Title: Shadow & Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Publication Date: June 5th, 2012
Genre(s): Young Adult (Fantasy)
Challenges: A-Z title, Debut
Source: NetGalley
Format: Digital ARC
Format: Digital ARC
Pages: 368
Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.
Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.
Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha…and the secrets of her heart.
I honestly started this book with high expectations. The ratings on goodreads were very high, and I was excited to see how I would rate it. I was blown away by Shadow & Bone, because it was different than any book I laid hands on. Explaining what it talks about itself will be a difficult task for me, but I loved it. The idea might be a bit complicated and weird at first, but I'm so glad I never found myself confused while reading. I was very worried about being lost in the scene, and not know what was going on, but thankfully that never happened.
Alina is a normal "peasant" as they might call it. One day, she reveals a power she, herself didn't know that was in her until now. Having a power as powerful as hers, makes her a member of the Grisha, whom are magical elite that are led by a leader, the Darkling. The Darkling seeks her power, and takes her away from her friends and home to be trained. The idea of it all was just unique. My heart was broken in the first 50 pages, and it didn't stop. Alina, the main character, is amazing. I really loved her character. A strong, smart girl, who I never felt pity for. Her feelings were for her childhood friend, Mal. As she was taken away from him, she decided to forget him. He never showed any feelings other than friendship, and she decided to just leave it that way. She was swayed by the mesmerizing Darkling, who was so sweet with her.
This is totally spoiler free, but wow, talk about expect the unexpected. I was really heart broken, and my feelings swayed from hate to love for certain characters. All my inner feelings were stirred, mixed, and stomped on. My heart was literally racing with every word I read. It was that exciting, and I love how unpredictable it was. I am so excited, I want the next book in the series to be in my hands right now. "Shadow and Bone" definitely deserves a five star rating!
5 musical notes
Yay! I'm so glad you loved this book as much as I did. :) Wasn't it just amazing? I am definitely eager to get my hands on the next book too. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my gosh! It sounds good from your review! I'm been eyeing this for quite some time! I'm really glad you've enjoyed this and evoked so much emotions. Time to grab a copy! :D
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it lived up to your expectations, Farah! I adored this one too and I'm happy it's getting so much attention. :)
ReplyDeleteGreat review! I'm dying to read this one - and I get to meet Leigh Bardugo on Wednesday! SCORE! ;) So I'll definitely be reading this soon. :D
ReplyDeleteSierra @ Yearning to Read
Yeah, I've been reading a lot of good things about this book. Want to read it SO BAD!!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the review!
I have seen so many good reviews as well. But I've been unsure about this for some reason. You are definitely swaying me. It sounds really heartbreaking. Being torn away from Mal to train. And this Darkling person sounds really interesting. I wonder who she will end up with. I love when there are lots of unexpected turns and excitement. Sounds like I might have to give this one a try sometime.
ReplyDeleteI'm dying to read this book soon ! I've heard nothing but fabulous things about it. :D
ReplyDeleteAlina sounds like a character that I will really enjoy ! I love that the idea is unique :)
Great review, Farah :)
Shadow and Bone starts off with an uber short prologue of two orphan children, Alina and Mal, and their time together, so the readers get a feel of how everything began. Alina is the main character in a land where certain people called Grisha possess the ability to manipulate one particular element: water, earth, fire, or air. But the really creepy Grisha can do even more. There are those called heartrenders, who can literally stop a person's heart, killing them instantly, and there are healers, who can stitch skin back together with just a wave of their hands. These Grisha are an elite people, fighting for the King and country; however, they live much better than the King's mere soldiers. Always attired in the finest clothes, given the best food, but to Alina, she honestly couldn't care less. She and Mal are both now in the King's army, and her greatest fear is about to be made real.
ReplyDeleteI love this book so much. :D Leigh's writing is beautiful and the story is so unique... It's definitely one of my favourite books of the year so far. :)
ReplyDelete