Book Reviews

Shadow and Bone

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo

Yeah, yeah. I know. I've taken forever to get out a new review. But, I think you'll forgive me cause this is a bit long.

Well, I'm starting with a book I really loved. This book is the first in a trilogy and I guarantee you'll love every single one. I fell in love with this book when I first read it for this stupid reading competition that I think I've mentioned before (and which I won, by the way! And I never got my award!), but I just finished the last book and I felt sentimental, so hence why I'm writing this. It's a fast-paced book, goes by very fast, which is why I held off on reading the last book. I just couldn't face it, finishing this series. If you are anything like me, finishing a series fucks you up and this one really did. I fucking sobbed throughout most of the last book. And the ending, wow. Just wow. In a way, it's the absolute most devastatingly perfect ending. On another, I really hated it.

As you know, I'm frequently a mess after reading a great book. So yeah.

But back to this book (yeah, I know I'm a total sadist for talking about the last book here but I want you to read this one so there. Justification. It's a beautiful thing).

Like I said before, it's a really great start to an amazing series. It has everything. Romance, action, mystery, horrifying creatures, and a made up world modeled after Russia. To top it off, there's a group of magical beings that was kinda taken from Geishas! It's just a beautiful piece of work and I really recommend it (especially if you like having your heart ripped out. Definitely would recommend it then).

In my grade book, it gets an A- just because the ending of the series messed me up but the first book itself is a damn beauty.

A/N: if you aren't crazy like I am (which is either highly likely or unlikely, there is no in between), then you should be able to read the whole series no problem. The books are all out now so there's no wait. If there's any normal people out there, I think you'll really enjoy it.

Summary:

Our main character is Alina. She lives in a cruel world where there are Grisha, people who have magical abilities to kill without touching, restart a heart, manipulate wind, be genius engineers, be a beautician, or manipulate fire (there's a bunch of different types and they are all subgroups to two groups but that isn't important). They are like the elite of the most elite. Her world is also broken up by this pit of black despair, housing creatures that will eat you in a second. This is a literal space where there is only sand and pure pitch blackness. And those creatures of course. She's an orphan who is a mapmaker in the military. Her best friend Mal, who she grew up and who is, of course, our love interest, is a hunter. He has an uncanny ability to sense animals and be one with nature (and the reason why is reveled in the last book and it'll fucking destroy you!). He is also a womanizer cause... why not? Every asshole love interest in these romance books is a womanizer for some reason. Anyways, it turns out that our girl Alina is actually the legendary Sun Summoner, who will get rid of that giant, lethal pit and reunite Russia! (Or rather, the world that is modeled after Russia but that I can't spell cause it's a weird word). She's basically a saint. Now, she's known all along that she had these powers but avoided getting picked up by the Grisha because she wanted to stay with Mal. But she's taken to the compound where the Grisha are, close to the castle that holds the tsar. She meets the Darkling, who is a giant asshole who you'll end up liking and perhaps pitying. Now, they are both very unique. No other Grisha on earth can do what they do. He summons and manipulates darkness and she does the same with light. They are opposites of each other and that's why the Darkling desperately wants to have her. Because she knows what it's like to be him. So, to avoid any huge spoilers, I'll end by mentioning the power enhancers that Grisha can wear. They can only wear a small one and only one. But Alina can wear three very specific ones. Three legendary ones from creatures that are the things that fables are made of, basically like the Lochness monster or Bigfoot. But with a more religious connotation. To make the power enhancers, she needs to kill these things made of legend. And she can't do it without Mal.

That's all I'll say. Read the book. It is so worth it, even more because it's so unique in this world where all literature is regurgitated. Believe me, it'll rip you apart but it soothes you too. Read it.