Shadow and Bone
Ratings842
Average rating3.7
Review originally posted at A Reading Brit.
Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Grisha Trilogy, and I'm pleased to say I finally got around to reading it! I'm only a few years behind the times here...
Overall, this was a fun read that I really enjoyed. I read it in a few hours in one sitting. Whilst the main character didn't really win me over, all the other characters did, as did the world that Leigh Bardugo built. Much like Nevernight, I'm annoyed I didn't read this sooner! Next time a book is everywhere, and super popular, I plan to find out why much sooner that I have been.
The Characters
Alina – She was a little bit annoying at first, but I eventually found it within me to like her. She spent a little bit too much time saying she wasn't pretty, saying she didn't deserve anything that was happening. It was a tad stereotypical, but it wasn't over the top, and I still managed to enjoy her story, nonetheless.
The Darkling – Yep, this is my favourite character. I'm obviously not sure what happens in future books, but I feel like this isn't a character that should be my favourite? I've always been the one to like the bad boy though. It's definitely a fault I've got! He's a great bad guy, and whilst I should've expected it, I didn't quite realise how bad. I went into this book knowing he was the bad guy, but I didn't know how.
Mal – Aww, Mal. He was cute, and genuine, and I felt a little sorry for him. I also spent far too much of the book worrying about him! Whilst The Darkling might be my favourite, Mal has a place in my heart too. I'm curious about him and any undiscovered talents he might have. There's more to that tracking power than meets the eye.
The World
Now, this was interesting, and I'm glad the copy I read had a map so I could understand it a little more. It's an interesting premise, a darkness full of monsters killing anything that might come near. All created using the abilities of an extremely powerful Grisha. I'm interested to find out more about the other Grisha. We only see a hint of what they can do in this book. Even when we did see it, it's mostly for show. I'm intrigued to know what the Grisha can do on a true battlefield, what the different Summoners can do and what other powers might yet be revealed. The whole magic behind it all is fresh and fun, and I can't wait to find out more about it!
Would I read it again? Yeah, I probably would. I feel like I could've missed some details in my eagerness to find out what happens next.
Will I be picking up the next in the series? Yep, maybe not instantly, but it'll certainly be read within the next few months.
Would I recommend it? If you're anything like me, you won't care whether it's been recommended or not. You'll be curious why this book is literally everywhere and have to read it to find out why. If you're like me up until a few days ago and haven't read it, then go for it. At least you'll know what everyone is talking about!
Is it going on my favourites shelf? No, I don't think so. I don't think a book where the main character wasn't my favourite can go on that shelf. I'm still going to rave about it though, because I love The Darkling.
I have a lot to say about Shadow and Bone. I might have too much to say about it. There is nothing more wonderful than a book you can't get out of your head. Leigh Bardugo's stories consistently do this to me, and it's interesting that Shadow and Bone does it when it does not have the same kind of scope as Six of Crows.
I know comparing Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone might be an inappropriate thing to do. But I'm going to, because honestly the contrast between the two is fascinating to me. Shadow and Bone came first, but I'm reading it after already completing the Six of Crows duology, and one might assume the first trilogy came about when the world was less developed and Bardugo was not quite as strong as a writer. I don't think this is the case. I wouldn't even argue that Shadow and Bone is what it is because it was meant for a “younger” audience. I think it is the way it is because it was made for the only audience that was seen as relevant at the time – the same audience that devoured Twilight, The Hunger Games and Divergent, as well as their many many clones.
Stop me if you've heard this one before – a plain, mousy teenage girl is plucked from obscurity and thrown into an extravagant and new world due to something inherent in her that is unique (and she has no control over) while attracting the attention of a powerful immortal that also happens to look like a teenage boy. I am speculating, of course, but I think this was very much intentional. I think Bardugo had a world and realized the best way to get it in front of other people's eyes was to use it to tell a story that had proven effective in the past. But because Bardugo is the phenomenal writer she is, it's astronomically better.
Six of Crows in general is much more immersive. I think I actually have a better understanding of the Grisha and the magical system from Six of Crows than I do from this book (I mean, what is the Darkling's ability even called?). There's also a lot about this story that is strikingly anachronistic. In Six of Crows, while the speech and thoughts of the characters are relatable and accessible, Kaz, Jesper and Inej all very clearly belong to their neo-Victorian magical version of Amsterdam. If you took Kaz and dropped him in our modern world the son of bitch would probably adapt as quickly as a chameleon, but he would have to adapt. Alina would not. Her snarky sense of humor, while distinctly her own, is also distinctly modern, as is much of the dialogue and interactions in Shadow and Bone. Don't get me wrong, there's plenty of atmosphere. I was feeling the tsar punk, and I cannot believe no one thought to do this before. But, take the Darkling, for example. Going in I expected a dark, mysterious, perhaps slightly inhuman overlord. And there's a glimmer of that when he's first introduced. But after that he's just one of the guys. Casual, occasionally ruffled, not even that mean. Of course, there's a reason for his easy engaging demeanor in terms of story, but stylistically I think it was another means pulling the reader closer.
The intention of this story is to tell a grand Cinderella epic that of course falls apart by story's end. And to be honest, I was broken-hearted for Alina in a way that I haven't been for other heroines in her place. She's an orphan that discovers that she has a power that can save the world. She should get to wear pretty dresses, and have prettier women be jealous of her, and fall in love with the dark and powerful prince. When the lie is revealed, I was not entirely surprised but I was sad for her. I think that's why I wasn't bothered by the fact that Alina has very little agency and doesn't make a single decision for herself until the last act. Or that there was so much fixation on the beauty and wealth of the Grisha girls and the catty way they treated Alina. The intention was to tell a grandiose, compelling version of boiler plate “paranormal romance” with significant mature undertones hiding just barely beneath the surface.
Shadow and Bone is achingly easy to read. As stated, not a whole lot happens during the first three quarters of the book, and yet they vanish before you even realize it. Alina doesn't have a central desire, there isn't much of a conflict (aside from her own initial inadequacy), and the world is very minimally explained. There's so much about this that just shouldn't work, and yet it does. The prose is swift, Alina is funny, the glamour of the Grisha world is tantalizing, and the Darkling is just the right amounts of scary and sexy (ok, he could have been a little scarier, in my opinion). And then the shoe drops, and it's in that last act that I found myself saying, “Ah, there you are, Alina.” Hiding beneath the tropes was in fact a character with a soul, a love interest and best friend who is genuine and real, and a villain whose desire for her is born from his deep loneliness.
I want to swim in this world, I want to roll in every word. Logically, I know there are pieces missing from this story, but none of it is sloppy. Everything that Bardugo accomplishes here is intentional, and that's fucking amazing. Now that the initial YA framework that got people in the door is cast aside (ok, I imagine the love triangle thing might stick around for a bit), I am so excited to see how she expands this story in the next two books.
This was a fun read - perfect for a confusing, stressful time in real life. The outlines are a typical Hero's Journey, but the characters, the rich (yet accessible) worldbuilding, and a couple unexpected turns make it rise above a cookie-cutter approach.
I had read this because it received glowing excitement from many people I know and they were excited for the show, so I figured I'd give it a go. I bought all the books, including Six of Crows, anticipating to love it and very quickly was underwhelmed and disappointed. There is a glaring issue with fat people in this book and the first chapters especially do NOT let you forget it. Nearly EVERY vaguely unpleasant character, or person we're supposed to hate, is described with some derogatory way of being fat or chubby or filled out while simultaneously emphasizing how skinny the protagonist is. First time or two, I was trying to convince myself it was a fluke, just a one or two time mistake, but it just kept happening. I finished the book and was underwhelmed with the story in general and didn't feel engaged enough to continue, so I returned them all.
Honestly enjoyed the show more than I expected based off of reading the book, and might pick up Six of Crows one day because I hear it's much better in pretty much all ways.
For sure the best book of this kind I have read for 2 years.
The universe is original, the character are deep and well written.
I wasn't able to put it down since I started and had to read till I was exhausted.
Everything is such a good surprise and almost everything is unexpected. Can't wait to read the following book I have massive expectations !!
2.5*
I've noticed a lot of the reviews of this one tend to be divided into those who HATE it and those who LOVE it. I personally fell in the middle. The world-building was commendable, and Bardugo usually writes great fantasy. At the same time, cliches are RIDDLED throughout the book. That's where I come in undecided - in some senses, cliches and tropes work. But when the mainstream publishing industry consistently and constantly reuses them, it makes me loose my respect for trade publishing and how everything goes toward a “product.” Plain girl - she's actually the chosen one! Then she goes to magic school and deals with drama and a love triangle. Sound familiar? Probably, since literally 90% of YA, fantasy, magic books follow this plot more or less.
I did like Alina, don't get me wrong. I even related to her at points. And Bardugo will always be an author I cherish because she has a talent for writing fantasy. But at this point I wonder what she - or an author like her - could do if not for the confines of the trope-ridden, cliche littered publishing industry. Just something I notice as a reader. I'm nowhere near a writer, so I'm not saying what I would've changed - but as a reader, I'm saying what made me loose engagement from time to time.
I read and heard so much about the Grisha trilogy that I decided I had to read these books. Luckily, Shadow and Bone ebook was on sale last week and I didn't miss the opportunity; finally, finished it today in a single sitting. I just couldn't put it down. The plot was great, the Grisha powers were quite novel and the characters were amazing.
Alina and Mal have grown up together in an orphanage. She has always secretly been in love with him but he hasn't realized it yet. When they were tested for magical powers in their childhood, they didn't show any affiliation; so Mal has become a tracker and Alina is a cartographer for the military. Their life takes a turn when they are ordered to cross the Shadow Fold – the darkness which caused a rift separating the kingdom of Ravka into two; which houses the monsters voltra who show no mercy on anyone trying to cross the darkness. When the skiff they are traveling in is attacked by the voltra, Alina unleashes her unknown power and saves everyone from imminent death. This is where Alina and Mal get separated because she is sent off to the Little Palace, home and training ground of the Grisha. When the Darkling, head of the Grisha, enlightens her that she is the only Sun Summoner in the kingdom and they could together destroy the Shadow Fold, bringing peace to the kingdom – she finally lets herself believe that she has found her destiny. But is everything as it appears? Is she in danger from just the kingdom's enemies or from within the kingdom itself? Who are her true friends? Will she succeed in fulfilling her destiny?
There is not a whole lot of world building in the book but I really enjoyed reading about the different types of Grisha. Alina starts off as a frail, sickly girl who doesn't believe she has any powers or special qualities but finally embraces the truth and finds her true happiness that she had been suppressing her whole life. There is a scene in the book when she, for the first time, accepts herself for who she is and it is probably one of the most powerful scenes of a female character I have read in recent times, especially in YA. Her character growth is fantastic and I can't wait to see what she does next. The Darkling is amazing – that's all I can say. I kept waiting for more scenes of him, with Alina and I would be ecstatic if there was a book with just the two of them. I didn't really enjoy Mal's character, but he is extremely loyal to Alina and that's enough for me to root for him. I also liked the side characters, especially Genya and Baghra – we can never really tell where their loyalties lie and their motivations remain a little ambiguous. And then ending is just WOW – total badass. I just can't wait to pick up Siege and Storm and drown myself in the lives of Alina and the Darkling and everyone else.
Incredibly formulaic and poorly written with some jarringly bad word choices in the dialogue (In a Russianesque historical fantasy world characters are said to be acting “bitchy” or “bratty”? No, definitely no.) Very disappointing, especially considering that it was a JLG selection and that the sequel will be a part of my upcoming level shipment.
Um... So I basically just finished that book in one sitting.
I have no idea what took me so long to get around to reading the trilogy. I always hear such amazing things about it. I was in love with the world for the first half of this book, then in the second half I was on the edge of my seat, frantically reading to find out what was going to happen next.
I will definitely be reading the rest of this trilogy, hopefully sooner rather than later. I would love to finish this trilogy so I can read Six of Crows before Crooked Kingdom comes out in September.
I may or may not write a full review once I have had real time to digest this book and everything that happened. But do know I absolutely loved it and it is definitely a new favorite!
“I'd been lonely my whole life, but I'd never been truly alone before, and it wasn't nearly as scary as I'd imagined.”
I started the Grishaverse with the Six of Crows duology. So going into this book I already knew about the Second army, the types of Grisha, and the ending of this trilogy as it was talked about in Six of Crows. My main interest in picking up this book finally arose when the next book in the Grishaverse “King of Scars” was announced.
Spoiler
Okay, now this book wasn't anything special. It wasn't dull either but I couldn't help but compare it to Six of Crows every step of the way. Alina is a bit useless in the beginning of the book, falling left and right. Somewhere in the middle when she is travelling on her own is when I started taking a liking to her, but then her friend showed up and I wanted her to get some character development on her own, which she did get I guess, just a tiny bit, after crying through many pages.
There were two instances where I liked Alina. One, when she's travelling alone and talks about being lonely her own life but says this: “I'd been lonely my whole life, but I'd never been truly alone before, and it wasn't nearly as scary as I'd imagined.”
At this point I remember smiling to myself and going thank god! I thought she was going to whine about how lonely and desperate she was for human contact.
Two, when she uses ‘The Cut' in the Shadow Fold. I anticipated that but I didn't think she'd leave all those people in the Fold and run away. Thank the Lord she did that.
From the rest of the cast, I liked Genya a lot. I really liked how in the beginning Genya warned Alina about the Darkling by saying something along the lines of she should be careful of men trying to control her (gotta find the exact line in the book again).
Darkling is freaking 120 years old. Wow, twilight flashbacks. He was definitely out the window as a love interest the minute he announced his age. Also, what the hell kind of a plan is that?
Mal is walking around with a death flag on him so I'm not gonna go get attached to characters who're gonna be so deeeaaad. Six of Crows flashbacks :(
Otherwise, this book was a fast read for me as I didn't get confused by all the Grisha terminology. Now, for my usual list of things I really liked in this book,
• The Second Army
• The kefta the Grisha wore
• Alina and Darkling's powers
• The Cut
• The Shadow Fold
• Genya :)
• The map in the beginning of the book
• The book cover with the stag on it :D (The blue and gold color scheme is marvelous to look at)
This one flies by. Leigh gives us fantastic powers and beasts alongside real human ambition and weakness. A few surprises. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series.
I think I just sat and read this for something like seven hours straight. I think that alone can stand as my review, right?
5 stars!
I just loved this!
This book hooked me from the first chapter! Yes, it was kinda predictable but I really like Alina. She is young, insecure, and naive. And I think it made the story more interesting for me. (I still like the main characters who are not convinced that they are the best. I mean, I don't mind badass characters but sometimes it is over the top). I also like how she grows by the end. I felt Katniss vibes here!
The story itself was fast passed but it was easy to follow.
Really excited to start the second book! Also can't wait for the TV Show!
A Sun Summoner is discovered! Ravka is saved! And Alina, our Sun Summoner, (they are as rare there as an honest politician here) is whisked away from everything she has ever known. Sounds familiar? It is. Once in Os Alta, (where the Grisha live) she is taught by Botkin and Baghra to harness her powers, which is apparently beyond belief. And then there's her new mate, Genya, a Tailor. (I fell for Genya. By the end, I wanted to kill her and make out with her. But not necessarily in that order.) Alina misses her best friend Mal, but she's starting to fancy the Darkling. But while the Darkling and Alina are off having sexy times, Mal is biting his nails off and worrying himself stiff. Let me break down the Darkling, Alina and Mal. Alina: If someone in Ravka is called the Darkling, then I imagine Alina would be called the Weakling. A Sun Summoner sounds too...lively...to be her. If anyone was expecting a paragon of chick spunk, Alina isn't it. She's a nobody. She is the “nothing special” disenchanted creature personified. Not your typical kick ass heroine at all. She seemed a little on the kiss ass side, to tell you the truth. And here's the two men in this luurve triangle. (This one's relatively scalene.)Mal: He is so goddamned perfect and thoroughly sexy in his drunk on kvas and his girl tumbling ways, I wanted his flawless head on a stick right away. Fellow orphan turned best friend, He Who Leaves Swooning Grisha In His Wake (okay, not really.) But I'll have to confess that it was the sexed-up Darkling that I wanted, not the beddable Mal. Darkling: The Darkling, really? (Will he ignite into flames in the sun? Does he bleed mystery and smell like brimstone? He sounds like he rides on the Nazgûl's Hell Hawks and has a few of them Horcruxes stashed away somewhere.) But more ad rem, is he dark and does he brood? Yes. Is he clichéd? YES. So much yes. Will you still fall for him helplessly? Sadly, yes.(And the end felt too slapdash and lackadaisical and slipshod. No, those are not words I've just made up right now.) “The stag had been showing me my strength-not just the price of mercy but the power it bestowed. And mercy was something the Darkling would never understand.” Alina seems to have a very Dumblebore-ian appreciation of mercy here. It really is a decent book though, and to be honest I feel quite guilty for not liking it better. I think the Hype Bunny killed it for me. Millions of [b:Divergent 8306857 Divergent (Divergent, #1) Veronica Roth http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327873996s/8306857.jpg 13155899] fans fell for it, too. To have someone like Veronica Roth say, “Unlike anything I've ever read.” for your book! I expected more. Alina Starkov(a) couldn't be lesser like Tris. She wasn't even Tris Lite. And Mal isn't the first or the last best friend some girl falls in love with. As for the Darkling, he's just a Sapling of true evil. (See what I did there? -ling? No?)All in all, not haunting, but not spiritless either.
《The problem with wanting, is that it makes us weak.》
Why did I wait so long to read thisssss? WHYYYYYYY? 😍
I was almost skeptical because I think 95% of the most hyped books are garbage not worth the time to read them, but this. THIS. Oh God.
The Witch of Duva sounded like a good premise and it was totally right!! 💜
So good. I'm in love with this series. But name of main character should have been Alina StarkovA. It is just Russian. Starkov is for man.
- Li o livro em um dia... é muito simples a leitura e um pouco rápida a história mas agradável.
No começo com todos aqueles nomes estranhos e divisões e subdivisões de grupos Grisha eu quase largo o livro e jogo fora O..O, depois passou um pouco a tortura.
Mas julgo considerar um livro bom quando terminamos de ler e queremos relê-lo para viver naquele mundo criado mais uma vez, ou porque a história e as personagens não saem da cabeça tão facilmente. E foi exatamente o que aconteceu ao término de shadow and bone.
Continuarei a ler a trilogia por pura curiosidade de saber como o Darkling (que na minha opinião, é um dos vilões mais SENSACIONAIS que alguém já inventou, pois além de lindo, faz você acreditar que ele é o moço bom da história e tem uma super pegada - pervertida feelings...) vai continuar aterrorizando na moral xD, e para ver se olhos de Maly são tão azuis como parecem que são (idiotice minha na verdade.)
- E a história do caco de vidro azul de tão sutil, é linda -
3,5 out of 5 stars.
My thoughts:
the titles for the grisha are extremely confusing and after finishing the entire book i'm still not entirely sure what is what and who is who and what rank it portrays
Alina is DUMB, but I love Genya and the darkling so much
When Baghra completely random pulls alina apart and tells a few things alina throws the whole thing around and it ANNOYS ME. I honestly still don't understand how Baghra is still alive if the darkling is so old? And if she's an amplifier as well, does that mean she was the darkling before him? But no one ever asks or explains and it just leaves me confused as to how that works. Nonetheless, I thought it was a bit weird of a twist.
Reading the rest of the story I wished alina had stayed at the castle and had found out about darklings plan only when he already foun: the stag or when they'd be in the shadow fold and he'd go and threaten everyone. I honestly also didnt enjoy mal & alina's trip to find the stag. Alina finding sudden strength in the stag also goes against what she's been told by both Baghra and the Darkling and that makes it a bit of a weird twist for me to make her suddenly able to overcome the Darkling's commands.
The ending is not too good, but I enjoyed the extra chapter about Genya a lot. It gave me more insight to her as character and to her background and the same goes for the Darkling who appeared in this character.
Besides the point above I just don't enjoy Mal too much. It's probably influenced by the fact I wanted Alina to stay at the castle and find out later and the fact I didn't enjoy their ‘camping trip' but he's not very interesting to me.
I LOVED the writing though and besides the fact the titles are confusing the lore and worldbuilding is amazing and interesting. I'd only wish we had gotten to know more about this land, but I have two books to go and I'm both very curious and excited about reading them.
It was OK
I base my reviews based on how much I think about the book after I've finished it and whether I want to jump back into that world. There have been only a couple series where I've NEEDED to read the sequel straight after and a fair few where I knew I'd definitely be jumping back in at some point. However unfortunately this series hasn't brought me in quite as much. There weren't a huge number of characters and especially none that were that likeable. None really had that much personality and the story was really rather generic and doesn't leave me with any questions or queries I'm particularly bothered about having answered in the sequel. I will likely read the sequel as I'd like to for the upcoming Netflix series(‘) but that's it. A positive was that it wasn't too long as there was a cool magic system and unique “villains”.
REREAD 2021: I didn't love it as much as two years ago. Oops. 3.5 stars.
ASFGHJKL. I FREAKING NEED TO CONTINUE WITH THIS SERIES ;-;
I LOVE it.
This book was so amazing. The world and characters are so unique and diverse. I really loved Leigh's writing style and the dialogue. I really love the Darkling so much, he is just so different and mysteroius.