Jen's Review
by Leigh Bardugo
Henry Holt and Co. (HC)
June 5, 2012
WOAH GUYS.
I totally did not expect to like this book so much! High
fantasy is usually way out of my comfort
zone, as I don't read much of it. However, I had high hopes for this one
because a) I loved Throne of Glass, and
that was high fantasy, and b) there is not enough rave reviews for this book
out there, it seems! Literally, every review of this book is 4 stars or higher,
and pretty much all of my trusted blogger buddies all LOVE this book to death.
I'm so happy to say that I am far from disappointed! Shadow and Bone is a high-paced, magical fantasy with crazy
in-depth characters, fantastic creativity, and action-packed plot.
I was so worried in
the beginning of this book, solely because the overload with the names, cities,
and types of clothing they wore in the Grisha world. And they're not ordinary
names, either. They're names like kefta and Os
Kervo and oprichniki. You can
imagine my panic. I absolutely hate, hate, HATE getting confused during a book,
because then I usually end up flipping back and forth to un-confuse myself by
referring to previous pages. While I was puzzled for a little while, Bardugo
was able to refer to the names frequently, and before I knew it, I was immersed
in the world without anymore confusion. This was the only minor problem I had
with the book, fortunately.
One of the many
things I loved about Shadow and Bone was
the dark and beautifully magical world that Bardugo has created. It's so
memorable and different, and, like Veronica Roth says, it's "Unlike
anything I've ever read". The world of the Fold and the kingdom with the
oh so mysterious Darkling ruling over the Grishas and with the different ranks
and powers of the Grishas was just FASCINATING. Trust me, this is NOT a world
you'll want to miss out on.
Of course, I have to
mention my love for the characters! Alina Starkov is the protagonist and I loved her from the start. I'm still not sure
what drew me to her in the beginning, but I think it's the fact that she never
really knew her background of where she came from that drew my curiosity
towards her. Later on, I learned that she is incredibly smart: she learns from
her mistakes and is able to rationalize the best solutions. I also have to
mention the other characters, duh. [OKAY. WAIT. So I totally thought there was
going to be a love triangle in this book, and then I kept reading and AHH I was
a tad disappointed, but SURPRISED by the twisty and turnies.] All right, so the
Darkling. I don't know what made me like him so much, but he is dark, powerful,
and I was drawn to him like Alina was. In fact, he's kind of smexy. Yeah. But
then, we have MAL. I kept picturing him as Josh Hutcherson/Peeta in my head for
some reason. Mal is kind of like him though, in a way: mellow, friendly,
protective… He was just adorable. And let's not forget about Alina's servant
(ish), Genya! She was so girly and fun and she really lightened up this book a
bit. The characters in Shadow and Bone
were absolutely sensational and definitely memorable.
Like I mentioned
above in the brackets, there are twisty and turnies. The plot pacing was simply
fantastic! It moved at a steady-pace in the beginning of the novel as
characters and the world of the Grisha are introduced, but I think the middle
section of the book was my favorite. The story got exciting as Alina moves to
new, unfamiliar territory (things even got a little... steamy). The last
section of the novel was kind of back to it's steady pace, but there was a lot
of information that the author surprises the reader with and the
not-so-fast-pace was made up for.
So what I thought
was going to be a composed, calm review, kind of turned out to be a spazzy,
excited, gushy review for Shadow and Bone.
I guess I'm just trying to tell everyone that they need to read this book if
they haven't already! I can't believe I have to wait 6 months until I can read
the next installment, Siege and Storm. Shadow and Bone will take readers on a wild,
vivid, engrossingly enigmatic ride with Leigh Bardugo's innovative world of the
Grisha.
4.5 teacups for Shadow and Bone!
Posts
I felt the same way, I put off picking it up for ages and then loved it. The sequel's just as brilliant. Great review, Jen.
ReplyDeleteYeeees! I think one of my favorite things about this series is that it's making so many people like fantasy more, which is always great. While I really enjoyed this when I read it, looking back, I find more fault with Alina's character. Still, it was incredible, very well-written, and the plot twists were brilliant. Not to mention the Darkling AND Mal! ;) I was lucky enough to read an ARC of the sequel and I absolutely LOVED it, even more than this installment, so I can't wait to see what you make of it!(:
ReplyDeleteYAY JEN!! I'm so happy you loved this one, high fantasy is such an underrated genre, especially when you come across the books like these. I agree with all of the characters, Alina was so strong, and I am SO TEAM DARKLING, I don't care that's it not a love triangle. I just love that guy so much. The world was also so beautifully done, too. It was so confusing for me at first to get into it, but after I did I was hooked!
ReplyDeleteFantastic review, Jen!
I definitely compared Mal to Peeta although not to Josh Hutcherson who I have pretty much disassociated from the role as my Peeta is much hotter. Super excited for the sequel!
ReplyDeleteOh god! I really need to start this series soon. I've been seeing a lot of rave for its second book lately! I said I'm going to read this when this first came out but still haven't got the time. I'll have this on top of my priority reads now. Hehe. Fantastic review, Jen! I'm glad you enjoyed this. :)
ReplyDeleteI love that this kept surprising you, Jen! I've been hesitant to read it for so long (mostly because of the names you mention. A Russian friend of mine was bothered by the inaccuracies in names, and since I'm a linguist and very close to Russian, I probably will be too), so I didn't want to torture myself, but now I finally decided to take the plunge. I bought the audiobook and I can't wait to meet Alina and the others.
ReplyDeleteGreat review, darling!
Ahhhhh I MUST read this book! Why haven't I read it?! I'm so glad that you enjoyed it, Jen. I love it when books with a lot of hype don't disappoint. The dark and magical world that the author has created sounds amazing. THIS is why I love fictional books - reading a whole world that an author has created is incredible. Thanks for the great review! :)
ReplyDeleteGAAAH SO GLAD YOU FINALLY READ THIS! One of my faves! WE MUST FANGIRL. Tweet me :) You're such a wonderful writer, Jenny :)
ReplyDeletejeennnnyyyy
-Willa
This book surprised me a lot, too! I loved The Darkling :)
ReplyDeleteWoot woot! I'm SO happy you enjoyed this one, Jen! High fantasy isn't always for me either, though I think this one is a little more accessible than most. It turned out to be one of my favourite books of 2012, and the sequel is just as brilliant. ;) You and I use the same word for Mal! Adorable pretty much sums him up. :) GREAT review.
ReplyDeleteI've been meaning to read this book for so long but I always seem to forget about it. I need to start making a to-read-urgently list. :) great review!
ReplyDeleteInx from Inklings of two Booklings (http://inklingsoftwobooklings.blogspot.com/)
Awesome review, Jen! I definitely felt EXACTLY the same way reading S&B. The terms and such were sort of confusing, but Leigh used them in context, which helped me get more comfortable with them. The whole idea of the Second Army is SO inventive.
ReplyDeleteAND MAL. Oh man, MAL. I've come across a few people who don't get him, and so they don't love him like I do, but I ADORE Mal so so much, especially with Alina. I cried over them in S&B. And just WAIT til you read S&S. It really takes things to the next level, with the characters and plot!
Yay! I had so much love for this book too Jen! Fantasy isn't my go to genre either, but there had been so many amazing reviews for this book that I just couldn't pass up. There have already been reviews tricking in for Siege and Storm, I can't wait to get my hands on a copy! Wonderful review Jen! :)
ReplyDeleteWOAH GUYS, haha!! Yup, my reaction exactly. I'm SO happy for you that you took a chance on this even though it was outside your comfort zone and it TOTALLY paid off! Isn't that the best feeling??
ReplyDeleteAnd GAH that twist totally surprised me, too! I was a bit disappointed, too, because I admit that I had completely fallen under the Darkling's spell. Smexy is right!! Ah, oh well. I do think Mal will end up the better love interest anyways.
Love this review and your enthusiasm for the book!!
Ohmygosh! Isn't it like the best fantasy book? So glad you gave it a try and became obsessed like the rest of us! And, I know! Leigh Bardugo must have like the most vivid crazy imagination to create the world of Shadow and Bone. Oh, and OK, so everyone liked the Darkling, but for some reason he gave me the creeps from the start. Well, I can't believe we have to wait so long for Siege and Storm, but I can't wait! Fun review Jen!
ReplyDeleteYup, definitely an exceptional read for me, too. Alina won me over from the start; she's incredibly relatable.
ReplyDelete