Hello world! Today I'm going to share with you my book review of Shadow and Bone By: Leigh Bardugo. This book was absolutely breathtaking. Right after I finished the novel I was all over Tumblr fangirling. It is definitely my new favorite.
The book centers around an average girl named Alina Starkov who holds a power she never dreamed she had. She's never really fit in anywhere. Not with her best friend, Mal, who she grew up in an orphanage with or the first army where she works as a mapmaker. A dark force filled with man eating beasts, called the Shadow Fold, is ruining Ravka. When set on a mission to go into the Fold Alina reveals a power she never realized she had. Alina now joins the Darkling and the other grisha in the little palace to fulfill her legacy as the Sun Summoner.
This novel is all I could ever hope for from a book. For one thing it doesn't just start piling information and new terms on you, it's a gradual process which makes the story more enjoyable. The story was also extremely suspenseful. I was always sitting at the edge of my seat anticipating the character's next action. There was never any dull moment in the book and that's probably what I admired most.
The plot of this story was extremely intriguing. My eyes were glued to the page the whole time. When the twist came I found myself staying up the rest of the night just to complete this amazing novel.
The characters in the story were fantastic. I loved how Alina starts off as a naïve little girl, but soon grew strong and more independent. And of course the Darkling. He is by far my favorite character. He's attractive, seductive, and all together the perfect villain. He had me swooning and fangirling in all his scenes. The one character I did not like is Mal. He's completely oblivious to all feelings Alina has torwards him which is sooooo frustrating. Not to mention he's completely selfish. For example he lies about having seen Alina radiating the light, keeping her from living a life where she might actually belong. A character in the story that I also enjoyed was Genya. I love the bond they share and how she doesn't mind being friends with someone that has a higher social standing.
The writing was spectacular. All throughout the story Leigh Bardugo gave great and thorough descriptions which made it easy to imagine Ravka. Having the story told in Alina's PoV really helps to imagine the struggles she's going through. The romance is amazing. It has you constantly switching between the Darkling and Mal. This novel easily has one of my favorite love triangles.
After finishing this book I was obviously team Darkling. I recommend that everyone who stumbles upon this book that they read it. I'm not usually a big fantasy fan but this one really blew me away and left me at a loss for words. I guarantee you that this novel is one that will stay in your heart forever.
