"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!