Synopsis:
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.
My Thoughts:
Shadow and Bone is an incredible book. It is definitely my favorite book by a debut author so far this year. I think the idea of Grishas is creative, and a lot of fun to read about. I opened the first page of Shadow and Bone and was pulled into a magical world unlike anything ever seen before. I loved the book so much that I completed it in just a few short hours. I was sad when it ended because it will be a long wait until the next book, expected to be published in 2013. I like all the characters. My favorite character is Genya. I thought her power of being able to fix physical imperfections was very awesome. I also liked her carefree and gentle attitude. I can identify with her because she loved someone that didn't even notice her, which I think happens to everyone at some point in life. I loved how the book ended, and can't wait until the second book is released. Bardugo is a very talented debut author who I think we can expect to see astounding works from in the future. I can't highly recommend this book enough.
I give Shadow and Bone: 5/5.
Want to know more about the author?
Website: http://www.leighbardugo.com/
Blog: http://leighbardugo.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrishaTrilogy
Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/Lbardugo
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4575289.Leigh_Bardugo
I received this book in exchange for an honest review, and was in no way compensated for this review.
I feel like I should have loved Shadow and Bone. It has a lot of appealing elements: the seemingly ordinary orphan who learns she has special powers, a Russian-esque setting, and a charismatic, intriguing villain. But somehow even with a lot of cool elements, this book didn't quite work for me.
ReplyDeleteAlina Starkov is a young solder in her country's army. Ravka has been at war for many years with two neighboring countries. The war is complicated by the Shadow Fold, a huge patch of creepy darkness that splits Ravka in two and is inhabited by terrifying creatures. The war is fought by the regular army and the Grisha, a group of people with special powers. Alina seems very ordinary; she's an orphan, she's not much of a soldier, and she has feelings for her best friend, Mal. Then one day as the army is trying to cross the Shadow Fold, something bizarre happens and it becomes apparent that Alina is actually a Grisha with very unusual powers. She's plucked out of the army and into an overwhelming new life at the Little Palace, where the Grisha work and train.