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A review by claudiamacpherson
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Alina Starkov is an awkward apprentice mapmaker for the King's army with no family and only one friend. But then her regiment is attacked while crossing the Shadow Fold, a dangerous darkness dividing the nation of Ravka in half, and Alina discovers a power she didn't know she had: she is a Sun Summoner, one of the Grisha who can control an element of nature. Suddenly, she is dragged into a world of grueling Grisha training and court politics, while the powerful Darkling watches her every move. Alina must learn to use her power and also figure out who she can trust.
I've been meaning to get to the Grishaverse books for years now, but the Netflix adaptation was both motivating (I can't watch it until I finish the series!) and problematic (everyone and their mother is now trying to check these books out from the library—I had to wait 8 weeks!). Unfortunately, I think the show (and all of the excitement about this book that it stirred up) overhyped it a bit for me, because this fell a bit short of my expectations. I enjoyed the world-building and the concept, but the writing was a bit blah. Several parts felt rushed and therefore didn't give the full emotional impact that I think Bardugo intended. That said, I still really enjoyed the story! The descriptions of the settings and clothes helped me picture everything well, which is one of the things I love most about fantasy novels and also the main reason I like to read a book before watching a movie/show adaptation. I also loved the climax of the novel:Alina's realization that her act of mercy was not weakness but strength, and her subsequent reclamation of her powers. Call me lame, but heroes choosing love and kindness is a theme that I love more than any other!
I've been meaning to get to the Grishaverse books for years now, but the Netflix adaptation was both motivating (I can't watch it until I finish the series!) and problematic (everyone and their mother is now trying to check these books out from the library—I had to wait 8 weeks!). Unfortunately, I think the show (and all of the excitement about this book that it stirred up) overhyped it a bit for me, because this fell a bit short of my expectations. I enjoyed the world-building and the concept, but the writing was a bit blah. Several parts felt rushed and therefore didn't give the full emotional impact that I think Bardugo intended. That said, I still really enjoyed the story! The descriptions of the settings and clothes helped me picture everything well, which is one of the things I love most about fantasy novels and also the main reason I like to read a book before watching a movie/show adaptation. I also loved the climax of the novel:
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Torture and Death of parent