An intriguing enough world…
Shadow in Bone is a simple story that was saved by its unique fantasy world, but the characters and story itself felt a little lacking for my tastes.
SYNOPSIS
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.
Meet Alina Starkov…
The story begins with Alina Starkov, a mapmaker whose unit has been chosen to cross the Shadow Fold, a mysterious area of darkness filled with monsters that separates the nation in half. Alina is introduced as an orphan who has always felt out of place due to her insecurities about her appearance. Her only friend is Mal, her childhood friend.
As someone who watched the first season on Netflix first, I was surprised to learn that Alina was not half Shu as she was on the live action adaptation, and it was a detail that was truly missed. While she does often mention her own insecurities, I never got the sense that she was as much as an outcast as I did from watching the show.
Something Missing…
If someone were to ask me what I enjoyed about the book, I’m afraid I would not have much to say. While I do not have anything particularly negative to say about this book, I unfortunately cannot describe anything as truly exciting. In this story there is one main character as well as what I what I would categorize as three supporting characters. At the start of her story when she is introduced, her childhood friend Mal is introduced as well. Later we are introduced to the Darkling as well as Genya. Yet despite the small ensemble of characters, there was not much described of any of them.
As someone whose favorite part of any story is its characters, I was disappointed to learn so little about them. Although their actions are described, there was not much said about their personalities, interest, flaws, or anything. In fact, when these characters began to form their relationships, I felt that none of the relationships felt deserved and that the characters were simply being pushed together like dolls.
MORE DETAILS
Word Count (rounded)~ 81,000
Page Count: 358
Genres: Young adult fiction, fantasy, adventure
I found things especially lacking with the romance in the story. It’s rare to pick up a YA novel and not be introduced to a romantic plot line, and although there is romance in this story, I could only describe it as “blink and you’ll miss it”. The romantic tension between the characters was nonexistent.
The World Introduced…
Trying to come up with the words to describe how I felt about this story has been a struggle, however what I can discuss is the world itself.
This fantasy world introduced by Bardugo is what I felt has potential. The system is well described and whatever information about this world’s conflicts were easy to understand throughout the story. In fact, it left me desiring a story focused on one of the Grisha’s instead. What was it like when their power was discovered? Were they torn from their families? What were their responsibilities beyond training and performing for the wealthy?
Hopes for the Sequel…
Although I wasn’t very satisfied by the story, I am hoping that now that the world has been established that the characters will be more fleshed out in the sequel. Thanks to the Netflix series, I was able to read this story with a clear picture of the characters in my head. My primary hope is that the sequel will prevent me from having to rely on the Netflix series and have me fully immersed in what is on the page. Perhaps my opinion would have been different if I had read the series as a child, but I truly hope book 2 will surprise me.
Jasmin De Anda 