Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Enter the Grishaverse with Book One of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold—a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite—and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.
My Review
Page Count: 356 pgs./9 hrs., 21 mins.
Narrator: Lauren Fortgang
Series: The Grisha Trilogy/GrishaVerse, Book 1
Leigh Bardugo's writing is amazing. I began this book because it was released before Six of Crows, so I wanted to read the trilogy before diving into that book. I was not disappointed. The plot in this story was so captivating that I finished the book in less than two days.
The character that solidified my interest in Shadow and Bone is The Darkling and his side smirks. Alina wasn't a favorite until she grew more confidence. The character development in this book is outstanding. They are grey characters, flawed but smart. Alina is relatable because she gets thrust into a strange world that some only dream of entering and is forced to work on learning to control her magic. Her backstory is strong, and she tries to do the right thing when it comes to hard decisions.
The world building in this novel is fantastic. It is offputting at first because readers are thrown in with no explanation, but as the novel progresses, it makes more sense. I also LOVE that it is Russian inspired; I am a huge fan of Russian literature.
Overall, the plot is fantastic, the characters capture your heart, and the magic is outstanding. I am diving right into Siege and Storm!
Other Books in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy
Enter the Grishaverse with Book Two of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.
The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.
But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.
Enter the Grishaverse with Book Three of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint.The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.
The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives.
As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness that could destroy the world. To win this fight, she must seize a legend’s power—but claiming the firebird may be her ruin.
GrishaVerse Order Quiz: My Results
You’re an Alkemi. Alkemi are members of the Materialki, the Order of Fabrikators. Alkemi specialize in creating poisons and blasting powders. They became increasingly vital to the military due to the influence of Nikolai Lantsov.
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