Summary of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
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.
*Summary from Amazon
Review
It's often been said that comparison is the thief of joy and that idea definitely applies to Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. I liked the book but not as much as Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. I know that if I'd read Shadow and Bone and the other books in the Grisha trilogy before I read the Six of Crows duology I probably would have liked it more because I wouldn't be comparing Bardugo's 2012 self to her 2015 and 2016 self. Since I can't go back in time, I guess I'll just have to deal with having read Six of Crows first.
My sister and I have a similar taste in books and both recommended Bardugo to each other at the same time. The difference was that I was suggesting she read Six of Crows, and she thought I would enjoy Shadow and Bone. If you decide to read Bardugo's books, which I highly recommend, you should without a doubt read them in order. I know the Six of Crows duology, while set in the same universe as the Grisha trilogy, follows different characters and can technically can be read first the way I did, but I think you'll find it more enjoyable to read them in the order they were written. I liked reading Shadow and Bone because I learned more about the country of Ravka and the Grisha powers as well as met new characters such as Mal. While I still love the characters and plot of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom better, reading Shadow and Bone let me see how much Bardugo has grown as a writer. I predicted the plot twist in Shadow and Bone but she was able to pull the wool over my eyes in Six of Crows.
I gave Shadow and Bone 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I'm currently a little over halfway through the next book in the trilogy, Siege and Storm.
My sister and I have a similar taste in books and both recommended Bardugo to each other at the same time. The difference was that I was suggesting she read Six of Crows, and she thought I would enjoy Shadow and Bone. If you decide to read Bardugo's books, which I highly recommend, you should without a doubt read them in order. I know the Six of Crows duology, while set in the same universe as the Grisha trilogy, follows different characters and can technically can be read first the way I did, but I think you'll find it more enjoyable to read them in the order they were written. I liked reading Shadow and Bone because I learned more about the country of Ravka and the Grisha powers as well as met new characters such as Mal. While I still love the characters and plot of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom better, reading Shadow and Bone let me see how much Bardugo has grown as a writer. I predicted the plot twist in Shadow and Bone but she was able to pull the wool over my eyes in Six of Crows.
I gave Shadow and Bone 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I'm currently a little over halfway through the next book in the trilogy, Siege and Storm.
