Britney's Review of Shadow and Bone

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Publication Date: June 5, 2012

Summary: 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 rating: 5/5 Stars!

My Review:

Wow, I loved this book. The whole world was something new and interesting for me to read about. Leigh Bardugo did an amazing job of setting up the world, and made this whole complicated system of the Grisha and everything so simple to understand. For me there was no part of the book were I was bored, it just kept going and going and I couldn't stop reading. 

I really loved seeing Alina go from this little girl who was just a simple mapmaker, to this powerful girl who may be able to save her country. I honestly didn't see the sort of twist coming either. I was just reading and like wow this books is wonderful and then BAM everything got flipped upside down for me, but I LOVED IT. 

I know nearly everybody hates Mal, and loves the Darkling but I felt the opposite! I went into the book like, oh gosh I'm going to fall in love with this evil Darkling. But I didn't, I just wasn't able to get past the things he did, and Mal just had a special place in my heart. He was Alina's best friend, and she had loved him for so long. I wanted them to finally be together and be happy, so yes I have to say I'm Team Mal.