Review: Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

This is actually a reread for me, but I never reviewed this the first time I read it. No clue why since it's one of my all-time favorite books series! When I read this series the first time it was still called the Grisha Trilogy but it has since been changed to The Shadow and Bone Trilogy because of Leigh Bardugo's expanding Grishaverse.

Title: Shadow and Bone
Series: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Published: June 5, 2012
Pages: 358
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy
Source: Hardcover

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. 

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MY REVIEW

Disclaimer: This review MAY contain SPOILERS.

This book will cut into you like the sharpest blade and then pour a little bit of its magic into you. This is my second time reading this book. I realize that I never wrote a review for this book the first time that I read it. This strikes me as strange since this has been one of my all-time favorite book series. Like, ever. If rereading this book has told me anything, it is that my love for this book has definitely not diminished since reading it three years ago.

I have been so overcome with nostalgia while reading this. All the feels are coming back to me in waves. 

The first thing that a person may notice when beginning this book is the rich world building. Bardugo has drawn inspiration for her fantasy world from Russian elements and it leaves this world so utterly breathtaking. It is easy to trip over some of the Russian inspired words in this in the beginning, but it gets easier as the story progresses. It is hard to describe the complexity and originality of this world. It leaves the reader so immersed in the story, so full of wonderment. Bardugo paints a clear picture of the extravagance in this world, the things that are less than extravagant, and everything in between. It is easy to live through the main character's eyes. 

These characters evoke such emotion in me that there are hardly words to describe them, but let me try. First of all, I have to put it out there that The Darkling is my all-time favorite villain. The complexity of his character is staggering. There is so much gray area surrounding him that the reader doesn't truly know how to feel about him. I am a sucker for morally gray villains. Alina is the main protagonist in the story. She is a wonderful character. It is truly easy to slip into her shoes and feel as she does. She is easy to like and easier to root for. At first, she comes off as weak, but there is a strength inside of her that shines through. The side characters in this book are also written extremely well. We get to know the side characters as the story progresses, and it is not hard to see how much depth they add to the story. 

The romance in this book is a mix of a friends-to-lovers trope combined with a love triangle. As far as love triangles go, this one does not disappoint. The build-up of the relationships, between Mal and Alina and Alina and The Darkling, are powerful. They mean something, so the love triangle aspect really works well. It's believable. And the friend to lovers trope is beautiful since Mal and Alina have been best friends since childhood. Alina has been pining after Mal, but he never noticed her in that way before. Then she is whisked away to become a Grisha and he is left to come to terms with her absence. It is hard for him since she has always been at his side. The entire romantic aspects of the book are written beautifully. And the amazing this is that they are written so extremely well that the reader doesn't know whether to root for Mal or The Darkling. I personally root for both!

The plot of this story is utterly clever and so full of originality. The crafting of this story is nothing short of genius, and when you get to the last book it is apparent even more so. The foreshadowing is intricately placed and then things show up later to blow your mind. I am so impressed with Bardugo's storytelling. She is a master of telling stories that will grip you and become a part of you. 

I recommend this series to everyone! Especially if you are a fantasy fan. This is such a unique world with a powerful plot and complex characters. The story will become all that you think about for weeks. But the good news is that there is an entire Grishaverse to explore. Leigh Bardugo will not leave you hanging.

THIS BOOK CONTRIBUTED TO THESE 2018 READING CHALLENGES

- Stellar Series Challenge
- Beat the Backlist Challenge

Check out my 2019 Challenge Page to see my progress!

This book series is one of my all-time favorites! What are some of your "forever love" books? Have you ventured into Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse unscathed?