Review: Shadow and Bone

Title:  Shadow and Bone
Series:  The Grisha Trilogy #1
Author:  Leigh Bardugo
Publisher:  Henry Holt and Co.
Pages:  368
Format:  eBook

Summary:  Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.

My Review:  This book was recommended to me by a friend on twitter who absolutely loved it!  I was excited to start it after hearing such good things and, let me tell you, it did not disappoint!  

I was hooked from the very first page and it did not let up from there!  I loved everything about this strange world Bardugo created.  The magic, the people, the setting.  Everything was so fascinating as I read, I really couldn't put it down!  

The characters were all very well written.  I adored Alina.  She was a strong female characters with a few realistic flaws.  I admired her strength and the way she handled certain situations.  She wasn't about to be manipulated and she fought with everything she had to keep her free will.  

Then there was the love interests: The Darkling and Mal.  When the story first began, I was very much rooting for one guy but as the story progressed, everything fell apart for him and Alina and it was all his fault and I was very mad.  I kept on waiting to hear that what Alina was told hadn't been true.  Whether or not it was true or false, you'll have to read to find out.  

I thought that the ending was great.  It wasn't painfully abrupt which was nice but it also left me craving the second book.  Shadow and Bone had a lot of great qualities: a mesmerizing writing style, believable characters, and a world you can lose yourself in.  I will be very eagerly awaiting the second book!  (Here's hoping he will somehow be able to redeem himself.)

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