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kellysrambles 's review for:
Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo
4.5*s
It's taken me a long time to get to the Grisha trilogy but I've finally made a start. I absolutely LOVE the Six of Crows duology so it was inevitable that I would enjoy the original Grisha trilogy from Bardugo.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how easily I became absorbed into the world that Bardugo had created. Having read the SoC duology, I was already familiar with what Grisha are and had heard of Ravka. This obviously helped but this book is so well written that the world is easy to visualise and follow. I love the map at the beginning of the book and this certainly helped whilst reading the book. The world-building is excellent.
I really enjoyed this book and I thought the plot was well written. Alina unknowingly unleashes her true ability whilst protecting Mal, unintentionally inducting herself into the Grisha world. I really enjoyed learning more about the Grisha and seeing how different their lifestyle is. The only thing missing for me was the cut throat action I so dearly love in fantasy books. On the whole this was quite a safe plot. It had pockets of excitement towards the end but I didn't find myself sat on the edge of my seat as much as I would have liked to. I'm hoping this will pick up as the trilogy moves forward.
The characters!!! I loved the characters and this was one of the leading factors in me deciding to award this 4.5*'s. Alina is a great leading character and I enjoyed my time inside her head. She is a strong character but I liked seeing those vulnerable moments which made her feel so real. The only downside to her character is her persistent reliance on the males around her, but this is just an opinion. Genya is a character I feel a strange pull towards. Although she is not featured as a main character in this book, I loved her sass, strength and vulnerability. She was a real breath of fresh air in some of these chapters.
I can't end this review without talking about the Darkling. YES! I love his character and can already feel him sneaking up the ranks of my favourite literary villains. He is completely terrifying yet addictive and I can't help but be rooting for he and Alina.
Overall I really enjoyed this start to the Grisha trilogy. The plot was good, the characters are excellent and the world building is terrific. I can't get enough of anything Bardugo writes!
It's taken me a long time to get to the Grisha trilogy but I've finally made a start. I absolutely LOVE the Six of Crows duology so it was inevitable that I would enjoy the original Grisha trilogy from Bardugo.
The first thing that struck me about this book was how easily I became absorbed into the world that Bardugo had created. Having read the SoC duology, I was already familiar with what Grisha are and had heard of Ravka. This obviously helped but this book is so well written that the world is easy to visualise and follow. I love the map at the beginning of the book and this certainly helped whilst reading the book. The world-building is excellent.
I really enjoyed this book and I thought the plot was well written. Alina unknowingly unleashes her true ability whilst protecting Mal, unintentionally inducting herself into the Grisha world. I really enjoyed learning more about the Grisha and seeing how different their lifestyle is. The only thing missing for me was the cut throat action I so dearly love in fantasy books. On the whole this was quite a safe plot. It had pockets of excitement towards the end but I didn't find myself sat on the edge of my seat as much as I would have liked to. I'm hoping this will pick up as the trilogy moves forward.
The characters!!! I loved the characters and this was one of the leading factors in me deciding to award this 4.5*'s. Alina is a great leading character and I enjoyed my time inside her head. She is a strong character but I liked seeing those vulnerable moments which made her feel so real. The only downside to her character is her persistent reliance on the males around her, but this is just an opinion. Genya is a character I feel a strange pull towards. Although she is not featured as a main character in this book, I loved her sass, strength and vulnerability. She was a real breath of fresh air in some of these chapters.
I can't end this review without talking about the Darkling. YES! I love his character and can already feel him sneaking up the ranks of my favourite literary villains. He is completely terrifying yet addictive and I can't help but be rooting for he and Alina.
Overall I really enjoyed this start to the Grisha trilogy. The plot was good, the characters are excellent and the world building is terrific. I can't get enough of anything Bardugo writes!