"Shadow and Bone" {by Leigh Bardugo} Book Review

Shadow and Bone

by, Leigh Bardugo

Book One of the Grisha Trilogy

356 Pages

Published: 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Reading Level Ages: 13 and up

Genre: Young Adult

BOOK SUMMARY

 "The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?" 

Watch the official book trailer!

                                                                  Our Star Rating....

 4 out of 5 stars!

 

About the Author:

Leigh Bardugo was born in Jerusalem but grew up in L.A. She was an only child. She attended Yale University and while there changed her major 22 times. Now she is in Hollywood, California. She is an author, lead singer in a band and a makeup artist. 

World Building:

Leigh used Russia as a foundation to create "Tsarpunk." She said, "The technology in steam punk transcends understanding and becomes, for all intents and purposes ... magical."

War Theme:

There is war between countries and war between the classes.

Upper class vs. peasants

Technology vs. Magic

Freedom vs. Slavery

King vs. Darkling

Grisha:

They have the magic power but not their freedom. They are essentially orphaned. Grisha means "watchful", but it also evokes "Geisha" which is beauty and secrecy. We thought that the Grisha used more of molecular science then magic. Their powers have limits.

The Fold:

Leigh said this, "The real story of Shadow and Bone began when I stood at the end of a darkened hallway sure that something with teeth was waiting for me in the dark."

SPOILER: The evil creatures were the men and women who died when The Fold was created. The light was sucked from their souls.

Alina Starkov:

She is a 17 year old orphaned girl. She is pragmatic and prickly. Her desire to belong effects her decisions. Alina had experienced all different classes in her life and had a good view on people and the situations they are in and how they feel. How do you feel about your talents? Alina experiences other Grisha and a necklace that amplify her power. People can be amplifiers in your life also just like Alina. Alina embraces her powers and who she is and becomes her best self. When you are in your element you portray your best self also. Alina didn't ever have that sense of being better than others because of the experiences she had growing up. This made her empathetic to everyone's situation.  

Genya:

We thought in our heads that she would look like the Mad Men star Christina Hendricks. She perfected her looks through skill but also with her power. Do you think Alina is her only friend? Some of us thought that maybe she has more power then she is letting on. Why do you think David doesn't reciprocate her feelings? Do you think it is because of her reputation or that he is just blind to her flirting or maybe he is really shy? We think she likes him because he doesn't pay attention to her like all the other men. When the king becomes ill do you think she had anything to do with it? Like giving him a poison because afterwards she is rewarded and given a higher rank in the Grisha. Is she a friend or an enemy? We will have to find out in the next books.

The Apperat:

He is the king's priest. The Darkling suggested that the Apperat had "his uses". We will have to wait and see in the next books what he meant by that. Is the Apperat on the Darkling's side? Or is he only there for himself. He said that being worshipped like a saint can be dangerous. "Faith" is the most dangerous thing to the fold and the Darkling.

Mal:

Yeah...sigh... let's talk about Mal. What a sweetheart! He is attractive, confident, and the most talented tracker. What ways did his character mature in the book? When his two friends were killed in battle it changed him. I think he thought they were invincible and that was a strong reality that made him see the fragility of life.  He felt responsible for Alina and not knowing what happened to her when she was taken really killed him. He was suddenly worried about someone other than himself. It was an awakening to his feelings for her. His urge to protect her and love her were stronger than ever. If you have the paperback version of the book there is a letter from Mal to Alina that she never gets. Also we think that Mal has got to be Grisha in some way. He has to talented a gift with the earth, sensing life, and finding
things for it to be normal.

The Darkling:

Did you see his true plan? I was totally gullible and believed him. But there were some in our group that saw through his charm. Even for a while a lot of us wanted Alina to be with him. He seemed like the best match for her for a while. Do you think he really has feelings for her or was he just using her the whole time? We thought that his feelings for Alina surprised him. That he wanted to just use her but wanted her at the same time. It might have been because their powers were drawn to each other. He is ambitious, driven and prideful. Who do you think his dad is? The Darkling and his mother are amplifiers but what was his mother's other power? The Darkling had this mysterious, bad boy image that a lot of girls are attracted to.
Why do you think it is that makes us attracted to the "Bad Boy".

Morozova's Stag:

The scene where Mal and Alina find the stag reminded us of the scene in "Snow White and the Huntsman" when Snow White meets her white stag. There are many other movies and books that have this type of Stag in it. The Stag symbolizes strength, grace, and leadership. How does the Stag symbolize Mal? They both had their life saved by Alina. They both amplified Alina's power. Her love for Mal and the necklace made of the Stag. Plus the Stag only emerged after they kissed in the grove. And only Mal could find the Stag. Mercy ended up being the ultimate power.  The Stag and Mal were linked.

The Broken Cup:

"The fragile cup she thought was beyond repair." But when Mal came home she realized it and she could be fixed. That is what the scar on her hand reminds her of. That Mal was her strength so that she could be fixed.

The Future:

2nd book in the Grisha Trilogy is out already and is called "Siege and Storm" and the 3rd book comes out in 2014 called "Ruin and Rising".  Movie rights have also been bought by the Harry Potter producers. Let's cross our fingers that they will turn this awesome book into a movie.

Leigh Bardugo:

Leigh Skyped with us after book club and can I just say that she is one fabulous woman?!  We loved reading her book and loved that she would take the time to chat with us, it was a Delicious Reads highlight for sure!

Check out our Q&A with Leigh HERE!

Content Categories                     Ratings

Language/Profanity                    None

Sexuality                                       Mild

Violence                                         Moderate

Drug/Alcohol Use                         None

Intense/Scary Scenes                 Moderate

Don't forget to look at our book club photos from this fantastic evening!

Interview with Leigh Bardugo about "Shadow & Bone"

It all started with Instagram...

I was posting a couple of "teaser" photos on Instagram of the amazing decor we had set up for Shadow and Bone when I tagged Leigh in my comments so that she could see what fun things we were doing for her book.

I casually checked my account a couple of hours later not only to see that Leigh had made a comment on our photo (I may have done a little jig) BUT that she kindly offered to Skype into our meeting! 

My phone may have flew out of my hands because I started jumping up and down....maybe. 

A little about Leigh:

"Leigh Bardugo was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. These days, she lives in Hollywood, where she indulges her fondness for glamour, ghouls, and costuming in her other life as makeup artist L.B. Benson. Occasionally, she can be heard singing with her band, Captain Automatic.

She is the author of the New York Times Best Sellers, Shadow & Bone and Siege and Storm (Holt Children’s/ Macmillan). The final book in the Grisha Trilogy, Ruin and Rising, will be published in 2014. She is represented by Joanna Stampfel-Volpe of New Leaf."
(source: http://www.leighbardugo.com/about/)

INTERVIEW

Leigh Skyped in with us around 9:30 p.m. and since it was late in the evening, we decided to start with some warm-up questions that have to do with Leigh's love for makeup!

Q: What is your favorite makeup item that you can get at the drug store?

A: Drugstore - Loreal Voluminous Mascara - many professional makeup artists use this mascara
Sephora - d. j. v. beautenizer Fiberwig Mascara has excellent staying power, and makes your lashes look amazing! 

Q: What are some other makeup items you are excited about?

A: Cruella by NARS Costmetics (a red velvet matte lip pencil/lipstick)

And I'm about to try Lime Crime's opaque lipstick--mainly the red shades.  I've heard good things!

Q: What is your favorite question you've ever been asked regarding the Grisha series, and will you answer it for us?

A: I think it would have to be, 'If it were the 21st century and the Grisha gang were together at college, what would they read/listen to?"

It was fun to picture the gang in sweaters, in fall-time at college.

*Teaser: One specific character in "Siege and Storm" (the 2nd book in the Grisha Trilogy) would be a David Bowie fan, but you'll have to read it to find out who!
Speaking of David Bowie, there are some fun parallels between the Goblin King & the Darkling, as well as Sarah & Alina. Labyrinth fans, this one's for you...

(source: http://gosusango.com)

Q: Did the Darkling ever really had feelings for Alina?

A: *chuckle* If I wanted you to know that, I would have made it obvious...I want you to wonder about different character's motives.  I want you to wonder about the Darkling's motives, and decide for yourselves by the end of the trilogy whether his feelings are really real. 

Q: What order of Grisha would you be and what would you specialize in?

A: 1st Thought: Heartrender - Well, I would like to say that I would be a Heartrender, because I am naturally a blood-thirsty person.  I love the idea of if someone was boring you in a conversation, you could just make them fall asleep.

2nd Thought, Fabrikator - Because I am not suited to combat, and because I'd like to be left alone in my workshop.  I would work in solace with metals and glass.

3rd Thought, I am definitely more of a word person than a visual person.  Unfortunately there is no Grisha order that crafts words.

Q: What does Mal look like?

A: He looks hot, he looks very hot.  Mal has blue eyes and brown hair. He is traditionally good looking, however, not beautiful like the Darkling.  

*Leigh likes this fake magazine cover created by a fan, and thinks that he looks a lot like Mal…

Image Source

Q: We are wondering who might the Darkling's father be?

A: By the end of book 3, you are going to know a lot more about the Darkling's past, and you will learn his true name.  SPOILER: It's not Doug or Toby!

Q: Kill - Makeout With - Marry : The Darkling - Mal - Botkin???!
A: **giggles ensue**  You do realize Botkin's pretty OLD, right?!  I challenge you to read "Siege and Storm" and see if you rephrase this question!

Q: Our book club read "Mistborn" by Brandon Sanderson last year.  "Shadow and Bone" echoed to us elements that we love about the Mistborn series by Brandon Sanderson.  Are you familiar with the Mistborn series?

A: I have not read the Mistborn series.  The only thing I have read by Brandon Sanderson is "The Rithmatist" which I really loved.  I am not familiar with the Mistborn series.  I try not to read a ton of fantasy while I'm writing fantasy, it sort of gets into my head and I start to feel intimidated, honestly.  If it's bad fantasy, no problem.  I will get to it eventually, it's on the list.

 Q: Have you been able to travel to Russia or Eastern Europe, and if so, what things were you inspired by most?

A: No, I haven't gotten to go, but I will probably make a pilgrimage there in about a year or two.  I am going to Tuscany soon!

Q: Do you have a writing ritual?

A: I can't work on a new draft without new notebook.  I have some cafes that I likes to work in.  I also become a hermit when I am finishing something! (more info about her writing ritual can be found here: http://moonlightbookreviews.com/?p=2617)     

Q: What  upcoming book or recently released books are you excited about reading? (NOTE: this question was asked on September 3, 2013)

A: "Vicious" by VE Schwab (available September 24. 2013)

"Allegiant" by Veronica Roth

"The Waking Dark" by Robin Wasserman (became available September 10, 2013)

"Unbreakable" by Kami Garcia (became available August 27, 2013)

Q: Do you have any suggestions of books for our club to read?

A:"The Coldest Girl in Coldtown" by Holly Black

"Scorpio Races" by Maggie Stiefvater

"Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

"Howls Moving Castle" by Diana Wynne Jones (great middle grader book)

"Jellicoe Road" by Melina Marchetta

Q: What are you reading right now?

A: Nonfiction economics to help with a current project.

Leigh also enjoys/has enjoyed reading: 

-The works of George R. R. Martin - author of "A Game of Thrones" & the "Song of Ice and  Fire" series

-The "Seven Realms" novels by Cinda Williams Chima

-The "Attolia" series by Megan Whalen Turner

Leigh is a big fan of Historical Fiction, namely: 

"The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America" by Erik Larson

Leigh also likes to fall asleep listening to Agatha Christie books! (very apropos considering Delicious Reads' pick for Oct.!) 

Q: What is your favorite book?

A: "Carter Beats the Devil" by Glen David Gold 

"Filled with historical references that evoke the excesses and exuberance of Roaring Twenties pre-Depression America, Carter Beats the Devil is a complex and illuminating story of one man's journey through a magical and sometimes dangerous world, where illusion is everything." - Amazon.com

Leigh says to find her online at Twitter and talk to her about this book after reading it.

…shall we add this to our lineup of books to read next year, Delicious Reads Book members? (We DID end up reading this in 2014, see our AMAZING book club meeting photos!)

Leigh's Favorite children's books:

"Many Moons" by James Thurber 

"A Swiftly Tilting Planet" by Madeline L'Engle

*We would like to give a big "Thank You" to Leigh for staying up late, sharing some giggles, and letting us pick her brain!  The next time we watch "Labyrinth," we'll be thinking of you :)

Don't forget to check out all of our pictures from our Shadow and Bone book club meeting and see what we did to bring this fabulous book to life!

"Shadow & Bone" {by Leigh Bardugo} Book Club Ideas

My first thoughts upon reading the first chapter of Shadow and Bone...

"I want to own a kefta... in every color – including black. I want to attend The Little Palace and gawk at the Darkling and wonder what dark things he's up to.

Oh Mal...you can track me anyday.

:)

By the end of the book...

"I need Siege and Storm! I need to start reading it IMMEDIATELY!!! Ahhhhhh, this book is SO good!!"

Let's talk about our book club meeting and what we did to make "Shadow and Bone" jump off the pages...

(If only we could have figured out how to get the Darkling and Mal to jump out the book!)

Before and after shot of my living room with book club



The food table

Entryway table

More decor touches

The book themed Menu:

You can make some of our special dishes for yourself by simply downloading the recipes below!

BEEF STROGANOFF

BUTTERWEEK ALMOND CAKE

AND, as an additional BONUS FREEBIE, you can download an absolutely beautiful, amazing and DELICIOUS digital "Shadow and Bone Cookbook" created by Chef Elle Jauffret.

I contacted Elle Jauffret who gave me permission to share a sample of her S&B cookbook that can be downloaded HERE. 

I hope that Elle and I can work together in the future because she loves to take books to the next level just like we tend to do!

A little more about Elle:

Born and raised in France, Elle Jauffret left her native country in search of adventure with the only certainty that she would become either a lawyer or a writer. She is the author of the James Normal series (middle grader mysteries) She lives in California with her family where she entertains a growing following with a Facebook blog in which food and original fiction are tightly entwined. 

More details

A few of us dressed up in our own versions of keftas for the meeting while everyone else wore the Grisha colors, Red, Blue, Purple and Black!

Bethany was in charge of Moderating again and BOY did she did a fantastic job!! She turned my house into a Russian winter scene right out the book and created the most amazing presentation that allowed her to jump in and out of the Ravka map to show us different things!
She used an online presentation site called PREZI that allowed her to do this.

You can view Bethany's presentation for Shadow and Bone HERE

We held a drawing for a couple fun prizes and Angie and Brittanie were the lucky winners!

Angie won a copy of "Siege and Storm" and a gorgeous Stag Necklace! (shown below)
And Brittanie won the most adorable set of Russian Doll measuring cups along with a Shadow and Bone Soundtrack that Bethany made.
(More soundtrack info below)



This necklace can also be found here

FREEBIE BELOW!

This is the playlist that Bethany put together for Shadow and Bone! She researched Leigh Bardugo's favorite music, she added in a few that she thought went well with the book and ended the soundtrack with a song written by Leigh herself!

I created this playlist printable that can easily be downloaded for your own personal use.
I also created a blank version so you can add in your own text for whatever you decide to create with it!

DOWNLOAD ORIGINAL SHADOW AND BONE PLAYLIST HERE

DOWNLOAD BLANK VERSION HERE

Don't forget to check out Leigh's Pinterest page where you will find tons of awesome fan art, book inspiration and other clothing and imagery ideas for her books!

These were two of my favorites!

 Thank you again Leigh for commenting on our Instagram photo and finding the time to Skype with us at book club, you made our  night and made us giggle, what more could we ask for?!

Read our Skyped Q&A with Leigh HERE

Read our official book review HERE