Shadow and Bone - A Review
To all who are reading this,
Today, I introduce you to Shadow and Bone, the first book of The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Published in 2012, it blends young adult, with high fantasy, Russian folklore and the blossoming of hearts.
There may be spoilers.
Blurb
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 Ravka free?
The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.
But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him?
I came across this book in the library and had read it on a whim. Months later, after the library could not get a copy of the second book, I decided to buy them all on Kindle. I was intrigued by the blurb, by the power that Alina could wield, and of course, the Darkling himself.
The cover is simplistic in terms of colour - the grey of the weary world, combined with the light and dark entwining around each other, all the while seeking out the Russian stylised capital in Ravka. It does almost appear like a fairy tale cover, only much much darker.
The novel follows Alina, a mapmaker in the Second Army as her company begin to forge through the Shadow Fold, a desolate landscape, holding creatures of legend. When the skiff they are travelling upon is attacked and Mal is injured by one of the creatures, Alina sacrifices herself to save him, and in turn discovers that she has an amazing power, a power that has been buried inside of her for a long time. When the Darkling learns that she could be a fabled Sun Summoner - a person able to create light - he takes her into the capital city of Ravka, where she will learn about her abilities, how to control her powers, and how to fight like a Grisha of the First Army. Learning that she could one day destroy the Shadow Fold with the Darkling, she learns of an amplifier to enhance her abilities, which throws her into a journey that she never thought she would take, and battle against her head, and heart.
The world building is still relatively in its early stages, as we only visit certain parts of Ravka. There is still much to be discovered in the sequels, and we will learn just how big the world that Leigh Bardugo has created truly is. Yet, the places we journey to such as the woodlands, the army camps and the splendour of the Little Palace is well crafted and certainly believable. The luxury of having someone craft magic to rid Alina of pasty skin and eye bags is too much like a dream come too, compared to the dirty, cramped quarters of the army and the mess halls of the camp.
Alina harbours her love for her best friend, Mal. She never tells him of her feelings and she tries to hide her hurt as he spends evenings charming and bedding other ladies. It isn't until the discovery of her powers that Mal begins to see her for who she is. When they are reunited at the Little Palace, Alina almost tries to push him away, but feels as if she can't. She believes him to have ignored her, not answering her letters, whilst Mal (who I personally didn't like as a character) sees her as a Grisha, nothing more. They are a close pairing, the very best of friends having grown up with one another at the orphanage, and yet it seems that neither can truly for a while of their feelings.
Speaking of feelings, Alina finds herself falling for the Darkling, a mysterious, powerful man who is able to create darkness. Combining his power with Alina's could destroy the Shadow Fold, but could it create something more? Does the Darkling truly like her, or is he toying with our orphaned heroine's heart? I have my own opinions, but that's from reading the whole series! Whilst there is much secrecy surrounding the Darkling, the reader isn't privy to the information either, and must wait for the sequels to learn more about him.
The writing style is fluid and doesn't confuse. Whilst there are new terms for the series, such as Grisha, the explanations are readily available. It is a series to fall headlong into and found it a great read. Whilst it may not appeal to those who dislike high fantasy, it has other elements so that you could see this book as the emergence of a magical girl, in a foreign setting. Leigh Bardugo continues to ramp tension, chemistry, mystery and magic together so that the reader is left wanting more of the world, of its characters and of its magic.
The series continues with Siege and Storm (2013), and concludes with Ruin and Rising (2014).
You can find Leigh Bardugo on the Internet in the following places:
Twitter
Website
Tumblr
Instagram
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
---
Currently reading: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
Today, I introduce you to Shadow and Bone, the first book of The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo. Published in 2012, it blends young adult, with high fantasy, Russian folklore and the blossoming of hearts.
There may be spoilers.
Blurb
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 Ravka free?
The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.
But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him?
I came across this book in the library and had read it on a whim. Months later, after the library could not get a copy of the second book, I decided to buy them all on Kindle. I was intrigued by the blurb, by the power that Alina could wield, and of course, the Darkling himself.
The cover is simplistic in terms of colour - the grey of the weary world, combined with the light and dark entwining around each other, all the while seeking out the Russian stylised capital in Ravka. It does almost appear like a fairy tale cover, only much much darker.
The novel follows Alina, a mapmaker in the Second Army as her company begin to forge through the Shadow Fold, a desolate landscape, holding creatures of legend. When the skiff they are travelling upon is attacked and Mal is injured by one of the creatures, Alina sacrifices herself to save him, and in turn discovers that she has an amazing power, a power that has been buried inside of her for a long time. When the Darkling learns that she could be a fabled Sun Summoner - a person able to create light - he takes her into the capital city of Ravka, where she will learn about her abilities, how to control her powers, and how to fight like a Grisha of the First Army. Learning that she could one day destroy the Shadow Fold with the Darkling, she learns of an amplifier to enhance her abilities, which throws her into a journey that she never thought she would take, and battle against her head, and heart.
The world building is still relatively in its early stages, as we only visit certain parts of Ravka. There is still much to be discovered in the sequels, and we will learn just how big the world that Leigh Bardugo has created truly is. Yet, the places we journey to such as the woodlands, the army camps and the splendour of the Little Palace is well crafted and certainly believable. The luxury of having someone craft magic to rid Alina of pasty skin and eye bags is too much like a dream come too, compared to the dirty, cramped quarters of the army and the mess halls of the camp.
Alina harbours her love for her best friend, Mal. She never tells him of her feelings and she tries to hide her hurt as he spends evenings charming and bedding other ladies. It isn't until the discovery of her powers that Mal begins to see her for who she is. When they are reunited at the Little Palace, Alina almost tries to push him away, but feels as if she can't. She believes him to have ignored her, not answering her letters, whilst Mal (who I personally didn't like as a character) sees her as a Grisha, nothing more. They are a close pairing, the very best of friends having grown up with one another at the orphanage, and yet it seems that neither can truly for a while of their feelings.
Speaking of feelings, Alina finds herself falling for the Darkling, a mysterious, powerful man who is able to create darkness. Combining his power with Alina's could destroy the Shadow Fold, but could it create something more? Does the Darkling truly like her, or is he toying with our orphaned heroine's heart? I have my own opinions, but that's from reading the whole series! Whilst there is much secrecy surrounding the Darkling, the reader isn't privy to the information either, and must wait for the sequels to learn more about him.
The writing style is fluid and doesn't confuse. Whilst there are new terms for the series, such as Grisha, the explanations are readily available. It is a series to fall headlong into and found it a great read. Whilst it may not appeal to those who dislike high fantasy, it has other elements so that you could see this book as the emergence of a magical girl, in a foreign setting. Leigh Bardugo continues to ramp tension, chemistry, mystery and magic together so that the reader is left wanting more of the world, of its characters and of its magic.
The series continues with Siege and Storm (2013), and concludes with Ruin and Rising (2014).
You can find Leigh Bardugo on the Internet in the following places:
Website
Tumblr
Yours, with eternal ink,
Zoe
---
Currently reading: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
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