Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the first in the young adult fantasy Grisha trilogy.

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.

Within the first twenty or so pages, I was having a hard time getting into this book. Maybe I was mentally distracted, but I felt like this was going to be a LONG book. I was definitely wrong! I finished the entire book within two sittings. I don’t know what exactly made me so enticed. The world had a dark element to it which I liked. Having the map at the beginning helped me to visualize the volcra the way they are supposed to look. Leigh’s writing style is very nicely done!

If you are looking for a story that has the romance aspect but without it being overpowering, this is a great book to pick up. I felt like there was very little lovey-dovey elements that you typically see in most young adult. The story focused more on the control of power. One part that made me iffy was the drama that was added between the girls. It felt like a mix of strong fantasy with typical high school elements. Other than that, this book was a really good read.

I gave this first book 4 out of 5 stars. When I finished it I immediately went online and bought the second and third books in the trilogy. I can see that this is a great start to a series, and I cannot wait to continue Alina’s journey!

More Book Information:

Published : 5 June 2012

Publisher : Henry Holt and Co.

Genre : Young Adult Fantasy

Pages : 368

How I Read It : Paperback

Come back soon to find reviews of books 2 and 3 in the Grisha Trilogy!

Happy Reading!