Shadow and Bone Plot summary
Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev grew up orphans, relying on each other above all else. Soldiers now, although they aren’t as inseparable as they once were, they still mean the world to each other. When their regiment is attacked crossing the Shadow Fold, Alina’s desperate need to protect Mal unleashes a power she had no idea she had. It takes her down a whole new path—training with the Grisha, the magical military elite, to master a gift that could be the key to destroying the Shadow Fold and uniting the war-torn country. But there are secrets hiding within the Little Palace, some of which threaten the very future of the nation.
My Thoughts
Shadow and Bone, by Leigh Bardugo, is part of the Grishaverse—Bardugo’s extended universe of stories. Shadow and Bone is the first book of a trilogy, there are also a couple of duologies and some standalone short stories. This is the only book I’ve read of hers so far, and it definitely makes a strong first impression!
Although I didn’t know the full extent of the world when I started reading Shadow and Bone, from the beginning the world-building is a clear strength. The system the characters operate within feels coherent and comes very naturally, not overburdening you with exposition but still providing plenty of clarity where required. I think the breakdown of specialisms within the Grisha is well conceived, and I think the ranking element makes for an interesting take on an already well-explored fantasy trope. I love fantasy, and don’t mind the inevitable re-treading of old ground when it comes to fantasy stories, but Shadow and Bone genuinely feels like it brings something new to the table.
The plot manages to keep moving at a decent pace throughout the story. I guess strictly speaking there isn’t a lot of forward movement during the time Alina spends training, but I cannot resist a good training section in a book so I loved it. I don’t think it felt like the story sagged, since there was plenty of character development and world-building to keep you engaged, even if you’re not as obsessed with watching a protagonist learn stuff as I am!
Perhaps in service of the pace, certain plot points felt glossed over in a way that I found a little dissatisfying. I won’t go into specifics (no spoilers here!) but there were moments that were pretty significant, or that it felt like we’d spent a while building towards, where I wanted to be able to spend a little more time getting to grips with what was going on. The writing was clear, so I was never confused about events or their consequences, but the speed with which some plot points were dealt with left some of those events and consequences feeling shallow.
The characters are a mixed bag; most of the ones you spend any real time with are great, but there’s a tendency for the background characters to feel like a single personality trait given a couple of lines of dialogue. I absolutely loved Alina, I thought she was determined and interesting, and I thoroughly enjoyed following her arc. There were a few other characters who were similarly layered and compelling, and the Darkling makes for a delightfully mysterious character with his past being doled out in tiny chunks throughout the story, I just wish more of the supporting characters had been allowed a little more subtlety than they were given.
Wrap-Up
For all that I’d have liked a little more depth—in the wider cast of characters, at key moments along the course of the story—I think Bardugo has created a world that feels honestly alive, and the adventure that plays out within that world is one I bought into completely. When things went poorly for Alina I had to put the book down for a moment to give myself a break. Although I couldn’t leave it too long, since I needed to get back to it and make sure she’d be okay! I’m eager to get book two and discover what happens next, and to continue exploring the Grishaverse. I’d highly recommend this series to readers of Trudi Canavan, I got some definite Magician’s Guild series vibes off this book!
Have you read Shadow and Bone, or any other books set in the same universe? I’d love to know what you thought!
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