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Wednesday, April 10, 2013

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

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Hardcover, 368 Pages
Published by Henry Holt & Company
Published: June 5, 2012
Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository |
The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?
The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?


Shadow and Bone was a refreshing change of pace from the other novels I have been reading recently. Its plot is pretty unique along with its world, even it's own language to come along with it. Unfortunately for me, the language is partially based on Russian which just makes me giggle while I'm reading. Anyway, I think that this book's plot is very well executed and interesting. 



1) The characters were so well written, I liked all of the characters except the ones the reader is meant to dislike. Even characters that are only briefly mentioned I felt attached. 

2) The plot was very intricate, and the twists and turns fit in perfectly and successfully moves the book forward. 

3) I liked how Mal and Alina start out as friends, I really think that brings the characters so close together. With the little snippets of their past together, it just paints a whole picture of their relationship that make them seem so perfect one another..I'm not biased or anything..heh. 

4) Neither of Alina's love interest are the typical gorgeous, desperate, love-sick puppy that are common in YA novels. Don't get me wrong, I love those guys like Alex Sheathes, Noah Shaw, Aaron Warner, etc. Mal is similar to Four from Divergent, he's tough, edgy, and spunky (and sexy as hell in my mind). 

5) This is the first love-triangle where I don't have to think about what a slut the girl is because she falls for the Darkling when she is not in any type of relationship with Mal. 


1) I didn't understand exactly what a kefta is, in general I know it's this pretty robe, but at some points it's like, now it's robe, now it's a coat, and now it's a gown. It's a little confusing. 

2) I was really confused by the Apparat, I couldn't tell if he was a friend or a foe, or what exactly he was trying to tell Alina throughout the entire book. I'm still confused if he was bad or good. 

3) There are a lot of terminologies that are thrown on you in the beginning and it's a lot to take in. I had to reread the beginning because I kept mixing up the terms. 

 
I patted her hand reassuringly. "He'll come around. He's just shy."

"Maybe I should lie down on a table in the workroom and wait to see if he welds something to me."

"I think that's the way most great love stories begin."
"I'm not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way that you did. I never really belonged anywhere."

"You belonged with me," he said quietly.
"I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me by surprise. I'd catch myself walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I'd seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I'd realize that you weren't there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I've risked my life for you. I've walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I'd do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. So don't tell me we don't belong together."
Here's my answer captain. She's the thing that made this all okay-The threadbare coats and the old boots and the guns that jams when you most need them to fire, the loneliness of knowing that you don't matter, that you will never matter, the fact that you're just another body, another uniform to be sent into the fold or the frost, another good boy who knows his place, who does his job, who doesn't ask questions, who will lie down and die and be forgotten. What is she? She's everything, you dumb son of a bitch.

4 comments:

  1. Here I was thinking Kefta is some kind of Kimono :)

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  2. Totally agree with you on the terminology. I had to look back to the beginning ALL THE TIME. And then I started to memorize what was what for the next 2 books. And then Six of Crows comes out and I forget all over again. >.<

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    1. I felt like Six of Crows didn't use as much of the terminology though so I didn't have a big problem with it.

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