Review- Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

    

Shadow and Bone Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

Published: June 5, 2012
My Rating: 5 Stars

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

About the Author

Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising).

She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she’s lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. Her new book, Six of Crows, arrives fall 2015.

She would be delighted if you followed her on Twitter, elated if you visited her web site, and downright giddy if you liked Shadow & Bone on Facebook.

Quotes:

“The problem with wanting," he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, "is that it makes us weak.”   -Alina

“I don't care if you danced naked on the roof of the Little Palace with him. I love you, Alina, even the part of you that loved him.”   -Mal

“I'm not like you, Mal. I never really fit in the way you did. I never really belonged anywhere."
"You belonged with me.”  

*Mild Spoilers- Synopsis is only for the first book
I was very intrigued to read this book and everything that was being said about "The Darkling" and it was all true. He's wonderfully gorgeous, tempting, has a super cool power but he's very, very evil. I feel like he could have been redeemed if someone would have loved him and been his companion. He lived for so long and he was so lonely, he just wanted to be accepted, and maybe if he did have someone then the story would have been different. I don't think there was enough of him, I want to know more, I want to experience more through his eyes. I loved this story, I fell in love with the Darkling and I want to have his babies except he's not a good person lol. But if he were just a little bit good that would be great. This is one of my all time favorite series and the Darkling is my favorite villain if you couldn't already tell.

While reading this trilogy I felt like I dove right into it, I wanted to be part of it because it was written so well. The characters were memorable, the plot was well thought out and the world was amazing.

**Major spoiler coming!
I wish that somehow Leigh could resurrect the Darkling and give him 5 more books at least, he thought he was so lucky that he found Alina and that she was so much like him but it didn't work out. We as readers need more of him.