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dragon_lord's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, and War
juliaaaaaa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
i needed to see more about how mal fell for alina, but it was a bit quick and i NEED the slow burn.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death and Blood
Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Body shaming, Violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, and Animal cruelty
Minor: Sexual content, War, and Death of parent
dancing_on_ur_muml0l's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Alina+Mal>>>>>>>>>>
Content Warnings
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship
Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Blood, and Death
The darkling is 120 years old. Alina is 17 years old. wtf.hannah_steven's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, Murder, and Animal cruelty
Moderate: Blood, Toxic relationship, War, and Slavery
Minor: Sexual assault
soph22's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Animal death, Classism, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, and Slavery
Minor: War, Violence, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
bugzandthingz's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Violence, and War
anielabooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Honestly, I really liked this book. I finished it in about 5 days, and I’m very excited to start the next one. Definitely a book that got a lot of gasps from me towards the end. The world it is set in seems so interesting that I already see myself falling in love with it. Although I was a little late to reading this series, I don’t doubt that it will live up to the hype.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Animal death, War, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Violence, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Colonisation, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Suicide attempt, Suicide, and Slavery
Minor: Abandonment, Confinement, Rape, Grief, Excrement, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Death of parent
archaicrobin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
I feel it’s mediocre YA fantasy novels like this that cause me to avoid the genre entirely. I’d heard nothing but positives about the Shadow and Bone series, and I’d read Leigh Bardugo’s 1st installment in her adult dark academia fantasy series, which while I didn’t love I didn’t hate either, so I was really excited to start this series with friends, expecting to at least enjoy the ride.
There was no enjoyment on this ride. I don’t read a ton of fantasy but I feel like the world building in this book completely sucks. I have nothing but questions, what time period does this book take place? There is so much medieval talk of serfs, kings and queens, horses, tents, etc. that I thought ok this is classic high fantasy! But then the Fjerdans have rifles and not only rifles but assault rifles??? Ok so it’s not medieval maybe it’s early 1800s, 1900s? Who knows?!
This was just the first time I started questioning just wtf was going on in this world. Alina is a rare sun summoner who summons light, but the sun is just a giant ball of fire so honestly what is the difference between Alina’s light power and Grisha that can summon fire??
If the Grisha are so powerful than how the hell are HUMANS in power? What are volcra? They’re described as having leathery wings and sharp teeth so they’re bat demons?? And while we’re on that, what does anyone literally ANYONE that is not Genya look like?!! Genya is honestly the only character I remember that was actually described in detail.
In my opinion, there was so much potential here, but I feel like Bardugo chose to focus on her terrible “love triangle” than spend anytime at all crafting a well built world with engaging characters. I could care less about anyone in this book, Alina is bland and flip flops her personality traits throughout the entire book. Mal is an ignorant dick, The Darkling is an abusive, disgusting, pedophile considering he’s over 150 years old and sexually pursuing a 17 year old, the only mildly interesting character for me was Genya and she’s thrown aside halfway through the novel.
I kept waiting for the book to finish setting up for the “good stuff” to happen and instead it took a full tilt into the Alina x Mal x Darkling “love” triangle that I had to force myself to finish this book. I rolled my eyes so often the second half of the book I’m surprised they’re still in my head. Obviously I do not like this book, I will not continue the series, I will not be reading the six of crows, and honestly I don’t even know if I’ll finish Bardugo’s adult series at this point because I’m so underwhelmed by Shadow and Bone nothing else by this author seems worth it to me.
ALSO!! The frequency with which Bardugo has random men make less comments or unwanted sexual advances towards Alina is concerning and in poor taste. You don’t need rape or sexual assault to be introduced constantly to make things scary. I noticed this was another device Bardugo embraced in Ninth House and I find it distasteful.
I sat for a few days waiting for my anger at this book to pass but instead it’s intensified and I feel justified taking the one meager star away and giving Shadow and Bone the 0 it deserves.
There was no enjoyment on this ride. I don’t read a ton of fantasy but I feel like the world building in this book completely sucks. I have nothing but questions, what time period does this book take place? There is so much medieval talk of serfs, kings and queens, horses, tents, etc. that I thought ok this is classic high fantasy! But then the Fjerdans have rifles and not only rifles but assault rifles??? Ok so it’s not medieval maybe it’s early 1800s, 1900s? Who knows?!
This was just the first time I started questioning just wtf was going on in this world. Alina is a rare sun summoner who summons light, but the sun is just a giant ball of fire so honestly what is the difference between Alina’s light power and Grisha that can summon fire??
If the Grisha are so powerful than how the hell are HUMANS in power? What are volcra? They’re described as having leathery wings and sharp teeth so they’re bat demons?? And while we’re on that, what does anyone literally ANYONE that is not Genya look like?!! Genya is honestly the only character I remember that was actually described in detail.
In my opinion, there was so much potential here, but I feel like Bardugo chose to focus on her terrible “love triangle” than spend anytime at all crafting a well built world with engaging characters. I could care less about anyone in this book, Alina is bland and flip flops her personality traits throughout the entire book. Mal is an ignorant dick, The Darkling is an abusive, disgusting, pedophile considering he’s over 150 years old and sexually pursuing a 17 year old, the only mildly interesting character for me was Genya and she’s thrown aside halfway through the novel.
I kept waiting for the book to finish setting up for the “good stuff” to happen and instead it took a full tilt into the Alina x Mal x Darkling “love” triangle that I had to force myself to finish this book. I rolled my eyes so often the second half of the book I’m surprised they’re still in my head. Obviously I do not like this book, I will not continue the series, I will not be reading the six of crows, and honestly I don’t even know if I’ll finish Bardugo’s adult series at this point because I’m so underwhelmed by Shadow and Bone nothing else by this author seems worth it to me.
ALSO!! The frequency with which Bardugo has random men make less comments or unwanted sexual advances towards Alina is concerning and in poor taste. You don’t need rape or sexual assault to be introduced constantly to make things scary. I noticed this was another device Bardugo embraced in Ninth House and I find it distasteful.
I sat for a few days waiting for my anger at this book to pass but instead it’s intensified and I feel justified taking the one meager star away and giving Shadow and Bone the 0 it deserves.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Classism, Confinement, Sexual assault, Violence, Toxic relationship, Blood, Death, Sexism, Abandonment, War, Animal cruelty, and Animal death
nickbreniuc's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I finally got into the Grishaverse
Very easy to read, devoured it in 2 days. Living for the inspiration from slavic culture, but I need more world-building information though, it all seems to fade in the background.
At first I thought it was a generic mc special peasant going to court scenario, but then that plot twist came in and it took a nice turn of events.
Out of all the characters, Genya seems the most interesting, and a little bit the Darkling.
I don't like Mal and Alina as a ship, I hate this best friends to lovers scenario. I just don't see the chemistry, even if they are both very...bland characters. Looking forward to that character growth!
Very easy to read, devoured it in 2 days. Living for the inspiration from slavic culture, but I need more world-building information though, it all seems to fade in the background.
At first I thought it was a generic mc special peasant going to court scenario, but then that plot twist came in and it took a nice turn of events.
Out of all the characters, Genya seems the most interesting, and a little bit the Darkling.
I don't like Mal and Alina as a ship, I hate this best friends to lovers scenario. I just don't see the chemistry, even if they are both very...bland characters. Looking forward to that character growth!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Animal death
_aurelia_'s review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Death
Minor: Animal cruelty