Warning: this post contains spoilers for the Grisha trilogy, including the ending of Ruin and Rising. Read at your own peril.

I wanted Alina to be queen. 

I suppose I planned to write a review after I finished the last of Leigh Bardugo's trilogy. I was so excited to read Ruin and Rising because there is a certain addictive quality to Bardugo's work. Something in the magic and the themes of her writing are so appealing to me. But I was disappointed.  I can't write a review either, because my disappointment is in the story, and to explain it, I have to spoil what happens. 

I wanted Alina to be queen, and she didn't. Instead, she is set to live out the rest of her life peacefully with Mal, without magic. Even if we disregard my historic disparagement of Mal, I'm more sad for Alina and I'm mourning the story I wanted her to have. I understand this is ridiculous and it's hard for me to review a book like Ruin and Rising because my sadness centres around the plot, and not because the plot is all that weak (I would say it was) but because it is not what I wanted. 

It feels like an invalid complaint, but I will try to make it slightly more valid in explaining why I loved this trilogy and why I'm disappointed. 

The Grisha trilogy explored corruption and power. Now, I love reading about power. I study it and question it and philosophize over it. It's just one of my interests (and maybe some people that have read Ruin and Rising realize, precisely at this point, why I'm not happy with the ending). 

My interpretation of the Grisha trilogy came from the basis that the story was about power and its effects. The Darkling had unmatched power and it had corrupted him. He was alone, and hungry for more. He sought the companionship of Alina, when she, in a different exploration of power, came to gain immense power suddenly. 

Alina's storyline explored what this sudden influx of power to someone who had previously felt extremely ordinary meant. Alina was scared of her power, scared of being different, but eventually, she started to relish her power. This was something she always repressed. Alina was scared of becoming the Darkling and as she amassed more of the amplifiers and felt a burning desire to complete the cycle and get the third amplifier, through the death of the Firebird. 

This was the most compelling conflict of the Grisha trilogy. Could Alina, the innocent, pure heroine one day become the Darkling? Could she fight the corruption of power? Did she even truly want to? This was accentuated with Bardugo's own descriptions of the Darkling, an infinite being that Alina always saw as a sad, beautiful boy. The Darkling was written sympathetically, and his connection with Alina was dynamic.

Think Harry and Voldemort, except what if Harry has to make his own horcruxes too? 

Alina was on her way there. During the last battle, she took her knife and stabbed Mal, who was revealed to be the last amplifier. She killed her love, and there was a fair bit of tragedy. I wondered what would happen to her; how would this shape her? 

Alina would have made a great queen. She was commanding, and resolute. This seemed to be what the entire series was building up to. Other characters constantly obeyed her because of this seeming inevitability, and Alina was a major player. She wanted to get rid of the fold. She wanted to stop the Darkling. She was reluctant to be queen, but that was probably because of her fear for what power would do to her. She killed Mal, and it seemed like something extremely fascinating would happen next, because Baghra always said that the kind of power Alina was drawing on had a cost. 

Except, in this case, it was a cost Alina would likely have been extremely willing to pay because this cost, the loss of her powers, was a relief. Alina did not have to ever worry about powerlust again because her power was gone. She would never have to make hard decisions because she would never again be in such a position. Alina would be normal, and live a peaceful life without too much responsibility. 

I never learned if Alina could become like the Darkling and she never learned what to do with immense power because the 'sacrifice' was that her power was gone, and she didn't have to deal with any of this conflict. This storyline was effectively killed through a sacrifice that made it so that Alina could get what she wanted-- Mal-- and live happily ever after, except that she missed her power. 

And what of the repercussions of enjoying immense power and having it ripped away? Alina seems to spend her life missing the sun, and being sad she can't summon any more, but that's all it is; a lingering sadness. Alina, without her power, decides to leave politics, and leaves any sort of power she could have ever had with Nikolai, or as a public figure within the court, and goes off to live remotely with Mal, deciding she does not want to actively shape the world and instead trusting it to Nikolai and her Grisha friends. 

There's nothing wrong with any of this, except for the way-too-convenient way that Mal and Alina end up together, because she stabbed him and he should have died, and the explanation seems weak. I'm just a little sad I never saw Alina grow into the person she was becoming; strong, fierce, ruthless. 

There were other problems I had with Ruin and Rising, and I still loved some parts of it. But this broken storyline is what remains in my head. Especially because Alina's story is very common. Alina isn't the first or last heroine to reject power. I'm just incredibly disappointed that this is the resolution. 

Now, I swear, if Celaena does the same thing *curses indescribably* Please Ms. Maas...

-P.E.

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Date of Publication: June 5, 2012
Pages: 368
Source: Personal Copy

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.

Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy.

GOODREADS

Review:
I probably acknowledged this book and my eventual plans of reading it a thousand times. A thousand fake acknowledgements later, I'm here to say how much I enjoyed it.

Set in a Russian-esque backdrop, Shadow and Bone tells a story of fantasy and magical powers that is unique and fascinating. Bardugo’s Grisha are glamorous, revered and feared in their brilliant Keftas. The description of Grisha life has me awed and envious of the beauty and splendour that Bardugo created in her world. I sure wouldn’t mind a midnight blue Kefta of my own. 

At points in the plot I noticed some parallels to one of my favourite books, Eon by Alison Goodman. Alina reminded me of Eona, at the beginning of her journey. Like Eona, Alina is the only one of her kind and has a lot of lives resting on her new found talent. Similarly, Alina starts out as a weak, intimidated young girl and manages to grow and strengthen as a character. I can’t say she’s reached Eona’s level of growth at the end of the first Dragoneye novel, but that’s why this is a trilogy and I look forwards to seeing more of Alina. 

As for everyone’s favourite, the romantics of Shadow and Bone. I’m pleased to say that I adored it. Going into the series, I was quite cautious of how Bardugo was going to manage the romance between best friends. It’s not every book that the protagonist starts the story with a male friend that she actually has romantic attachments to. 

I thought Mal was fantastic. The flashes to Mal and Alina’s childhood were sweet and great ways to help the reader understand a relationship that has been there far before the start of the book. 

Alina also meets many new characters. Her new Grisha friends were interesting to read about though Geyna may have been the only one with much of a personality. I do wish that Bardugo spend some time fleshing out the secondary or even tertiary characters like Alina’s colleagues at the Little Palace: Marie, Nadia, Sergei, Ivan, David etc. 

The Darkling was a mysterious characters as I’m sure he was meant to be. His power fascinated me and his relationship with Alina did give me some conflicting feelings. He is already someone I hate to like but like to hate... Or I just don’t know how to feel. 

For all its amazingness and intricate world, Shadow and Bone did suffer from a minor case of debut noveltitis. There were some awkward scenes and dialogues, mostly between The Darkling and Alina, that I wish were done more smoothly. The Grisha terms were a little alien and hard to remember as well.

Nevertheless, Shadow and Bone has the workings of a great series. The book itself is fast-paced, interesting and well written. It is also a very quick read, clocking in at about 350 pages, and I flew through it. Fans of fantasy, Eon by Alison Goodman and good books, I think you’ve found the next best read! 

-MARI

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Date of Publication: June 4 2013
Pages: 432
Series: Sequel to Shadow and Bone
Source: Giveaway! YAY!

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Review:

I'm addicted and I just can't get enough.

No seriously. There is something insane within this story, some alluring quality that calls to me. Time blurs by as the pages turn and I can't muster up any will to stop reading. Siege and Storm is a pretty all consuming read.

Alina has and is changing. She is dealing with having great power and it is taking something from her. She is more ruthless and less focused on being kind to everybody. She knows what she wants and is determined to get it. I enjoyed reading about Alina trying not to fall apart. There is noticeable change in her character and I kept wondering whether it was change because she's no longer a peasant or if the change came because of the power she took that isn't quite natural. Either way, there is a beautiful set up going on and I'm looking forward to seeing Alina change again in the final book.

The plot shined in Siege and Storm. I said in Shadow and Bone that although there were elements of something truly unique, the story was pretty typical until the end. I'm glad Siege and Storm improved upon that and the plot is memorable with many twists and turns. What I liked most was the focus on the difficulties Alina faces as a major player. It's impossible for her to know who to trust and she's so alone sometimes that I can't help but sympathize with her.

The Darkling may be one of my favourite villains ever. He has so much charisma and every scene his character is in, he steals the show. I once fell into the trap of believing he could be redeemed, that he wanted to fix the fold. I was wrong and it's clear all he wants is power. He's the type of villain that it despicable and horrible but also calls out to you; he's very hypnotic.

There are some other characters better introduced as well that impressed because of how dynamic they were. They could change very easily which made them resemble real people and they did evolve. Alina's relationship with Mal fascinated me because it was so representative of her life. The two of them truly love each other but there are enormous obstacles in their way. I was frustrated with both of them at times, but their mistakes were reasonable.

Finishing Siege and Storm makes me sad. Leigh Bardugo's books truly bring me to another world and as stressed out as I have been because of school, they make me forget everything but Alina's story. I'm sad that I have to wait so long for the next book, and I'm even more sad that this is a trilogy because these books have struck a chord and are among my favourites. I'm now experiencing a tremendous book hangover.

-P.E.

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Date of Publication: June 5 2012
Pages: 358
Source: Won in giveaway! :)

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?

Review:

For the longest time, I felt like I was missing out. I don't get to read all the popular books when they come out, but I like to read a lot of the hyped ones. I kept hearing good stuff about Shadow and Bone and then I got really lucky and won a copy of it from my library. There were quotes from Veronica Roth and Rick Riordan everywhere and at that point I was as good as sold. I mean, two of my favourite authors like this book? It must be good! Alas, it was not what I was expecting in some ways, but there is an undeniable thrill to reading Shadow and Bone.

What I wasn't expecting was how slow a lot of the story was. The setting wasn't completely new to begin with and it took a while for the twists to happen. This means that I felt the book was formulaic until the end where it distinguished itself pretty strongly. The beginning was great, the middle was weaker, and the ending was great too.

Technically, I should have been annoyed during the middle. I mean, ordinary girl becomes special and starts to live like a princess? That's very typical of YA. I wasn't bored though. I knew there was something more to the story. There's this delicious undercurrent all throughout of something darker and more dangerous and I enjoyed the suspense and mystery as the story tried to lull me into a false sense of security. Actually, Leigh Bardugo did which is impressive considering I was on guard all throughout Shadow and Bone.

The characters all intrigued me and I liked them. Alina is a very human character and I felt like I would have reacted to a lot of what happened similarly. I want to write more about the other characters, but I can't in specific terms because I'll inevitably spoil something. That being said, I think the most interesting character is the Darkling. It's hard to get a grasp on his personality and there are so many layers of him that I would like to explore. All the characters were useful and none of them annoyed me in any way.

The world was extremely cool. I know nothing at all about Russia, but I thought it was cool that this fantasy world has Russian undertones. I loved learning about the Grisha and the Unsea. As always, I'd love to learn more but I feel like what I got in Shadow and Bone was sufficient for this book.

This is the part of my review where it becomes hard to explain myself. Have you ever read a chapter of a book and immediately knew it was your style of book? It was weird, but I read the prologue and I was hooked. The writing, the style, the story... I was fascinated, and it addicted me. I couldn't stop flipping pages and near the end I needed to read so badly and I spent lunch and class time reading. The story was so compelling and that addictive quality is rare but it's part of the reason I love to read.

Although Shadow and Bone is a very strong set up book, it has a very good ending that I'm dying to read. In fact, I may or may not have rushed this review so I could move on to Siege and Storm! I have extremely high hopes for this series and it should be fun!

-P.E.