Bardugo welcomes readers to the magical world of the Grishaverse

     In her New York Times-Bestselling book, Shadow and Bone, Leigh Bardugo introduces readers to the mystical world of the Grisha and the darkness that lurks under the surface of their world. Soon to be a Netflix original series, this first book in the Shadow and Bone Series is beloved by fans around the world and is only continuing its rise in popularity.
     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. 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.
     I've been wanting to read this book for years now, and with the Netflix show premiering soon I figured now was the perfect time to see what all the hype was about. This book took me on a whirlwind of emotions that made me understand why it’s such a fan favorite! 
     The world of Ravka and the Grisha was an interesting one to learn about and I think that Bardugo does a great job of building this world of elemental magic and political unrest. The characters were complex and I found myself loving and hating all of them at certain points of the story, so be prepared for a rollercoaster of emotions on the characterization front! While some parts of it were reminiscent of other YA books, I thought the storyline was well written and there are still many threads of the story left loose so that they can be continued in the next book!
     Listen, for me it was just one of those classic YA fantasies that you can’t help but really enjoy! If you’re looking for in depth character development and super detailed plot, you’re not going to find that here. However, if you’re a YA lover or just looking for something that brings you back to your YA loving days as a teenager, then this is a wonderful choice! Overall, I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

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