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A review by maddiemoiselle
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
4.0
I read Shadow and Bone when it first came out more than ten years ago and LOVED it. I was intrigued by the world and the magic and the characters. I liked that it didn’t fit the stereotypical YA Fantasy mold. I also remember wanting Alina and the Darkling to end up together and if that doesn’t say a lot about me, I don’t know what does. Weirdly enough, I didn’t end up reading the rest of the trilogy and I’m not sure why.
It’s a quick read, I finished it in half a day. The story is relatively unique but still falls prey to tropes of the genre. For instance, the “I am disgusting and ugly until I have a lavish bath and finally eat some food, then I am stunning” trope. It didn’t bother me too, too much but it does feel juvenile and definitely reinforces that this is a YA novel.
Alina is a pretty average YA Fantasy FMC. She isn’t anything too exciting but I didn’t mind reading from her perspective. I think her romance with Mal is sweet but there is a part of me (a big part lol) that wishes she’d end up with the Darkling.
It’s easy to see that this is Bardugo’s first novel. I think it is obvious that her later series (specifically Six of Crows) are much better. The character development isn’t quite where it needed to be. I loved the dark nature of the Darkling’s character (har har), but his motivation and background felt weak. Mal, too, felt unpolished and boring at times. Alina also could be annoying lol. Still, I liked the unpredictable nature of the Darkling and I loved reading about Grisha.
Overall, I would rate Shadow and Bone a 3.5 star read, and I did enjoy reading it, but I’m not itching to read it again any time soon. It feels slightly unfinished? Is that the word I’m going for? It feels not as good as it could’ve been. I am going to actually finish the trilogy this time and I’m hoping the next two books really step up in terms of character development and plot.
It’s a quick read, I finished it in half a day. The story is relatively unique but still falls prey to tropes of the genre. For instance, the “I am disgusting and ugly until I have a lavish bath and finally eat some food, then I am stunning” trope. It didn’t bother me too, too much but it does feel juvenile and definitely reinforces that this is a YA novel.
Alina is a pretty average YA Fantasy FMC. She isn’t anything too exciting but I didn’t mind reading from her perspective. I think her romance with Mal is sweet but there is a part of me (a big part lol) that wishes she’d end up with the Darkling.
It’s easy to see that this is Bardugo’s first novel. I think it is obvious that her later series (specifically Six of Crows) are much better. The character development isn’t quite where it needed to be. I loved the dark nature of the Darkling’s character (har har), but his motivation and background felt weak. Mal, too, felt unpolished and boring at times. Alina also could be annoying lol. Still, I liked the unpredictable nature of the Darkling and I loved reading about Grisha.
Overall, I would rate Shadow and Bone a 3.5 star read, and I did enjoy reading it, but I’m not itching to read it again any time soon. It feels slightly unfinished? Is that the word I’m going for? It feels not as good as it could’ve been. I am going to actually finish the trilogy this time and I’m hoping the next two books really step up in terms of character development and plot.