'Shadow and Bone' by Leigh Bardugo

The Shadow and Bone 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. Shadow and Bone is the first instalment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.’

(Click on novel to go to the Goodreads Synopsis page)

My ‘Shadow and Bone’ Review –

This is the first novel by Leigh Bardugo that I’ve read but I must say that this book was written so well! I gave it 3.95/5 stars on Goodreads because it was such an enjoyable read that I’ve already bought the second instalment.

What I enjoyed most about this novel was the humour, I thought it was fantastic! I don’t remember the last time I laughed out loud about a novel in such a long time, so I was very surprised.

Secondly, I very much enjoyed the development of Alina. I don’t think I’ve ever hated a character as much as I hated Alina, but towards the end of the book I was chanting ‘YAS GIRL’! In the very beginning, I didn’t like how naïve and innocent Alina was under the control of the Darkling and was so shocked that she wasn’t a strong woman. But I came to the realisation that she grew up supressed and she was always struggling to find freedom, not only for herself but freedom for her Sun Summoner powers.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the Darkling. His character was written so well that my brain was struggling to decipher his truths from his lies. I can only find out what happens to him in the second novel, whether he survives and continues to torment Alina.

I also wasn’t too taken with the description of Ravka and it wasn’t clear where Alina and Mal were travelling. I would have liked a bit more description as to where they were at certain points.

Finally, I felt like I would have understood the Grisha more if there was a bit more description as to how their powers worked. I think there needed to be more discussion about the difference between the Corporalki, Etherealki, and the Materialki.

Overall, I did really enjoy this book and the negatives I pointed out were only starting to make sense to me at the very end of the novel. I’m very dedicated to finishing the rest of the series and to be able to understand more about Ravka.

I do recommend this novel to all avid readers interested in Young Adult fiction, Fantasy, or fans of both. This a Young Adult Fantasy is suitable for all readers over the age of 15.

#Grisha #LeighBardugo