Trigger warnings: Fatphobia
Synopsis: 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.
Review: People have some pretty mixed opinions on the Shadow and Bone trilogy. This is a re-read for me, so clearly I enjoy it. I don't care much for Alina as a character. She's a very standard YA heroine. Though, I did appreciate the way she recognized people befriending her only to get closer to Mal. I've always had to deal with that, and I always like when authors highlight those moments. She also says some unkind things to other characters in regards to their weight. This will bother some people, but I also know what it's like to lash out at people in similar ways, so it didn't bother me. I like Mal well enough, but the Darkling is definitely the most compelling character. His motivations are genuine, and he is easily a character you can love to hate. My favorite character will probably always be Genya. She knows what she wants and she isn't afraid to cross other people to get it. I don't usually like underhanded female characters, but I enjoy every scene Genya is in.
I found the story to be engaging and entertaining. From the orphanage to the palace, I enjoyed seeing how Alina adapts to her surroundings. I will say that I wish this book were longer and had more exploration. We don't get a very good grasp of how big the world is, which is a bit of a pity. I also wanted to see more of Alina's training. Everything felt rather rushed to move the plot forward, but I like seeing main characters train and struggle to finally reach their goal.
Solid first book in a fantasy story.
4 howls
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