My Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Stars
Quotes to Remember:
“And there's nothing wrong with being a lizard either. Unless you were born to be a hawk.”
“Why can a Grisha possess but one amplifier? I will answer this question instead: What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men.”
“Thanks for being my best friend and making my life bearable.”
“People, particularly big men carrying big rifles, don't expect lip from a scrawny thing like me. They always look a bit dazed when they get it.”
“So I'd made my choice. I'd pushed my power down and held it there each day, with all my energy and will, without ever realizing it. I'd used up every bit of myself to keep that secret.”
“Like calls to like”
“If I told you I'm trying to save the world, would you believe me?”
My Review:
I have to admit going into Shadow and Bone I had really mixed expectations. I had heard that it isn't as good as the Six of Crows Duology but I was a little disappointed by Crooked Kingdom so I was hoping that it would be better than that. This did beat my expectations because it was definitely better, in my opinion, than Crooked Kingdom, but it did not quite live up to Six of Crows.
The world building in this book is simply amazing. I understand the Grishaverse much better than I did while reading the other books and I really appreciate that she took the time to explain the world yet it didn't feel overwhelming. I also have to say that I was immediately drawn to the characters. I did go back and forth a bit on some of them as I read the book and I'll get into that a little more in this review but I will really dive into it in my spoiler filled review.
Alina: Alina is the main character and really discovers herself and how badass she is throughout the book. It was really interesting to watch as her knowledge of the government grew along with ours as well as watching her learn more about herself and her past.
Mal: Oh Mal. I have mixed feelings on Mal and haven't truly decided how I feel about him yet.
The Darkling: Oh my. Oh my. Oh my. I can't say anything about him in a spoiler free way, but he's polarizing and I can't decide how I feel.
Publisher's Description:
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.
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