Author: Leigh Bardugo
Book One Description:
"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.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy."
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.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy."
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publish Date: June 5th 2012
My goodness guys this was so good! I easily could have finished it in one sitting if I had the time. The world building was incredible and the plot was engaging and addicting. And I loved the characters. And I love when there's a bad guy that I can't help but love, and was so pleased to see one here. Just, amazing, the book definitely deserves all the hype.
5/5 Stars
Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publish Date: January 1st 2013
Ok, seriously, I didn't think it was possible, but I think I liked Siege and Storm even more than Shadow and Bone. Alina is such a badass, Darkling remains to be dark and alluring, Mal is angry, and we get to met some awesome new characters. And I think I'm in love with Nikolai, scratch that, I know I am. He's easily my favorite character. We get to see some amazing character development. And there's plenty of action to keep you flying through the pages. I finished the 435 page book in one day.
5/5 Stars
Title: Ruin and Rising
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publish Date: January 1st 2014
An epic conclusion to a phenomenal trilogy. Ruin and Rising made me both cry and laugh out loud over and over again. There's so much heart wrenching tragedy, but there's also plenty of witty sarcastic dialogue that had me giggling like a mad woman. They characters were all so beautifully flawed and complex. The good guys had dark sides, the bad guys had sparks of humanity. I just loved them all so much. But especially Nikolai, Bardugo could write a 800 page novel of just Nikolai and I would finish it in a day. I also really loved the Russian influences here. As a kid Anastasia was my favorite movie, and I've been intrigued by the Russian culture ever since
5/5 Stars
Parting Thoughts: This Trilogy Captivated my heart from page one of Shadow and Bone, and still has it even after the last page of Ruin and Rising. This trilogy gets a lot of hype, and all of it is well earned. This is one of new favorite series ever now.
Oh dear. Everyone seems to love this series and eventually I think I'm going to have to try it as well. I'm just not a fan of high fantasy, but everyone keeps saying that this is an extraordinarily good read. I'm so conflicted.
ReplyDeleteThe first book, Shadow and Bone is shorter than the second two. I say, see if you can borrow a copy from a friend or the library, and give it a shot. If you somehow don't love it, nothing lost! :)
DeleteI'll be honest and say that I only read the first review on here because I didn't want to accidentally read any spoilers. I've been meaning to read this trilogy for awhile now, but it's got shuffled around in my TBR pile. I always enjoy the novels where there's a bad guy that you're supposed to despise but you can't help be obsessed/in love with/drawn too.
ReplyDeleteI make sure I write my series reviews spoiler free, because that would defeat the purpose in my mind. I've read one too many series reviews where huge plot twists for earlier books are revealed. It means the reviews have to be less thorough than I would like, but I think its worth it! :)
DeleteAnd it seems that a lot of people are a bit in love with this trilogy's bad guy. He's definite very bad, there's no doubt about it, but damn if he's not alluring as hell. I'd say next time you're at a loss for what to read next, pick up Shadow and Bones!
I've been wanting to check out this series for the longest time. Believe it or not, I actually bought Shadow and Bone the day that it came out. Yet, I still haven't read it! I really need to get on it. Perhaps I'll marathon the books?
ReplyDeleteKrystianna @ Downright Dystopian
Marathoning it is a must! I absolutely adored the trilogy!
DeleteI haven't read Ruin & Rising yet, but I am hoping to get my hands on it soon. I think that I am afraid to finish the series because I love it so much. Great reviews!
ReplyDeleteI definitely know that feeling! But, you can always reread them and experience the world all over again! :)
Delete