This is the first book in the Grisha trilogy which is connected to the Six of Crows Duo and the just started Nicolai Duology. Ravka is meant to represent Russia and the people there train Grisha while other countries kill or enslave them. The Grisha has the power to control your inner organs especially your heart, heal, tailor your looks, control the winds, control the water control fire, can manipulate blasting chemicals and poisons, can manipulate stone, glass, etc.
They are tested as young children to see if they have the gift so they can begin training. Grisha is found all over the place in various countries but can only be trained in Ravka. Alina and Mal were orphans who are taken in by a Duke who took in all the orphans on his estate and they are tested there but neither show any promise and they grow up to join the First Army. Mal as a tracker because he can, as Alina puts it " turn rabbits into rocks". Alina joins the cartographers because she doesn't have much talent for anything else and she doesn't have much talent for drawing either.
They are sent to the Fold where nothing grows and where volcras attack your skiff as it travels across the sands to the other half of Ravka to pick up supplies you can't get anywhere else. The Fold was created by The Darklings' great grandfather who made it to defeat his enemies not realizing the harm it would cause the people. The Darkling is in charge of the Second Army which contains all the Grisha. He still must report back to the king who rules over all of Ravka but is in actuality is not much of a ruler.
When Mal and Alina's skiff goes across the sands it gets attacked by volcra. Mal saves Alina's life by shooting one of them but he gets hit by one badly and Alina runs to him and shelters his body with her own and wishes for him to be alright when suddenly a bright light appears causing all the volcra to flee and then Alina passes out. An investigation ensues in which it is determined that Alina caused the light and that Alina is a rare Grisha called a Sun Summoner, meaning she can control the sun or light. This means that the Darkling will be able to cross the Fold and destroy it and make it a healthy place again once more reuniting Ravka.
But there are those that want her dead such as those from the other countries like Shu Han and Fjerda, two countries Ravka is at war with. It isn't hard to feel attracted to the Darkling. He's powerful, sweet, and charming. And Mal hasn't been responding to her letters leaving her to feel as though he has left her behind. Her training is tough and the Darkling believes that an amplifier would help to bring out her power which Alina seems unable to do on her own. Alina wholeheartedly agrees. this will be a powerful one if he can find it. A mythical stag. But Alina with help from her teacher, Baghra, who is against the stag she is able to bring forth her light on her own and it's a powerful light.
She doesn't have any friends in the Little Palace except for Genya who is a tailor for the queen and was once the king's mistress at a young age. People look down on her and maybe that's why Alina chooses her as a friend. That and she's the first kind face she meets at the palace. For another thing, Genya is always doing little things to make Alina happy like when she snuck her into the queen's wardrobe so she could try on some fancy outfits and see herself in a full-length mirror and see how much she had changed for the better. Or the many times she offered to touch up her face and hair.
The Darkling has kissed her once and at the Winter Fete they make out in an empty room and he asks her to leave her door unlocked. But there's something off about the Darkling. Mal is there but it isn't the reunion she imagined. Bardugo usually writes from several different viewpoints. But in this, her first novel and the first in the series, she writes only from Alina's viewpoint. I have to say I prefer the multiple viewpoints from her better. Also, having read King of Scars some of this was ruined for me. There are two more books to follow in this series and I kinda know what happens but only in a general sense. I still plan on reading them because they are good storytelling. This book has great characters and a compelling story that makes you want to dive deep and never come up for air because you don't want to miss something. I give this book five out of five stars.
Listed on Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Bone-Grisha-Book-1-ebook/dp/B007NKMQGQ/ref=sr_1_2?dchild=1&keywords=shadow+and+bone&qid=1588195147&sr=8-2
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