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adjinn 's review for:
Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
decent book - though with an simplistic plot
This is the first book I have read by this author. It’s an ok story. The first half was a bit long and a struggle to get through. There weren’t many surprises to the story, though the author tried to make it seem like several things should have been more unexpected then it was. It was rather obvious that the Darkling character was actually evil. Though I was mildly surprised by Baghra being his mother. I did expect her to be something since it wasn’t being told what sort of power she had access to. Seemed rather obvious it was going to be shadow related, as she was a strong amplifier, just as the Darkling.
It also was rather obvious that Mal was going to be the tracker to find the Morozova herd. I do wonder if it would have been better, if Mal had jumped in and killed the Stag thereby cementing his control on the amplifier, stopping the Darkling from having it. Then Alina could only have used the power only with Mal’s assistance. That or possibly, after the Darkling killed the Stag, as he controlled that amplifier, but as was stated in the book, bones of a human can be used just as the bones of an animal. Alina could have killed the Darkling and his bones were then her amplifier under her control. She could have even made a crown out of his skull bones, gross but effective. That it was brought up several times, at some point this foreshadowed concept about human bones as an amplifier will likely be used in a future novel of the trilogy to save Revka from the Darkling and the Shadow Fold.
With all he power the Grisha seem to possess, it’s surprising that only the Darkling has tried to take over their continent. I would think many of the Grisha would have attempted coups of the monarchy themselves in the past. Though maybe some had attempted, but the Darkling kept the monarchs in power through himself until such time he could control all.
Does seem rather odd that no one had thought about where all these Shadow Grisha were coming from if there had only been Baghra and the Dark Heretic originally with Shadow ability. For the Darkling to have had multiple lives created for himself over the centuries, wouldn’t he have needed a male child on occasion to show up using the power. Though I guess if it breeds true, such as it did from mother to son, maybe he could have his own heir, kill them as they came to age and take over their lives. I would have thought someone would have noticed Baghra never aging or each successive Darkling always looking the same. Rather large plot hole.
Quite a few other plot holes hint at things but then nothing is ever fully explained, with even a few times when some comments made are diametrically opposite where both can’t be true. An example is Alina mentions that she and Mal came to be orphans together. But then in another chapter, she states Mal was already a ward of the Duke before she was brought there. She also said at one point that she uses lies of omission to explain their orphan status, by just saying they were orphaned from the same village in the North, implying that they both came together as orphans but there might be a bigger story behind these origins. Another big hole, in all of the years the Darkling lived, the Stag’s antlers were his first amplifier. He never tried to bond to another amplifier, during all of his various lives as the Dark Heretic or the Darkling. If you only can bond to one, seems unlikely the antlers were his first.
The character development was lacking in several places. Genya and her origins were hinted at, but never fully explored and she was possibly first of her abilities, which somehow led her to turn on the Monarchs so the Darkling would give her full Grisha status. David, the Fabrikator, barely touch on his motivations. Zoya, a past disciple of the Darkling, yet barely used. Zoya wasn’t necessary to the story, could easily have been left out. Botkin, the arms trainer, few hints about him and his past but not used fully. The Darkling, seemed odd to never find out his real name.
The language was a bit too Slavic heavy in parts. Especially, with town and Grisha groups and subgrouping naming. These were easily confused, not to mention the coat colors with differing trim. It was difficult to follow the Grisha power structure with so many variants. The healers and heartrenders were always called Corporalki, whereas the other two groups used their secondary naming, (The Order of) Summoners or Fabrikators. The Durasts and Alkemi type of Fabrikators are never mentioned or explained. In Summoners, the Inferni, likely fire, but Squallers and Tidemakers sound both water based or water and air, so what is the difference. Alina is called a Sun or a Light Summoner but isn’t given a subgroup name. The Darkling’s Shadow is not even mentioned as any of these, except it’s considered top of the hierarchy. I wish these had been better explained and with an easier and consistent naming structure.
Still, it was a good & unique story, if a bit easily deduced and juvenile.
This is the first book I have read by this author. It’s an ok story. The first half was a bit long and a struggle to get through. There weren’t many surprises to the story, though the author tried to make it seem like several things should have been more unexpected then it was. It was rather obvious that the Darkling character was actually evil. Though I was mildly surprised by Baghra being his mother. I did expect her to be something since it wasn’t being told what sort of power she had access to. Seemed rather obvious it was going to be shadow related, as she was a strong amplifier, just as the Darkling.
It also was rather obvious that Mal was going to be the tracker to find the Morozova herd. I do wonder if it would have been better, if Mal had jumped in and killed the Stag thereby cementing his control on the amplifier, stopping the Darkling from having it. Then Alina could only have used the power only with Mal’s assistance. That or possibly, after the Darkling killed the Stag, as he controlled that amplifier, but as was stated in the book, bones of a human can be used just as the bones of an animal. Alina could have killed the Darkling and his bones were then her amplifier under her control. She could have even made a crown out of his skull bones, gross but effective. That it was brought up several times, at some point this foreshadowed concept about human bones as an amplifier will likely be used in a future novel of the trilogy to save Revka from the Darkling and the Shadow Fold.
With all he power the Grisha seem to possess, it’s surprising that only the Darkling has tried to take over their continent. I would think many of the Grisha would have attempted coups of the monarchy themselves in the past. Though maybe some had attempted, but the Darkling kept the monarchs in power through himself until such time he could control all.
Does seem rather odd that no one had thought about where all these Shadow Grisha were coming from if there had only been Baghra and the Dark Heretic originally with Shadow ability. For the Darkling to have had multiple lives created for himself over the centuries, wouldn’t he have needed a male child on occasion to show up using the power. Though I guess if it breeds true, such as it did from mother to son, maybe he could have his own heir, kill them as they came to age and take over their lives. I would have thought someone would have noticed Baghra never aging or each successive Darkling always looking the same. Rather large plot hole.
Quite a few other plot holes hint at things but then nothing is ever fully explained, with even a few times when some comments made are diametrically opposite where both can’t be true. An example is Alina mentions that she and Mal came to be orphans together. But then in another chapter, she states Mal was already a ward of the Duke before she was brought there. She also said at one point that she uses lies of omission to explain their orphan status, by just saying they were orphaned from the same village in the North, implying that they both came together as orphans but there might be a bigger story behind these origins. Another big hole, in all of the years the Darkling lived, the Stag’s antlers were his first amplifier. He never tried to bond to another amplifier, during all of his various lives as the Dark Heretic or the Darkling. If you only can bond to one, seems unlikely the antlers were his first.
The character development was lacking in several places. Genya and her origins were hinted at, but never fully explored and she was possibly first of her abilities, which somehow led her to turn on the Monarchs so the Darkling would give her full Grisha status. David, the Fabrikator, barely touch on his motivations. Zoya, a past disciple of the Darkling, yet barely used. Zoya wasn’t necessary to the story, could easily have been left out. Botkin, the arms trainer, few hints about him and his past but not used fully. The Darkling, seemed odd to never find out his real name.
The language was a bit too Slavic heavy in parts. Especially, with town and Grisha groups and subgrouping naming. These were easily confused, not to mention the coat colors with differing trim. It was difficult to follow the Grisha power structure with so many variants. The healers and heartrenders were always called Corporalki, whereas the other two groups used their secondary naming, (The Order of) Summoners or Fabrikators. The Durasts and Alkemi type of Fabrikators are never mentioned or explained. In Summoners, the Inferni, likely fire, but Squallers and Tidemakers sound both water based or water and air, so what is the difference. Alina is called a Sun or a Light Summoner but isn’t given a subgroup name. The Darkling’s Shadow is not even mentioned as any of these, except it’s considered top of the hierarchy. I wish these had been better explained and with an easier and consistent naming structure.
Still, it was a good & unique story, if a bit easily deduced and juvenile.