Kendal Amos 
Today in the book community, Leigh Bardugo is most known and credited for her duology by the name of Six of Crows, a dark fantasy heist story. But before Crows came Shadow and Bone, Bardugo’s debut novel and introduction to the “Grishaverse,” the universe in which so far all of her following books have taken place.
Shadow and bone follows war orphan Alina Starkov who’s preparing for her first journey through “the Fold,” a swath of impenetrable darkness swarming with a mysterious monster known as the Volcra, which has split the nation of Ravaka in two. Created centuries ago, the Fold is the perfect example of Grisha power and greed turned bad and a horror story to orphans like Alina.
Alina spent most of her childhood in an orphanage with her best friend–another orphan called Mal–and when the pair were old enough they joined the first army, a portion of the army that is reserved for non-Grisha (who are the people with magic in the Grishaverse).
Alina has always been considered unremarkable by herself and everyone around her. She was small, sickly, nervous and even compared to a “spoiled glass of milk” by her caretaker in the orphanage. But on her first trip through the Fold, Alina’s regiment is attacked and when Mal nearly dies she suddenly lets out a burst of light that repels the Volcra, saving Mal’s life and revealing herself as a “Sun summoner,” a type of Grisha that is thought to be extinct.
Alina’s life is suddenly turned upside down and a power and title she is terrified and unprepared for is forced upon her. She is introduced to the “Darkling” soon after, the second in command to the second army with a dark power that seems to be the only in the world that can marvel Alina’s. She’s taken to the little palace by him–a place where Grisha are trained–and enters the glittering court that is more than it seems. Promises are made that the two will change the world and release Ravka from the clutches of the Fold.
There are many compelling elements of this story, but some of the most intriguing are the magic system, the world and three dimensional characters who seem to truly be alive.
The Magic System: 5/5
The magic system in fantasy novels is usually what sets the story apart from so many other releases, and Bardugo has done this aspect of her own story masterfully. The Grisha are magical people of the second army, and are a class of feared and respected people who are divided into groups based on the unique magic that Bardugo has created. The Corporalki (the order of the living and dead) can heal and even stop someone’s heart with just a thought. The Therealki (the order of the summoners) are people who can control water, fire and air pressure. And lastly, there are the Materialki (the order of the fabrikators) whose power focuses on composite materials such as metal, glass, textiles, and chemicals. Throughout the events of the first book, we get a look at these different orders, and their important roles in society which shows just how much Bardguo thought out her magic system to make it as realistic as possible in this world. It is by far one of my favorite aspects of this story that keeps evolving and fleshed out the more you read.
The Characters: 3/5
Like all fantasy stories, the readers get introduced to a large cast of characters throughout the series. And while there is no denying that each character has something that makes them important and vital to the story, this might be one of the few books that I’ve read and didn’t particularly connect with the main character as much as the other ones. Alina Starkov is a powerful female main protagonist, but hold her up against other recurring characters and she seems much less interesting. Her unique powers as the only sun summoner seem to support her character arc a little too much for my taste. Reading solely from her POV, we often see how judgey she can be, especially to other female characters simply because they’re beautiful or confident in their own powers, unlike her. While Alina is obviously not my favorite, if Bardugo was going for an insecure, unsure and impressionable young woman she did a wonderful job
Other characters like the Darkling, and supporting characters Genya and Zoya stole my attention much more and are responsible for the relatively high rating. The Darkling is a brooding, powerful, handsome and mysterious man so there’s no surprise that a young woman like Alina would be drawn to him just like the rest of us readers were. “He had a sharp, beautiful face, a shock of thick black hair and clear gray eyes that shimmered like quartz.” and it’s no help that his attention makes a girl like Alina feel particularly special, especially when he tells her things like “I’ve been waiting for you a long time, Alina” or “You and I are going to change the world.”
Genya on the other hand is a beautiful tailor at the little palace, with the ability to alter her own or others appearance. She seems to be close to the Darkling, and has an interesting role at the palace where she is considered “the queen’s pet,” and was made as a gift to the queen to help keep her beautiful.
And last but not least, there is Zoya, a Grisha who is introduced as a sort of antagonist and enemy to Alina. Interestingly enough though, Zoya has her own spinoff story with another character who is introduced later on in this series.
The World: 5/5
The world of the Grishaverse might be what the author is most known for, as it has spanned three separate book series. Ravka in itself though, is a Russian fairy tale of monsters, clothing and even names inspired by the culture. The Little Palace of the Grisha is “like something carved from an enchanted forest, a cluster of dark wood walls and golden domes;” a place “covered in intricate carvings of birds and flowers, twisting vines and magical beasts.” It’s described as a land of meadows, plains and sweet fruits. Even in the midst of Ravak’s terrible civil war, it’s a beautiful place of strong culture and costumes, like the Kefta’s that the Grisha wear to signify their order, or the Ravkan language closely inspired by Russian culture.
Overall the first book in this series does a wonderful job of introducing us to the world, characters and the overall power struggle that takes place across the trilogy. I would give it a solid 3/5. It’s a bit slow at the start, and was personally hard for me to really get invested in but when I was in I was in. In my opinion though, it was not the best in the series and might even be last when it comes to the other two installments, but that’s to be expected as the books showcase Bardugo’s growth from her debut novel.
Shadow and bone is not a book that I would recommend to those who prefer fast paced or large battle scenes, and or an abundance of romance as it’s explored in much more detail in the next two books. But for fans of hot villains, powerful main characters and maybe even childhood friends to lovers, I would recommend you pick up these books in preparation for Netflix’s film adaptation that comes out on the 23rd.
*Rating: 3 out of 5
By Kendal Amos, Sophomore Little Black Pearl
Instagram: Kendal.amos
