{Review} of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

GENRE: YA Fantasy
THEME: Magic
RECEIVED: Swap
AUTHORS BLOG: Leigh Bardugos Site

BLURB:

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:
Shadow and Bone seriously is my number one read of 2012 so far, I absolutely loved this book. The story, characters and plot were written so well and captivated me in every turn of the page.

Alina Starkov and her best friend Mal have been together since they were kids always have each other’s back and are now in the middle of the battlefield together. But when Mal is seriously injured in the Fold, Alina discovers a hidden power within her that catches the eye of the Grisha and the very powerful Darkling. She is suddenly taken into their world to help the Darkling battle the Volcra, the evil monsters who have brought darkness to their lands. With her new power of summoning the sun, she is the hope for the people, but what Alina doesn’t know is that the dangers are closer than she thinks.

Alina is a character that starts out as not being good at anything to becoming one powerful girl. She’s very stubborn but overall everyone seems to like her when she taken to where the Grishas study. She becomes immersed by the presence of her new teacher the Darkling; he stirs something not only in her heart but also in her magic. Their moments together were my favorite and I seriously loved the twist. But what I also enjoyed was that no matter what she missed her best friend Mal, he was that someone she always needed.

The Darkling, okay this guy is what you would call tall, dark, mysteriously handsome and scary powerful. He is full of mystery and when first introduced catches your attention right away. I couldn’t smile enough with how protective he becomes of Alina and how much I couldn’t figure this guy out! Let just say he will surprise you in every way.

Mal is not just the best friend of Alina but he’s the best tracker in all the land. He can find anything and is given a very difficult task to find something that will help a very power person. I loved his character as well, he may not be in a majority of the book but he’s extremely important both at the beginning and end. I liked his devotion to his friend and how no matter how far she was he still wanted to be with her.

Overall this book had it all, action, magic, characters that you will never forget and romance that will make that heart of yours skip a beat. Alina is someone all the readers can connect with; she takes chances and discovers her true self. The ending will take you for a whirlwind, and I didn’t expect what happened to actually happen. This is a fast pact read and a story that will keep you on the edge of your seat until your done. Don’t miss out on this great new fantasy series.

RECOMMENDATION:
This is a young adult story with everything you can ask for in a fantasy book. Fans of Kristin Cashore’s Graceling will love the originality of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

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