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petuniarhubarb's Reviews (437)
4 stars? I guess??
Leigh Bardugo doesn't pull her punches, does she?
I can understand why so many people didn't like Shadow and Bone compared to Six of Crows. It has all the intensity of dark themes such as abuse, manipulation, power, etc. but none of the comic relief. Like none. It's a dark book.
It starts simple enough. Alina finds out she has powers she unconsciously suppress her whole life. Darkling takes her, kicking and screaming, to his palace to let her train. It's like a training montage for at least a third of the book. Then things get interesting.
The writing is pretty simple. There's lots of Tell and not Show. It made the book a quick read. I don't like flowery writing though, so it didn't bother me.
Overall, I think I enjoyed it?? It's a solid book. I can't help but want to add question marks when I say anything. It's not bad, but I'm left dazed. It was much more intense than I expected. And interesting.
I read other reviews saying the book is pretty basic. It makes me doubt my own opinion. Maybe the curtains are just blue, and the book was boring. All I know is it took me out of a reading slump and doubled down my awe that Leigh Bardugo doesn't shy away from intense themes. This book will stick with me for a while.
Also yay more SoC lore :)
Leigh Bardugo doesn't pull her punches, does she?
I can understand why so many people didn't like Shadow and Bone compared to Six of Crows. It has all the intensity of dark themes such as abuse, manipulation, power,
Spoiler
sexual assault (though it's only briefly touched on),It starts simple enough. Alina finds out she has powers she unconsciously suppress her whole life. Darkling takes her, kicking and screaming, to his palace to let her train. It's like a training montage for at least a third of the book. Then things get interesting.
The writing is pretty simple. There's lots of Tell and not Show. It made the book a quick read. I don't like flowery writing though, so it didn't bother me.
Overall, I think I enjoyed it?? It's a solid book. I can't help but want to add question marks when I say anything. It's not bad, but I'm left dazed. It was much more intense than I expected. And interesting.
I read other reviews saying the book is pretty basic. It makes me doubt my own opinion. Maybe the curtains are just blue, and the book was boring. All I know is it took me out of a reading slump and doubled down my awe that Leigh Bardugo doesn't shy away from intense themes. This book will stick with me for a while.
Also yay more SoC lore :)
I expected to dislike this book because I never liked Mansfield Park, but as a completionist, I had to read it. I'm glad I did! It might be my favorite of the series.
Fanny Price isn't quick-witted. She isn't bold. She gets caught every time she does something sneaky. In no way is she a traditional "strong woman" which makes her wholly and absolutely relatable.
I've never related to Lizzy Bennet-type characters who are bold and strong and know what they want. It's refreshing to come across Fanny Price here who does everything wrong, can't lie to save her life (or can she??), and who's been run roughshod over. But she still finds a quiet fierce strength to uncover the truth and learn to trust herself.
Also, I know what I said about Lizzy earlier, but I loved her cameos! It was wonderful seeing her in action. I loved the whole female empowerment vibe of the book. It's more enjoyable to me when the character development is about unlocking your own power, versus being strong and needing to prove it to everyone else.
Overall, I recommend the whole series! The books were easy reads and absolutely enjoyable.
Fanny Price isn't quick-witted. She isn't bold. She gets caught every time she does something sneaky. In no way is she a traditional "strong woman" which makes her wholly and absolutely relatable.
I've never related to Lizzy Bennet-type characters who are bold and strong and know what they want. It's refreshing to come across Fanny Price here who does everything wrong, can't lie to save her life (or can she??), and who's been run roughshod over. But she still finds a quiet fierce strength to uncover the truth and learn to trust herself.
Also, I know what I said about Lizzy earlier, but I loved her cameos! It was wonderful seeing her in action. I loved the whole female empowerment vibe of the book. It's more enjoyable to me when the character development is about unlocking your own power, versus being strong and needing to prove it to everyone else.
Overall, I recommend the whole series! The books were easy reads and absolutely enjoyable.
