{YA Minute Review} Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

{YA Minute Review} Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance. (Blurb via Goodreads)

{Details} Hardcover, 358 pages, Published June 5th 2012 by Henry Holt and Co. (BYR) (first published May 17th 2012). Source: library.

{Rating} 3/5 - I liked a lot of it

{Review}

"The servants called them malenchki, little ghosts because they were the smallest and the youngest, and because they haunted the Duke's house like giggling phantoms, darting in and out of rooms, hiding in cupboards to eavesdrop, sneaking into the kitchen to steal the last of the summer peaches." (page 1, line 1)

It had a great start, an intriguing storyline. I was curious and wanted to know more. More about Alina, more about her abilities, more about the Darkling. And then the story kind of lagged as she started training and training and training some more and dealing with political maneuvering, jealous girls, etc, nothing that I was overly interested or invested in.

I powered through and the story picked up as things were revealed but the ending left me with an 'eh' feeling. That's really it? As to the characters? Alina felt kind of one dimensional but at least I knew who she was, I never really connected with Mal. And the Darkling? So very interesting. He's what kept me reading. Will I read the next book, Siege and Storm? Maybe.