The Grishaverse Series by Leigh Bardugo - Reading from 'Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1)' from September 20th 2019

[Eva Luna]

I thought so too!

Also I take my rating back, I rated it a 3.5. (Which is a 4 in Goodreads terms, but still) Not a four, I had too many problems with (view spoiler)[ the relationship between Mal and Alina, it just felt unreal to me. (hide spoiler)]

[Anna 'Bookbuyer']

It was Jill on my team. Team Shakespeare. I don't know if she is planning to BR it though. You could ask her. :)

[Jill]

I am! I requested it from my library so hopefully getting it soon. Since this thread is still active, I'm gonna just take my time with it and read it in between books. I'll comment here when I start it.

[Jill]

Eva Luna wrote: "I thought so too!

Also I take my rating back, I rated it a 3.5. (Which is a 4 in Goodreads terms, but still) Not a four, I had too many problems with [spoilers removed]"

I originally rated it 3.5 but I had to rate it 3. I had some problems with the trope and how naive Alina was

[Eva Luna]

That was my plan too Jill, to take my time with the second one! :)

[callie]

Chapter 18 (view spoiler)[Sorry I didn't update sooner! So my expectations going into this were pretty low. It seem s to me that anyone who liked SoC wasn't a fan of SaB, and anyone who didn't like SoC likes SaB. I personally loved SoC, so I wasn't expecting to be a big fan. So with low expectations, I decided to not look for anything to criticize so I only have a few problems to voice because I wasn't looking for them. So far, this book is basically what I expected. It's not terrible, It's just kind"eh" for me. I don't get why everyone (not everybody, but most everyone who liked SaB) LOVES the Darkling. I just don't get it. He appears (so far) a whole of what? 5 times? and what we see of him isn't a whole lot to go on. Totally not surprised that he wasn't actually going to destroy the fold (kinda predictable actually). I'm just so confused on why people like him? I also don't get Alina's mirror gloves at all. I don't get how they work, I can't form a picture of them in my mind, I just don't get them. That one may just be me not paying attention, but I just don't get them and it bothers me. Other than that, the rest of it has just kinda been "eh" nothing is surprising, I don't particularly like any of it. It was easy enough to read and it went pretty fast so I think after I finish this one I will continue the series (mostly because I want to read Kings of Scars, but if King of Scars didn't exist I probably wouldn't continue it unless there is a major cliffhanger ending.) Thats about it I think! (hide spoiler)]

[Eva Luna]

Callie wrote: "Chapter 18 [spoilers removed]"

(view spoiler)[ I totally agree with you, I also don't find the Darkling very special. To me he just feels like an ordinary villain. :P (hide spoiler)]

[Jill]

Anyone here continuing with Siege and Storm soon?

[Eva Luna]

I can start this weekend if you want.

[Jill]

ok!

[Shahana]

iam on chapter 10 of seige n storm..iam not at all liking mal and alina

[Jill]

Shan wrote: "iam on chapter 10 of seige n storm..iam not at all liking mal and alina"

We are talking about it on this thread

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

So ready to finish this series. Starting today.
Initial thoughts: (view spoiler)[ Can’t wait to see how this series plays out. It’s clear then Darkling has to go but at the same time I’m worried about how Alina will defeat him and what she’ll have to do to do that. Also since I know Nikolai gets his own series I’m hoping that’s means her and Mal get a HEA. Then again I do wonder because like then Darkling said Mal fears her and will also age and die when she won’t. Really love this! 🤞🏽 (hide spoiler)]

[Klancy]

6%
(view spoiler)[Alina is underground as a hostage of the Apparat. She got a note from David that said "today", which I figured meant he and the other Grisha were going to free her, but Tolya and Tamar outed their plan to the Apparat (hide spoiler)]

16%
(view spoiler)[Alina escaped the Apparat. Turns out her group allowed the Apparat to discover their plan so that they could get close enough to Alina and help her summon light. My fav quote Alina said to the Apparat when they tricked him: "A man so obsessed with holy fire should pay more attention to the smoke." (hide spoiler)]

[❀ Crystal ✿ -]

19% (view spoiler)[Really glad Alina is finally trying to harness her powers more, even the ones she commandeered from the Darkling. I'm hoping their 'journey' is not to fraught with death and pain anymore. These poor people, regular joes and Grisha have all suffered enough. Also hoping they are able to hook back up with Nikolai, he's so resourceful and full of helpful knowledge. And Mal and Alina, like can they figure it out already! (hide spoiler)]
37% (view spoiler)[I'm no fan of Genya but I'm glad Nikolai knows right from wrong. Hoping this will make him an excellent and caring King one day. Also how disgusting are his parents, like really. Thinking that people who are servants are literally nothing but pawns for them to use in any way. Ugh his father deserves no power and certainly didn't deserve to be saved like he was. But I am so glad we have Nikolai back, hes so smart. (hide spoiler)]
60% (view spoiler)[I’m literally freaking out with this book. I’ve not read a YA series with so much brutal and mind blowing death since Razorland. I’m never going to get sleep now and it’s already 1 AM, my heart cannot take this, can something anything go right for once. And wtf was that with Nikolai, I’m pissed and my stomach hurts. (hide spoiler)]
70% (view spoiler)[This is so not the book to read right after an extremely upsetting and maddening episode of Game of Thrones. I’m so upset but I need sleep and am not sure how this story will play out. There’s not much left and yet there’s still so much story to be told. I want a HEA but I’m not sure I’m ready to give these people up, I have a bad feeling the end will be morbid and filled with more death.. (hide spoiler)]
87% (view spoiler)["I'm having that horrible feeling when you know everything is going to come to a head and you have no idea how things will turn out. I'm so anxious over here after there already being so much brutal death I don't know how much more I can take. I have a bad feeling Alina is going to have to give up her life like she tried to do in the last book. But I'm holding out a childish hope her and Mal can be together in peace." (hide spoiler)]
So afraid to finish this but ready for it to be over already, there's been so much death and destruction it's like watching Game of Thrones. Which note to self: do not read this series directly following a maddening episode of GOT, it only feeds the rage lol

[Klancy]

52%
(view spoiler)[Sergei outed the Spinning Wheel’s location to the Darkling, so he staged an attack. Baghra sacrificed herself to drive the Darkling’s shadow army away so that Alina could escape. Nikolai was infected by the Darkling’s power and was turned into a merzost monster. Currently, Alina and her group are at the fire falls looking for the Firebird (hide spoiler)]

[Klancy]

64%
(view spoiler)[Mal is the third amplifier...I really don’t want him to die! (hide spoiler)]

[Klancy]

Finished
(view spoiler)[Alina killed Mal to turn the tide of the battle, but instead of her getting unmeasurable power, pretty much everyone else in the army who weren’t already Grisha turned into sun summoners and defeated the fold. Alina killed the Darkling using a knife covered in Mal’s blood and merzost. Somehow Mal came back to life, and he and Alina had their friends say that they died in battle. They got married and run an orphanage in Keramzin (hide spoiler)]

[Shahana]

its soo great so far
chapter:1-7
(view spoiler)[the story begins from white cathedral with apparat..he is leading a cult who believes alina is saint..as she failed killing darkling in the past buk her hair turned white..and they are in search of 3rd amplifier
since alina is away from sunlight she is weak and her power is suppressed so mal and others plan to escape from the cathedral
she gets her powerback although it is nt quite lyk befre
they are then caught by some militry..but Nikolaii helps them escape
(hide spoiler)]

[Shahana]

chapter:7-11
(view spoiler)[OH MY GOD!!!...nikolaii proposed to alinaa..iam glad they are together..this storyy is getting super excited..iam loving every bit of it..it seems mal is quite matured and behaves like a man ..seriously if they ended up together they will be fighting each and every day
baghra is sooo cool ..it makes me sad abt her story abt morozova and her childhood and still shocked to realize morozova is her father..i never expected that coming
iam gng to continuee reading ..i just cant stopp
(hide spoiler)]

[Shahana]

chapter:11-16
(view spoiler)[Darkling is always one step ahead Again he attacked nikolaii and alina unexpectedly and things got worse.
nikolaii formed to a bird sort of thing...alina mal and others escape with the help of baghra
the most twisting part is third amplifier is mal..and he is also a descendant of morozova...funny thing is cousin of Darklingg
(hide spoiler)]

[Shahana]

final review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jammin Jenny]

I hope to be reading this next week

[Sarah Elizabeth]

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Date changed. Restarting June 18th 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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[Claire]

Ooh, if you guys make it to book 2 sometime in July then I'll join in !

[Lenni]

Cate, have you ever read ACOTAR? At the beginning of Shadow and Bone, I felt like it was very similar in a way. I would recommend ACOTAR if you haven’t read it.

[Lenni]

Yeah, I’ve never read Shatter Me. I guess I’ll have to check that out

[Jill]

Starting today

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[Alina started as haggard with no powers. Mal and co save her from this virtual prison and she gets her powers back. That was quick yay. I knew that Mal and co were doing the right thing and the Apparat was trying to dissuade her. They escaped and are on the hunt for Nikolai/the firebird. Lots of Harry Potter/Voldemort vibes with Alina’s connection to the Darkling. She learned how to visit him and has some of his powers. I wonder if she will tap into that more. The group just got captured but seems like someone is here to save the day.. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 5

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[Baghra is Morozova's daughter. Geez. Wonder what happened to him and her sister. I think they're still around or lived for a while. Is the sister's Alina's mom? I think she has some greater parentage that we don't know about. I think they will find the Firebird soon and save the day, but some main characters will be killed in the battle. (hide spoiler)]
Ch 10

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[Nikolai got turned into a creature ughhh so sad I hope they can turn him back. Mal is the amplifier but I hope he doesn't have to be sacrificed. I am still hoping him and Alina get their happily ever after ending (hide spoiler)]
Ch 14

[Jill]

(view spoiler)[ We get a happy ending, yay. Alina murders Mal to defeat the Darkling. Instead of gaining all the power, she loses it, and it goes to her other soldiers who are fighting. They all become sun summoners and destroy the fold. Alina stabs the Darkling and he dies. Mal somehow comes back to life, I still don't know how that happened, and he lost his tracking ability. Nikolai turns back to normal and Ravka is saved. Alina and Mal get married and change their identities and live happily ever after in secret.

I'm glad Mal and Alina get their happy ending and that the bad guy was defeated. I don't get how Mal was an amplifier or how he was able to come back. Some of the magic part and Morozova's story went over my head.. (hide spoiler)]
End

[Maddie]

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Date Changed. Restarting September 20th 2019. Happy Reading ☺

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[Fany]

33% (finished chapter 7)
(view spoiler)[ I'm really curious to discover what Alina's power actually is and what can she do with it. The Darkling is mysterious but I like him (even though the fact he cut the Fjerdan shocked me, too). I don't understand why he gave Genya as a gift to the Queen, though. She's cute (and surprisingly is the only person who treats Alina as a human and not only as a source of political power).
(hide spoiler)]

[Sarah Elizabeth]

Fany, if you want a thread which is just for the first 3 books, you can use this one here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

[Fany]

Sarah wrote: "Fany, if you want a thread which is just for the first 3 books, you can use this one here - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/......"
I just didn't find the thread you linked and I thought I should separate the Grisha series from the whole Grishaverse, but if it's fine with you I don't mind continuing the BR here.

[Fany]

55% (end of chapter 13)
(view spoiler)[ I was expecting it to happen, but not so soon! Did the Darkling really just kiss Alina?
Also, I'm very confused about Mal. Is the author fooling us and he didn't forget Alina and is just unable to reach her or is the author fooling us the other way around and he actually let go of their friendship?
Alina's clearly half in love with both Mal and the Darkling, so she'll have to deal with that too.
I'm so happy she finally found the reason her power was held down and is now making progress!
(hide spoiler)]

[Fany]

73% (end of chapter 16)
(view spoiler)[ I stayed up late reading last night and I feel awful, but that can wait. So much happened!
What Baghra said makes so much sense! It at least explains why the Darling didn't want to put effort into training Alina. It was suspicious, but I'm shocked he mastered lying and being human to that level! But was his desire for Alina another lie or is it going to be a plot twist?
I'm glad Alina escaped, though. After I've read Six of Crows my expectations were set in a particular direction, and now when it began to turn to a royal romance with a little bit of politics (which I do read and enjoy, but still) I was beginning to get disappointed. And then the real fun began!
I feel kind of sorry for Mal. Now when I know that both of them can't let go I don't know how to feel about that. I mean, he ran after here without knowing what made her escape and even suspecting it was some royal romance drama.
Can his tracker talent really be Grisha power, too? Maybe he used it in his ordinary life, and because of that it didn't make him weak? But what then happened when he was checked for Grisha power in his childhood?
(I'm just asking the questions the author wants me to ask as a reader, I know).
(hide spoiler)]

[Fany]

finished: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
around 15% through , I'll post an update tomorrow.

[Fany]

17% (end of chapter 4)
(view spoiler)[ I'm kind of happy that the helplessness of Alina and Mal against the Darkling is now lower, even though there are a lot of possibilities for people who might want to use them for their purposes. It's even more intriguing for me because there was a mention Sturmhond in the "Crooked Kingdom" and who is he was pretty clear. I'm confused about whether he is the same person in here or not. (hide spoiler)]

[Fany]

End of chapter 9
(view spoiler)[ I did think Sturmhond would be the king because this was mentioned in Crooked Kingdom. I didn't expect him to be the son of the king, though, because I'm bad at following the Royal family tree.
I love Sturmhond (or Nikolai) so much, though! He still has too much royal pride, but at least he doesn't try to get involved in all of the court's dramas.
About what Mal said to Alina - I think what the Darkling said is right, even if not completely. Mal thinks they can be back to their normal life as two orphans, but Alina is something bigger now. I mean, it even makes her sick to ignore her power. So either he'll have to learn to understand her or it wouldn't work.
(hide spoiler)]

[Fany]

End of chapter 16 (67%)
(view spoiler)[ Alina is definitely starting to try to do something and not just going with the circumstances. I really don't know where this is going, though. I'm afraid of what she might have to become to defeat the Darkling -maybe the same beast? (hide spoiler)]

[Fany]

21% (end of chapter 4) through
(view spoiler)[ I'm really happy they ran away from the Apparat, but I guess I still haven't fully realised what Alina might become. She is acting exactly as the Darkling did to her and the Power is overtaking her at times, so why is she still better than him?
I think I'm glad that Genya is with Alina again. I'm curious to see how they came to the group they were in (hide spoiler)]