Rating: 7.5/10
Woah, I can't believe that it has been an actual month since I have written a review. School was just really kicking me while I was down this entire month. I spent a solid week and a half just doing school work and writing like 40 pages worth of research papers. But now, I've finally gotten a little break. So, I managed to read at least one book in July (kind of pathetic). I enjoyed Shadow and Bone well-enough, I do intend to read the next one at the very least. It wasn't life-changing, but I am looking forward to Siege and Storm, so it must've done something right. All things considered, it was a quick, easy read. Once I really got into it, I didn't want to put it down. I think that I read 250 pages in one night. The climax really comes on fast. But, there were some problems with the story as well. Let's just get into it.
Summary from Amazon:
"Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems."
I'll start off with the things that I enjoyed about the book. First off, I think the idea of the book is really interesting. This alternate universe with this new version of Russia (called Ravka) is just fascinating. Bardugo also does a great job building the world and really telling the story of Ravka throughout the book. I was continually impressed with her ability to really describe the setting. I also enjoyed the realistic historical parallels within the story, particularly regarding the royal family. Although, I found the relation to be more like that of the French monarchy and the peasants just prior to the French Revolution. Alina describes the opulence of the Grand Palace in contrast to the starving peasants and ill-equipped soldiers of Ravka. Which, to me, screams French Monarchy. Although, nobody can argue that the Apparat is clearly just a Rasputin figure. I think it pretty much goes without say. Anyway, the subtle merging of what felt like real Russian culture with this pretend country was also very interesting to see. It felt like it was very well done.
I found the magic system to be very cool. Like, it isn't just magic that came from nowhere; rather, it is magic that has a scientific/alchemical/elemental lean to it. Which is just a really cool concept to think about. They even call what the Grisha do, the "small science." They manipulate whatever element calls to them. For example, even though the Inferni Grisha can wield fire, they still need flint to create the sparks that they will turn into those flames. It was just a really cool idea from Bardugo. Plus, even though the Grisha were powerful, they weren't overpowered. They seemed to follow their rules (except for one key instance which I will discuss in the negatives) and the fact that they can really only wield one specific element, really kept them in check. Even the Darkling, as the most powerful of the Grisha, wasn't really over-powered. All of these factors combined, made the magic system feel realistic and even plausible. It was really very well done.
One of my next key points, is just how well Bardugo can write a villain. Let's be real, I knew who the villain was the whole time. And yet, I was still surprised when it was revealed to me. Bardugo really convinced me to let my guard down and accept that this person was really good. Then it was just thrown back in my face (as it should have been). It's also extra bad, because I still like the villain. I know that I shouldn't, but now I'm attached and there isn't anything I can do about it. This was one of the more convincing villains that I've read in a YA book series. I really hope that it isn't somehow ruined by the next book.
Now, let's get into the things I really didn't care about, mainly Alina. I didn't really care for her. She was just too meh to me. Like a piece of wet, white-bread that is just pitiful. Like, how can someone be so important and yet so incredibly weak. I mean, she did get better by the end, but she was still kind of a wimp. Plus, she was very childish. Like how did this middle-grade protagonist con her way into a YA book? Like I said, she did get better by the end, but not enough for me to not dwell on it. I really hope that she continues to develop in the sequel. Luckily, I did like Mal (and the Darkling, sue me). So even if she doesn't, I will still probably be able to read it. I have to like at least one character or I have a hard time reading YA books.
Speaking of childish, Bardugo, unfortunately, did the dialogue thing that YA authors do sometimes when they write "period" works. That is, she slipped into more modern, just crass phrases randomly. I mentioned this same thing when I read Throne of Glass. I just really can't stand it when authors don't have consistently authentic dialogue. Like don't get me wrong, there wasn't a specific date given anywhere, but we can infer through context that this is likely the early 1900s. Given the use of rifles, the wars going on, and the general Russian parallels, I would guess that it would be around WWI our time. Which means they would not be speaking ancient English, but they would by no means be considered modern. My point is, I did not like the dialogue. It felt too childish and inauthentic. Margaret Rogerson and Cassandra Clare do a great job with YA dialogue that stays true to era, but doesn't run childish.
Finally, I'm going to address my comment from earlier regarding the time the magic system didn't make sense. The ending was very impressive/dramatic, but it didn't really make sense. Like, it did not follow the rules that were set regarding amplifiers. There was some loophole that just did not make sense. There was no reason that Alina should have been able to do what she did. It was described as something to do with mercy? It was just weird and confusing. Basically, Bardugo just threw in something convenient so she could get the ultimate drama of the situation, without backing herself into a wall. (SMALL SPOILER) Because if she hadn't found a way around the collar being controlled by the Darkling, she would have been permanently subservient. This would have spilled over into the following books and probably would have messed with the plots. So, rather than think of some plausible, but complicated way around it, Bardugo just threw in some convenient escape. It really cheapened the ending and just didn't really make sense.
All in all, I did enjoy the book. Most of the problems I had weren't deal-breakers, they were just annoying. I hope that the next book will improve upon the faults that I had with the book. It's definitely worth the read, even if it does get a little underwhelming at times. I can't say if the whole series is worth reading yet, but I certainly will let you know after I read the next book. Actually, I never really see people talk much about Siege and Storm. Which is ironic, because I see Shadow and Bone online constantly. That doesn't really bode well for me, but nevertheless I will continue.
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