Thoughts I Had While Reading "Shadow and Bone" By Leigh Bardugo (SPOILERS)

If you have been hanging around bookstagram recently, you may have noticed the uptick in interest and excitement over the Grishaverse books by Leigh Bardugo. Netflix is coming out with a TV series based on some of the books (releasing April 23rd) and the hype among the fans is real right now.

I have been aware of the books for about a year now but didn’t have much interest in reading them until now. “Shadow and Bone”, the first in Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, is a classic YA book from 2012. I’ve heard mixed reviews on the book itself - some readers adoring it, other hating it - so I figured reading it was worth a shot before the TV show comes out and spoilers infiltrate the internet.

So today, as requested, I am sharing my unfiltered thoughts and responses as I read through “Shadow and Bone” by Leigh Bardugo!

FULL SPOILER WARNING for Shadow and Bone below!! If you have read this book, don’t ever want to read it, or don’t care about spoilers whatsoever, feel free to proceed! If not, turn back now... I don’t hold back spoilers in this one ;)

- Okay I am one page in and the main character is “not like other girls”. This may be a long one...

- What are all these made up names and words?? English word + nik = fantasy word for something weird

- I am fully prepared to DNF this one yikes

- EWW those Volcras are CREEPY!! Why am I reading this before bed??

- Awww Mal’s kinda cute but also totally oblivious

- Okay but Alina’s sort of getting on my nerves

- I’m glad that the inciting incident happened right away because I already knew what happened LOL

- UGH I shouldn’t have looked at the Netflix pictures of the characters before I read this!! I literally can’t imagine my own versions of them.

- Yikes this is kind of violent but I can’t stop reading at the same time.

- Whoa those first 100 pages blew by.. maybe this’ll be good *shrugs*

- Okay, okay. I knew that there was like a full on love triangle here and I was determined to stick with Mal BUT OH MY GOSH THE DARKLING!!! None y’all said he was charming, okay??

- I love Genya but I want to know more about her!!!

- Kind of getting Marie Antoinette vibes with all these Grisha’s pretending to be “peasants”.

- Wowww Zoya’s nasty. But I've heard that people like her character so maybe she gets better?

- Yo Mal, write her back, man. She’s pining for you. Also I feel like something else is going on with him. Okay but maybe his tracking ability is Grisha power??

- Honestly, at this point, I am only read this book for The Darkling. Alina’s kind of annoying but the Darkling makes up for it. What have I become??? Also who else though Alina would have looked BOMB in a black kefta with him?? Just me? Okay.

- Oooo Alina's finally hacking into her power. You go girl!! Though I do have to say the whole "I'm weak and clumsy until I have power" is a little cliché but whatever.

- A magical stag?? Haha this must be the stag I see on like every Shadow and Bone paraphernalia.

- I love that this old lady is giving the Darkling so much sass and he's mildly afraid of her LOL

- WHOA ... did they...?? DUDE HE JUST KISSED HER! I swear I just said "what" out loud 5 times. That was so random but I'm also all here for it??? Ugh I told myself I wasn't going to ship Alina and the Darkling but like Mal sucks at this point so whatever. I'm here for a good time, not a long time.

- I feel like the Darkling is hiding a lot from Alina and manipulating her

- Ha! I knew Alina would look FINE in black

- Oooo the show at the ball was so pretty!! This is gonna make an awesome TV show!

- Oh dang they are kissing again okay. Whoa boy, slow it down.

 
- Haha so is this some light and dark attraction? Like he cant help it or what?

- Yo Mal’s back!!

- Huh that argument was a little odd.. a little petty but good tension though.

- Oh snap the Darkling's the Black Heretic???? He’s weaponizing the fold?? And Baghra’s his mom??? HA I did not see that coming... oo he creepy LOL

- WAIT AND THE VOLCRAS ARE THE FARMERS AND FAMILIES WHERE THE FOLD TOOK OVER CRAPPPP

- Haha I like how they're trying to humanize the Darkling when he’s lived for hundreds of years waiting for Alina just manipulate her and use her power.

- Awww okay Mal and Alina are cute ... I love how they are laughing together over the roll and how they almost didn't make it *cries in single*

- Ha! I knew they were gonna go after this Morozova's stag (maybe I'm smart or maybe I saw the Netflix trailer *wink wink*)

- Oof oh my gosh having Alina ask Mal to kill her if the Darkling gets to her was so hard to read. </3

- Poor Mal.. I'm having a hard time understanding his character but I'm slowly starting to like him.

 
- Okay that was the cutest little speech AND THEY KISSED (okay, I might be changing my mind about this ship)

- Whoaaa Morozova's herd is beautiful *heart eyes*

- NO DANG IT! DONT INTERRUPT THEIR MOMENT DARKLING!! I swear... you have the /worst/ timing.

- Noooo oh my gosh this scene MY HEART!! Mal tried to kill her like she begged but he couldn't but now all of Alina's hope of freedom is gone *sobs*

- Curse you Darkling LOL I love how I was like all for his character and now I'm like "go step on LEGOs". He is definitely toxic and abusive and it's super creepy to see how he got Alina to trust him.

 
- I am way more invested in this book than I thought wow xD

- I swear if this book ends on a cliffhanger.... I'm going to have to go storm the library for book 2.

- The Darkling is definitely jealous and that's a really interesting turn of events. 

- Oooo Genya's got a new get up! Though I have to say, I don't really remember what the colors mean... Red was heartrenders? I don't know what the blue was... I thought she could only change people's looks? LOL hopefully they'll mention her power again.

- Nothing like kvas with a side of gaslighting, eh Darkling? Okay but he's honestly a fantastic villain. 

- I'm finally starting to like Alina. I wasn't convinced but I like her spite LOL

- Aww alright, I love Alina and Mal's relationship... and the story behind the scar on her hand?? GAH MY HEART!! Honestly, I love how integral the romance is in this book like it's not unnecessary.

- Okay is this gonna be sad?? I’m not prepared for a sad ending.

- CRAP THIS IS INTENSE that Darkling is a mean dude yikes!

- Noooo Mal!! I SWEAR LEIGH IF YOU KILL HIM I'LL - I'LL well I'll read the next book but I'll be sobbing the whole time.

- HECK YES ALINA YOU GO GIRL

- Kinda love how she’s questioning her morality now that she realizes how similar she is to the Darkling.

- Whoa. Okay that was actually amazing. And I’m so ready for the next book!! It’s a good thing I have it on hold at the library ;)

- Also I finished this book in 4 days and that rarely happens for me.

- And that ending ahhhh I can totally see why this is a YA classic!

Wowsers, that was a ride xD Overall, I really loved reading "Shadow and Bone". As you could see, I wasn't totally convinced to start but I totally fell in love with this world. I did think that the middle was a little slow and this definitely feels like a typical 1st book in a series - mostly just a set up for the rest of the series. But I'm honestly so hooked now and I can't wait to start book 2.

I’m giving “Shadow and Bone” 4 out of 5 stag antlers.

I hope you had as much fun reading this post as I did reading this book. Have you read Shadow and Bone? What did you think of it?

Until next time!

~ K.J. Haakenson

UPDATE: I am halfway through “Siege and Storm” (book 2) and I am loving it. I also have a major book crush on Nikolai Lantrov so it’s been a great time xD I can totally see why people love this series.