosen One fantasy book with vague Russian “inspiration.” That’s really all there is to say about this book; it literally is not deeper than that.

First of all, let’s

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talk about the Russian-esque setting and culture of the book. The title Grisha makes me raise my eyebrows a little because I recognized it as the name of the dad from Attack on Titan, and then after some very quick research (that apparently the author was too lazy to do herself) I found out the word is basically the Russian version of “Greg.” I’ve known this since this series before reading the series myself however, and was hoping that it was the only major issue in her borrowing from Russian culture.

Spoiler: It’s not.

For me, the most noticeable error was the way that surnames are used completely incorrectly. The main character is Alina Starkov rather than Alina Starkova, and there’s a saint named Ilya Morozova (Ilya is a male first name, and Morozova is the feminine surname.) Maybe the switch was intended, but there doesn’t seem to be a reason for it if so which makes me think this was just laziness.

Honestly, I mean, I’m not even Russian, and all this stuff annoyed me. Like, come on Leigh Bardugo, how hard is it to use Google? If you can’t put in at least minimal research effort, how is anyone supposed to take this story seriously? I don’t doubt that she made even more mistakes than those if someone like me with a very loose grasp of Russian even could see those.

Mostly, though, the Russian setting meant random Russian words being thrown around and italicized but none of it really added any depth to the world. It a generic fantasy world with some Russian language sprinkled on top to try to trick the reader into thinking the setting was unique.

That is just one of the ways in which the book remains superficial.

Let’s start with Alina. I liked her at first, and I really wanted to continue to like her, but then her character hit a wall. Full disclosure: I don’t generally like Chosen One main characters. I was pleasantly surprised that Alina had to put in a little effort to reach her potential as a Greg and the Sun Summoner. But other than that her character saw no development at all throughout the 350 pages of this book, and occasionally it was inconsistent, and it’s especially noticeable because it’s written in first-person. Sometimes she’s sarcastic and snarky, but in general she’s naive and makes a lot of stupid decisions. Can we pick one characterization and stick to it?

The Darkling has the potential to be interesting. I found his evil-ness sort of contrived and unbelievable. His manipulative side is actually decently developed, though. There just isn’t anything more than that. Again, the key word is potential.

Then there’s Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend and main love interest. There is nothing here. He’s a good tracker so he’s used as a plot device to this end a few times, but he has no actual depth and when he shows back up after Alina’s stint in the Little Palace I found myself bored to tears because there’s no actual chemistry here due to the lack of being developed characters in any meaningful way, so their interactions are about as interesting as watching paint dry.

The pacing is this book’s only saving grace. The majority of this book I read in the span of 2 days. And at no point did I think it was an amazing book, but it was fun. Well it was fun until I found myself bored during the last 20%. After that, even The Darkling’s catching Mal and Alina wasn’t enough to pique my interest in the story once again.

The plot is very formulaic. Plain girl is secretly Super Special and is the only hope to save the world. This is why I don’t generally like Chosen One stories, they all follow the same set of instructions and I don’t like reading the same thing over and over.

Despite all it’s flaws, I will be reading the next two books in the trilogy and hoping to see improvement. This was Leigh Bardugo’s debut novel so I’m willing to give this one the benefit of the doubt.

Admittedly, I’m only reading this trilogy to get to Six of Crows, because I want all the context of the world-building in these books before going into that duology. Though the near complete lack of world-building in this first book makes me wonder whether I’ve made a mistake in choosing to read these first.

Anyway, yeah, I wouldn’t recommend these unless you’re stubborn like me and I guess want to read them to get to the later books in the world.

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I just finished this book and I am very ready to read the sequel (darn library holds!). It actually took me a little while to get into the story, but about half-way through I was hooked. I am fascinated by this world and I very much want to know what is next for Alina and Mal.

Alina and Mal have been best friends ever since they were orphans in Duke Keramsov's household. They are in the army together about to journey to the Shadow Fold, a dangerous place inhabited by man-eating volcra. When Alina suddenly exhibits power, she finds she may be one of the elite Grisha,

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people with powers that frighten the peasants, and an ability that will separate her from all she knows and holds dear.

This inventive fantasy is set in an alternate world with similarities to Russia. Alina is our narrator, and because we're following her point of view we slowly see the world of the Grisha as she discovers it. Because of this, even 80 pages into the novel I was hard put to explain what it was about, but was still fascinated by the world-building and discoveries she was making even though I felt like I spent quite a bit of the time almost as confused as Alina is. This story leaves a few loose ends that will, of course, be addressed in sequels, but at the same time it was satisfying on its own and didn't leave me with any brutal cliffhangers. Recommended to those who enjoy young adult fantasy and don't mind a focus on characters over driving plot.

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Shadow and Bone was the completely epic book I was subconsciously looking for. Why did I read City of Bones;when I could have been reading this?

Alina Starkov is an orphan. She's never fitted in, is too skinny, and is basically every cliche' in YA books. How did Bardugo manage to make her amazing? I

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don't know. It must be some super secret Grisha power.

Anyways, one day, when she was crossing something called the Shadow Fold, a great rift devoid of light, she and the rest of her group were attacked. When her childhood friend is endangered, she finds out that she has this awesome power and uses it to save him. She is then taken from her friend to be trained to be Grisha. What are Grisha, you ask? Read the book, and then find out.

Alina was a good main character. She started out a bit, well, a lot, naive, but actually grew up. Did she mature? Yes. Did she develop her powers? Yes. And now, for the most important question. Did I like her? No. No I didn't.

Don't worry. I'm not that crazy. Of course I liked her. She's impossible to dislike.

The Darkling is a- wait for it- dark creature who wants her help to destroy the Fold. He's one part of this screwed up love triangle. Yes. I like him. I like him a lot. If Alina doesn't want him, can I have him?

The other point is Mal. Mal is the childhood friend who was almost killed. When Alina left, he became a soldier. That's all I'm going to say.

It was a completely awesome world to be in. I heard it was based on Russian mythology and culture. Now, Young Adult mythology screws up the actual mythology, so everything I read might be incorrect. However, I know nothing of Russian mythology, so I will base the rating on what I know. And what I know is that it was very enjoyable to read.

There were so many twists. And no, you don't get any spoilers or hints.

So, reader of my post, go read this book now. Shoo. If you don't Average-sized Korean and I will hunt you down.

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I knew as soon as I saw that Veronica Roth blurbed this book that I probably wouldn't like it, but like an idiot, I proceeded. But it's so highly rated! But people really seem to like it! But but but!

This book sucked.

It's not very often when I actually HATE a book, but I hate this book. I hated it

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from page one. I hated it as I gave up at page 127 and decided to just skim the rest of the story. And I hated it when I finally finished it and was like, "why did I waste time reading this book?"

First off, if you're going to try to make the book feel Russian and incorporate obviously Russian elements into the story, then you should probably know what you're talking about. Kvas. I've had kvas, thanks to a Russian friend in college (who made it in her dorm, but that's another story). It doesn't taste good, but it's also about as alcoholic as kombucha (fermented tea). Which is to say, in Russia, small children drink kvas without anyone blinking an eye. And if you want to get drunk on kvas, you'd have to drink a couple of gallons of it. At least. And in Russia, there are ways to get drunk much faster than that.

Oh, and Alina Starkov? Wrong. Russian surnames are gendered - Alina should be Starkova, not Starkov. Apparently the author didn't bother looking into this.

Oh, someone could say, "but this isn't Russia, this is a fantasy set in a Russia-esque place! So naming conventions and kvas doesn't matter!" Yeah, whatever. If you're going to use it, use it right or don't use it at all. Make it up. That's like me saying, "Hey, I got drunk on Pepsi last night! What, Pepsi doesn't get you drunk? Uhh, well, I live in an American-esque world, so I can use Pepsi, and in MY WORLD it gets me drunk!" That just sounds stupid - because it IS stupid.

And if it wasn't for the Russian clusterfuck, I'd still hate this book. Why? Because Alina is stupid. She's so freaking obsessed with her looks - oh noes, she has brown hair and is TOO SKINNY! - and the looks of every other female around her. I am so sick of YA books where it's pitting the "ugly" girl against the "pretty" ones. So freaking sick, you have no idea. And why are the "ugly" girls in YA almost always with brown hair and too skinny? It's ridiculous. Oh, and even though Alina saw the Darkling RIP A MAN IN HALF in front of her, she takes every opportunity to try to piss him off about the littlest, most petty things. Smart move there, Starkov(a). I was rather hoping that the Darkling would rip her in half, but alas, no such luck. I think the book would have been much better had that happened.

To top it all off, this book is generic as fuck. For being a fantasy novel, there is absolutely nothing interesting here. I've read this book before, a dozen times at least, in different incarnations. I'm sick of it. Grow an original bone. Throw me something meatier than "oh woe is me, I'm so ugly and so poor and ooh now look, shiny things because I HAVE A SPECIAL POWER!!!!!!!!!" Ugh.

Not recommended. Will not be finishing the series.

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This is the first book in the Grisha Trilogy. I got an advanced reading copy of this book through the Amazon Vine program and was really looking forward to reading it. It was an excellent read; wonderful characters, a creative world, and interesting magic. The second book in the trilogy, Seige and

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Storm, is scheduled for a 2013 release and the third book, Ruin and Rising, is scheduled for a 2014 release.

Ravka is a nation torn in two by the Shadow Fold, an area of darkness full of viscous creatures. Alina is working in the army as a mapmaker and their ship is attacked on a journey through the Shadow Fold. When Alina saves the day with a power she didn’t know she had, she is whisked away to the Palace to be trained as a Grisha. The whole country is hoping Alina can defeat the Shadow Fold once and for all, but when nothing is as it seems how will Alina know what is right and wrong?

This was a great book. Bardugo does an excellent job of submersing the reader in a wonderful new world that is fascinating, yet somewhat dark and troubled. The descriptions are very well done and make the scenes easy to picture, the story really comes alive. It is fast-paced and engaging.

I love the idea of the Shadow Fold, a mass of dark creatures slowly devouring an area of the Kingdom. I love some of the twists and turns the story takes as we learn more and more about the Shadow Fold. This is a world I enjoy reading about and want to learn more about.

Alina was one of the weakest elements in this book for me. She comes off as overly naive for the first portion of the book. I find that hard to believe given that she hasn’t exactly lead a sheltered life; she was an orphan to start and then she’s been working in the Army. She seemed over-simplified and her naivete contrived. She does develop nicely as the book continues and towards the end of the book I was finally starting to enjoy her character a bit more.

The other leads are the two male characters. Mal is Alina’s childhood friend that she has a crush on. He is a great character and heartbreakingly human in both his mistakes and his triumphs. I really enjoyed reading about him and was a bit disappointed he was out of the story for such a large portion of the book.

The Darkling is the second male character and he is everything his name promises. He is the darkness to Alina’s light magic; he is old, he is powerful, he is sexy, he is dangerous, and mysterious. He is a wonderful character and you have to admire his confidence and his joy when he finds Alina and her Light magic. He is kind of my favorite character, I enjoyed his complexity.

If you are thinking...well great...another YA romance triangle...it’s really not like that. You’ll have to read it and see but that really isn’t the focus of this book and Alina doesn’t spend time agonizing between the two men.

Another thing I enjoyed was the Grisha culture and society and the magic system that went with it all. It made for a great fantasy and was incredibly interesting to read about.

The book ends at a good spot, but definitely has more that will need to be resolved in future books.

So even though I really enjoyed this book I couldn’t give it five stars. Although this is a good book, Alina is just a bit too simple, there is too much focus on how beautiful all the Grisha are, and the plot itself was a bit too predictable. It was like this book was almost completely wonderful but not quite.

Overall a very unique and engaging fantasy novel. There is a great world, an intriguing magic system, a fast paced plot, some excellent characters, and a little bit of romance too. I definitely recommend to fans of fantasy; especially YA fantasy. Older fantasy fans might find the whole plot a bit simple. I will definitely be reading the next book, Seige and Storm, when it releases.

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Review Courtesy of Dark Faerie Tales

Quick & Dirty: A dark and sinister fantasy that will leave you heartbroken yet filled with hope at the same time. An engaging world that borders on epic storytelling. The main character can be a little naïve at times but it suits her development as the story

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progresses.

Opening Sentence: The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts, because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke’s house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches.

The Review:

Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev grew up in an orphanage together. They were pretty much inseparable. When they left the orphanage they joined the King’s Army together. Although they were assigned different jobs they were still able to see each other and travel together. Alina and Mal have both been assigned to travel across the Shadow Fold, a mass of complete darkness where deadly creatures dwell. Alina travels as a mapmaker to draw the land on the other side while Mal travels as a Hunter/Tracker to catch some of the wild game to bring back to their country.

Travelling through the Shadow Fold is dangerous and for Alina and Mal this time is no exception. The boat they are travelling on is attacked by volcra, bird-like creatures that have a hunger for human flesh. Alina is protected by Mal from the attacking volcra but in the end she protects him by releasing an unknown power she didn’t realize she had. This brings her unwanted attention from the Darkling, the unspoken leader of the Grisha and one scary dude.

Grisha are people with some kind of magical/supernatural power. They are the second line of defense in the King’s Army. They are trained as children. All Grisha are beautiful people and Alina is very plain and skinny. She believes she doesn’t belong, that she doesn’t have any real power. Alina is ripped away from Mal and the life she knew to train in her powers and become a Grisha. She wants to belong with her new family and she tries to fit in as best she can but something inside of her still feels out of place. Alina misses Mal with all of her heart but she can’t help but feel attraction to the Darkling. As Alina gives in to her feelings, she learns that everything around her isn’t as it seems.

The world in Shadow and Bone is thrilling. It is a world used to war, darkness and Grisha. The mystery of Alina’s power, learning more about the Darkling, and Alina’s future in the world kept me captivated in the story. The pacing slows down a little bit while Alina is training but there are enough strange events happening to Alina while she is there that keep you wondering what that was about.

Alina is a little naïve at times as the story goes on. Sometimes she sticks by her decisions while at other times she doesn’t. She makes her decisions based on what will make her fit in better with the people around her. Alina isn’t the strongest person either but she learns that she is basically the only one that she can rely on.

Shadow and Bone is a dark young adult fantasy that is filled with mystery and political intrigue. The ending left me wanting more and I can’t wait for the next books in this trilogy. If you are a fan of young adult fantasy novels, I would recommend picking this one up.

Notable Scene:

I remembered standing at the window with Mal, watching the Grisha depart in their troika, how tired I’d felt. The next morning, I’d woken to find dark circles beneath my eyes. They’d been with me ever since.

And now? I asked myself, pressing my forehead against the cool wood of the door, my whole body shaking.

Now Mal had left me behind.

The only person in the world who truly knew me had decided I wasn’t worth the effort of a few words. But I was holding on still. Despite all of the luxuries of the Little Palace, despite my newfound powers, despite Mal’s silence, I held on.

Baghra was right. I’d thought I was making such an effort, but deep down, some part of me just wanted to go home to Mal. Some part of me hoped that this had all been a mistake, that the Darkling would realize his error and send me back to the regiment, that Mal would realize how much he’d missed me, that we’d grow old together in our meadow. Mal had moved on, but I was still standing frightened before those three mysterious figures, holding tight to his hand.

It was time to let go. That day on the Shadow Fold, Mal had saved my life, and I had saved his. Maybe that was meant to be the end of what we had shared.

The thought filled me with grief, grief for the dreams we’d shared, for the love I’d felt, for the hopeful girl I would never be again. That grief flooded through me, dissolving a knot inside me that I hadn’t even known was there. I closed my eyes, feeling tears slide down my cheeks, and I reached out to the thing within me that I’d kept hidden for so long. I’m sorry, I said. I’m sorry, but I’m ready now.

The Grisha Trilogy:

1. Shadow and Bone

2. Siege and Storm

3. Ruin and Rising

FTC Advisory: Henry Holt/Macmillan provided me with a copy of Shadow and Bone. No goody bags, sponsorships, “material connections,” or bribes were exchanged for my review.

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Alina Starkov is unimportant, unremarkable, and never really excelled at anything. She grew up as an orphan in an orphanage with Mal and together they enlisted for the military when they were old enough. They are cartographers together, Mal being the talented one, and they run into trouble when

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their regiment crosses the barren and dangerous Shadow Fold that splits the nation Ravka with impenetrable darkness and winged carnivorous monsters. When she and Mal are about to be monster food, light bursts from her, scaring away the monsters, and she passes out. She later finds out she is the most rare type of Grisha, a Sun Summoner. She is immediately whisked away by the Darkling, the most powerful Grisha, to the palace where she endures training (both fighting and magic) away from everything she has known. She is told over and over that she is the savior of Ravka and will be able to destroy the Shadow Fold and unite the nation again, but the power in the wrong hands can be dangerous. Should she stay with the Darkling in the palace and take him for his word or should she leave and ensure her power won't be abused?

I didn't really know what to expect starting Shadow and Bone. When I started it, I was a little confused with all the Russian jargon and visualizing the world. I usually appreciate being thrown into the middle of a world and figuring it out as I went along, but this one was a little harder to get my head around. This all turned around when Alina discovered her power in the dark and sinister Shadow Fold. After a bit of a rocky start, I was completely immersed in this world and in awe of it just as much as Alina as she is thrown into an entirely different realm than she is used to. The palace offers physical comforts like she has never known, but the training (both combat and magical), the politics, and the two faced nature of the many of the people around her take a physical and mental toll on her. Her life had been so straight forward before and generally unremarkable that this new experience where people either want to kill her or worship her is a shock. It isn't all fun parties, good food, and people fawning over her. Life as the only Sun Summoner is hard when everyone expects you to save the country.

I really liked the characters in the story in particular. They all were realistic and fully realized. Alina's psychology fascinated me. She had no idea for years and years that she had this power because she suppressed it. All are tested as children for power and she successfully kept her power in check and did so for years afterwards, eventually without even knowing it was there anymore. This suppression had serious physical repercussions. She was perpetually tired, never really had an appetite, and was generally sickly. When she finally learned to harness her power and call it on her own, her health improved greatly. I really liked that her psychology had a huge effect on her physically and also the drastic difference in her after she accepted her power after denying it for so long.The Darkling, the most powerful Grisha, is frightening and attractive at the same time. His motives and emotions are never apparent and he keeps a lot of secrets. His real role in the plot isn't revealed until well into the novel. He is a fascinating character that I can't wait to see more of.

Shadow and Bone was a wonderful read that took me about a day because I needed to know what happened. I loved this Russian influenced world with its unique magic system and vibrant characters. I would have like a glossary in the back of the novel because I forgot the meanings of some of the Ravkan words, but it might be included in the finished book. I would recommend this to anyone tired of formulaic boring YA. I can't wait for the next book!

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Every year, there are those books that just captivate me at first sight, that just grab me from the first time I see the blurb. Shadow and Bone was one of those books. I was absolutely fascinated by the strong YA fantasy vibe here and the unique world. (Not all of those books actually live up to

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their standards.) Shadow and Bone, though, lived up to that high standard.

I enjoyed just about every aspect of Shadow and Bone as a fantasy nerd, YA reader and writer. Everything about this book just worked for me. It's well-written, polished and incredibly solid. The pacing is never an issue (despite a bit of a slow beginning), and the description was expertly woven into dialog and plot -and a plot with plenty of action.With incredible twists and turns, I never knew where Shadow and Bone was going.

The world of Ravka is being torn apart by darkness and horrible monsters that threaten to bright down the entire society. Enter Alina, an orphan who finds that she holds mysterious and unexpected powers that immediately elevate her to the level of Grisha -the elite magic class. Thrust into a world of politics and secrets, Alina must find a way to survive the world of the Grisha.

From the beginning, I was in love with this book. Alina is a strong and easy to relate to character with honest conflict, and I wanted to see her succeed. And the world -oh, the world here is incredible. The world-building in Shadow and Bone is some of the best I've ever read in the past year, and I found myself completely enveloped in this amazing world.

The best part? While there is a romance subplot here, it is not the central focus of the book. It's incredibly refreshing for a modern YA novel, and the couple actually experiences real conflict and barriers to their relationship that are not cliche and that make sense. You have no idea how happy I was to see this in a YA novel -romance, but not too much.

This is the perfect read for YA fantasy fans, or for fans of Tamora Pierce, and other YA fantasy.

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I LOVED THIS BOOK! I have so much love for it that I just want to scream to the world my excitement over it! Seriously, if you love books with kick-butt characters, this book is for you!

First off, let me say how much this book blew me away. I loved the action, the characters, as well as the

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impending doom that happens towards the end. Fantastic! The characters of the book are so out of the loop. I like reading a book where the characters themselves have no idea that power that they possess. To see them come into their power and do great things is amazing. I liked reading along with them, seeing everything new through their eyes.

The powers of this world is soo cool! I especially enjoyed the ranking cloaks that they get. Awesome touch! The author never cease to amaze me with the world building. The land, the people, the magic, and even the boys.

The love interest went where I wanted it to go. There are two people grown up together and now split due to one gaining a power that is rare. I loved that while they were split they yearned for each other. They really just wanted to go back to the way it used to be and pretend that everything going on around them is not happening. The small moments of peace they have together gives the reader an amazing touch of real love.

I'm going to end this review before I ruined it for everyone. Shadow and Bone delights the reader with an amazing story that is epic. With dashing heroes, ultimate power, and a kingdom that is on a verge of a war, make no mistake that you need to read this book! Shadow and Bone excels in what a book should be. Fast, shocking, and overall awesome!

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An absolute delight to read! The book is about a girl (Alina) who discovers she has a special power that can either save or end the world. She now has to learn how to use her power and its significance in order to decide the path she must take. Heard it before but told so well that you won't really

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care.

The characters are all so sharp and witty! It's a great break from the usual confused protagonists. Granted, Alina still doesn't know what's happening half the time but she makes the best of the situation. I really love her strong personality. The author makes it clear that you can be feminine and still able to kick butt. Also, she is not the only one with witty one-liners. The whole cast of characters had such great chemistry that I can easily relate to how my own friends like to tease each other. The pacing of the story was nice and smooth. The shift between the mood was just perfect.

I found no big problems with this wonderful thing but I did notice some hiccups. For one thing, I really hope this book comes with a glossary. There is so much terminology like HeartRender or kefta that was difficult for me to keep track of. The characters were all introduced so quickly that it was also difficult for me to figure out who was who at first.

Pro: witty and realistic characters, engaging story, nice twist
Con: lots of information in the beginning!

Overall, I would recommend this book to any lover of fantasy. It's not quite action-packed but there's still enough action to keep the reader from getting bored. This book was a wonderful addition to my library and I look forward to hearing from this author again!

Won an ARC copy in a giveaway in return for an honest review

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My thoughts:
Fantasy mixed with the supernatural combined with unforgettable characters. Can we say 'WIN!'? A first person POV with a female protag that acted and reacted in believable ways to unbelievable situations? WIN again!

Alina has had a hard life but she doesn't complain about it. She's had

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horrible things done to her but she doesn't back down. She doesn't need anyone to take care of her yet she longs for companionship. Weak is never a word I would use to describe her. She is fierce, which is made all the more alluring by the fact that she is her own person. She doesn't need anyone to define her - even when her life is thrown upside down she doesn't loose her sense of self. I really could go on and on - suffice it to say, I absolutely loved Alina. And she isn't the only one I feel in love with - even the bad guys got under my skin in a good way.

Even if Shadow and Bone didn't have such wonderful characters, I think the world alone would have done me in. Magic reins but magic also destroys. The world everyone lives in is angry with mistakes and full of reasons to be terrified. There are a lot of layers to this world and at the same time, everything about it felt within my grasp. I felt a connection right from the start and could easily imagine myself living on the edge of the Shadow Fold, fighting for my life.

Final verdict:
Love! Young adult fantasy at it's best. Layers and hidden meanings combined with romance and betrayal. Shadow and Bone was easily devoured and satisfying yet it left me longing for more.

Defiantly a series I will continue and Leigh Bardugo is absolutely an author I will be following closely!

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Um, wow, even with all the glowing reviews, I was unprepared for the immense love I have for Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone. I was thrust into this new fantasy realm, unsure of what lay ahead, but I finished the book eagerly wanting to return to the world of Ravka.

Alina Starkov is the

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protagonist of Shadow and Bone and I immediately took a liking to her. Though she may be cynical at times, at the core she feels an overwhelming loneliness and suffers from a lack of self-confidence. Yes, you could probably say that about every other female main character in a YA novel, but Alina really struck a chord with me. She grew a lot throughout the course of the novel, from a naive and weak girl to someone stronger. Leigh Bardugo didn’t have an immediate transformation for her, though: it was a difficult journey for Alina and she still has a long way to go to meet her potential. When she does, though, it will be very much earned.

The Darkling is a character I feel completely DISTRAUGHT over. Leigh Bardugo created the perfect mysterious character in him: powerful, seductive, and 100% magnetic. Man, I was completely swooning all over the place for him during his initial interactions with Alina. Still, through it all, I had the sinking feeling that things weren’t as they seemed and I kept wondering, “Am I supposed to love him?!” I have no idea where my feelings should go from this book, I feel all sorts of conflicted at the moment, but I’m still very attached to the Darkling and am excited to see where his character arc goes. IF THIS IS WRONG, I DON’T WANT TO BE RIGHT, ETC.

Mal is the main love interest in the book, as well as Alina’s best friend, and I really like him! I can’t say I had extremely gushing feelings for him, but that’s because he was missing for a good chunk of the book. The parts that he was in, though, I really enjoyed his character and I have an appreciation for his friendship with Alina. They’ve experienced a lot together, both as children and in the present, making it clear that their bond is an unbreakable one.

This review would be incomplete without a mention of Leigh Bardugo’s world building. With a Russian influence, she crafted the Grisha mythology and I was super invested in it. There’s an awesome map of Ravka at the beginning of the book, but it served only as a visual aid — Leigh Bardugo completely laid out her world in the text.

With mystery, romance, action, and complete with a touch of magic, Leigh Bardugo has created a book that is sure to make my end of the year lists. I loved how she wrapped up this installment: with enough closure, but still keeping the door open for many more adventures ahead.

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What I Liked
Story
What a story, I'm so glad this is going to be a trilogy and we still have two more books of this awesome high fantasy world Leigh has created. The whole story and concept was intriguing and interesting, I was never bored and always wanting more.
Character
Alina: I really liked her

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character, I liked that when we meet her she wasn't the typical heroine. Alina isn't pretty, isn't popular or good at anything really, she is just plain unnoticed Alina; until she does something extraordinary to save her best friends life. Only once she learns about her hidden abilities does Alina finally get to shine and prove herself to the world and herself.
Team Boy
Not the typical team boy, but you have Alina interested in both, Mal her best childhood friend who hasn't noticed her and the new mysterious Darkling who is paying Alina lots of extra attention. The Darkling is tempting to root for, but I was always rooting for Mal to show back up into the story.

Didn't Like
. . . I have to wait for the next book and I can't have it now.

Recommendation
Must read this high fantasy debut series

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In Ravka, there are two types of people - regular people, and Grisha who have special abilities such as healing, creating or controlling the physical environment. Alina and Mal are orphans who grew up together, and now serve in the first army - the king's human army. Until they are attacked, and

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Alina's special ability manifests itself, bringing her to the attention of the Darkling, the leader of the Grisha.

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Another fantasy book I liked! Not so much epic, but good with a strong female main character. There's also a convoluted and interesting love story (that's not too overbearing, which is nice). Alina, our heroine, has magic that she doesn't know she posses and ends up getting mixed up in a world she

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doesn't quite understand. She loses and finds Mal (spoiler, I guess?), her best friend (or more?). I love these YA fantasy novels with tough heroines, it's a nice change. I can't wait to read the next book and I'm glad this was recommended to me.

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Shadow and Bone was nothing like what I expected. While I was expecting fantasy and a very old-Russian feel, I got so much more magic and adventure and not as much Russian.

I'm gonna be honest, I didn't LOVE this book the way many others did. I loved the book at first, but several months later I

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look back and realize it was just an okay book for me. It hasn't stuck in my head.

Alina was a pretty strong character. But there was nothing really remarkable there for me. And the Darkling was always skeevy and wrong to me, even though I wanted to like him so much. It was just too perfect, you know?

I really liked the world they were in. It was well crafted and complex and very interesting and different. It was fascinating and beautifully described. Definitely original and wonderful and I'd love to dive in there again.

I also really enjoyed the ending. Those last couple scenes really stand out to me as fantastic and action-y and insane and just...perfect. It made me eager to pick up book 2 and see where their lives go and how the events of book 1 follow them. And I really want to see more of Alina's world.

While this wasn't a major sticking book and I don't have a lot of passion (or memory) for it, I enjoyed Shadow and Bone and hope to read the sequel next year.

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That there are no surprises in this magical-ugly-duckling tale does nothing to diminish its many satisfactions. (An incredibly fast read, though, so if you're the impatient type, you might want to hold off until the next installment is visible on the horizon.)

Alina Starkov and her best friend Mal are orphaned by the Border Wars. As soon as they are of age, they are drafted into the army. During an ambush, Alina discovers she has a special gift, marking her as a Grisha and she is sent to be groomed by the Darkling, who commands an elite security branch

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of her kingdom. Alina’s awakening begins and she finds herself entangled in danger and intrigue, pining for her lost friend Mal, as he battles in a distant war.
This is the first of a YA fantasy series. It’s light, fun and solidly written. Fans of [Graceling] should enjoy it, since they have much in common. It’s nice to get in on the ground floor of a new series, the downside is waiting for the next one.

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I have to admit right now that I am not a big fan of high fantasy books, my expectations of them are always too high - the world building and characters have to capture me within the first few pages - I need to be able to picture and feel everything as though I am sitting right next the

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characters...
Leigh Bardugo not only delivered but went over and beyond anything I could have ever expected with Shadow and Bone!
Her writing and storytelling had me mesmerized right from the start. There were moments that I found myself holding my breath and had to contain myself from skipping ahead! I could not put this book down and ended up reading it all in one night!

I feel like no matter what I write right now, it won't do this book any justice...

Alina is your average teen girl, really, she's just average. In a world that is ranked by power and beauty, Alina does not fit in anywhere. The only place she ever felt slightly normal was when she was with her childhood best friend, Mal. And now that they're of age and have been enlisted to do their jobs, they have been growing apart... until one day, their regiments are deployed to go through The Fold - a place that no one ever wants to go through - and they are attacked and Mal is seriously injured which causes Alina to unleash her unknown powers to stop it. A power that no on else possess. Which then leads to Alina joining the Royal Court, and must go through training to control her new power. She is thrust into an unknown world, one that she had never thought she would ever be a part of. Even with her power, she feels that she not good enough to be ranked with the beautiful Grisha. And I don't blame her! Everyone always thought of her as average, and she believed it. Wouldn't you have a hard time getting over your past as the 'ugly duckling' that nobody wanted?

Mal... I have to say, in the beginning, I didn't like Mal very much. He started off like a typical teen boy, hanging out with his friends, showing off, doing what guys do. But once he was one-on-one with Alina, we finally got to see his true personality, and he shined. Yes, sounds typical, but in real life this is what people do - we sometimes act a bit differently depending who we are with, and most teens are known to do fall for this... and I forgive Mal. He truly lives up to everything you will expect of him, and more.

There is no denying that The Darkling is a stunning, quick witted and a mysterious guy. Which of course makes him completely irresistible. Even though I had a bad gut feeling about this guy, I fell for him. Hard.
And he broke my heart... and no, I will never forgive him.

The Fold.
This is the place where nightmares are made. Seriously! I had a dream, errr, nightmare about it. The Fold is a stretch of land that has been voided. There is nothing there but complete darkness and for lack of a better word, death. This is where Bardugo's writing and world building just left me with my mouth hanging open, staring out into space, picturing and feeling exactly what it would feel like to be in that place... it gave me the shivers.

If you loved Katsa, Po and Leck from Graceling (by Kristin Cashore), you will also love Alina, Mal and The Darkling. Similar stories, for both are very well written high fantasy books. But so very different in everything else. Shadow and Bone is a must read book!

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With Shadow and Bone, you get a generous peppering of Russian nuances without being stormed into actual Russia. You get sorcerers and secret societies without lengthy (and generally unnecessary) details on their history, rules, and individual backstories. You get just enough that you fill out the

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blanks easily if you have any imagination whatsoever. I absolutely loved it.

The story was great, the main character Alina was charmingly lost and youthful, and the mixture of commoners, courtiers, sorcerers and military figures blended beautifully without being overwhelming. I felt like I was experiencing something completely new! Like watching a unique movie without seeing the trailer first or reading the reviews. I couldn't wait to turn the next page. I honestly didn't know how it would end, where exactly the story was going, and what sort of transformations to expect from the characters. This is storytelling at its best for the YA market (and adults like me who will take a good story wherever we can find it!).

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