This was solid, YA fantasy about, well, the usual things. Kingdom under attack by a vaguely evil dark force, protected by an army of usual dudes in an army, and then a second army of elite magicians (the Grisha of the trilogy title) who also happen to be a social class of their own, lurking around court and being good-looking and well dressed. The protagonist is a teenage girl, an orphan, who is suddenly discovered to be not only a Grisha, but a potentially powerful Grisha, and whisked away from her drab life to the glamor of the royal court.I especially liked the feudal East Slavic feel to the setting, it was a nice switch up from the random medieval-ish tone of so many similar books. I liked that while the broad strokes of the plot were fairly predictable, the details were handled nicely and there were some surprises there. It is solidly YA in that its alternate title could be "But More Important Than the Magic, How Do I Get This Cute Boy To Notice Me?" Which was done pretty well, the boy is cute and endearing.Really more like three and a half stars, it's a nice read and I'm curious to see where the trilogy goes. Obviously there will be more cute boys, but other than that, I mean.
Show lessThis was solid, YA fantasy about, well, the usual things. Kingdom under attack by a vaguely evil dark force, protected by an army of usual dudes in an army, and then a second army of elite magicians (the Grisha of the trilogy title) who also happen to be a social class of their own, lurking around court and being good-looking and well dressed. The protagonist is a teenage girl, an orphan, who is suddenly discovered to be not only a Grisha, but a potentially powerful Grisha, and whisked away from her drab life to the glamor of the royal court.I especially liked the feudal East Slavic feel to the setting, it was a nice switch up from the random medieval-ish tone of so many similar books. I liked that while the broad strokes of the plot were fairly predictable, the details were handled nicely and there were some surprises there. It is solidly YA in that its alternate title could be "But More Important Than the Magic, How Do I Get This Cute Boy To Notice Me?" Which was done pretty well, the boy is cute and endearing.Really more like three and a half stars, it's a nice read and I'm curious to see where the trilogy goes. Obviously there will be more cute boys, but other than that, I mean.
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Shadow and Bone tells the story of Alina an orphan raised in the home of Duke Keramsov. Alina seems like just an ordinary girl until she is caught in a dangerous situation and her true powers are unleashed. What follows is an action packed adventure as Alina is groomed by the Grisha to help them complete their mission. Interesting plot and creative world building.
Show lessShadow and Bone tells the story of Alina an orphan raised in the home of Duke Keramsov. Alina seems like just an ordinary girl until she is caught in a dangerous situation and her true powers are unleashed. What follows is an action packed adventure as Alina is groomed by the Grisha to help them complete their mission. Interesting plot and creative world building.
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Shadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo is a young adult novel set in an alternative world.The HUNGER GAMES would be a great read-alike suggestion.The alternative world would appeal to people with a broad range of interests including those that like books set during the Middle Ages period, dragon books like ERAGON, or dystopian societies.The GOLDEN COMPASS crowd would like it too. Although I was "put off" by the way Genya felt Alina needed to improve her appearance, it fits well into the young adult social scene. It would be a great topic for discussion. How often are teens pressured by their friends to try new lipstick, fingernail polish, or get a tattoo? It actually reminded be of THE UGLIES….don't you want to be pretty? ;-)I thought the "sexualization of power" aspect was a fascinating character and plot element. Again, it would be a great topic for teen discussions because it's very much a part of the "real-world." I think it's a very appropriate topic for teens in a world where everything seems to be sexualized, but rarely actually discussed. I thought the "sailing into the sunset" ending was a perfect setup for a sequel. Almost too perfect, I almost broke into a laugh.Overall it was an engaging story and I look forward to the sequel.
Show lessShadow & Bone by Leigh Bardugo is a young adult novel set in an alternative world.The HUNGER GAMES would be a great read-alike suggestion.The alternative world would appeal to people with a broad range of interests including those that like books set during the Middle Ages period, dragon books like ERAGON, or dystopian societies.The GOLDEN COMPASS crowd would like it too. Although I was "put off" by the way Genya felt Alina needed to improve her appearance, it fits well into the young adult social scene. It would be a great topic for discussion. How often are teens pressured by their friends to try new lipstick, fingernail polish, or get a tattoo? It actually reminded be of THE UGLIES….don't you want to be pretty? ;-)I thought the "sexualization of power" aspect was a fascinating character and plot element. Again, it would be a great topic for teen discussions because it's very much a part of the "real-world." I think it's a very appropriate topic for teens in a world where everything seems to be sexualized, but rarely actually discussed. I thought the "sailing into the sunset" ending was a perfect setup for a sequel. Almost too perfect, I almost broke into a laugh.Overall it was an engaging story and I look forward to the sequel.
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