Shadow and Bone

I loved this book from the start!
"Shadow and Bone" by Leigh Bardugo is a captivating introduction to what most fantasy readers recognize as the Grishaverse. This first book blends rich world-building with a protagonist who instantly wins your heart. Alina Starkov’s voice feels genuine and grounded, making her journey from obscurity to significance more compelling. Her personality—marked by quiet strength, loyalty, and moments of self-doubt—adds depth to a story that might otherwise rely solely on rules of magic and flesh-eating monsters.
One of the novel’s greatest strengths is the enduring friendship between Alina and Mal. Their connection, rooted in a shared history and shared struggles, is tested by the extraordinary show more circumstances they face while apart from one another. Bardugo allows their bond to grow when they reunite, creating an emotional anchor that keeps the story engaging, even as the stakes rise. Equally compelling is the narrative’s unexpected twist surrounding the uncertainty of a powerful hero… or is he a villain? The shift is a shock, and it kept me anxiously engaged.
"Shadow and Bone" is engrossing clear to the end. It balances character development, innate magic, relationship mistrust, and the right amount of suspense. This first story leaves just enough unresolved to spark an interest in the second book. For readers who enjoy character-driven fantasy with a few surprising turns, this first book sets a strong and promising tone for the series. show less

Love this! Loved it so much!

I made the mistake of starting this series on a Sunday afternoon, and it took me the better part of the week to squeeze in enough time to read the whole trilogy. This book swallowed me whole. When I was reading it, nothing else mattered. When I wasn’t reading, I was counting the minutes until my next chance to read. I fell in love with the characters, and with the world, and with the storytelling. I like that the characters are flawed (and believable), but still very likeable, even when they’re quarreling. I like watching Alina discover her abilities and learn about herself along the way. I loved seeing the romance (okay, I guess it’s a love triangle) develop. I like that it’s a fantasy story in a show more different universe, but I also like that it’s Russian-flavored; it makes the story seem very grounded and also slightly exotic. This book grabbed onto me and won’t let go. I want all my friends to read it so that we can all talk about it. I want Leigh Bardugo to write about a million more of these. (She’s written a bunch of other stuff that’s pretty amazing, but I want this trilogy to last forever.)

My advice? Start reading on Friday. You can binge-read the whole trilogy over the weekend, and you’ll get WAY more sleep that way, too! show less

For decades, the Shadow Fold, a dark gash across the landscape inhabited by murderous beasts, has prevented free travel across Ravka, resulting in bloodshed and inspiring nightmares. When Alina's military unit is attacked attempting to cross, she somehow calls forth destructive powers she was not aware she possessed to save her friend Mal's life, which unfortunately brings her to the attention of the grisha, the realm's magic users, who intend to harness her abilities for their own purposes.

This was a decent first effort, but having read later works Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom prior to starting this series, the difference in writing finesse was noticeable. Some aspects of the storyline could certainly have been handled more deftly. show more For example, we are led to believe Alina and Mal were the very closest of friends, but it didn't take much for her to conclude that he was ignoring her letters. At their first encounter when reunited her indignation also felt false. I really dislike manufactured drama, and Alina's stubbornness and naivete had me rolling my eyes at times. I love that Bardugo came into her own in subsequent books, but for those reasons (plus life is too short), I won't be seeing this series to its end. show less

What do I remember from a year ago?

I remember that this was SUCH a fast read, insanely fast. Like, I couldn't put it down and zipped on with my reading without realizing that I never paused to say "I couldn't put it down." That's fast.

The world-building is startling, beautiful, intricate, believable. I researched quite a bit about the world prior to reading the story. So I knew - and have always remembered - how close the terminology and location and culture follow Russia while being completely unique. The words sound Russian, but they're not. Not at all. But it's fun to add a Russian accent as I read. :-) Oh, yes, I do!

The magic is strong... strong enough that I think my relatives that are sensitive to magic, especially negative magic, show more might not feel comfy with it. The world of the Grisha is GREAT. Some people are born with these magical abilities and the government scoops them up and enlists them in their service. The feeling of no choice, of raw, rough life... it sucks the wonder out of magic and turns it into a real negativity, like finding out you're so tall, you'll have to play basketball just to survive and you just want to play video games. Oh, wait, that's my son. Lol. And every other human being!!! Who likes to be told what they can do? What they must do?

Especially at the beginning, Alina has no choices beyond survival. She has a tricky time figuring out what's going on around her only to discover there's another layer. Her introduction to the Darkling is eerie and a little heady, as well. I mean, wow! Alina's training experience is so vibrant. There's enough detail to learn that everything is not what it seems. And then Alina has choices to make. Her character (yay!) demands that she make choices that are difficult and they don't get easier when she realizes that she still doesn't know everything.

This first book in the series set the tone beautifully and introduces so many important characters and current society at various levels. The biggest revelations are centered around the Darkling, unlocking a rich history that is essential to present day and Alina... she's in the middle of everything whether she likes it or not!!

Delightful. And, as I said, FAST!!

4.5 Stars. show less

I was so immersed in the book I didn’t even realize what time it was when I was halfway (about 2 AM in the morning.) Yes it was that good. I loved everything about it.
The plot was fast moving and good - although it had some different elements, it is with the same template of: “Girl finds out she’s got extraordinary powers to make a difference in the world and is sent to a boarding school to enhance those skills”. Although it’s not any different from those types of books out there, the characters and the setting make up for it and provides an exciting read.
It seems like the language is based on Russian words (correct me if I’m wrong here.) With the terminology and setting loosely based on the language. I found this pretty show more interesting and fun to read, it certainly does provide a particular theme and flavor to the novel which adds to the joy of reading the book.
Character wise, I loved just about everyone in the book. Alina isn’t your typical character. She’s got a wry humor and has a tendency to be hard on herself. I really like her though. She’s not a damsel in distress, she’s a tomboy, but when push comes to shove she can look like a girly girl and enjoy it if she wants to. Her character develops throughout the book and she goes through some real tough times. She’s not whiny about it but she takes it all in almost to the point of admitting self defeat. I actually liked reading this about her. It’s makes her more human.

*****spoilers below you’ve been warned*****

Now who to choose? Mal or the Darkling? I fell for the Darkling. I really did. I loved his mystery and his charm and I wanted to kick myself in the butt for falling for him as hard as Alina did. He just HAD to be the bad one. Well, sometimes we just fall for the bad ones don’t we? ;)
I liked Mal too though. He was everything you wanted in a guy friend about to be boyfriend. He was just as charming but he had the good boy persona on him. I’d have to say, Alina had some good prospects (if only the Darkling didn’t have such a horrible agenda.)
Overall I loved this book and I’m definitely going to grab the second one. Can’t wait to see what happens! show less

I have two things to say. First, holy shit. This book was more than I could've asked for. To sum this book up in three words: magnificent, spectacular, and enticing. While some may disagree, I believe this book was beautifully written. Second, the Darkling is a punk ass bitch. It's true. I was so on-board with shipping Alina and the Darkling but no. He sucks bootyhole. Either way, this book was fucking amazing. Believe it or not, I'm sat here beside my mom begging for her to buy me the next book.

A mixed bag. I really liked the Russian-influenced world. That was a nice change, including the Rasputin-like gentleman. Most of the book is taken up with Alina pining after her best friend, Mal, which I found boring. The formal system of magic, with uniforms, and hierarchy, and training and an awesome library: good. The court, shiny and useless: meh. Of course there have been many rulers who did a horrible job of leading their countries, but it's kind of an easy stereotype, isn't it? Sexually integrated army and Grisha: cool. The utter lack of any other evidence of sexual equality: not cool. The fact that most of the female characters spend most of their on-page time concerned with popularity and sexual jealousy: really not cool. I show more especially hated the lack of context for unmarried sex. Alina tells us that Mal appears to be pursuing sexual pleasure with any girl he can, but no female is shown to be anything but chaste or assaulted. And more than anything, I hate how passive Alina is about her life. It may very well be probable, given the circumstances, but it isn't interesting. She's busy reading up on history, but doesn't seem to have a clue what is actually going on around her.

So, I'm hoping the second book will expand on what I like and at least decrease some of what I don't.

Library copy. show less