Shadow and Bone Series Review

By Sienna DeMarinis, Vice President

The Shadow and Bone book series is a YA fantasy trilogy that has been recently adapted to a Netflix show. Now, having recently finished reading an epic fantasy series, I was hesitant to start a new one. I had spent months reading the Throne of Glass series, and was nervous that I wouldn’t enjoy Shadow and Bone as much as I enjoyed TOG.

Truthfully, my hesitations were kind of proven true. I didn’t love this series as much as I loved TOG, but still this series was great! The plot is intriguing, the characters are loveable, and it is a great series to enjoy while not taking months to finish it!

Here is the premise of the story. Alina Starkov is a teenage girl in Ravka, a country in the fantastical setting, where she serves as a soldier. Alina has struggled to find her place everywhere she’s ever gone. She’s never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked by the flesh-eating demons on the Fold, an impenetrable evil “sea” of darkness that splits the continent in half, and her closest friend is mortally injured, Alina reveals a power that may just be the key to defeating the Fold— and setting her war-ravaged country free. She is quickly ushered into the world of the Grisha, the magic users of their world. Confused, anxious, and utterly alone— Alina is confronted with new challenges, new ways of living, and impossible choices— all while realizing her heart may be involved too…

It’s a great book series. I was worried that it would drag over the course of three books. I can assure you it does not. There are plot twists and turns that caught me so off guard, I needed to stop reading for a few minutes to collect myself. Additionally, author Leigh Bardugo has three other books, all set in the Grishaverse, which is basically just the same world but different characters. Six of Crows, a duology also by Bardugo, is what I’m currently reading. It is set in the same world, but the main characters of Shadow and Bone aren’t even mentioned (at least they haven’t been where I am at). I haven’t seen the Shadow and Bone Netflix show yet, but only because I read a review that said you should read Six of Crows first. So, that’s what I am doing, but nonetheless, I am obsessed with the casting for the show. Netflix certainly didn’t disappoint.

To conclude, I would definitely recommend reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy. It’s a great read that will have you hooked and swooning over characters— even when you’re not sure it’s the best idea. My rating is 10/10!