Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1)
Summary:
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. (Summary and cover courtesy of goodreads.com)
Review:
This was the kind of fantasy read that was a bit predictable (if a cool world-building) and was enjoyable while reading, but I found I had trouble remembering many of the detail afterward. This meant the story didn’t have lasting power for me and that brings it down in my evaluation. I think part of the problem was that there was something about Alina that just didn’t suck me into the story. She’s a bit of a tough character for me to relate to and I found that had me a little distracted throughout the story. That meant that this was a book I’d recommend, but can’t rave about.
All that being said, Bardugo makes it difficult to know who to trust and where the story is going, which was great. It was also a fantasy series that was slightly less politically involved compared to others, which I’m sure some readers will consider a huge plus. (Spoiler: I did read the whole series and I’d say the complexity of the story improved it for me.)
Warning: Contains repeated violence.
Rating: 3 stars!
Who should read it? Fantasy fans who are willing to get into a series - I think this is one that improves over the books.
Want to read the whole series?
The Demon in the Wood (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #0.1)
The Tailor (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1.5)
Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone Trilogy 2)
Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone Trilogy 3)