Shadow and Bone

I’ve been meaning to read this book for years, and now that I’ve finally come around to it, I’m regretting not picking it up sooner! It took me no time at all to get invested in the story, which I attribute to Leigh Bardugo’s intriguing characters and unique worldbuilding. Shadow and Bone tells the story of Alina Starkov, a war orphan who grew up thinking she was born as an ordinary human. At the age of sixteen, she became a cartographer for the First Army. It’s not until her regiment is set to cross the monster-infested Shadow Fold that she awakens a dormant magical ability that might just be the key to destroying the Fold. I can’t wait to read the second book!

Ever read a book because of all the hype that was created around it and then you were totally disappointed? Well.... fortunately this was NOT the case here. I fully enjoyed every minute of reading this book and the time spent in the "Grishaverse". We get to follow the story of Alina Starkov, a young woman who is another casualty of the ongoing war in Ravka, another orphan and another nobody in the Second Army. So it seems until the day Alina discovers powers within her that are much greater than anything that the people of Ravka have ever seen. With the discovery of her powers Alina is introduced to the royal court and the mysterious world of the powerful Ghrisha. Now she might be the key to change the fate of a nation.

Honestly, it took me a while to get into it, with all the foreign words and overall fantasy setting (with the conflicts and many characters), but it's totally worth the ride. Alina and Mal are such beautifully written characters, with all the love and support one could've hoped to have! The story in its entirety is nice, a little slow-paced but that just makes it easier to understand everything.

It was a tad slow at first but once you get the hang of it you get sucked in in the world of Grisha!!!