Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy)

I don't know that I would have initially picked up SHADOW AND BONE. The cover didn't initially draw me in and I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. I am SO GLAD that I gave this book a chance. The world building was amazing. Right away, you are sucked into this beautiful and seemingly terrifying world.

I want to write a lot about the Darkling but I won't in this review. His character is so complex....are we supposed to love him or hate him? I really don't want to spoil anything for you. I want you to learn about him as you read.

And then there is Mal. The beginning of the book I didn't care for him all that much. I'm still trying to decide if he was written that way on purpose. The journey and the sacrifices he makes led me down a totally different path by the end. I can't wait to see what is in store for him down the road.

Of course, we can't talk about this book without talking about Alina. I loved Alina. I really enjoyed the emotional journey she had during this book. Her fear, love, and confusion all seemed so authentic. Nothing about her character seemed forced or contrived.

I'm really interested in how this series will continue. What characters will be back? How much more is there to the Darkling's story? Who is loyal to Alina? These are things I must know!

Overall, I don't think you should pass this book up. I almost did and I would have missed out on a fantastic story.

Excuse me while I FANGIRL all over this book!

The last couple of books I've read, have been such downers for me that I've either been unable to finish them or tempted to throw in the reading towel altogether. That is until this book... I'd seen the reviews, heard the hype and had it recommended to me by numerous people but honestly, when I got it and realized there was a map in the front, I was in no hurry to bump it up in my TBR pile. What's the big deal about a map? They just scare me. Always have. Old ones, new ones, doesn't matter. I see a map and a part of my brain panics. (Irrational, stupid, silly...I know.) Maps don't deter me from reading books but they do delay me sometimes which is what happened with Shadow and Bone and I am kicking myself for it.

This is a fantastic debut! Bardugo has created a colorful world filled with fantasy, adventure, and a heart-clutching love story. Her world building is detailed, her characters complex and engaging and the story itself sucked me in immediately. I couldn't and didn't WANT to put this book down!

Alina is a strong willed MC, whose courageous, with a good heart and a witty sense of humor. Mal, is a mix of comfort, strength and swoon (OhMyMal!) and the Darkling, a character that's equal parts beauty and danger, is one you can't help but feel drawn to. There is SO MUCH I want to say about this book *flails* and I don't want to spoil anything, but the plot twists and turns kept me guessing right up to the very end and left me craving the next book.

There's so much to love about SHADOW AND BONE. My favorite, though, has to be the world building. It's exceptional. The reader is instantly immersed in the alternate-Russia world of Ravka, with its wars, its customs, and its magic-wielding Grisha. There isn't one false note in the entire book. It's like reading a thoroughly researched, gorgeous historical. It's a world I want to revisit again and again.

The characters are interesting, and each is distinct on the page. I would've liked a bit more of Mal before Alina is taken to the Little Palace so that I could feel connected to him and not just know I was "supposed" to feel connected to him because Alina did. But that was a minor thing, because every single character came off the page in vivid, brilliant life.

The plot is fascinating and goes hand in hand with the world building. The only small drawbacks for me were that I wanted more showing of emotions rather than telling and there were two pivotal moments (once where she listens to what sounds like lunacy from a secondary character and very quickly accepts the words as truth and once where during the climax she suddenly understands something that changes the entire outcome of the story) where I felt we missed a bit of lead up so that the reader could more fully accept these sudden decisions/changes from Alina. However, I can honestly say that I remained captivated throughout the entire story, I thought about it after I put the book down, and I can't wait to read book two.

Oh my gosh, what a delightful gem of a book Shadow and Bone was! This book made me have all the feelings. It was intense, dark, and all around just wonderful. I am very excited to see what story Leigh Bardugo will share with us next, as Shadow and Bone was just all around an awesome awesome book.

I suppose I should first start off by telling you that fantasy is pretty much my thing. High fantasy even more. So when I find a high fantasy as good as this one, I kind of freak out. Especially when it's a high fantasy as good as Shadow and Bone AND it is on the darker side. So basically, Shadow and Bone was everything I was hoping for.

Shadow and Bone started out a bit confusing - it took me about 40 pages to completely grasp what was going on. After this, Leigh Bardugo spins a tale that is so enticing and intriguing that doesn't let up until the final page has been turned. The plot of this book was SO GOOD. Even after I finished, I couldn't exactly wrap my head about it. I couldn't decide who I wanted to trust exactly and who had been at fault entirely and who I wanted to completely succeed. Shadow and Bone is storytelling at its finest and I loved every page. There were so many twists and turns throughout the book, and I am really excited to see where Leigh Bardugo will take her characters in the next chapter of their story.

Leigh Bardugo's writing is just gorgeous. This was probably the first thing I noticed about the book and I found myself reading some sentences over, as I just loved her writing so much. Along with this, Leigh Bardugo has created a world so real that I felt like I was walking on the pages alongside the characters. Everything about it was so intriguing and I cannot wait to see more of it in the next books in the trilogy.

There characters were all so delightful. I feel like I am not supposed to love the Darkling. But I totally did. He was so devious and always with his plotting, yet completely attractive. I loved Alina - She grew so much throughout the book and I loved going through that with her. Genya was another really great character. Mal was a character I loved from the first time her walked on the pages and I kept waiting and waiting for him to show up again.

Pretty much this is just a giant lovefest for how much I loved Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. If you only read one book this summer, this is the one to go get your hands on. It's that good.