Shadow and Bone: bestselling trilogy and international Netflix sensation
Book 1
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4.2 • 479 Ratings
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- £4.49
Publisher Description
Enter the Grishaverse with the first book of the Shadow & Bone bestselling trilogy and international Netflix sensation by no. 1 New York Times bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo. Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Laini Taylor.
"This is what fantasy is for." The New York Times Book Review
Now with exclusive bonus material from Demon in the Wood (a Darkling prequel story) and a Q&A with Leigh Bardugo.
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.
Read all the books in the Grishaverse!
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising
The Six of Crows Duology
Six of Crows
Crooked Kingdom
The King of Scars Duology
King of Scars
Rule of Wolves
Demon in the Wood (a Darkling prequel story)
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
The Lives of Saints
Praise for the Grishaverse
"A master of fantasy." -The Huffington Post
"Utterly, extremely bewitching." -The Guardian
"The best magic universe since Harry Potter." -Bustle
"This is what fantasy is for." -The New York Times Book Review
"[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." -NPR
"The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." -Entertainment Weekly
"Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down." -USA Today
"There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." -Vanity Fair
"Unlike anything I've ever read." -Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent
"Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!" -Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
"a masterclass in worldbuilding filled to the brim with twists, turns, romance and marvellously addictive characters" -The London Evening Standard
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
In the first book in Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, a literal darkness has descended on a magical world, letting loose a legion of human-eating monsters. Armies that once fought each other now band together to face down a seemingly impossible foe, and while the teenage Alina was once a mere mapmaker, her newfound magical abilities could be humanity’s only hope. All this, plus an enthralling romantic subplot between Alina and the handsome and mysterious commander who recognises her gifts, makes for an engaging tale from beginning to end.
Customer Reviews
Brilliant fantasy YA book
I was apprehensive to purchase this book as I had read many negative reviews regarding the world building of the ‘Grishaverse.’ Despite this, I read the book and agree with the reviews to an extent. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and I didn’t view the world building as underdeveloped per se. However, the reason this review is 4/5 stars as apposed to 5/5 stars is due to Alina’s character. This is my entirely subjective view, but I personally felt as if Alina complained almost entirely about her faults and how ‘weak’ she was. I would have preferred to see her develop into a beautiful and strong character which eventually does happen but gets skimmed over as no one pays attention to this character development which is rather frustrating. The book also felt slightly rushed and a better introduction to the other Grisha and their skills (especially with the Darkling) would have helped make sense of the sudden revelation which happens 2/3rds into the book. Overall, I would highly recommend this book, it had me hooked from the start!
Overall good
Much better than the show, not super heavy with lore and backstory but enough to build an interesting world
Great Read
Read this in less than 24 hours. Great story, well written.