Book Review: "Shadow and Bone (The Grisha Trilogy)" by Leigh Bardugo

Um...this book was totally right up my alley.  You've got the Russian-feeling mythology thing going on (I LOVE mythology) and the elemental powers.  The heroine was likable and the love triangle was interesting, sweet, and unique. FYI: there is a plot twist I did NOT see coming. And since creating stories is my job, that doesn't happen nearly as often as it used to. So big kudos to Bardugo!

Anyway, over all, I really liked this book a lot--so much so that I immediately started reading the second in the series. I'll probably be reviewing it next week.

I didn't put this book under my Great Reads for Teens category, because there are some swears and I'm not sure if it's of the classic quality yet; could be, but I have to read the entire trilogy first.

The only thing I wish is that there had been some sort of short premise to the history of Ravka.  If I would've had just a little background at the beginning, I could've dove deeper into the story faster, and therefore the ending wouldn't have seemed so abrupt. My only complaint.

That being said, I loved it!  4 out of 5 stars.  I have a feeling the 2nd book is going to score higher.  ;-)

But you should definitely check it out for yourself.  Here's the premise:

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. 

I don't think I've ever read another book like this.  It's a pretty fantastic read.