Alina and Mal have been best friends since they arrived at the orphanage they grew up at, alone and both ignored by their new caretakers. Years later, they belong to the same regiment ordered to pass through the Shadow Fold that splits their country of Revka. The journey proves to be dark and treacherous when Mal is attacked by the flesh-eating monsters that reside there. When Alina saves him by awakening a power she didn't know she had, she is swept away from Mal and her regiment to the glittering world of court and political intrigue. She's told that she will be Revka's savior, but she's only just beginning to understand the dark forces at work in the kingdom. Leigh Bardugo's fantasy debut is dark and mysterious, full of manipulations, dark secrets, and unexpected romance. Bardugo begins the book with an enchanting prologue that will hook readers within the first page. The fantasy world is richly-drawn and vivid, full of cultural elements inspired by the Imperial Russian era. The relationships between the various characters are well-depicted; the friendship between Mal and Alina is strong and solid in the face of Alina’s newly discovered power, the chemistry between Alina and the mysterious Darkling is beguiling, and the various allies that Alina makes throughout the book each have their own complications and hidden pasts. The action in this book is well-paced and tense, but not without the occasional moment of levity, making Shadow and Bone an easily likable and readable book that races to a dramatic conclusion, and demands that the sequel, Siege and Storm, be on hand upon completion. Bardugo’s unique world and brand of magic should not be missed.
Cover Comments: I like this cover a lot! The colors are wonderful, and I like how the swirl designs suggest antlers--a very important plot element! Beautiful.
Siege and Storm will be out June 4th, 2013!
ARC provided by publisher.
4 comments:
Um, you're not the last person. I am. I have yet to read this book. And my hand hovered over it at the bookstore. I should have bought it!! Now I need to get read.
At least it's out in paperback now! And if you read it, you won't have to wait a year for a sequel!
I haven't read it either, but glad to see a good review! Sounds like it needs to jump to the top of the TBR list!
I had no idea that this book was becoming a movie. It has been on my list for forever! Now I will have to get reading. Awesome review. :)
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