2 Bloggers 1 Series - Shadow and Bone

 

I'm sure there are tons of people out there starting this series in anticipation of the new Netflix series releasing later this month.  Well, you might say Stormi and I hopped on that bandwagon as well.  So read on to see what I thought about the first book and then hop over to Stormi's  at Books, Movies, Reviews! Oh My! to see what she thought.

TITLE: Shadow and Bone (Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1)

AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo

PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Compant

PUBLISHING DATE: June 5, 2012

PAGES: 358

SOURCE: Own library

 

FROM GOODREADS: 

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.

MY THOUGHTS: I've always been curious about this series and actually bought all three on sale in ebook form at one time or another where they proceeded to sit on my Kindle for years.  So I guess the Netflix series has at least motivated me to start reading them which I guess it good.  

Overall I could say I wasn't overwhelmed with the first book.  Alina and her friend Mal grow up in an orphanage and then enter the military.  One day while crossing the dark and treacherous Fold, they are attacked and in order to save Mal, who she has secretly been in love with since children, she unleashes a powerful, blinding light.  Once this happens, Alina becomes the center of attention for the leader of the Grisha, the Darkling.  She is immediately enamored with him but can he be trusted? And being forced to leave Mal behind, will they ever reunite.

So I'll admit it.  For a hot minute I was under the Darkling's spell.  And I STILL wish I had his "boom clap" power.  However, my love affair ended quickly when his true colors, mostly black, begin to show.  I mean, he's not called the Darkling for nothing right?  Alina was an okay protagonist but I believe she has "special snowflake" syndrome except in her case it's "annoying low self esteem special snowflake" syndrome.  If I had to listen to how plain she looks or how thin she is much longer, I'd have gagged.

All and all I did enjoy the story but didn't find it spectacular.  I also felt that for at least 70% of the book, nothing really happened.  I am curious about what happens next so I believe I'll pick up the next book sometime soon.  I've heard lots of people hate Mal as well so I need to know what awful thing he does.

RATING: 3 Paws