Len spends most of her time ruminating on her writings that never made it to paper; keeps sane by reading books and listening to music. She reviews most of them out of love and the joy of it.
Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)by Leigh Bardugo
June 5, 2012: Henry Holt and Co.
June 5, 2012: Henry Holt and Co.
"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.Review
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."
This is a fresh and exciting new story written by Leigh Bardugo. The world she created wherein magic appears to be hauntingly beautiful; can be a curse, a gift, or perhaps both.
I love how the characters were written, and their characters unfold throughout the story. The readers get to feel Alina’s transformation from an orphan to the protege of the mysterious Darkling. I would love to know more about Alina’s background in the next book.
The Darkling is a very interesting character. He is not called Darkling for nothing. At the end of the book, I wanted to know more about him because I know there’s more to him than where things left off in the story. But yes, he is oozing with darkness.
Alina’s bestfriend, Mal is the closest person she has as family. She and Mal grew up in the same orphanage, and was together when Alina’s power emerged. He proved to be very significant in Alina’s life. And perhaps he will prove to be important than expected in the next book. I think that there’s more to Mal than Leigh is still letting us know.
The country of Ravka that Leigh Bardugo created is created. From the people, structure, to the very culture it holds. The Grishas are like the equivalent of sorcerers. They are included in Ravka’s military, but if I can remember correctly some are also integrated in various areas of their society. The political unrest too, internally and externally, in the story is good as well. If you think wielding magic have given Grishas power, well they don’t.
All-in-all, I would highly recommend this to readers who like fantasy (and maps!). I certainly enjoyed reading this book and I am looking forward to the next one, Siege and Storm!
