Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Book 1

Synopsis: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.

Review: I had this novel for quite some time now, and I must admit that I was very curious to get into the story after reading many glowing reviews. Since the book also came out in French, I’ve been seeing it a lot on blogs and I must say that I was curious to see what it was like. Well, I can tell you that I had a really good time!

Alina and Mal are normal children, and if they were tested like Grisha, beings with great powers and that the state rewards, nothing came out of it. That’s why it’s all the more surprising when Alina discovers that she’s not so normal after all and that she’s also a Grisha. Forced to part with her best friend whom she secretly loves, Alina will find herself in the spotlight at the King’s court with a man who is as intriguing as he is terrifying.

I had a really great time with the novel I read in a very short time. In fact, I’ve already ordered the sequel to find out what happens next! Alina is a heroine that I really liked to follow and her relationship with Mal is quite touching.

I had a hard time letting it go because I was impatient to find out what was going to happen to our characters. I have to say that things are not going to be so easy for Alina and in the background, plots are unfolding without her knowing it. I really wonder what the author has in store for us next!