Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone is the first book in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, a Young Adult High Fantasy Series by Leigh Bardugo. It is set in the fantasy world of Ravka which is divided into two parts by the ‘Shadow Fold’- a place where light never reaches. The Shadow Fold also houses the ‘Volcra’- the savage creatures which feed on human flesh. Ravka is constantly at war with two other nations- Fjerda and Shu Han, which forms the political side of the story’s plot.

Alina Starkov and Malyan Oretsev, the orphans who are taken in by a wealthy Duke of Ravka, have been a part of each other's lives since their childhood. They’ve been taught everything there is about the Grisha- the ones with the ability to manipulate the natural elements. At a young age, all children are assessed by Grisha to find out if they have the abilities. Neither Alina nor Mal were discovered as Grisha. So, they continue their childhood at the duke’s place with Ana Kuya as their caretaker.

Ravka has two armies- the First Army, comprised of Otkazat'sya soldiers, the orphans( Otkazat’sya meaning abandoned), and the Second Army, comprised of trained Grisha. Mal and Alina's purpose is to join the first army and serve Ravka. Through the years, Mal grows up to be a handsome, talented young man who gains attention for his amazing tracking skills. Whereas, Alina being not exceptional at anything takes the role of one of the cartographers in the vast army of Ravka.

Their regiment attempts to cross the Shadow Fold as the last step to join the First Army. When Mal’s life is put in danger due to attacks by the volcra, Alina somehow conjures a blinding light that rescues him, and she is brought before the mysterious Darkling. She is declared as the Sun Summoner who is supposed to destroy the Shadow Fold end the nightmare once and for all.

From there on things start to take a turn in Alina’s simple life. She has to leave Mal behind and get accustomed to a new life with Grisha. Tossed into a new unknown world, Alina has to figure out who to trust, and most importantly how to survive in this world full of magic, deception and lies.

Shadow and Bone is a soul-gripping novel that successfully pulls readers deep into its plot, burdens them with a bucket load of varying emotions, and makes a promise to never let them go.

To the ones, who already read the book, it is common knowledge that the inspiration of the setting is taken from Russian aesthetics. Honestly, the exposition of the completely new world, the Grishaverse, was not clear at the beginning, but as we dive into the story, Leigh Bardugo successfully manages to introduce the various elements of the world subtly.

The coming-of-age novel is targeted at teenagers. The story is told from Alina’s Point of view. At the beginning of the story, we are acquainted with Alina’s secretive feelings for her childhood best friend Mal. She is constantly jealous of the attention he pays to other beautiful women of their age and is conflicted about harbouring such feelings towards him. Without mentioning major spoilers, it is safe to say that, as we venture further into the story, her feelings only get more complicated.

Overall, it is a Young Adult High Fantasy Novel that manages to enthral its readers and captivate them with its amazing writing, setting, and plot. It has a dramatic ending which creates an air of eagerness to instantly pick up the next book to continue their journey with the Grishaverse.

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