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therobinjoyce's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Graphic: Blood, Gore, Xenophobia, War, Violence, Torture, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Genocide, Gaslighting, Forced institutionalization, Death, Body horror, Animal death, and Abandonment
jstarshine16's review
- 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? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, Genocide, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and War
Minor: Body shaming, Child abuse, Cursing, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Sexism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
rubydagger's review
- 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? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Xenophobia and Gaslighting
nadiana's review
- 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? No
2.25
Many years back, this book made me fall in love with reading as well as the entire genre of fantasy romance. As far as I was concerned, it was a guilty pleasure, and even after this re-read, I must say, it still is.
Not a lot of strong feelings are connected to this first book but I don't know if that's going to change once I re-read Siege and Storm. However, having watched the Shadow and Bone netflix trailer previous to re-reading this made the whole experience way better, especially concerning the book's main ship which I felt more connected to than ever before.
Leigh's writing obviously isn't the best this early in her career, but all-in-all it was an easy and quick read, just a tad bit below average considering the story, plot, execution and pace. The ending felt very rushed as well, and honestly, this book could've been longer for more developed plots and character arcs which would've probably made the story a whole lot better.
However, I'm still searching for that perfect guilty pleasure book, and quite honestly, I'm getting obsessively desperate at this point...
Moderate: Abandonment, Blood, Bullying, Death, Fatphobia, Physical abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Minor: Animal death, Body horror, and Body shaming
erovelo's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Sexual violence
natrossi's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Xenophobia
Minor: Violence
rorikae's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
We follow Alina, a mapmaker traveling to the Shadow Fold, a swath of darkness that has cut the country of Ravka in two. The Shadow Fold is full of monsters and making the journey across it to reach Ravka's coast is dangerous. But when her group is attacked inside the Shadow Fold, Alina reveals a power she didn't know that she held. This draws the attention of the Darkling, who believes Alina may have the power to change Ravka's future.
I've heard a lot about 'Shadow and Bone' but I had never had a real interest in reading it until I saw the trailer for the Netflix adaptation. I don't think that the blurb does the story justice. Bardugo has created a fascinating world with a really engaging magic system that I feel we only get a taste of in this first book. Alina is a likable character, full of faults but also full of hope. The full cast of characters are complex and I can't wait to see how they grow as the story progresses. I can tell that Bardugo has just scratched the surface with this first book and I am very thankful that I have the full trilogy and the Six of Crows duology to follow. I'm really happy that I decided to read the series before watching the show and I hope that the show further builds upon this great world that Bardugo has introduced.
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia
wasabi_poptart's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Animal death
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Ableism, Child abuse, Death of parent, Genocide, Trafficking, and Xenophobia