-A.M. Aguilar

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone has become one of my favorites reads of the year.

Shadow and Bone is book one in the Grisha Trilogy. I was astounded when I read this book. I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved the world Leigh created, the fascinating characters and the storyline they followed. Leigh Bardugo’s writing style and the amazing universe she created is perfect (*cheff kiss*). The Grishaverse.

Leigh Bardugo created a whole world that I could not stop myself from loving. This world is full of a magical group of people, the Grisha, who practice the Small Science: they manipulate different elements of nature as their own power. In the nation of Ravka, a huge darkness and evil has divided the continent in two and left a sector of death and dread in its place, the Shadow Fold.

The story follows Alina Starkov’s adventures and journey through the royal court and struggles to adapt to the Grisha elite lifestyles. But as the story continues to unfold and different characters begin to show their real faces, nothing is what it seemed before and the real purpose for which Alina had to begin her expedition… is uncertain.

I am in love with Bardugo’s writing style, storyline, chraracters and the beautiful, complex fantasy world she created. There is a feel of Tsarist Russia in this beautiful and unique world of Grisha. Magic, monsters, villains, kings and queens, lovers and enemies, and astonishing heroes. It was a perfect story that can’t be compared to any book I read before. I am in love with the Grishaverse 🙂 It adds a whole new layer to the story and completely sets it apart from both paranormals and what people think of as ‘high fantasy’.

I could not stop reading since I began the prologue. Leigh makes sure you are trapped to the story and intrigued to follow, inmediately. The storyline is very unique. The mysteries that start to unfold and the plot twists that come one after another make “Shadow and Bone” an out-of-this-world reading experience. 

“The problem with wanting, is that it makes us weak.”

As always, I fell in love with the unique characters and their remarkable personalities. I loved how in the beginning of the book I could already feel like I knew the characters from long ago and have been following their story since then. Creating fascinating characters and stunning heroes and villains make a book a hundred times better and epic.

In this world that Leigh created, most Grisha show certain powers of controling the Small Science at a young age; but sometimes Grisha are born with extremely uncommon abilities and this is the case of our main character, Alina Starkov, who was a distinctive and loyal female that was perfect to assume the role of hero and saviour of Ravka. I loved the beautiful friendship she had with Mal, and his position in the story is a very devoted and attractive one.

The Darkling was also a super dark (see what I did there 🙂 ) and intriguing character we got to meet and he brought, with no doubt, the best surprises to the story. At one point I thought I had him fully understood, then the plot twists came and I was more amazed by Leigh’s way of handling the story plus The Darkling´s development.

“What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men.”

I love this book so much and I really want to tell everyone that no matter the genres you like you should read it now. Everyone is going to appreciate “Shadow and Bone;” fantasy lovers, historical fiction lovers, mystery lovers, magic lovers, and us lovers of strong characters and amazing relationships 😉 . It is an amazing, intriguing and mysterious story that you will not regret. 

I definitely need more of this story so with no doubt I am reading the exciting sequel today. What about you?

Have you read the Grisha Trilogy? What are your thoughts on Shadow and Bone? 

“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.”

7 thoughts on “Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

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