Shadow And Bone
Author : Leigh Bardugo
Series : The Grisha
Genres : Fantasy, Paranormal, Young Adult
Publication : May 7th 2013 by Square Fish (first published June 5th 2012)
Synopsis : Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, she is sure of only one thing: her best friend, Mal–and her inconvenient crush on him. Until the day their army regiment enters the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. When their convoy is attacked and Mal is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power not even she knew existed.
Ripped from everything she knows, Alina is taken to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With Alina’s extraordinary power in his arsenal, he believes they can finally destory the Fold. Now Alina must find a way to master her untamed gift and somehow fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and her dangerous attraction to the Darkling grows, Alina will uncover a secret that could tear her heart–and her country–in two.
I have to say, I wasn’t really eager to read this trilogy. I know it’s stupid but the covers weren’t that appealing. So I didn’t bother reading the synopsis. But I decided to read the duology set in the Grisha world and I wanted to read this trilogy before. And I’m really glad I picked this book up !
Plot
The Grisha universe is really interesting ! It’s inspired by the Russian folklore, culture, landscape and language. It’s really fascinating ! The world building is spectacular and it was very easy to picture everything ! And finally the book cover art makes sense !
The story is really gripping, even though the beginning was a little slow. But it was necessary to put the story into motion.
The story is intricate, with great plot twists !
The moment our lips met, I knew with pure and piercing certainty that I would have waited for him forever.
The only negative thing is that I saw the love triangle coming very early in the story. But it didn’t really bother me.
Another thing is how Mal only saw Aline when she became valuable.
The Grisha organization captivated me. At first I had to go and check the description page very often but that’s okay !
The author created an amazing army system ! Everything is so well thought !
This book was so fast paced, witty, annoying and definitely gripping !
The problem with wanting,” he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, “is that it makes us weak.
Characters
- Alina annoyed me at times. She was heels over head for Mal who wasn’t seeing her. She was so weak, so plain and didn’t really want her life to change. She’s got this amazing opportunity to become someone very important and all she can think about is Mal, Mal not answering her letters.
But a few weeks at the little Palace finally took its toll : she changed, mature and grew more confident.
- Mal is far from being a swoon worthy character in this book. He doesn’t see Alina until she gets more value. And then he gets jealous because someone else is interested by her !
But his character is really intriguing, he is a great tracker, too good for his own good.
- The Darkling quickly won my heart ! He is so mysterious, and kind to Alina. He takes care of her.He is sweet and clever and seems so innocent ! But you can totally sense from the beginning that he is hiding something, that he is not totally honest.
- Baghra is an amazing and complex character. She is so strong minded, clever and powerful, despite her age. And the plot twist concerning her identity blew me away !
The Darkling slumped back in his chair. “Fine,” he said with a weary shrug. “Make me your villain.”
Overall I really LOVED this book, and recommend it to every fantasy lover !
About the author
Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising).
She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she’s lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. Her new book, Six of Crows, arrives fall 2015.
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