Shadow and Bone

"What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men."

5 STARS

OKAY THIS BOOK MAN, THIS BOOK IS THE BEST BOOK I HAVE READ INAGES If you know me at all, you know that I love Russian folklore and wish there were more YA books about it that are not cheesy and gross and need a ton of editing (I won't say which book I'm thinking of because it brings back way too many horrible memories). This book blended just enough of Imperial Russia with fantasy elements with magic with beautiful writing and it was GLORIOUS. Now on to my review. CHARACTERS Alright, I think that the characters in this book were the most relatable, most real characters I've read in a fantasy book in quite a long while. Not that I'm saying I don't love Celaena and Dorian from Sarah Maas' Throne of Glass because truly I love them, but Alina and Mal were just wonderful and tangible in my head. Alina Starkov, the main character of this book, is one badass girl, she just doesn't know it yet. She showed tremendous character development throughout the entire book, learning to grow with her power and set it free, but also what it means to love someone and what it means to be manipulated. I loved her thoughts, though I thought that sometimes the words she used, like 'shut up' and 'crazy' seemed a little out of place for me, but I'm also used to reading the sort of elevated language that comes with fantasy novels, and this is kind of mash up of historical fiction and fantasy, with Imperial Russia as a touchstone. Now, I'm in no way saying that the writing is not elevated, it is, it just has more realistic language thrown in the mix. Anyway, Alina was a really nice character that had her struggles and development and shining moments and I really, really loved reading this book mostly because I felt that she was so relatable and I could imagine myself in her shoes. And then there's the Darkling. OKAY I KNEW HE WAS GOING TO BE A BASTARD, BUT I DIDN'T EVEN THINK IT WOULD GO THIS FAR. The Darkling is leader of the Second Army, which is built up of Grisha who are the magical people of Rafka (think Russia, but different). He is ruthless, manipulative, and unnervingly good looking. He is a living amplifier for Grisha magic, i.e. he can expand a Grisha's range from just turning a small tide to changing the current of an entire sea. After finding Alina and bringing her to the royal court, he then insists on her training and things get a bit complicated between Alina and the Darkling, but I won't spoil anyone. Let's just say he's a lying snake and needs to be dead within the next book, though I know that would be far too easy. Lastly, Mal. Known as the Tracker, he can 'make rabbits out of rocks' and is a fascinating character. Being Alina's best friend, she knows him and he knows her perfectly, except for the fact that Alina has been in love with him for the better part of her life. We don't see a lot of Mal in this book until the later third of it, but then everything falls into place. He's sweet, compassionate, and treats Alina well as well as being funny and seemingly adaptable to any situation. There are many other characters in this book that I could go on about like beautiful Genya, but I don't have enough time or energy, so just know that I love them all, mostly. PLOT The main point of this book series is destroying the Fold, a divide in Ravka that stretches across the Western side of the country. It is full of darkness and volcra, creatures similar to dragons (though I imagined them similar to pterodactyls but with bat-like wings) and was created by the Black Heretic generations ago. We start with Alina and Mal with their regiment trying to cross it, then end with as well, coming to a full circle. It is mysterious and I won't spoil anything, but I have my suspicions about what will happen to it. The number one thing that I loved in this book was the worldbuilding. It was beautiful, well done, and original. In Ravka, the Grisha are organized into stations based on their power and then further subdivided, each signified with a color kefta which is a kind of robe overlaying one's clothes. It almost seemed like Mean Girls with all the clicks at the royal court, but it was just so interesting that I couldn't help but fall in love with the world and all the creatures and lore and theory that was held in it. The plot never once bored me, and I thought that every scene was worth it. WRITING IT. WAS. BEAUTIFUL. I thought that the writing had just enough of a blend of epic vocabulary, creative world-specific words, and relatable phrases that it lead to a flowing book that had few hiccups and never had my mind wandering. I can't wait until March when I get to tell the author in person how wonderful her book is. Look, if I can't convince you to read this book, no matter what the other reviews say, please just do yourself a favor and TRY it. I PROMISE you won't be disappointed.