Reviews with content warning for Rape - Shadow and Bone

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Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

37 reviews

maryjames's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

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mustnotblink's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Shadow and Bone has that fine balance of world building and character developments that really successfully sets up a universe.

In Alina we have a protagonist who is both learning more about her world that she did not know and figuring her own self out. It is a satisfying journey with revealed truths that really up the drama and get the adrenaline running. It is the ultimate ‘I don’t fit it in school’ to ‘shoved into the real world to make grown up decisions’ speed-run.

There is a bleakness to the ending, but it feels more like the overcast before the suns breaks back through than a truly dark ending.

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breannajailene's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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muchroom_prince's review against another edition

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adventurous dark fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.75

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chaptersonapage's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and the first in the Grishaverse as a whole.

We are introduced to the world through the eyes of a girl named Alina. She grew up as an orphan and now works as a mapmaker. Her best friend, Mal, grew up with her at the orphanage, and he’s a tracker. They’re traveling with the armies and about to make their way across the Shadow Fold.

The Shadow Fold is a blemish on the world that splits the country. It’s where darkness flourishes and light dies. It’s filled with creatures called the volcra, which are only to eager to snatch up anyone they come across in their midst.

As they cross the Fold, a massive attack comes from the volcra. All seems to be lost with everyone getting slaughtered, but as the last rays of hope start to fade away, Alina unleashes a blinding power she didn’t know she had and revealing her long dormant Grisha abilities.

The world of the Grisha is very interesting. Each one has a different kind of power, and they’re categorized based on what they do. Only the Darkling stands alone, ruling over the rest. They learn at the Little Palace, where Alina starts her training. Alina is thrown into this life, and things come hard to her. Her power doesn’t seem to want to come forth, but she toils day after day, working to feel worthy of her new place with the Grisha.

I liked Alina. She made the best she could out of the situation she was given. Being taken away from the only life you ever knew can be hard, but she did all she could and grew into herself. She faced challenges she never knew she’d have, and she persevered.

Mal was also a great character. I loved the beginning, showing their closeness and how they care for one another. They grew up together and have such a special bond.

The Darkling was a mysterious character. So much about him is unknown to everyone around him. Alina has heard about him through stories, but meeting him is different than anything she’s ever imagined. He’s charming, but she seems to have trouble getting a proper read on him. I found him interesting to read about. I always want to know the ins and outs of things, so mysteries always draw me in. I wanted to know his true story, not just the rumors and fairytales whispered throughout the lands.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. Some things and parts felt like they could have been fleshed out a little more, especially closer to the end, but it’s still a great book. I’m interested to see the direction the next book takes!

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luluslittlelibrary's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I have very mixed feelings about this series. I love the world it's set in and most of the plot (specifically the first book), but the characters just fall short. They are all very one-sided and are difficult to connect to... except for Nikolai. I absolutely adore Nikolai. He was such a necessary part of the second book because parts of it were so painfully slow and he was the only reason I was interested in reading it. The third book was very good plot-wise as well. And there was a lot more going on than there was in the second book. But (spoiler) I really didn't like the way it ended.

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montanabear444's review against another edition

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adventurous medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I have read and reread Shadow and Bone several times throughout the years and I can maintain that it is a good easy adventure on the surface with a fair amount of nuance underneath. As the start to a really amazing and well-developed universe of books, Leigh Bardugo does an amazing job in world-building, but some of the characters fall a bit flat. I have heard several reviews of people who hate the main character, Alina, for various reasons, mostly that she's bland and boring, but I find her a very realist character. She does not have a crazy amount of character growth in this book- she's just trying to survive after all- but if you continue through the Grishaverse you will see the subtle character development. Then there's the Darkling, our favorite

villian. I love and hate the Darkling. He is a great example of powerful men who manipulate women to get their way. However, far too often, he gets mischaracterized by fans as the morally-grey love interest. HES NOT! He is a manipulative, vindictive jerk who only cared about his own interests and would destroy anything to achieve them. He manipulated and violated Alina and her bodily autonomy with the collar and he groomed a child to be raped for his own self-interest. That's not morally-grey, it's straight evil. I'm not even gonna talk about Mal because he is divisive among fans. Personally, I found him pretty boring but sweet. He wasn't dumb by any means by he sometimes felt like an afterthought and gave be himbo vibes. I would prefer if Alina ended up with Zoya or Genya, but Mal grew on me through the series. He's a bit annoying in this one at times though. The real standout was Genya. She's essentially just a victim in this book, but her character and her struggles, which we don't really find out about fully until the end, are really telling about Ravka, the rulers, the Grisha hierarchy, and the Darkling.

Anyway, pretty good, ~3.7 for me, but a must read if you want to get the full context in reading Six of Crows or get into the universe.

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