Review - Shadow and Bone

by Leigh Bardugo
publisher: Henry Holt & Co. BYR
date of publication: June 5, 2012
format: ARC
pages: 368
source: from the publisher for review
read it in: 2 days

From Goodreads:

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.

In Ravka, there is a place where only monsters dwell and mankind fears to tread.  The Fold is a place of nightmares and, unfortunately, Alina Starkov is part of the regiment assigned with the task of crossing it.  When things go horribly wrong on the journey across this dark wasteland, Alina is found to possess a miraculous gift that could turn back the tides of darkness.  As she undergoes training to become a member of the Grisha, the magical counterpart of Ravka's army, Alina learns that nothing is as it seems.  Will she claim her untapped power and, if so, at what cost?

The characters that make up Shadow and Bone are nothing short of spectacular, especially Alina.  She is a girl who knows what she wants and isn't one to suffer fools.  Even when she is essentially press-ganged into the Grisha fold, she still goes in on as many of her own terms as she possibly can, even going so far as to turn down what to her is an unearned advancement.  She possesses steely determination that left me very impressed with her as the book progressed.  Though she is, at times, self-deprecating and lacks confidence, she eventually grows and becomes a formidable opponent for those who would see her fail.  The Darkling, the mysterious leader of the Grisha, kept me guessing the entire time.  He is the perfect kind of mysterious for this book.  The shocks I experienced at his hands were nothing short of staggering.  As for Mal, I only wish there had been a bit more time to get to know him better.  I spent half the time he appeared being frustrated with him and the other half being intrigued.  I must know more!

I simply adored the world building that Leigh Bardugo accomplished in Shadow and Bone.  Her descriptions of Ravka swirl off the page and almost seem to hover before your very eyes.  I especially loved reading about the Little Palace, the site of Grisha headquarters.  The palace intrigue along with the descriptions of its structure were amazing and I couldn't get enough.  The writing itself was so riveting that I immediately wanted the rest of the series right then and there.  I am sure that I could have read them all back-to-back and been a happy camper.

Shadow and Bone is nothing short of extraordinary.  It has one of the most imaginative worlds I have read about in quite some time.  Its Russian flair made for an intriguing tone and the dangers described were simply chilling.  Chock full of action, magic, romance, and betrayal, Shadow and Bone will pull you in and won't let you go until the last word on the last page has been read.  This is one book that will demand your attention and will compel you to read it time and time again.  This reader just couldn't get enough!

Buy Shadow and Bone at the Following Locations:

Amazon / IndieBound / B&N / The Book Depository

Obligatory legal statement: This advance review copy was provided to me free of charge by the publisher.  No monetary compensation was received in exchange for this fair and unbiased review.