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A review by thebiglittlelibrary
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
5.0
5 Stars ⭐️ Absolutely brilliant
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Alina. . . You and I are going to change the world."
I picked up Shadow and Bone thanks to Booktok and the fact Netflix is coming out with the show in April 2021. THANK GOODNESS I DID, because the Grisha trilogy is on its way to becoming one of my favorite YA fantasy series. From learning about the magical world of the Grisha to the mystery surrounding The Darkling, I just couldn't put this book down! I wanted to start the next book in the series immediately, but here I am, forcing myself to write this review. . . so let's get to it!
Things I liked:
World building. We are immersed into the Russia-inspired land of Ravka, where the Shadow Fold, a dark magical presence, has cut off most of Ravka from the sea. Leigh Bardugo's descriptive writings of the war camps, the Fold, Tisbeya, Os Alta, and the Little Palace really allow readers to imagine this new dangerous world.
Unique magic system. The Grisha are people who have the ability to manipulate the elements to use as weapons. As it turns out, the MC Alina discovers she has one of the most sought-after abilities - summoning light. As she is swept away into the world of the Grisha, we learn more about their powers, training, history, and hierarchy.
Alina's journey. There are three different areas Alina struggles with: self-acceptance, magic, and romance. It's the classic story where the MC is the one holding themselves back from their full potential, and once they decide to let go of the past, everything changes for the better. Alina's magic is part of who she is, and I loved seeing her transform from a terrified girl into a powerful woman. She still has some growth to do, and I'm excited to see her continue this journey of self-discovery.
Interesting plot with multiple twists. There are unpredictable characters, action, magic, romance, intrigue, betrayal . . . what's not to like??? While I had some hunches about the ending and plot twists along the way, it was still surprising nevertheless. I devoured this book, and once I finished, I was still hungry for more.
*SPOILERS BELOW*
Genya. I absolutely LOVED her character and friendship with Alina. Her own story and role in the Little Palace were so fascinating to me. She's someone I hope we get to see more of in the next book.
Just a dash of romance. I'm a sucker for romance. The fact that there is not one but TWO love interests are everything I could have wanted. The only issue is that BOTH love interests have MAJOR ISSUES. So much so that I don't even know which I want her to end up with. Mal is her best friend but doesn't really 'see' her until she disappears from his life? Lame. And the Darkling. Oh, sweet baby Jesus this man is going to hurt my own heart. He's mysterious, sexy, and powerful, BUT he's manipulative and perhaps a bit unhinged. I'm sure we will see more of his intentions unfold in the next few books, but a part of me hopes he's not crazy at all and actually does some good. All I can say is I'm very invested in Alina's love life.
Things I didn't liked:
Not a dang thing because I loved everything about this book!
Overall, Shadow and Bone is an amazing introduction to this series, and I cannot wait to keep reading! Even though it's YA, as a 27-year-old, I still found it to be very intriguing. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, and magical realms.
"I've been waiting for you for a long time, Alina. . . You and I are going to change the world."
I picked up Shadow and Bone thanks to Booktok and the fact Netflix is coming out with the show in April 2021. THANK GOODNESS I DID, because the Grisha trilogy is on its way to becoming one of my favorite YA fantasy series. From learning about the magical world of the Grisha to the mystery surrounding The Darkling, I just couldn't put this book down! I wanted to start the next book in the series immediately, but here I am, forcing myself to write this review. . . so let's get to it!
Things I liked:
World building. We are immersed into the Russia-inspired land of Ravka, where the Shadow Fold, a dark magical presence, has cut off most of Ravka from the sea. Leigh Bardugo's descriptive writings of the war camps, the Fold, Tisbeya, Os Alta, and the Little Palace really allow readers to imagine this new dangerous world.
Unique magic system. The Grisha are people who have the ability to manipulate the elements to use as weapons. As it turns out, the MC Alina discovers she has one of the most sought-after abilities - summoning light. As she is swept away into the world of the Grisha, we learn more about their powers, training, history, and hierarchy.
Alina's journey. There are three different areas Alina struggles with: self-acceptance, magic, and romance. It's the classic story where the MC is the one holding themselves back from their full potential, and once they decide to let go of the past, everything changes for the better. Alina's magic is part of who she is, and I loved seeing her transform from a terrified girl into a powerful woman. She still has some growth to do, and I'm excited to see her continue this journey of self-discovery.
Interesting plot with multiple twists. There are unpredictable characters, action, magic, romance, intrigue, betrayal . . . what's not to like??? While I had some hunches about the ending and plot twists along the way, it was still surprising nevertheless. I devoured this book, and once I finished, I was still hungry for more.
*SPOILERS BELOW*
Genya. I absolutely LOVED her character and friendship with Alina. Her own story and role in the Little Palace were so fascinating to me. She's someone I hope we get to see more of in the next book.
Just a dash of romance. I'm a sucker for romance. The fact that there is not one but TWO love interests are everything I could have wanted. The only issue is that BOTH love interests have MAJOR ISSUES. So much so that I don't even know which I want her to end up with. Mal is her best friend but doesn't really 'see' her until she disappears from his life? Lame. And the Darkling. Oh, sweet baby Jesus this man is going to hurt my own heart. He's mysterious, sexy, and powerful, BUT he's manipulative and perhaps a bit unhinged. I'm sure we will see more of his intentions unfold in the next few books, but a part of me hopes he's not crazy at all and actually does some good. All I can say is I'm very invested in Alina's love life.
Things I didn't liked:
Not a dang thing because I loved everything about this book!
Overall, Shadow and Bone is an amazing introduction to this series, and I cannot wait to keep reading! Even though it's YA, as a 27-year-old, I still found it to be very intriguing. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy, adventure, and magical realms.