Shadow & Bone ♥ Leigh Bardugo ♥ Shadow & Bone #1

Published June 2012 ♥ Published by Henry Holt & Company

Shadow & Bone Review

I decided to take the plunge and start reading the books contained in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. The Grishaverse books have been all over my social timelines for a while. And now, Netflix has produced a series airing at the end of April.  Like most bookworms, I much rather read before I watch, so what better time than now to immerse myself in the world Bardugo has created.

I regret my decision. 

I started at the beginning of the Grishaverse, with Shadow and Bone. Book one in the very creatively titled trilogy series Shadow and Bone. After contemplating what I read, I highly doubt I’ll be reading the rest of the trilogy.  Everything I liked in Shadow and Bone was cancelled out by my complete and utter distaste for the main character that is Alina Starkov.

I honestly don’t know if I have ever despised a main character as much as I loathed Alina. Props to Bardugo for that – but I don’t think that was what she was attempting to do.  Alina Starkov is a weak, pitiful, irritating girl and an all-around giant cry baby. I kept thinking she would redeem herself; I hoped she would. In the end, I hated her.

There really were a lot of things I enjoyed about this book.  The world and characters; I loved the Darkling and Genya. I liked it all. It’s not enough to keep me reading though, not with Alina around. I had previously banished one of Bardugo’s books to my DNF pile, Wonder Woman – Warbringer and despite loathing Alina, I really liked Bardugo’s writing.

When it comes to the Grishaverse I’ll be watching the Netflix show but I don’t think I will be reading any more of the books. I know the duologies The Six of Crows and King of Scars are about different characters but I just can’t be bothered with them at this point in my life.

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