By Leigh Bardugo
Publication Date: June 5th, 2012 (Henry Holt and Co.)
Hardcover, 358 pages
Genre: Fantasy; Romance; YA
Source: Library
DESCRIPTION:
Alina Starkov doesn't expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they're sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member to the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.
Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling's favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her...and only she can save the future.
—from the book's dust jacket
REVIEW:
Hmm, difficult. VERY difficult. Plenty of courage, laced throughout your pages, I see. Not a bad plot, either. There's talent, oh yes. And a thirst to prove yourself. But where to put you, Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo. Better be...FIVE STARS!
*furious applause from all of the other books*
(Sorry, but I couldn't resist that Harry Potter reference.)
Woo hoo hoo hoo hoo. Shadow and Bone was AMAZING! What a rush, man. What a rush.
How do I start praising this book?
There's never a dull moment in Shadow and Bone. It's a no-brainer that getting attacked by Volca (these bird-like monsters with gray arms, leathery wings, and think talons) is heart-racing. But what's really spectacular is that the author, Leigh Bardugo, can keep moments like Alina being pampered and literally worshipped lively by adding conflict and A LOT of underlying tension (including romantic tension) that gently prods at the reader' scommon sense and makes them think think twice. Just when the reader would think the clouds are finally clearing for Alina...BAM! Something the reader doesn't anticipate smacks them right in the face!
And oh my goodness. The characters are swoon-worthy. Alina is the Harry Potter of Ravka (Ravka being the kingdom where the book takes place): she's a pure-hearted orphan from humble beginnings that has undiscovered powers, powers she's so convinced she doesn't have. Mal, Alina's handsome and charismatic childhood best friend, is completely oblivious of Alina. Other characters include Genya, the Tailor; Baghra, the Grisha trainer; Botkin Yul-Erdene, the combat trainer; "friends" of Alina, Marie and Nadia; and Zoya, the mean-girl, green with envy. Then of course there's the mysterious, powerful, seductive, and beautiful Darkling.
The only problem you might have is getting into it. I've heard some readers say the beginning was confusing, but this is only because the author is talented enough not to spew information at the reader. Information about the Grisha, the Shadow Fold, and the world of Ravka is gradually picked up by the reader. Also, the kingdom of Ravka is like Russia in it's customs and language. Some people, such as myself, feel the urge to look up every single unfamiliar word: What is "kvass," a "troika," and a "samovar"? I had to stop to translate. There's a bit of Mongolia also, but I didn't know that until Leigh Bardugo thanked a man who translated things into Mongolia for him in her Acknowledgements.
But I'd say the safe-zone is around chapters 3 and 4. Past those chapters and Shadow and Bone is a guaranteed hook.
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, SO READ IT.
RATING:
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