Shadow and Bone
Leigh Bardugo
Description
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.
Review
Book 1 of 3, Shadow and Bone Trilogy
I don't know if it will be considered an unpopular opinion but seeing how popular this book series was (including a netflix adaptaion), it did not meet my expectations. As a concept, it was good. I liked the different fantasy elements and how magic was blended in with normal humans but I really hated Alina, she's the main character but honestly also the worst. The only time I liked her was at the last scene of battle (at least for the first book). I don't know if she gets better in the next book but I would have liked it if Mal was the focus of the story because I liked him better. Even the Darkling was a little bit more up to standard. This might sound like a lot of Alina hate but she's just a gullible girl hungry for attention. I also thought that the villian reveal was a little too simple.
Anyways fantasy lovers will definitely like the story even though for me, it might not be the first thing I recommend to a friend. Though, I could have given it 3.5 stars, if it wasn't written in first person narrative.
Review date:8th July, 2024
