Book Review: Shadow & Bone Series
1. Shadow and Bone / 2. Siege and Storm / 3. Ruin and Rising
This take will be both popular and unpopular. Leigh Bardugo’s first series in her wide-reaching GrishaVerse world sets the stage for some of Book-Tok’s most raved about books. Shadow and Bone captured young adult audiences and earned a Netflix adaptation. It seems, though, that perhaps the content, rather than the writing, is what struck gold.
I was assigned the first book of the series in a Young Adult Fiction graduate class and found out I was one of the only students to read through to the end—shockingly, I was the only one to enjoy the experience. I particularly appreciated that this teen fantasy includes the typical centuries-old bad boy book boyfriend, but refuses to glamorize his abusive relationship with the main character. A revolutionary move for the genre. We follow Alina Starkov as she moves from under appreciated orphan to the most valuable magic wielding grisha in a country full of political turmoil. Throughout the series she has a love interest that remains, in my opinion, underdeveloped. This lends itself as more of a teased romance than a satisfying storyline.
A few key criticisms from my classmates: underdeveloped plot, lack of interiority, and slow pacing. I would agree to the latter two, especially pertaining to the first book. Bardugo portays Alina’s feelings vaguely, which slows down the pacing—there is a sort of mono-tone narration which is not typical of first-person present POV. Held captive inside the head of a girl who knows very little about the world around her becomes…a bit boring.
Shadow and Bone is Bardugo’s debut novel, which excuses some of these flaws. The pacing and plot of the second and third book improve in comparison. I still feel slighted by the lackluster romance storyline, but there are things to enjoy from this series. Above all, this series laid the groundwork of intense world building. The GirshaVerse includes a range of nation-states, political and religious conflicts, and magical powers. For me, this series is a prequel to her most popular published work in the GrishaVerse, Six of Crows. But is the fantastical whimsy and bad boy energy enough for readers who aren’t pre-teen girls? Probably not. If you try out Shadow and Bone and find any enjoyment in Bardugo’s writing, I suggest you stick it out—I promise her writing and storytelling become expert after this series.
Rating: 5/10
What this means: The books are interesting, but clearly for a younger audience. Without determination, I can see these as a series that many DNF. Fantasy having a special place in my heart and the succeeding duology landing fantastically earn this series a few points.
Shadow and Bone Series by Leigh Bardugo
