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WHY DON'T I SEE WHAT YOU SEE???
okay, so let me just dash out this review quick and dirty-like, before i get too far away from my memory of this book, and because the plan is to start the second part of this tonight and i don't want to get all muddled in my limited brain-space.
an unexpected three stars for this book. i mean, i had been hearing about this book here on gr since before it came out. great reviews like kat's and jo's and steph's, and giselle's, all of which put this book on my radar ...more
okay, so let me just dash out this review quick and dirty-like, before i get too far away from my memory of this book, and because the plan is to start the second part of this tonight and i don't want to get all muddled in my limited brain-space.
an unexpected three stars for this book. i mean, i had been hearing about this book here on gr since before it came out. great reviews like kat's and jo's and steph's, and giselle's, all of which put this book on my radar ...more
In a fantasy country that feels vaguely Russian, Alina and Mal are orphans of a magical war that has stretched over a century. After a lonely childhood with only each other to depend upon, they join the army. Alina is withdrawn and rather useless, while Mal is so charming their fellow officers would follow him to hell, but their friendship remains strong. Then Alina is revealed to be a witch of a particularly rare type, and she is ripped from the army and Mal and thrust into the strange and scar
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Skimming after reading copious recaps online. I’m glad we got this series because it led to Six of Crows which is flawless. But also Alina and Mal are very boring?
Honestly this all felt like pretty standard debut fare. Who knows why this got the initial push it did (because Macmillan gave it a big push) but obviously a smart investment. Mostly looping back to this because I do want to try King of Scars and, because of the vagaries of authors, that duology ties pretty closely back to this series. ...more
Honestly this all felt like pretty standard debut fare. Who knows why this got the initial push it did (because Macmillan gave it a big push) but obviously a smart investment. Mostly looping back to this because I do want to try King of Scars and, because of the vagaries of authors, that duology ties pretty closely back to this series. ...more
though i generally prefer adult fiction, I know several friends who swear by childrens' and YA books because of their inherent "clarity". if you're writing a story for a younger audience, so the argument goes, you first and foremost must tell a gripping tale; all the stylistic flourishes in the world don't mask the lack of one. in the right author's hands, that argument can be proven wonderfully true. much like last year's excellent Daughter of Smoke & Bone, 'Shadow and Bone' is a lot richer and
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Playing Cards Reading Challenge: 5 of Diamonds
This might have been four stars if I'd read it before Six of Crows, but as it is, it's hard not to compare the later, more polished work with this one. Shadow and Bone is a YA Fantasy that follows a fairly standard girl-comes-from-nowhere-and-is-the-Chosen-One type plot. The girl, in this case, is Alina. Alina's world is interesting and pretty well developed, Russian in flavor. Once I started, the book was compulsively readable, and with one exceptio ...more
This might have been four stars if I'd read it before Six of Crows, but as it is, it's hard not to compare the later, more polished work with this one. Shadow and Bone is a YA Fantasy that follows a fairly standard girl-comes-from-nowhere-and-is-the-Chosen-One type plot. The girl, in this case, is Alina. Alina's world is interesting and pretty well developed, Russian in flavor. Once I started, the book was compulsively readable, and with one exceptio ...more
This book is so fun. I love this setting of a fictional Eastern Europe. The only issue I have is that the most powerful figure has the moniker "Darkling.". Couldn't it have been the Dark One or the Darkest or the Darkovsky (this is my lame attempt at trying to make it Russian)? After a while it felt laughable.
The story was fun and super creative. The problem with ebooks is that I paced myself all wrong. The end of the book was where my Kindle edition said was "50%". So I just assumed there was m ...more
The story was fun and super creative. The problem with ebooks is that I paced myself all wrong. The end of the book was where my Kindle edition said was "50%". So I just assumed there was m ...more
If it’s YA fantasy, I am going to want to read it. I was tempted to purchase Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone the day it came out, but held off until ALA, where I picked up a signed, personalized copy. Shadow and Bone has received a lot of rave reviews, but this unfortunately won’t be one of those.
Shadow and Bone has good world-building and the writing is fine. Bardugo’s novel is quickly paced and highly readable. Sadly, I think this is where my praise ends.
Alina isn’t the most likable character ...more
Shadow and Bone has good world-building and the writing is fine. Bardugo’s novel is quickly paced and highly readable. Sadly, I think this is where my praise ends.
Alina isn’t the most likable character ...more
An excellent fantasy. The world felt fresh and yet somehow familiar, loved the tension and twists, and I especially liked that they call what is essentially magic the "little science." I hope to see more Grisha power in the next book! (Which I wish I could read right now!)
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Formulaic teen fiction...brain candy.
Jun 24, 2021
Heidi
marked it as to-read
