Review: Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy #1)
Author: Leigh Bardugo

Hardcover, 358 pages

Published June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) 

 

 Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.   (From Goodreads)

*contains some spoiler, read at your own risk*  =)

Wow!!! Words cannot describe how much I loved this book. After seeing so much hype about Shadow and Bone, I finally got my hands on a copy and it just blew me away. Leigh Bardugo! You are AWESOME! =)  I was sucked into this story from the beginning to the very end, gripping the covers of the book in anticipation, wondering what would happen next. The Grisha world, and characters were beautifully written with such creativity and imagination. I really like how descriptive Bardugo was when describing the land of Ravka, the Vy, and the Fold. The Fold straight up sounds creepy and scary ass hell! 

I love the three main characters in this book, Alina, Mal, and the Darkling. Alina is the type of heroine who never backs down. That is something I admire about her. Her character grows throughout the book and even though shes strong-willed, you get to see the softer and vulnerable side to her as well. 

Mal, in the beginning I didn't really like him. But as the story progressed, my heart soften for him. He's the best friend anyone would want. He is a strong, brave, and extremely loyal person to those he care about. He never gave up on Alina even when he was pissed off at her. There is definitely more to him and meets the eye. 

The Darkling, gosh, I can go on and on about him. I LOVE him!!!! He is charming, sexy, mysterious, strong, scary...etc... His character is so well written and I couldn't believe what happened in the story!!!  Seriously! I rooted for him since the beginning of the book and even after finding out that he was the villain and just wanted to use Alina and her powers, I still couldn't help but continue to root for  him. The more he was turning into the villain, the more excuses I would try to come up with for his behavior. I really do believe he still has true feelings for Alina. I hope that in the next book we can see more of the Darkling and hopefully *cross fingers* he will redeem himself in Alina's eyes.

This book is definitely one of my favorite reads of 2012. Would recommend it to everyone. The next book to this amazing Grisha Trilogy,  Siege and Storm is expected to come out some time in 2013!   =)