Shadow and Bone: Review by Krishna Jaswal

Shadow and Bone

Krishna Jaswal

Summary 

        Leigh Bardugo’s first book of a trilogy, Shadow and Bone was published on June 5 2012, it follows Alina Starkov, a teenage orphan, in the Kingdom of Ravka as she learns she may be more powerful than she thought. Growing up, after the war took Alina’s family and hometown, all she has wanted is to fit in, a place she could call home. Her childhood best friend Malyen Oretsev, on the other hand, is popular and fits in wherever he goes. However the two have stuck together and now make their way through the Fold. 

        The Fold, also referred to as the Unsea, is a perpetually dark strip of land that cuts most of Ravka off from the sea and other resources. During the journey Mal is attacked by Volcra, a monster that roams in the Fold and feeds on humans. Alina displays an extraordinarily rare Grisha talent she never knew she had in the process of saving Mal. Grisha are different, blessed with powers that can manipulate elements to use as weapons, making them stronger than a normal person in the Grisha universe. And in Alina’s case she can summon light, making her the first sun summoner in a very long time and the only one who can ever even think about destroying the Fold. 

        Rushed to the capital, Os Atla, because the leader of the Grisha, the Darkling, claims she's at risk to be assassinated because of her power. After deciding to stay in the capital with the other Grisha, she struggles to fit in again. She has trouble unlocking her true power, which she comes to learn that subconsciously she has been suppressing her power since childhood to fit in, to be normal. Now that causes problems for her when trying to unlock her power. With her instructor Bagrha, she finally learns how to use her power. The Darkling explains to Alina that if they capture a Mozorove magical stag that is extremely hard to track down, it could amplify her powers and help destroy the Fold. However, Bagrha seems to have other plans for Alina, telling her that she must flee from the capital. 

        The Darkling turns out to be hundreds of years old and was the one who created the fold. He has been manipulating Alina, trying to use her power to expand his own powers. The Darkling plans to harness Alina’s power with the Mozorove magical stag and expand the Fold to destroy the world. Conflicted with how much has happened in the last few days, Alina choses to trust Bagrha and flee. Two weeks into her flight, Alina is saved by none other than Mal. Alina, with Mal by her side, decides to find the magical stag before the Darkling does.

        Alina Starkov’s life changed within seconds just because she decided to save her best friend and now she must find a magical creature to stop the Darkling and much more along the way.

Review and Rating 

        Shadow and Bone is an easy to follow and well written novel. It is the first book in a trilogy. It really shines light on how power can be desirable and frightening at the same time. As much as Alina wants to save the world, she also wants to go back to her old life with Mal. In this novel power is tangible, like a living thing. Power feeds the Grisha with strength, authority, beauty, and long lives. However with such a sudden discovery of her powers, it can be frightening to Alina. The author really shows this through her writing and Alina’s actions. Her journey throughout the novel shows that she tries to fit in and accept her powers, which is one of the key aspects of the book. I believe that Shadow and Bone is an amazing book to read if you’re looking for something new or if you have read some of Leigh Bardugo’s other books and want to explore more! I give it a 9/10!!

        There is also a Netflix remake of the book, I haven’t watched it but if reading isn't your cup of tea you could always watch the show instead if this book seems interesting to you!