Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo  Genre: YA Fantasy and Adventure

Content (goodreads.com):

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.

Review:

The Grisha universe has quickly become one of my favorite magical worlds. I loved the worldbuilding and magic system. The different countries, languages, and traditions are so well thought out. I did have to get used to the technical terms—like army ranks and clothing descriptions—but once those were explained, they were easy to follow.

The characters are written beautifully, making them hard to read and figure out. Who can be trusted? Who can't? At the beginning, there wasn't even a clear good or bad. Alina felt like a really realistic character, complete with flaws and insecurities. She was believable, and I could understand how she acted and reacted as her identity changed and she had to adjust.

The book has two parts, and I think I liked the second part more—though both were really good, which is rare for me since I usually prefer one section over another. There's also a love triangle, and even though I had a clear favorite, it added tension and depth to the story, especially for a "heavy" fantasy.

Buchbuzz rating:

4.5/5 stars—a great fantasy book with a compelling plot and a magic system I love