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Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)

by Leigh Bardugo (Goodreads Author)

4.14 of 5 stars 4.14 · rating details · 16,211 ratings · 3,153 reviews

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting R...more

Hardcover, 356 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (first published May 17th 2012)

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2012 Debut Authors (Young Adult & Middle Grade)

15th out of 795 books — 4,504 voters

2012 YA/MG Fantasy Books

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Apr 09, 2012 Tatiana rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: fans of Divergent and Grave Mercy

Recommended to Tatiana by: 5 star reviews

Shelves: 2012, fantasy, series-dropped-lost-steam, ya, b, ala-ya-2013

As seen on The Readventurer

2.5 stars

It is alright, if you are into fantasy lite. I, on the other hand, am a little weary of this lightish, breezy and superficial entertainment. Give me something juicier, something more thoughtful, something more sophisticated.

Shadow and Bone is a decent book. Bardugo's writing style is easy and engaging. The plot is developed enough to masquerade the fact that the biggest chunk of it is the usual boarding school fare with makeovers, mean girl drama, petty rivalr...more

167 likes · like · see review

Oct 13, 2012 Nataliya rated it 2 of 5 stars

Recommended to Nataliya by: the word 'Grisha'

Shelves: 2012-reads, this-was-quite-bad, first-in-a-series

The biggest issue with this book is actually NOT the utter fail at correctly incorporating the Russian elements into the story.

It's that I'd never be able to pick this book out of a generic YA book lineup.

It's like a ninja, perfectly blending into its surroundings, into that painfully generic landscape that plagues YA literature recently, the lackluster background against which few gems truly stand out. And gem this one is not.

I think at this point there is a formula that many YA writers view as...more

163 likes · like · see review

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Stardrag Nataliya wrote: "Stardrag wrote: "I love how when books like this which aren't American based and try to be different by introducing American culture...more
Mar 01, 2013 03:12pm

Celofán Ah, I agree with this. So, so much. Not the part about Russia, though, because I know nothing of the culture. Anyways, the Russian setting didn't do a...more
Mar 30, 2013 10:12am

Jun 17, 2012 Experiment BL626 rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, reviewed

CAUTION: Long Review

Shadow and Bone (SaB) is book 1 in the Grisha trilogy, a Russian-inspired fantasy. Alas, the fantasy was like a lumpy beef stew — it wasn't cooked properly. The plot was disappointing, the protagonist pathetic, the magical world mundane, the antagonist...surprisingly cool so why was he not the protagonist of the story?

The Plot

Over 81,000 words, the novel began with a timid girl who in a dire moment unleashed a dormant power to rescue her friend. It wasn't just any power, it w...more

25 likes · like · see review

Jun 18, 2012 Kelly Leigh rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult, witches-warlocks-druids-oh-my

This book, aargh, book, I didn't mesh with you whatsoever. For you are vain and shallow and have little to no substance for my tastes. And a plot? Was it hidden? Alas, I failed to find it.

The plot, there was little to none. Well, only if you consider attending balls, nonstop makeovers, endless gazing at one's self in mirrors plot-worthy. And the mirror-mirroring on the wall didn't stop there, let me tell you. MC, Alina, also invited a girlfriend over, Genya, to do the same while they danced and...more This book, aargh, book, I didn't mesh with you whatsoever. For you are vain and shallow and have little to no substance for my tastes. And a plot? Was it hidden? Alas, I failed to find it.

The plot, there was little to none. Well, only if you consider attending balls, nonstop makeovers, endless gazing at one's self in mirrors plot-worthy. And the mirror-mirroring on the wall didn't stop there, let me tell you. MC, Alina, also invited a girlfriend over, Genya, to do the same while they danced and twirled and tried on clothes. I'm so beautiful. No, you're so beautiful. He-he-he. We're so beautiful. The fairest in all the land. Eventually my annoyance morphed to laughter, for the looking-glass gazings reminded me of the Californians on SNL, when they'd - the cast - would end the skit by fondly staring in a standing floor mirror. For your viewing pleasure. The Californians.

And my absolute favorite. The abuse of the word beautiful. Everything was beautiful. The Grisha, clothes, atmosphere, Alina, Nadia, Zoya, and Genya and the queen and . . . If you tell the reader that every Grisha is beautiful, then it's wholly unnecessary to remind me of this fact every 10 pages. I get it. Only pretty pretty princesses can be magical y'all. Sorry to all you ugly ducklings. This is a perfect book for impressionable teens, methinks. Great values and morals jam-packed within this tome. Would totally help with teetering self-esteems. Just chase this book with a teen glossy du jour.

Here's a question that kept popping up in my noggin. If Evil's afoot, the fate of the world in a precarious situation, then why are there so many balls or fetes? Does Evil take a break for celebrations? It must. Good to know. And also, if Evil and Danger are lurking around the corner, in the shadows, why is everything described as beautiful? Shouldn't it be more ominous? Everything to this MC was jovial, the atmosphere painted was one of grandeur and beauty and opulence, not danger. Wouldn't one perceive things a tad different if one was truly fearful? Right?

So yeah, if you don't mind an anorexic plot. If you don't mind vanity and reading about how everything is beautiful every 10 ten pages. If you don't mind a lack of character development. If you don't mind being told not shown. Then look no more, for this is the book for you. I might end up deleting this review, for I don't like to sound harsh, but this book and I didn't gel. And that's okay. You can't expect to like every single book. Also, it's safe to say I won't be continuing on with this series. (less)

21 likes · like · see review

May 05, 2012 Ashleigh Paige rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: just-not-good-enough-to-stick-with, shit-or-get-off-the-pot, the-decent-shelf-of-meh, why-oh-why-did-i-fall-for-the-hype

My copy was an ARC I received through a swap with a friend.

And the hype strikes again! All but one of my friends loved this novel and they promised me it would be fantastic. Having been bitten by hype multiple times (two very recent incidents being Divergent and Anna Dressed in Blood), I put off reading my copy for close to two months and said that if the novel didn't live up to the hype, all my friends that loved it owed me their pinky fingers. Two days of near-nonstop reading later, I find mys...more My copy was an ARC I received through a swap with a friend.

And the hype strikes again! All but one of my friends loved this novel and they promised me it would be fantastic. Having been bitten by hype multiple times (two very recent incidents being Divergent and Anna Dressed in Blood), I put off reading my copy for close to two months and said that if the novel didn't live up to the hype, all my friends that loved it owed me their pinky fingers. Two days of near-nonstop reading later, I find myself less impressed with the novel than they were. Time for them to kiss their pinkies goodbye!

Bardugo's writing flows well and her top-notch worldbuilding left me dying to know more. She can write a fantastic make-out scene, that's for sure. Even when Alina and the Darkling's relationship dives into Not Okay territory, the complexity of it is almost scrumptious and readers are sure to gobble it up. Speaking of complexity, the Darkling's characterization had to be the standout point of the novel. His secrets and layers are constantly being unraveled and revealed throughout the novel and I looked upon it with envy. If I could write a character like that...

So with all that nice stuff to say, why don't I love it?

I didn't care about any of these characters. The Darkling's complexity is appreciated, but not anything I love because he's not very original in it. I feel like I've already seen characters just like him that did it better. Alina and Mal didn't win more of my attention than the bare minimum I could give. They were satisfactory, but they once again felt like characters I'd seen done better elsewhere. Like with a cornbread recipe in my family that my grandmother wrote. My dad follows the recipe exactly when he makes cornbread, but he always says it's never quite like the cornbread she made. Most of all, I wanted this book to go deeper than it did with its characters and its world. Shadow and Bone may be entertaining, but it's not quite as engaging as I wish it was.

It seems like a good sign I read this in two days, but it isn't in this case. On the first day, I read about seventy-five pages; on the second day, I skimmed the rest. So much time was spent on the makeovers, balls, and the Darkling drawing Alina in while I wondered where the overarching plot was. As a small niggle, Alina's name bugs me. According to the Russian tradition that seems to govern most of the other names, it should be Alina Starkova, not Alina Starkov.

Now if those friends of mine who hyped it up so much would leave me the pinky fingers they owe me, that would be fantastic. There's a knife by the door and doctors will be waiting outside to make sure you don't bleed to death or anything like that. Thank you! But just like they will, I'll be coming back for the next installment of Bardugo's series.(less)

17 likes · like · see review

May 25, 2012 Nafiza rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: debut-authors-12, net-galley, books-i-own, books-for-review, 2012

Let me preface this by saying that this is not going to be an easy review to write. Krystle and I read this together and it was interesting to notice the difference in our reactions to some of the aspects of the story. My response to the book may be placed solely on the doors of the hype that’s building up for it. The thing is, when things are hyped like this, they tend to invite more expectation than they should, higher expectations than they can live up to and this was the case for me with Sha...more Let me preface this by saying that this is not going to be an easy review to write. Krystle and I read this together and it was interesting to notice the difference in our reactions to some of the aspects of the story. My response to the book may be placed solely on the doors of the hype that’s building up for it. The thing is, when things are hyped like this, they tend to invite more expectation than they should, higher expectations than they can live up to and this was the case for me with Shadow and Stone.

First, let’s talk about the insanely awesome things.

The world building is fantastic. No, I truly mean fantastic.I like how detailed the imagery is and how Bardugo takes time to painstakingly etch out the landscapes and the living quarters of various people. What really drew me in (and made me think) about this book was the emphasis on the politics of power. Power. The many ways it manifests itself, the corruption inherent in the acquirement of power and the different kinds of power. The hierarchy of the Kingdom in the story, the faces of power, who holds the power versus who seems to hold it. The monarchs themselves, their foibles, their weaknesses. The hierarchy of the Grisha, their order, where religion plays in and where it doesn’t. The social order and the social responsibility that comes with power.

Fantastic, right?

Well, I think so anyway. The characterizations were decent. Mal, the Darkling and Alina, the triangle in the center, with the lovely Genya, Bharga and some other side characters filling out the cast decently. I’m inclined to be lenient as this is a debut and I was satisfied with most of the characters even though I couldn’t make myself wholly support Alina until the latter part of the novel but more on that later. There are, unfortunately, mean girls present and while their mean girl-ery is explained, it doesn’t actually make me happy. Their presence, I mean.

My biggest obstacle to enjoying this novel was Alina’s character. She acted (and seemed) very cautious (and wuffly) for the first three quarters of the novel and while Krystle didn’t mind at all (she actually enjoyed Alina’s characterization) I had a lot of trouble with it because I like strong heroines who know who they are, what they want and aren’t afraid to go get it. Who show some spunk. I understood why Alina’s cautious nature is appropriate for her – is a result of her upbringing – but I just couldn’t get behind someone who seemed so sappy and dependent on a guy emotionally.

Also, the preoccupation with clothes etc reminded me of Wither and while I might be tempted to explain its apparent importance in the novel by saying that this is the author’s attempt to somehow delineate the superficial nature of the world Alina is living in, I am more inclined to put it down as a blatant pandering to the teenage audience with their fascination with fashion etc. I was frustrated by the page time devoted to clothes and other superficial stuff when that space could have been given to developing the far more interesting, in my opinion, world and politics.

The plot is somewhat predictable. The Darkling – okay, I felt that the whole build up of the Darkling was unnecessarily detailed because in the end, well, you’ll see. I just felt that the buildup did not lead to the satisfactory climax I felt should have been there due to the importance of the Darkling.

That said, I must admit that once Alina started taking action and used her agency to grasp her own destiny, things became cool but then, again, Mal appears and well, the dependence thing once again rears its head. Bardugo tries too hard to sell Mal and Alina as some sort of epic romance story especially by the mirroring technique she uses in the prologue and epilogue. You’ll see what I mean.

Ultimately, I was not as pleased with Shadow and Bone as I had wished to be. While the premise is interesting and the potential endless, it did not deliver quite the epic story I was expecting. However, I find that I am one of the few who feel that way and there are many others who feel quite differently. My complaints aside, I think the novel is quite entertaining if read for something intriguing and fun but without, in my opinion, anything meatier to prop it up. There is no cliffhanger ending so you can read it safely. Since you now know what I think, I urge you to try it for yourself and make up your own mind about it.
(less)

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Jun 06, 2012 Amelia, the pragmatic idealist rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: macmillan, alamw12, disappointing, ya-kids-teen, all-kinds-of-fantasy, 2012, annoying-protagonist, mc-girl

Shadow and Bone has an authentic and fairly original concept, with a breathtaking setting in a fantasy world that is either supposed to be Russia, is based on Russia, or...something to do with Russia. Though S&B could be considered a fantasy novel, it reads more like a paranormal, as I didn't exactly get that "period setting" feel like I did with Melina Marchetta and Kristin Cashore' fantasies. I was impressed with author Leigh Bardugo's writing style, though I wouldn't call it as elegant or...more Shadow and Bone has an authentic and fairly original concept, with a breathtaking setting in a fantasy world that is either supposed to be Russia, is based on Russia, or...something to do with Russia. Though S&B could be considered a fantasy novel, it reads more like a paranormal, as I didn't exactly get that "period setting" feel like I did with Melina Marchetta and Kristin Cashore' fantasies. I was impressed with author Leigh Bardugo's writing style, though I wouldn't call it as elegant or fluid as the other two fantasy authors I previously mentioned. And now to move on to characters. Characters make or break a novel, and these characters...my, what a shame! I'm sorry to say, I never felt any ounce of sympathy or caring for her protagonist, Alina, or one of the other principals/love interests, Mal. At all. I also think it's interesting that neither Parental Book Reviews, nor Common Sense media, mentioned the extent of the sexual content in this book. Poor parents, teens, librarians, and other responsible readers. Guess no one's got your back anymore. But on to the rest of the review...

See comments if curious

This used to be a spoiler, but since it's the crux of my review, I decided to "un-spoil" it. So basically, this whole book was ruined for me because of these idiotic, prurient characters. And this may be taking the commentary beyond the book, but I do not understand modern authors' fascination with creating characters like I keep seeing. Yet another example of the type of warped relationships I see in YA lit. Ugh. It's too bad, too, because an entertaining and highly original premise was wasted on vapid characters. Must be a progressive thing, because how a character like Mal could turn anybody's head is beyond me. And what separates me from the majority of other reviewers is that I do not like it when girls act like skanks. I did not like it that our "heroine" was so free with her affections. I do not like it when women are portrayed like cats, who'll just go off with whomever comes their way.. And I don't appreciate girls being portrayed as passive to men, either. There's a character who literally forces himself on our brilliant heroine twice, and she acts like she likes it! If I remember correctly, the quote is: "I hated him. I feared him. But still I felt the strange tug of his power, and I couldn't stop the hungry response of my own treacherous heart." What utter nonsense. The heart in question isn't "treacherous" so much as it's "skanky." Have some self respect! But of course, other reviewers will eat it up because the dude in question is sexy. Well, ladies, I suppose since that's all that matters, that makes it okay. Seriously, the hypocrisy in readers definitely comes out here. Anyone who had the nerve to criticize Stephenie Meyer's Twilight better be singing the same song with this one, because it is much worse. But again, as long as the predator in question is "desirable," it's all okay. I must remain one of the only readers and young women who doesn't women in general portrayed as airhead sexophiles. *shrug*

(less)

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May 04, 2013 Kimberlee rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: own, own-on-nook

So a bunch of people on my Tumblr dash stan for this book and that doesn't really surprise me; it was a good idea, and if you can overlook the extreme bastardization of the Russian language, it might have been a good book. But this just wasn't for me.

This was a case where I feel like the world (not the Russian-inspired parts, as it was pretty evident to me that not a lot of research was put into that at all, and if the author didn't know anything about that maybe she should have picked another p...more

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Dec 20, 2012 Rae rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, great-idea-poor-execution, magic-users, swords-and-sorcery, ya, okay-reading

2.5 stars

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. There were certain details that I found jarring and those details cropped up a lot. First of all, the magic users in theis book were called Grisha. Grisha is a diminutive of Grigoriy. So whenever the magic users were mentioned it was like reading about the great and wonderful powers of the Greg. Also, getting drunk on kvas would be like getting drink on root beer. There were some other things that bugged me but those were the main ones. Tho...more 2.5 stars

I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. There were certain details that I found jarring and those details cropped up a lot. First of all, the magic users in theis book were called Grisha. Grisha is a diminutive of Grigoriy. So whenever the magic users were mentioned it was like reading about the great and wonderful powers of the Greg. Also, getting drunk on kvas would be like getting drink on root beer. There were some other things that bugged me but those were the main ones. Those who who aren't aware of these details might not be bothered by them, but to me they really stood out and bugged me every time they showed up. Especially the Grisha since they're mentioned a lot.

While the supporting characters and villain were complex and well written, Alina felt flat. For the most part things just happened to her and she would either pout or mope about them. It wasn't until the mother of the villain shook her and told her what she needed to do that she actually did anything, but by that point I really didn't care about her anymore and was mainly reading for the supporting cast.

The villain was really fantastic. He was manipulative and had reasons for what he did. From his point of view, what he was doing was for the greater good which was a nice change from all the mustache twirlers I've been running across lately. Alina's best friend Mal was also a fairly interesting character. He was able to avoid holding the idiot ball though most of the story where others in his position would be hording it.

The problem was that in addition to Alina being bland, the plot was rather bland as well. It started out promising with armies and monsters, but then once Alina's power was discovered it immediately turned into the usual makeover and magic lessons which were just plain boring and lasted too long. Had there been intrigue or much world building it might have been more interesting, but instead we had Alina complaining about how bad she was at magic and barely trying to actually learn anything. The escape and chase that happened later were interesting enough to get me to the end, but in some ways came far to late and was over too quickly.

Overall the book is okay. It really doesn't stand out among it's peers, but it's not badly written and the supporting cast was interesting enough. You can do worse, but you can also do much better.(less)

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Oct 30, 2012 Jada rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Inhalt
Alina arbeitete bis jetzt als Kartografin in der Armee des jetzigen Zaren. Ihr bester Freund seit ewiger zeit ist Maljen, mit dem gemeinsam sie als Waise bei einem Herzog aufgewachsen war. Er ist beliebt, ein echter Frauenschwarm und der beste Fährtenleser in der Armee- und Alina ist in ihn verliebt, er sieht sie aber nur als “Kumpelin” an. Im Auftrag der Armee müssen Leute der Armee, darunter auch Alina und Maljen, in den Westen ihrer Heimatstadt Rawka ziehen. Dazu müssen sie die berüchti...more Inhalt
Alina arbeitete bis jetzt als Kartografin in der Armee des jetzigen Zaren. Ihr bester Freund seit ewiger zeit ist Maljen, mit dem gemeinsam sie als Waise bei einem Herzog aufgewachsen war. Er ist beliebt, ein echter Frauenschwarm und der beste Fährtenleser in der Armee- und Alina ist in ihn verliebt, er sieht sie aber nur als “Kumpelin” an. Im Auftrag der Armee müssen Leute der Armee, darunter auch Alina und Maljen, in den Westen ihrer Heimatstadt Rawka ziehen. Dazu müssen sie die berüchtigte Schattenflur durchqueren: ein Dunkels, nebliges Gebiet das sich durch Rawka zieht und es teilt. Es ist bewohnt von den blinden (Augen nützen in der Schattenflur nichts), menschenfressenden Volkra, von denen Maljen und Alina während der Überquerung angegriffen werden. Maljen wäre tot, wenn Alina ihm nicht auf eine rätselhafte Weise das Leben gerettet hätte- ein greller Lichtstrahl flammt auf, und Maljen und sie kommen schwerverletzt davon, Als sie wieder aus ihrer Ohnmacht erwacht, wird sie zu den Grischa- Beherrschern von besonderen Fähigkeiten, sie sofort nach dem Zaren kommen- gebracht. Sie soll eine Fähigkeit haben, und dazu eine ganz besondere- sie soll Retter Rawkas und endgültiger Zerstörer der tödlichen Schattenflur sein, als Sonnenkriegerin. Der Dunkle, Chef der Grischa und zweitmächtigster Mann im Land, meint, sie könne ihm dabei helfen.
In den Weiten des Palastes, in dem sie für ihre Übungen wohnen muss, schwächen sie, und sie will nur eins: Zurück zu Maljen. Sie schreibt ihm, doch er antwortet nicht, und Alina sucht Nähe beim Dunklen, der zwar verängstigend, aber auch charmant und geheimnisvoll ist. Dann ordnet er an, für Alina einen besonderen weißen Hirsch zu schießen, um dessen Geweih als Kräftemehrer zu nutzen- wirklich dafür? Und was ist mit Maljen?

Meine eigene Meinung
Anfangs fallen einem besonders die (polnischen???) Begriffe schwer auseinanderzuhalten, es sind viele unbekannte Eigennamen, an die man sich aber mit der Zeit gewöhnt. Dadurch, dass man etwas verwirrt ist, ist es anfangs ein klein wenig schwer, sich gut einzufinden, was dann aber sehr schnell geht. Der Anfang hat mich sehr gefesselt und zum Weiterlesen angespornt und ich habe ihn sehr gemocht. Aber seit der Ankunft am Hof des Dunklen zieht es sich ein wenig, was natürlich schon schade ist, und kurze Zeit habe ich erwägt, aufzuhören, was ich mir aber glücklicherweise verboten habe, denn es wurde dann wieder spannender.
Die Story ist ein guter Einfall und eine schöne Ausführung, und auch für jeden Nicht-Krieg-Begeisterten perfekt, der Schreibstil ist eingängig.
Ich mag, wie die einzelnen Charaktere zueinander im Verhältnis stehen, vor allem Alina und Maljen, dabei ist nur schade, dass es für mich ziemlich offensichtlich war, dass die Beziehung zu dem Dunklen nicht richtig war. Man hat grein Gefühl vermittelt bekommen und ich fand man hätte es ein wenig echter rüberkommen lassen können, damit die Überraschung größer ist. Es kam eben so aus dem Nichts, ohne Grund, ohne Vorahnung.
Letztendlich war das mit dm (polnischen???) Begriffen eine gute Sache, es hat so ganz seinen eigenen Flair gehabt…
Ich habe es gerne gelesen, und das Cover ist ja auch so schick, sieht im Regal echt nett aus

Fazit
Super für alle, die Liebesgeschichten, übernatürliche Fähigkeiten und Elementezeug mögen.(less)

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Oct 06, 2012 Amy rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shadow and Bone was a...book. It wasn't bad. It was entertaining, reasonably interesting, and well written. It was just....very typical teenage fare. I guess what irritated me wasn't the story itself, but the comment on the very front cover by Veronica Roth.
"Unlike anything I've ever read."
Gee, really? 'Cause, I'm thinking maybe Ms. Roth needs to go to her local book store more often.

Let's look at the cast and crew:
(some spoilers included)
Stock Heroine - Alina. Though she has a very pretty nam...more

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Sep 23, 2012 Bissfan rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Recommended to Bissfan by: Shiku

Alina und Maljen wuchsen zusammen in einem Waisenhaus auf, nun sind sie gemeinsam in der Ersten Armee des Zaren: sie als Kartografin, er als Fährtenleser. Bei der Überquerung der Ödsee, einem Meer aus Schatten, das das Land teilt und in dem grausige Wesen leben, die Jagd auf Menschen machen, passiert aber etwas Unerwartetes. Bei einem Angriff der Volkra gelingt es Alina, sie alle zu vertreiben – mit Licht, das aus ihrem Körper strömt. Diese Fähigkeit besitzt normalerweise nur eine Sonnenkriegeri...more Alina und Maljen wuchsen zusammen in einem Waisenhaus auf, nun sind sie gemeinsam in der Ersten Armee des Zaren: sie als Kartografin, er als Fährtenleser. Bei der Überquerung der Ödsee, einem Meer aus Schatten, das das Land teilt und in dem grausige Wesen leben, die Jagd auf Menschen machen, passiert aber etwas Unerwartetes. Bei einem Angriff der Volkra gelingt es Alina, sie alle zu vertreiben – mit Licht, das aus ihrem Körper strömt. Diese Fähigkeit besitzt normalerweise nur eine Sonnenkriegerin, eine der Grischa, die sich auf Magie verstehen. Doch Alina wurde schon vor Jahren getestet, und sie wurde nicht als Grischa identifiziert. Sie kann das gar nicht getan haben!
Trotzdem ist der Dunkle, der Führer der Grischa, davon überzeugt, dass sie die Hoffnung ist, die er sich seit Jahren herbeisehnt. Ohne viel Federlesens wird sie fortgebracht, um in einem der Paläste des Zaren ausgebildet zu werden. Doch von selbst kann sie nicht auf ihre Kräfte zugreifen und auch in allen anderen Übungen versagt sie. Kann sie wirklich die Hoffnung des Volkes sein?

Das Cover des Buches ist wunderschön, aber das war’s dann auch schon fast wieder. Von allen Seiten hörte ich eigentlich immer nur Positives über das Buch beziehungsweise wesentlich mehr als Negatives. So kam es, wie es kommen musste: Zum ersten Mal seit langem gab ich wieder Geld für ein deutsches Hardcover aus, was bei mir mittlerweile selten genug passiert. Dass es dann gleich so ein Fehlgriff wird, ist dabei besonders ärgerlich.

Eigentlich fängt das Buch sehr interessant an. Der Prolog ist wahnsinnig gut, einer der schönsten, die ich lange gelesen habe und wäre das ganze Buch in diesem Stil gehalten, hätte ich es allein dafür gepriesen. Danach wechselt die Autorin aber vom Erzähler in der dritten Person zur Ich-Perspektive und der kleine Zauber ist schon mal verflogen.
Trotzdem geht es nicht schlecht weiter. Ich mochte Alina im ersten Augenblick gut leiden. Sie hat eine große Klappe, die sie manchmal geschlossen halten sollte, aber dass sie es nicht tut, macht sie nur umso liebenswerter. Sie ist ein junges Mädchen mit seinen Sorgen und Ängsten: Sie ist in ihren besten Freund verliebt, der aber nur Augen für andere, hübschere Mädchen hat und auch als Kartografin ist sie zwar gut, aber mehr auch nicht. Vor der Ödsee hat sie berechtigterweise große Angst, auch wenn sie selbst wahrscheinlich noch nicht einmal ahnt, wie sehr sie sich darum sorgen sollte. Leider war mir als Leser auch nicht bewusst, wie viel Angst ich davor gehabt haben sollte.

Denn danach verpufft all das Potential geradezu. Es fing schon damit an, dass die zuvor sympathische Alina mit jeder Seite mehr wie ein extrem junges, unbeholfenes Mädchen klingt, das in seinem Leben noch nichts durchstehen musste – was nicht der Wahrheit entspricht. Ich habe auch nicht die leiseste Ahnung, wie alt sie eigentlich ist. Erst 16? Vielleicht schon 18? In beiden Fällen klingt sie wesentlich jünger, was es schwer für mich gemacht hat, mich bei ihr einzufühlen. Wenn eine 12-Jährige wie eine solche klingt, ist das eine Sache. Wenn aber jemand, den ich als älter erwartet habe, wesentlich jünger wirkt, dann irritiert das.
Es resultierte darin, dass ich mich immer weniger um sie sorgte, genauso wie mir die anderen Charaktere herzlich egal waren. In manchen Fällen ist da ein Ansatz von Tiefe, aber mehr nie und meist kommen sie gar nicht oft oder lange genug vor, um zu ihnen eine wirkliche Bindung aufzubauen und sich um sie zu sorgen – oder über ihre Handlungen schockiert zu sein, das kommt ganz darauf an.

Handlungstechnisch hat das Buch fast gar nichts zu bieten. Den Großteil des Buches über verbringt Alina in der Ausbildung, die zwar zunächst recht interessant ist, was sich später aber auch ändert. Es besteht kein Ultimatum, nichts das irgendwie zur Eile drängen oder Spannung erzeugen würde. Die Ödsee existiert seit Generationen, was machen da ein paar Monate mehr? Soll die Spannung dadurch erreicht werden, dass unklar ist, ob Alina an ihre Kräfte gelangt? So unklar ist das nicht, genauso wie der restliche Verlauf der Handlung.
Nach der absolut unvorhersehbaren Wendung in der Geschichte (Achtung, Ironie) ändert sich das ein bisschen, viel nützt es aber nicht. Die Hoffnungslosigkeit, die sich zwischendurch breit gemacht hat, hat mir sehr gut gefallen, aber letztlich verläuft alles genau so, wie es das Klischee verlangt.

Bis dahin war es eine beinahe akzeptable Geschichte, aber da gibt es noch ein kleines Detail, das mehr als ärgerlich ist. Der Fokus der Autorin auf Schönheit hing mir irgendwann zum Hals raus. Alle sind schön, schöner, am schönsten, Alinas ständige Tiraden über ihr ach so hässliches Aussehen waren irgendwann nur noch ermüdend. Wer nicht schön ist, ist nicht besonders und wer nicht besonders ist, ist auch nicht schön – statt zu zeigen, dass auch „hässliche“ Mädchen Großes vollbringen zu können und dass das Aussehen eigentlich kein wichtiger Faktor ist, muss Alina auch schön werden, und damit meine ich nicht die Make-Up-Sessions zu Beginn.
Zwar gibt es Momente, in denen diese Schönheit keine allzu wichtige Rolle spielt und die Erklärung für Alinas Aussehen ist, in dieser Welt, schlüssig, aber am Ende überrascht es trotzdem, dass man sich ausgerechnet nach dem hässlichen Mädchen sehnt und auch sonst nimmt dieses Thema eine viel zu große Rolle ein, die es so darstellt, als wäre ein bedeutungsvolles Leben ohne sie nicht möglich. Vielleicht kommt die Kritik in den späteren Büchern, wer weiß. Für den Moment aber war ich einfach nur genervt.

Da gibt es noch einen letzten Punkt, den ich zugegebenermaßen selbst gar nicht so wahrgenommen habe. Dieser betrifft die russischen Einflüsse in der Geschichte, bei der die Autorin offenbar reichlich geschlampt hat. Es ging schon los mit den Nachnamen. Wie eigentlich weithin bekannt ist, haben die Nachnamen von Männern und Frauen unterschiedliche Endungen – das weiß sogar jemand wie ich, der sich in seinem ganzen Leben noch nie wirklich mit Russland beschäftigt hat und nur ein paar Mal kurz die fixe Idee hatte, die Sprache zu lernen. Da kann man doch auch von der Autorin verlangen, dass sie davon weiß? Nun, wenn sie es tat, hat sie das zumindest ignoriert – leider hat das aber nichts mit künstlerischer Freiheit zu tun, sondern ist beleidigende Ignoranz.
Dieses Detail wurde zumindest in der deutschen Übersetzung ausgebessert, so dass Frauen nun weibliche Nachnamen haben und Männer männliche. Das ändert aber leider nichts an der Tatsache, dass manche Namen übersetzt ziemlichen Blödsinn ergeben, und nicht zuletzt die Bezeichnung für die magisch talentierten Menschen, Grischa, einfach nur die Verkleinerungsform von dem Namen Grigori ist. Dieser Einfallsreichtum erschlägt mich geradezu. Es gibt noch ein paar Dinge mehr, die da nicht ganz im Argen liegen, aber andere wissen besser Bescheid als ich und haben längst darüber berichtet. All jenen, die nicht viel über Russland wissen, wird es wie mir zunächst gar nicht auffallen und dadurch wird es auch nicht stören. Von der Autorin kann man aber sicherlich mehr erwarten, wenn sie schon solche Einflüsse verwendet. Wenn sie etwas vollkommen Neues hinzugedichtet hätte – okay. Das wäre sogar schön gewesen. Aber bestehende Tatsachen vollkommen anders einzuflechten, ist nicht wünschenswert.

„Grischa: Goldene Flammen“ war für mich eine herbe Enttäuschung. Weder die Spannung noch die Romanze oder gar die Welt, die ich mir erhofft habe, hatte das Buch zu bieten. Stattdessen gibt es eine vor sich hin plätschernde Handlung, die nur ab und an das Interesse weckt, eine nur auf den ersten Blick sympathische Protagonistin, schlechte Recherche über Russland (oder Faulheit?) und eine fragwürdige Rolle von Schönheit. Alles in allem nicht sehr zufriedenstellend.(less)

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Sep 07, 2012 Maureen E rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, historical, young-adult

I’m reading Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and, sadly, it does not work for me. This is partly a personal problem–I grew up with Russia, I took Russian in college, I have eaten Russian food and danced Russian dances. I will always be hypercritical of depictions of Russia & Russian culture. But it’s not just personal issues. There are major problems here, including the fact that Alina Starkov should be Alina Starkova. The Russian part is downright sloppy–Ruby as a personal name? Mal as a ni...more

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Jul 21, 2012 →kelly♥[: rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2012-book, cute-cover, r-a-s, totally-saw-that-coming

My Rating: 2.5

I can sum up Shadow and Bone into one word: predictable. When I first saw the book on goodreads, I was amazed by all the high ratings and praises for it that I just had to try it out. To my disappointment, I can guess every plot twist, and well, it ended up happening. Because of that, I couldn't really enjoy Shadow and Bone. To be honest, the only part I really enjoyed was the "before" prologue, that's it.

One thing I have to give a lot of credit to Leigh Bardugo for is the amazin...more

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Jul 13, 2012 Cris rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, magic, young-adult, alternate-history

Eh. Bardugo started off promisingly with an original, very imaginative setting and situation. But the story got a little bogged down in the middle and then Bardugo introduced a very important plot point that seems odd at best and felt very deus ex machina. (view spoiler)...more

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Oct 25, 2012 Yelena rated it 2 of 5 stars

It's closer to 2 1/2 maybe even 2 3/4 if we use the sliding scale.

This book requires a pro and con list for true commentary as I only hated some of the book and loved other parts. So I present, I loved, but hated you:

The pros:
- this is a beautifully rich world, with extensive mythology and character.
- the lead characters are compelling and exciting.
- there is a lovely twist, which is a bit hard to swallow, wait...more on that in cons.
- the book stands on its own, even if there is a clear indicat...more It's closer to 2 1/2 maybe even 2 3/4 if we use the sliding scale.

This book requires a pro and con list for true commentary as I only hated some of the book and loved other parts. So I present, I loved, but hated you:

The pros:
- this is a beautifully rich world, with extensive mythology and character.
- the lead characters are compelling and exciting.
- there is a lovely twist, which is a bit hard to swallow, wait...more on that in cons.
- the book stands on its own, even if there is a clear indication of book two.

The cons:
- despite the beauty and richness of the world, it was borrowed from Russian mythology and history. Unfortunately, the author seemed to have read 3 books and found 1 friend on Facebook, who could help her navigate 2000years of Russian language and customs. As a result, the lead female character has a male last name and vise versa for the male. The thing is, it would not bother me so much, if the author didn't try so hard to insert her supposed knowledge all over the landscape of her book. Just because you could doesn't mean you should. They could have been in an imaginary world with an imaginary language, but nooooooooo, she had to make it Russian and that tore me right out of the book, every time she butchered my mother tongue.

-even though the characters are exciting, I am mostly drawn to the character absent for most of the book. All I knew of our female lead is that she will lead us back somehow to Mal, that is all I cared about, she could have, very well died doing it. That's probably not the best review of the lead female character. The same is true of the villain. I loved everything about him and only cared about Alina when she connected with.

-the twist is a bit hard to swallow, mostly because, originally we believe Bhagra, but we hope to get further proof and we really don't. I realize that this allows for doubt about the villain's motives or even his maliciousness. But as a reader I would love to side with someone, otherwise I'm just part of the scenery and I don't like foliage that much.

-there is a clear set up for book two, this brings me to a disappointment that spreads further then this book. Can we not write just the one book!? Why must all books span a trilogy? This book is better about it then others, there is no cliffhanger, but it is clear that the next one is coming.

Overall, I really like this story, but it was tainted, marred, stupefied and gouged by the misplaced and misused Russian words. I blame this in part on the writer and in part on the editor. How dare you not check that the first character we are introduced to is named in translation " why the fuck."? If you didn't bother to read it, how can you expect us to?(less)

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May 10, 2013 Avery rated it 2 of 5 stars

There's....not really much for me to say about this book. I was really looking forward to reading this book and being another person that liked it, but...I just couldn't.

First off, if you're introducing a character called "the Darkling" as a "good guy", the story can become more predictable (well, for me it did).

Also, when all of the major conflicts were going on, I didn't find myself boiling in anger when the bad guys had an advantage or jumping for joy when the good guys did. I found myself f...more

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Mar 30, 2013 Bridget Mckinney rated it 2 of 5 stars

Things about this book:

Alina - I hated that Alina Starkov (grr... that name) is another low self-esteem heroine who seems designed to allow girls to insert themselves into the story. Similar to Bella in Twilight Alina hates herself and thinks she's ugly, and yet we never really get a specific description of what she looks like. This is a major failing among these sorts of first-person girl-narrated YA novels. It's not universal, but it's pretty common and always makes me think of this.

Genya - I...more Things about this book:

Alina - I hated that Alina Starkov (grr... that name) is another low self-esteem heroine who seems designed to allow girls to insert themselves into the story. Similar to Bella in Twilight Alina hates herself and thinks she's ugly, and yet we never really get a specific description of what she looks like. This is a major failing among these sorts of first-person girl-narrated YA novels. It's not universal, but it's pretty common and always makes me think of this.

Genya - I like that the most beautiful girl in the book is allowed to feel good about her looks. However, I didn't like that Genya is in love with a guy who doesn't notice or appreciate her beauty (and doesn't seem to return her feelings), and I don't like that this is presented as the reason she is in love with him. I'd much rather see her be in love with a guy who loves her back and who is able to appreciate her beauty in healthy and affirming ways. I hate the idea that men only objectify beautiful women and that they are incapable of valuing beauty in a way that isn't gross. Genya is proud of her beauty, and I think she deserves a man who will be proud of her as well.

Horrible mangling of Russian naming conventions. This was really distracting for me. It's nothing but laziness and poor research.

Early in the book, the author describes a troika as being pulled by three black horses. Which is true. But the word "troika" by definition means there are three horses. It's a small point, and I guess it's possible that young people might not know what a troika is which would necessitate the description, but it bugged me.

At numerous points in the novel, it's mentioned that people get drunk on kvas. This isn't really a thing that could happen, since kvas only has an alcohol content of 0.5-1%. That's kind of like saying that people get drunk on O'Douls. I guess maybe if you were drinking it by the barrel full, but you'd be too busy pissing to be doing any of the alcohol-impaired stuff that the author implies happens in the book. Again, this is a clear sign of laziness and poor research.

Botkin - The fighting trainer guy is from Shu Han, which is a Chinese-inspired country. However, is it really necessary for him to talk like a caricature from a yellow peril movie? I understand that he's an immigrant and he's supposed to have an accent, but an accent has to do with how people pronounce things; it doesn't mean they don't understand grammar, especially once they achieve fluency in a language. Poor grammar or broken English might be expected from a dishwasher who's only been in America for a few months (and even then people pick up on it all pretty fast). I wouldn't expect it of someone who has been working as an instructor of an advanced trade skill for a couple of decades.

The Darkling - This guy is the villain, and he's also the most interesting character in the book. I'd much rather have read a book from his point of view.

Mal - This guy is the blandest of bland love interests ever.(less)

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Aug 24, 2012 Kristi rated it 2 of 5 stars

I don't usually like writing bad reviews because I know that it is an incredible feat to write you own book and get it published. But I wasn't impressed with this story. While I was reading it, I felt like I had heard the story a couple of times before. Funny thing, is that Veronica Roth is quoted on the cover saying, "Unlike anything I've ever read."

This book is about a girl named Alina who is part of an army with her best friend, Mal. She makes maps and she is in love with her best friend...g...more I don't usually like writing bad reviews because I know that it is an incredible feat to write you own book and get it published. But I wasn't impressed with this story. While I was reading it, I felt like I had heard the story a couple of times before. Funny thing, is that Veronica Roth is quoted on the cover saying, "Unlike anything I've ever read."

This book is about a girl named Alina who is part of an army with her best friend, Mal. She makes maps and she is in love with her best friend...go figure. The world is based on (I think) old time Russian culture and, in this world, we have a special group of people called The Grisha that basically have magical powers. Some of them can summon elements of the Earth (wind, fire), some can create things out of materials, some can heal you, and some can kill you. Deviding the land in two is a thing called the Unsea. It is a long pitch black lake that contains creatures that will kill you.

The story takes off when the army crosses the Unsea. Alina's boat/raft gets attacked by these monsters and Alina accidently saves the day. She then finds out that she is a Grisha and is sent off to a palace to develop and control her powers.

For me, characters are the most important thing in a novel. In Shadow and Bone, I couldn't connect with the characters. I felt that they were bland and lacked traits to make them unique. I also had a hard time adjusting to this new world that Leigh Bardugo has created. The Russian names of the different cities and the names of the different kinds of Grisha threw me off for some reason, and I found that I was spending more time trying to understand what all the names meant rather than becoming involved in the story. The plot is pretty basic and I feel that it is following the same standard "YA" framework that we have seen a billion times before (seemingly normal girl finds out she is "special", goes to a new "school", has a crush on the cute guy, makes friends, has some girl drama, and then after some trouble, saves the day and runs off with the guy.).

I do love the cover though, so mad props go out to the cover designers! Overall, Shadow and Bone wasn't outright terrible, but it wasn't amazing either. I won't continue with the rest of the series and I wouldn't recommend this book to others. (less)

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May 24, 2013 Salma (sockswithcreases) rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: are-you-kidding-me, it-was-okay, lack-of-depth, not-crazy-about-it, slow-paced

Okay, now I'm going to do a proper review. I was really annoyed last night when I finished reading this book that I could even asdlkjfahldkjfh.

Alright, first of all, the premise of this book was seriously intriguing and I read various glowing reviews as well as some reviews which did not show the book in a particularly good light. But there were more good than bad so I thought why not! And I was so so so so so so excited!

Shadow and Bone is set in a place that was "inspired by Russia", and I coul...more

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May 14, 2013 Anna Stover rated it 2 of 5 stars

Great fantasy or science fiction novels need a driving force. Take Katniss' cajones for example, or the pervasive sense of the sea in The Scorpio Races. This book is demonstrably missing a driving force. The heroine wanders about, pushed by stronger characters. The world in which it takes place is not fully developed. the only thong that arguably IS fully developed is the complex character of the Darkling, who i suspect will be a great deal less so in the next book. Such a well-written book dese...more

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Apr 20, 2013 Celofán rated it 2 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I liked some parts of this book quite a lot. Really, I found the Darkling to be an awesome character. But I cannot give this book more stars for two simple reasons:

1) Girls
Alina and Genya were okay I guess. But I can say most of the other girls were portrayed as petty, shallow, stupid little cliches, only to make Alina seem better. Specially that beautiful and mean girl at the middle of the book. Can you tell me one positive thing about her character? Being powerful and pretty does not count. Sa...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Pooh Bear rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: good-to-bad, no-buildup, what-could-ve-been

Shadow and Bone had so much potential. And than someone decided to throw all that perfectly good potential out the window and write this instead. I loved the whole idea, however it kinda throws you out in the open to fend for yourself. At first I began thinking this might be the second installment of the series, however I was terribely wrong. It explains virtually nothing, so you're left standing there wondering what the heck this Russian word means.

Despite the fact that it didn't explain the Ru...more

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Dec 23, 2012 Caroline rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult, leigh-bardugo, the-grisha-series

I really debated giving this one three stars. Because really, at first, it seemed like a three-star, "I liked it" book. But the more I thought about "Shadow and Bone", the more problems I found with it. The more, really, I became annoyed with the entire thing.

First off, "Shadow and Bone" is the classic case of an overhyped book. I probably wouldn't have been as critical if it hadn't been so praised by... everyone. Four stars, five stars, everywhere. So, yes, my own expectations were probably a l...more I really debated giving this one three stars. Because really, at first, it seemed like a three-star, "I liked it" book. But the more I thought about "Shadow and Bone", the more problems I found with it. The more, really, I became annoyed with the entire thing.

First off, "Shadow and Bone" is the classic case of an overhyped book. I probably wouldn't have been as critical if it hadn't been so praised by... everyone. Four stars, five stars, everywhere. So, yes, my own expectations were probably a little unfair. It is a debut novel, and I do think that Leigh Bardugo shows promise. I don't know if that promise will be fulfilled in the following "Grisha" books. We'll see.

"Shadow and Bone" seems to have a unique premise, set in an original world with its own rules. Except it isn't its own world. Bardugo draws really really obviously from Russian culture--she isn't hiding. However, it became too much. The use of terms like "tsar" and "tsaritsa" in a novel which was set in its own world irked me. She wasn't putting in enough effort. Furthermore, the obvious equation of the Shu Han with the Chinese was quite uncomfortable. Our main Shu Han character is barbaric and speaks in broken English typical of the Chinese drill sergeant stereotype.

Bardugo does a decent job of making you think that's she's worldbuilding when she really isn't. She's drawing from our world.

Alina, our main character, simply isn't strong enough to carry this novel. She's quite weak; I kept waiting for her to grow, but she simply didn't. I don't expect all fantasy heroines to be "strong ladies", but Alina wasn't even interesting. She kept bitching about all the Grisha girls and all I could think was "WHY. THEY ARE SO MUCH COOLER THAN YOU."

Furthermore, the supporting characters don't do much to prop her up. Genya, the obligatory friend, is just that: the obligatory friend. Pretty, kind of shallow, but look she has hidden depths she likes the nerdy guy how dEeP. Alina's love interest Mal--because let's be real, that's what he was there for--seems like a cool guy. However, he gets so little pagetime that I don't feel the depth of his friendship with Alina. Bardugo simply tells me it's there. I don't worry about him too much, because I as the reader barely have any time to get to know the guy.

One notable exception to all this is the Darkling. Though I saw where he was heading from a mile away, he at least has some sense of depth. The Darkling is charismatic and alluring, if a bit obvious in terms of direction. Whenever he appears, the book becomes instantly more interesting. So he does add to the merit of the book. However, I feel that a lot of that is more my interpretation than where Bardugo intended to take him. I'm probably reading too much into the character.

Look, "Shadow and Bone" is not a total loss. There was some nice mythology and pretty prose here and there. However, those qualities and the promise Bardugo shows couldn't save the novel from the way it drags. I had to force myself into finishing this one, and that's never good.(less)

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Nov 20, 2012 Elisabeth Smith rated it 2 of 5 stars

Hmmm. I wanted to like this book more than I did. The premise is inventive (even if the basic YA fantasy elements are pretty standard). However, the writing is shallow (overuse of cliche metaphors, rather boring dialogue, telling instead of showing - for example, near constant narration of the emotions on people's faces). By the last third of the book, it was getting more exciting, but then it was over (the book is short with large font). Obviously setting up for sequels. There just wasn't enou...more

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Apr 21, 2013 Miranda Lee rated it 2 of 5 stars

This book was like....expecting a beautiful, well-lavished meal, and instead getting something from McDonald's. the world in which Shadow and Bones takes place had so much potential, and there were many ways the author could've integrated that into the plot. Instead of focusing on love interests, the author could've elaborate more on Alina's (protagonist) training as a Grisha. Maybe it's just my preference,though, because I typically read stories less centered around romance. But even the love w...more

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Jan 08, 2013 Courtney (Fuzzy.Coffee.Books) rated it 2 of 5 stars

What I Liked: 1) Alina's relationship with Mal. I love their friendship, as it progresses from childhood as it gets to what it is now. You get that even though they are only friends, they are willing to do anything for each other. This relationship was very well written and even thought we don't really see how it begins, it's easy to imagine how these two grew up together. And even beyond that, the development throughout the book is very well done. 2) Mal. I just liked Malyen. He was very...real...more What I Liked: 1) Alina's relationship with Mal. I love their friendship, as it progresses from childhood as it gets to what it is now. You get that even though they are only friends, they are willing to do anything for each other. This relationship was very well written and even thought we don't really see how it begins, it's easy to imagine how these two grew up together. And even beyond that, the development throughout the book is very well done. 2) Mal. I just liked Malyen. He was very...real. Such a guy in the way he acted and the way he was clueless about certain things, but also strong and confident in a way that brought a lot to the story. His flaws make him very human, and I just thought he was an awesome character. 3) The setting. Ravka is a fantastical place to visit, imaginative and creative. It was truly the star of this story, because every inch of it was something new.

What I Didn't Like: The plot. Oooo...that's a big one. I won't say I didn't like the story, because it was intriguing. But it was very...event driven. Something big would happen, and then the next 30 pages would be full of boring drivel. Then there was another EVENT. Then more smoke that added nothing to the story. It was similar to a stop/start plot line, but different in that things kept flowing, without much direction or point. I found myself having to force myself to get through the next pages, just waiting for the next big thing to happen.

Overall Thoughts: If you love exploring fantasy worlds, Shadow and Bone has quite a place for you. There are some well-developed characters, and explosive events that drive the plot. However, if you pulled out everything that was distracting and unnecessary, you'd whittle a 358 page book down to about 98 pages. This one wasn't for me, and I will not be continuing with the series, but I wish everyone well who truly does love it, and would recommend you looking this on up on Goodreads to read some other more positive commentary on Shadow and Bone!(less)

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Nov 11, 2012 Jennifer rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, ya

2.5 stars

Shadow and Bone was not bad. In the spirit of full disclosure, I must admit that I probably have a worse impression of it due to the quote by Veronica Roth on the cover ("Unlike anything I've ever read") due to my underwhelming impression of Divergent. It probably also made me significantly more critical of Shadow and Bone, because, while reading it, I was perpetually trying to assess it's novelty.

That said, I think that Shadow and Bone was a solid novel, especially for a first novel....more

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Aug 23, 2012 Peggy rated it 2 of 5 stars

While I think the story and the world were entertaining, the quality of the writing was poor. It made me keep losing interest in the book. Characters were not well developed, and the big twist everyone keeps talking about was entirely predictable. It was enjoyable in the sense that the idea of the Grisha and the Darkling were interesting, but I felt like the author simply could not pull it off. When there are fantasy writers who are able to pull off both story and good writing, it makes this se...more

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Jun 11, 2012 Navdha rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: not-very-happy, it-was-okay-ish, predictable, not-what-i-expected, should-i-even-bother, yay-it-s-over

One word. Disappointed. I guess I was expecting more than I should have from this book. The book had a promising start. I think I was expecting the story to be more interesting? Or the plot to have something more?

The story starts with two orphans Alina and Mal who are inseparable. The world is built around a province called Ravka that is ruled by a King but the second-in-command, the Darkling, is supposed to be the most feared and powerful Grisha. Grisha are powerful humans who have control over...more One word. Disappointed. I guess I was expecting more than I should have from this book. The book had a promising start. I think I was expecting the story to be more interesting? Or the plot to have something more?

The story starts with two orphans Alina and Mal who are inseparable. The world is built around a province called Ravka that is ruled by a King but the second-in-command, the Darkling, is supposed to be the most feared and powerful Grisha. Grisha are powerful humans who have control over certain elements. They are somewhat like witches. The King has two armies, First Army and Second Army. First Army consists of soldiers basically who have been trained since their childhood to serve the King. The Second Army is full of Grishas. The main twist is that there has been a Shadow Fold that is created over a part of Ravka which consists of creatures called Volcra that are huge bat-like winged beasts that prey on any human that tried to pass through the Fold. The Shadow Fold, as the name suggests is a portion of land that is drowned in complete darkness but once it used to be a prosperous land. The Fold was created by a Darkling many years back and the Darklings since have been trying to find a way to get rid of it.

So Alina is a mapmaker in the army and she thinks she has no powers but as it happens in every other novel, she is actually very important and a Sun Summoner that is a Grisha who has the power to call on light. She is the only hope to end the Fold.

The plot was predictable and really nothing special other than the concept of Volcras. I couldn’t bring myself to like the characters. The story went downhill right after a little of the plot was revealed. I had nothing against Alina, she was a bearable protagonist unlike many other female protagonists in today’s YA novels. Mal was nowhere in the story and although the chemistry between them was relatable, I just couldn’t feel the romance. In fact I was more intrigued with the Darkling. I think I had read somewhere that he was the villain otherwise I wouldn’t have been looking for signs of evil and well, even when I did look, I hardly found anything to dislike. His character held promise but it felt like it wasn’t explored to its full extent. I was hoping that the story would pick up in the end, but there was nothing, no fight, and no big scenario, nothing that feels like you’re reaching the end of an adventure after reading a book. It was so…plain.

Alina’s training days and the secret behind her not being able to call her power fell flat. Also, I found an inconsistency in the book. Initially, in the prologue we read that Alina was quite skinny in the orphanage even before their test; but later in the book Alina admits that she had dark circles and less appetite after the test. It just confused me.

Anyhoo, I really would like to give it 3 stars and say that I liked it but I really didn’t. 2.5 stars maybe…
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About Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo was born in Jerusalem, raised in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. These days, she hides out in Hollywood and indulges her fondness for glamour, ghouls, and costuming in her other life as makeup artist L.B. Benson.

Her debut novel, Shadow & Bone (Holt Children's/Macmillan) is now a New York Times Best Seller.

She would be delighted if you followed her on Twitter, e...more

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Quotes from Shadow and Bone

“I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I'd catch myself just walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I've risked my life for you. I've walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I'd do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don't tell me why we don't belong together," he said fiercely.” — 382 people liked it

“I don't care if you danced naked on the roof of the Little Palace with him. I love you, Alina, even the part of you that loved him.” — 199 people liked it

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Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1)

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