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Cover of Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Shadow and Bone

Book 1 of The Grisha

  • 352 pages · about 6 hours
  • First published 2012
  • 35 editions

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1 About this book

Shadow and Bone is a young adult fantasy adventure and the debut novel written by the American author Leigh Bardugo. It was published by Macmillan Publishers on June 5, 2012. The novel follows Alina Starkov, a teenage orphan who grows up in the Russia-inspired land of Ravka when, one day, she unexpectedly harnesses a power she never knew she had, becoming a target of intrigue and violence.

It is the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, followed by Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising. It is also the basis for the Netflix adaptation, Shadow and Bone, which premiered in April 2021.

Summary adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

  • Magic
  • Fantasy
  • High Fantasy
  • Romance
  • Young Adult Fantasy
  • Ability
  • Orphans
  • Monsters

2 What to expect

A young adult fantasy set in a land modeled on tsarist Russia: a teenage orphan in the army discovers a rare power that might destroy the monster-filled darkness dividing her country. She is taken from her only friend to train among the magical elite, under their powerful and mysterious leader. It is quick and accessible, with romance and court intrigue, and it is the first book of a trilogy.

Good for readers who want: young adult fantasy, a Russian-inspired world, and the start of a great trilogy.

3 About Leigh Bardugo

Born 1975

Leigh Bardugo (born April 6, 1975) is an American fantasy author. She is best known for her young adult Grishaverse novels, which include the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows and King of Scars duologies. She also received acclaim for her paranormal fantasy adult debut, Ninth House.

Bio adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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