Book Review, leigh bardugo, shadow and bone

Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Kathryn Cooper

Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Release Date: June 2012
Pages: 358
Series: The Grisha Trilogy #1
Source: library
5 Stars: I LOVED IT!!!

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.

My Thoughts:
I loved this book!! It was one of those reads where after I finished it I couldn’t stop thinking about it. The author created an imaginative, magical, and vivid world. It was not a world I’d like to visit though.

Alina had it rough through childhood as an orphan in this harsh world. I went on an emotional roller coaster for sure. I love those kind of reads. I don’t even know what to say without giving things away. I want you to read this book and discover this world for yourself. It’s great! I’ll tell you this: I cried tears of joy at one point which doesn’t usually happen when I read. It was the sweetest moment. I’ll have to choose this book for my book club to read so I can talk all spoilery about how wonderful it was!

The ending was great with enough closure to satisfy while leaving more to the story for the next installment. I can’t wait to read the next book!!! Is it really a year away?

Content Ratings: highlight between ( ) to view details
Sexual Content: mild with 1 short moderate ( some talk, kissing, moderate- kissing, necking, his hand up her skirt on thigh )
Language: mild ( a**-3, b****-1, h***-2 )
Violence: moderate ( fantasy animals attack, blood, death, injuries, hand to hand combat )

review 1
Reviewed by Kathryn Cooper
Creator of Clean Teen Fiction

Published by Kathryn Cooper

YA Author📚 Mom of 4 Boys🏃 Brain Tumor Fighter🏆 Member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints🌷

4 thoughts on “Book Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo”

  1. Laura- When I read your comment I was like “monsters? oh yeah.” So for me that was a small part. Yes, it is a dark read, but thankfully not all about monsters. It's 'dark' like some dystopian books but a fantasy. Have you read Divergent or Legend or Hunger Games? Those I would consider kind of 'dark' without a lot of happy scenes.

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