Author: Leigh Bardugo
Type: Young Adult Novel
Genre: Fantasy
Series: The Grisha Book 1
Pages: 358
Copyright: 2012
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Rating: 3 out of 5
Summary: From Good Reads
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 unraveling 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.
Feelings:
I like the story but I didn't realize it was a Russian setting until after I finished the book read the Acknowledgements and saw Russian history books and then it really struck home when I looked at the map and saw the names which were very like some Russian places with a few letter changes.
At first I thought this book was going to be in third person, breaths a sigh of relief, but then after the prolog chapter the book was in first person from Alina's perspective, another first person--long sigh. The prolog and the epilog were both in third person which was interesting and added a sort of fairy tale feeling to the story. This is not a fairy tale story, it is has more of a folk story feel to it. I think the author was striving to have that feeling by placing it in a "Russian" setting.
This book puts forward another love triangle, I say another because seems that every book I read recently has one. This doesn't automatically downgrade the book in my view, a little tension is a good thing. Mal, Alina's best-friend, seemed underdeveloped for the import he held to the story. I would have like to see more of character development with him. This is not to say that I didn't like this book I did I just didn't thing that the parts with Mal were as strong as the parts with the Darkling. I bathed in the schemes and intrigue of the Darkling and in many ways he was the most dynamic of the characters.He was a mystery in may ways to and I think that added to his appeal. I liked Alina but she seemed a little like a poor sniffling child for the first half and then a "look at me I'm finally gorgeous" teenager the rest.
Overall I enjoyed the story and thought the plot was interesting. I am only giving it a three out of five rating because I felt like it could have been a stronger book with some more character development, Mal, and a bit more history of what a Grisha is and why they are divided from society. Alina seems to lack interested in the group of people she is suddenly thrust into and I felt like she would have wanted to learn as much as she could about who the Grisha were. She is curious but it seems tame for many of her other characteristics.
I would recommend this book to young adult readers who enjoy a story with magic and mystery(the Darkling).
No comments:
Post a Comment