Book One
Shadow and Bone
Shadow and Bone
Alina Starkov doesn't expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, she is sure of only one thing: her best friend, Mal--and her inconvenient crush on him. Until the day their army regiment enters the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. When their convoy is attacked and Mal is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power not even she knew existed.
Ripped from everything she knows, Alina is taken to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With Alina's extraordinary power in his arsenal, he believes they can finally destory the Fold. Now Alina must find a way to master her untamed gift and somehow fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and her dangerous attraction to the Darkling grows, Alina will uncover a secret that could tear her heart--and her country--in two.
Ripped from everything she knows, Alina is taken to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. With Alina's extraordinary power in his arsenal, he believes they can finally destory the Fold. Now Alina must find a way to master her untamed gift and somehow fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. As the threat to the kingdom mounts and her dangerous attraction to the Darkling grows, Alina will uncover a secret that could tear her heart--and her country--in two.
"I'm no Grisha. I'm a mapmaker. I'm not even a very good mapmaker".
~ Alina Starkov ~
I don't know if it's because I'm becoming older and more cynical or just being nit-picking, but I really didn't like this book the second time reading it. And let me tell you, I loved it the first time around.
I found Alina to be like most of YA books. It would be nice if an author wrote a book (especially YA), with a strong female character who doesn't become a simpering mess when a hot guy either walks by or gives them attention. I'm also tired of hearing these girls constantly say how ugly they are. And it always seems to be the girls with brown hair and brown eyes, and I always felt that insulting as I have those features.
Romance in books are great, it can bring happiness and make characters stronger, but this, this didn't work for me.
I don't understand Mal and her affection for him. He seems to only want her as a possession, a memory of what was. He isn't in love with her when he is chasing other girls.
~ Alina Starkov ~
I don't know if it's because I'm becoming older and more cynical or just being nit-picking, but I really didn't like this book the second time reading it. And let me tell you, I loved it the first time around.
I found Alina to be like most of YA books. It would be nice if an author wrote a book (especially YA), with a strong female character who doesn't become a simpering mess when a hot guy either walks by or gives them attention. I'm also tired of hearing these girls constantly say how ugly they are. And it always seems to be the girls with brown hair and brown eyes, and I always felt that insulting as I have those features.
Romance in books are great, it can bring happiness and make characters stronger, but this, this didn't work for me.
I don't understand Mal and her affection for him. He seems to only want her as a possession, a memory of what was. He isn't in love with her when he is chasing other girls.
Spoilers Ahead - I think this is from the beginning of the next book, but when they are in hiding he was okay for her to become weak, a shell of herself and pretend that she is his sister, than see her really happy. She was miserable. - End of Spoiler
And don't get me started on the Darkling. Yeah, dark and handsome is sexy and all that, but he is the type of guy you admire from afar and don't actually do anything. I can understand why she was hooked with him, finally a guy was listening and actually looking at her. The Darkling was doing what she wanted Mal to do.
Did anyone else think that the Grisha are a lot like Vampires?
They seem to all be unnaturally good looking for no reason, they live far longer than "normal" people. I loved how they all had different powers, but Leigh Bardugo was more focused on the mean girls aspect than actually the powers of these people.
Alina confused me a lot in this book. Because she talked about how ugly she is it gave me the impression she was shy, but the way she talks to other Grisha and especially the Darkling is the complete opposite. And she goes on and on about how the Grisha act like they are better than everyone, but she is the biggest mean girls and talks down to them all.
I'm not saying any of it is wrong, but the inconsistency is confusing and frustrating.
I should stop rambling on now, because the more I'm thinking on things I don't like, the more annoyed I'm becoming.
It might be because I have now become too old for YA, or it just might be certain books that have the same trope. Whatever the reason is, it might be best if I stopped reading them for a bit.
I do want to pick up book two, because I am looking forward to the TV show that is coming out. We will see what happens.
And don't get me started on the Darkling. Yeah, dark and handsome is sexy and all that, but he is the type of guy you admire from afar and don't actually do anything. I can understand why she was hooked with him, finally a guy was listening and actually looking at her. The Darkling was doing what she wanted Mal to do.
Did anyone else think that the Grisha are a lot like Vampires?
They seem to all be unnaturally good looking for no reason, they live far longer than "normal" people. I loved how they all had different powers, but Leigh Bardugo was more focused on the mean girls aspect than actually the powers of these people.
Alina confused me a lot in this book. Because she talked about how ugly she is it gave me the impression she was shy, but the way she talks to other Grisha and especially the Darkling is the complete opposite. And she goes on and on about how the Grisha act like they are better than everyone, but she is the biggest mean girls and talks down to them all.
I'm not saying any of it is wrong, but the inconsistency is confusing and frustrating.
I should stop rambling on now, because the more I'm thinking on things I don't like, the more annoyed I'm becoming.
It might be because I have now become too old for YA, or it just might be certain books that have the same trope. Whatever the reason is, it might be best if I stopped reading them for a bit.
I do want to pick up book two, because I am looking forward to the TV show that is coming out. We will see what happens.
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