tl;dr finally reviewing the icon, the legend, the moment
Premise
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.
Rating
4/5 stars
Review
Reading this book was kind of an odd situation for me because I've already read the Six of Crows duology, and I've heard so much about the plot and characters from all of my friends, especially with the TV adaptation. I think finally reading the book for myself gave me the chance to form my own opinions on the story and the characters, and it allowed me to be more up-to-date on the Grishaverse for when the TV series came out.
My thoughts on the characters:
Alina: I like her as a protagonist, and I think she has a lot of potential, though I do already know how the trilogy ends.
Mal: He's your standard, run-of-the-mill YA love interest. I don't know if he does anything odd during the next two books, but as of now, I like him. He seems to genuinely care for Alina and wants to protect her with his life, and that's all fine and dandy.
The Darkling: No. He makes me so uncomfy. This man needs to leave the premises. Please tell me he has a little bit of character development.
Genya, David, Nadia, etc: Love them. They're great side characters, and I can't wait to see more of them.
Nikolai: I have heard all of the hype surrounding this man, so let me just fast forward to Seige and Storm so I can finally meet him.
Overall, I enjoyed the book and it was a great start to the trilogy, with great potential for good sequels.
Note: I am imagining all of the characters as their actors now. I love Jessie Mei Li.
Other Info
Standalone
12+
CW: violence, death, dubious consent
Buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Grisha-Trilogy-Assorted-Cover/dp/1250027438
Would I Recommend?
Yes, but especially if you want to read Six of Crows or King of Scars.
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