Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

THE BOOK SO NICE WE REVIEWED IT TWICE!

I read this while waiting for my flight and found myself so completely engrossed in this Russian-based fantasy that I didn’t mind the flight delay.  Orphans Alina and Mal met when they were kids and became inseparable growing up. Years later, they are still together & serving in the army – Alina in the cartographers corps and Mal with the trackers. When attacked in the Shadow Fold, Alina brings forth an unbelievable amount of Grisha magic that she never knew she had. Taken away from her best friend Mal for magical training, Alina enters a new world of court intrigue and power politics where to survive, she must figure out whom to trust and the games being played. Bardugo has crafted a stunning plot-driven story with a character that you can’t help but root for. Additionally, the Russian-influenced world building is certainly unique to the genre.

- Reviewed by Connie from Books Inc. Opera Plaza

In Shadow and Bone Bardugo has created a unque world filled with magic, Russian culture, and flawed but engaging characters.  When her previously unknown powers are revealed, Alina is ripped away from her best friend Mal, the only family she has ever known, and put into the power of the mysterious Darkling, the charismatic and powerful leader of a magical order.  Suddenly thrust into a world of luxury and secrets and hailed as the savior of her nation, Alina must figure out who she wants to be and who she can trust before it's too late.  This book was exactly what I wanted when I picked it up, a well-written, utterly engrossing YA fantasy.

- Reviewed by Anna from Books Inc. Chestnut Street