Reviews with content warning for Violence - Shadow and Bone

I love Leigh Bardugo’s writing and was excited to dive into the Grishaverse because I’d heard so much good about it.
This book was a straightforward and easy to understand dive into a magical realm heavily influenced by Tsarist Russia. The plot is fun, adventurous, and fast paced as the main protagonist quickly comes to terms with her newfound power and how to use it. It’s not overly complex but Bardugo does a good job in these books of setting up what is sure to be epic battles to come. There is a romance side plot that is fairly predictable but harmless and doesn’t interfere too much with the main storyline.
While it’s not the most epic or interesting fantasy series I’ve started, I am looking forward to continuing the series!

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marayzex's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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takarakei's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced

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

3.5

This was a super quick read. Especially since I watched the first season of the tv show way back when it first came out, so that helped a lot with the worldbuilding, but I had enough distance to not remember a lot of detail.
Onward with my Grishaverse journey!

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caitsreadingcorner's review

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adventurous slow-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? No

3.25

I was surprisingly underwhelmed by this book. Bardugo does a great job setting up the political and societal system that comprises the plot and the explanations about the different powers that characters possess is pretty seamlessly woven into the plot. However, I still found myself getting lost at times and referring back to the map and hierarchy. Kudos to her for creating such an expansive universe, with myriad of cultures and people but the Grishaverse definitely takes some getting used to.

That isn’t why I struggled so much with this book but rather, the characters were the issue for me. I just did not care for Alina at all. She is strong willed in terms of having been through some very hard experiences but a lot of her thoughts were too meek, over modest and whiny. I don’t think she’s a very strong main character and she was extremely (and predictably naive) in thinking the Darkling was romantically interested in her though she is rather plain. I did respect some of the decisions she made in the book but her back and forth feelings towards Mal and uncertainty made her a bit emotionally unstable. She’s not a very grounded or certain individual. She grew on me slightly towards the end but I still wouldn’t consider her badass. Mal is likeable enough but still, I wasn’t much enthralled by him either.

The most well written character in the book is the Darkling. There is a cunning duality to him that makes him mysterious and intriguing. At times he makes you want to root for him and at others, you’re reminded just how powerful and deceitful he truly is. The other characters lack depth in comparison. Overall, decent read. I will continue the series but I don’t have high expectations.

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