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Shadow and Bone (Book 1 of the Grisha Trilogy) by Leigh Bardubo- A Book Review

5/21/2021

51 Comments

 
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Note: This review is spoiler free (spoilers are all marked and have warnings)!
Book: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardubo
Genre: Fantasy
Age: For readers 14 and up 
Rating: 4.5/5 

After finishing Shadow and Bone I WAS SPEECHLESS?? Not necessarily because the book was extraordinary or whatever, but because I actually enjoyed reading it! I LEGIT STAYED UP PAST MY USUAL BEDTIME TO READ THIS ONE! That hasn’t happened in FOREVER! If you've read my other reviews you’d know I’m a grumpy, miserable reviewer who basically rates all books either 2 stars or 3 stars. So it came as a mind blowing surprise when Shadow and Bone became the first book that I had genuinely enjoyed reading in over 6 months. This book had its problems and it’s faults. But ngl, Shadow and Bone was kind of…….fun. 
I literally promised myself after reading Six of Crows two years ago that I would NOT under any circumstances read Shadow and Bones. Not that I didn’t like the duology and the characters, but just because I found the Grisha world confusing. (This was my fault because I read Six of Crows before the Grisha Trilogy because I didn’t know the trilogy existed when I read Six of Crows). And partly because I didn’t want to read a separate trilogy where the crows don’t even show up once. Yet here I am, reviewing book one of the Grisha trilogy, and giving it 4.5 stars- which by the way does not happen often when I read hyped YA fantasy books!🤠
Either it’s the addicting storyline or just the captivating writing style. Whatever it was, it successfully kept my nose buried deep into this book. 

Dislikes:
  • Nothing Super Special: This was your ordinary run of the mill YA fantasy book. Did I still devour the book in 48 hours? Yes. Will I remember the plot months later? Probably not. I will remember the addicting writing style but I will not for the life of me remember the plot. And that’s just because this plot is so common that it just blends right in with other YA fantasy.​
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  •  There are so many books I could immediately rattle off where a girl discovers never before seen hidden powers (how she managed to hide her powers until then is beyond me) while put in a near death situation. The main character is then separated from her best friend/everyone she knows and then is taken to a camp or castle to learn new mystical, magical powers and are supposed to save the world. Anyone else getting major Red Queen vibes? This also reminds me of a less modern version of Percy Jackson in some ways now that I think about it. But it’s the exact storyline as Red Queen! Not that Leigh Bardubo copied or anything, but the plot of Shadow and Bone is so common in YA fantasy that it’s really similar to many books. 
  • Also,  is it just a YA thing now where every book has identical main female protagonists? The main character is depicted as ugly by literally everyone but not too ugly to pull like three guys for herself (Isn’t there a third guy in Siege and storm pinning for her?).
  • Alina: She’s fine, I mean I didn’t hate her or anything but she was nothing out of the ordinary you know? I can’t decide if I really like her or not because on one hand she’s probably one of the more realistic types of YA characters who’s more naive and scared after being thrusted in a very new environment. But at the same time there’s nothing that stands out about Alina. Idk, Maybe I’ll like her more in the second book
  • The Duke: Why did he even have an orphanage? It’s not like he got anything out of opening up an orphanage- no money or extra privilege- and he doesn't even like kids. 
  • Magic System: Wish we went more in deep on the different powers in this magic system 
  • The Ending SPOILERS SKIP THIS: Meh. I knew Alina would somehow easily escape the Darkling at the last minute with the author giving some feeble reasoning as to why she suddenly broke out of his power at the last minute. Yawn. 🥱
What I liked: 
  • MALINA: I’m officially Malina trash 😃  THEY ARE SO CUTE!!!! As someone who is a hardcore best friends to lovers shipper, I shipped Malina from page one hehe. Shoo Darkling, we don’t want you here 😒  
  • I’M JUST GOING TO LEAVE THIS ADORABLE QUOTE HERE (Spoilers): “I missed you every hour. And you know what the worst part was? It caught me completely by surprise. I’d catch myself walking around to find you, not for any reason, just out of habit, because I’d seen something that I wanted to tell you about or because I wanted to hear your voice. And then I’d realize that you weren’t there anymore, and every time, every single time, it was like having the wind knocked out of me. I’ve risked my life for you. I’ve walked half the length of Ravka for you, and I’d do it again and again and again just to be with you, just to starve with you and freeze with you and hear you complain about hard cheese every day. 
  • Writing Style: Leigh Bardubo has such a flowy writing style that’s just so addicting! 
  • It took literally less than a chapter to get into this story
  • SPOILERS: This quote: I wasn’t sure if I was dreaming, but somewhere in the dark, I thought I heard him whisper, “Always.”
PEETA?! IS THAT YOU? Hehe my Hunger Games loving heart loved that quote. I may or may not have given 4.5 stars to this book solely because Mal reminded me of Peeta in this one scene….. Jk I would never do that 😏  👀

Whoops. I realized I ranted about Shadow and Bone more than I talked about the nice things about this book🤨  Well don’t listen to whatever I just said. Read the book, it’s actually pretty good but a bit generic. 
I would 10/10 recommend this book for those who have just started reading YA fantasy and would still recommend it for more experienced fantasy readers but advise to go in with lower expectations.
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Read my Spoiler Free Aurora Rising review!
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51 Comments
Carmela
5/21/2021 11:46:48 pm

Nice review capturing the main points of S&B. I enjoyed the entire trilogy in a buddy read that took us roughly five days to devour the series. If I have to ship Alina with some It will be either the Darkling or Nikolia. I'm just not a Mal fan. I find him lackluster, I will say the show does paint him with more character. I prefer the S&B trilogy to the Six of Crows myself.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/22/2021 11:13:59 am

Thank you so much! That's fine if you don't like Mal, I think many would agree with you! I haven't gotten introduced to Nikolai yet but I can't wait to meet him! I don't ship the Darkling and Alina but I have to say that I like the Darkling more than I thought I would!

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Lindsey
5/22/2021 04:38:51 am

This is totally what I took away from this book - enjoyment. I bought the book a while ago when I heard about the Netflix show and wanted to see what the fuss was about, but I ended up watching the show before I read the book. Tbh I think I was missing the characters and just wanted another hit, but I completely enjoyed this. Like you, I whizzed through it. Looking forward to reading the next one.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/22/2021 11:15:47 am

I agree! This book was so enjoyable and fun to read! At a critical level, it fails in some aspects but just ranking it out of how fun it was to read, I would give it a high rating! I can't wait to watch the show!

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Mashael
5/22/2021 10:38:20 am

Loved your review, you’re right Shadow and bone has the most known concept of every YA fantasy novel but still Leigh’s writing style makes more unique than the others in my opinion. Also, your question is stuck in my head, why did the Darkling really open the orphanage for? that’s a question I never thought of!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/22/2021 11:17:18 am

Thank you so much! I definitely agree with you! Sometimes the book seemed different from other YA novels because of it's amazing writing, so props to Leigh Bardubo for that! Haha yes, once I really thought about it, I couldn't stop wondering why the Duke opened an orphanage!

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rebelliousbookworm
5/23/2021 12:29:41 pm

I'm reading it right now. So far it's good. And since it is my fav genre I am hopeful. Great review, btw. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. ❤

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/23/2021 05:54:59 pm

Thank you so so much!! I also enjoyed this books lot and can’t wait to see how the other two books are!

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Erin
5/23/2021 03:46:33 pm

I agree with a lot of what you said. When you mentioned that she was girl who found power and whisked away to a kingdom I had thought "that's a lot like Red Queen," just for you say that in the next sentence. 😂 I'm surprised you didn't really care for Alina, I agree she is pretty much like any other ya female protagonist but I thought she was super relatable and funny. I'm definitely reading the SoC duology next and I'm surprised so many people read that before the Shadow and Bone book. But I mean I guess I'm not entirely surprised. I really like your review style though!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/23/2021 05:53:24 pm

HAHA YES! Great minds think alike lol! Red Queen and Shadow and Bone could potentially be like the same book 😂

It’s not that I don’t care about Alina, she just didn’t stick out to me in the sea of other ya protagonists. I enjoyed her banter tho!

Thank you so much!! It makes me so happy to hear you liked this review!

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booksandbeans2021
5/24/2021 02:13:21 pm

Wow, great review! I loved reading this one too, felt like a good old fashioned YA fantasy without it trying too hard to be different or pushing the romance too hard. I haven't got the rest of the trilogy yet but I do have Six of Crows which I'm tempted to read soon!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/25/2021 05:42:21 am

Thank you! I agree because Shadow and Bone felt so much like the YA I enjoyed instead of the complicated fae YA books and stuff like that. I think that's why I enjoyed it so much! But still, I felt like more plot could have been added while keeping the addicting vibes of the book intact

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TJ
5/26/2021 01:22:27 pm

What a well-written review! I’ll try to come back once I finish reading and compare our impressions. :))

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Bookconfessionssecrets(Creator)
5/28/2021 01:18:35 pm

Thank you so much!! Can't wait to compare thoughts after you finish! :)

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AJ Sikes link
5/27/2021 08:34:49 pm

I happened across this series after watching the Netflix show, which is not generally how I like to find new reading material. But I loved the characters enough that I decided to invest in the source material and see what gets left out of the televised version.

Just started S&B and already have a feeling I will enjoy it. Bardugo's writing catches me, and I like her subtle cues and emphasis on the emotional side of things. I edit fiction and it is rare that I see an author who so adroitly conveys a depth of emotion the way Bardugo does with Alina re: Mal.

Oh, and Team Malina, no question.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/28/2021 01:20:08 pm

YESS TEAM MALINA SHIPPERS UNITE!!!! I agree with everything you said! Bardugo's writing is AMAZING! It's so flowy and addicting to read!

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inv1sib1lity
5/30/2021 05:21:21 am

I love how in depth this review is!! I feel like you summed up a lot of things about how I felt about this book! I personally didn’t enjoy this trilogy because I low-key forced myself to read it so I can read the six of crows duology (oops🥲) But I agree that the writing was really good and even though the book/trilogy is not extraordinary, it still seems super enjoyable!!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/30/2021 05:30:35 pm

Thank you so much! I totally understand if this book wasn’t your cup of tea considering how it wasn’t anything extraordinary!

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Miranda
5/30/2021 05:24:52 am

WOW. This review is everything!! Your thoughts on this series is so interesting! I love your review set up, was so fun to read through what you thought of Shadow and Bone! 😊

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
5/30/2021 05:31:30 pm

THANK YOU SO MUCH!! That makes me so happy to hear 💜💜

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Kiera Haley
5/31/2021 04:42:52 pm

My thoughts exactly!! I'm hoping Alina becomes more unique and likable as the series continues.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/2/2021 10:31:28 am

Oh me too! I’m rooting for Alina’s character development!

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Linda Jeffreys
5/31/2021 11:26:04 pm

Great review and I agree with what you’ve said.
This is my first dive into Leigh Bardugo books, and all I can say is I'm not disappointed one bit!
There's nothing I like more than well written Fantasy with magic, revolving around a hero/heroine in love, so this was an easy sell for me.
Shadow and Bone works for me on every level. It's a believable and poignant romance. It's a great mystery in which the villains and heroes are not at all who they seem.
I really enjoyed this book. I loved LB’s style of writing and the way she explains things...I found it very clear and easy to imagine. I'm definitely going to be continuing on with this trilogy, I’m also planning on reading ''Six of Crows'' afterwards.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/2/2021 10:34:04 am

Thank you! Yesss Leigh’s writing style made it so easy to picture the imagery she painted. Overall it was an easy and enjoyable read but there were some things missing for me. However the awesome reading experience trumps all the missing aspects in this book for me!

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Lizzy jones
6/1/2021 01:45:07 pm

Great review, I shared many of the same opinions you had! You hit a lot of the points I had about this book, and I also really enjoyed reading it!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/2/2021 10:34:30 am

Thank you!! Glad we shared the same thoughts!

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library_unlimited
6/1/2021 09:08:57 pm

I definitely agree with a lot of things you mentioned about the book. Also I read them the same way, I read the Six of Crows books about a year ago and wasn’t planning on reading any of the others. At this point, I’ve read all the books in the Grishaverse and while these were interesting, they were probably my least favorite of the bunch. The plot was kinda meh for me, but I really enjoyed the writing style!!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/2/2021 10:36:03 am

Haha reading SoC first was definitely not the right decision for me 😂 I was so confused! But it turned out all good! I agree with you on how the plot is disappointing but the writing style makes up for it

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The Study Tales
6/2/2021 10:31:18 am

Nice review. I agree, the plot is simple but I think the strength of this book are the characters (I learn to love Mal, especially with his letter) and the world building, I want to discover more of this world. And yes, the writing and style are addictive!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/2/2021 10:37:00 am

Thank you! For sure, the plot is simple but the writing style and world building more than make up for it in my opinion too

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Emily Jane
6/2/2021 11:04:00 am

Awesome review! I enjoyed this one as well and read it in like 2 days.
I 100% agree with you about the authors writing style, it’s so addicting! I ended up buying all of the books set in the Grishaverse after reading this trilogy because of that reason.
I’m now reading Six of Crows and it definitely makes more sense after reading the trilogy so I’m glad I read the trilogy first.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/4/2021 07:21:28 am

Thank you! Wow, you read it fast! And haha I also wish I read Six of Crows after the trilogy but I didn't even know the trilogy existed 😂 It would have been so much better if I read the duo logy after! Oh whale 🐳

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Sabrina
6/3/2021 08:30:20 am

Love the review! I was already a big Malina fan when I watched the show and now I am more excited after seeing your review!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/4/2021 07:23:07 am

YESSSS another Malina fan!!! Love that ❤️ And thank you so much! Glad my review made you excited for the books!!

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Melissa Mitchell
6/3/2021 11:17:10 am

This is a great review. I feel the same as you in so many ways. I actually enjoyed Shadow and Bone more than SoC and CK because it was just easy to read and enjoyable without the bogged down and bloated details!

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/4/2021 08:01:26 am

Thank you so much!! I fully agree, Shadow and Bone was just such a quick and light read that it was fun! I love SoC but it's a lot more complicated and I feel like maybe the Grisha trilogy is better!

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Cerys link
6/3/2021 12:03:58 pm

Love your review! I agree with everything that you’ve said! I can’t wait to hear your thoughts on the other books in the trilogy! X

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/4/2021 08:05:51 am

Thank you so much!! This made my day ❤️ Glad you agree!

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Preslee Beumer
6/3/2021 02:31:31 pm

Cute review!

Shadow and Bone actually felt super juvenile to me. I kept waiting on more serious drama lol.

But glad you enjoyed it.

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Bookconfessionssecrets (Creator)
6/4/2021 08:07:17 am

Thank you!! Yah I totally agree because Shadow and Bone's plot was really juvenile and ordinary that nothing was amazing about it. Still I liked the book for some reason lol!

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MacKenzie
6/7/2021 08:17:58 am

Nice review! All my friends have told me to read six of crows and that it is much better than shadow and bone so it’s interesting to see that you didn’t really like it. The generic girl who discovers she has hidden powers trope isn’t my favourite thing either. I loved the comparison to Percy Jackson which by the way is my favourite book series of all times! Funny story, I was gifted the book Shadow and Bone by my friend who is also a big PJO fan and she discovered this book my going to the bookstore and asking for book recommendations similar to Percy Jackson. I’m only a few chapters into this book and already I have to agree I love Malina and I’m hardly even into the story yet! I haven’t read that part yet but I have to agree on the “Peeta is that you?” I’m a hardcore hunger games fan and for a second thought that quote was taken straight from catching fire. 😂 Anyways I’mma get back to reading! 😊

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Chelsea link
6/9/2021 10:50:58 am

I can’t wait for you to read the rest of the series!

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Meeraho
8/31/2021 06:48:16 am

Wonderful review!! Me too! I read the Six Of Crows dualogy before S&B and instantly regretted not reading S&B especially when reading to ending of Crooked Kingdom. I really wanted to dive immediately into King Of Scars but thought about it and realised that I don’t even know the characters in KoS. So then I read S&B and LOVED it so much. Also, I can’t read KoS just yet because I’m not ready to say the final goodbye to the Grishavers. 😭

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Readwithnaina
8/31/2021 10:11:16 am

I just finished my trilogy a day ago and I hv to say the ending was a blast ....and again I've come across this swoon-worthy characters....ahhh Nikolai....if u liked harry potter, u ll love grishaverse..trust me

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Anika
12/15/2021 11:41:57 am

ooh i loved your book review i agree with the malina part. Mal has been always with Alina through thick and thin and he definitely deserves her. I do ship Alina with the Darkling in the series just because it was Ben Barnes but realistically speaking Mal deserves more credit and Nikolai is a good person too although he's just good at what he does and I don't think he can give that kind of love Mal does towards Alina. Reading books 2 and 3 might make your understanding about everything else help you. Also, I suggest you check @shadowandbone on instagram. They have Instagram Highlights there to educate you more with their use of "words/language" and the places in Grisha!

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Michelle.murphy.author
12/16/2021 05:36:42 am

Great review! You're totally right about the plot being a common one, but I will read every single one of them. 😆

I read this trilogy before Six of Crows and I was so excited to see Kaz in the first episode of the series.

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Andee
12/17/2021 07:08:30 am

I totally see what you're saying here and I was also very confused by Grisha at first, but keep reading and you will understand it better- and not in a developing a palate for it type of way, but in a more characters come into play and more things are explained type of way (if that makes sense). Also, because this is a trilogy you don't get to see full development from the characters so you may not like anyone yet but there is SO much more to come. That said, i do think that in a series each book should stand on their own while building on the series.

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NomadicLibrary
12/17/2021 09:38:43 am

My God , your review was soooo good ! I was more amazed by the way you share your reviews , i mean it's so unique and creative , and also your opinion on this book is very well-detailed and I'm pretty sure it'll be really helpful to new readers. ❤️💜

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thestephileighchronicles
12/17/2021 09:49:24 am

This was a great review! I completely understand everything you said about it. While I loved the book, it was blatantly obvious that this was a debut novel for sure. However, the writing style was still so beautiful that I am excited to see how the writing has progressed in the other novels in the series. Although, it can be tiring to read yet another YA fantasy that feels similar to other novels, I felt that this novel took the typical tropes of the genre and used them in a new and exciting way that set it apart from others-though, I haven't red the Red Queen yet, so I can't say speak to that part if your review. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and am excited to read more of your reviews. Thank you!

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Emreads333
3/10/2022 07:55:15 am

I loved this review! I felt the same way, despite being pretty generic, I read the book in one sitting. I think the writing style is what really captured me, rather than the plot. I also read Sox of Crows first and had no clue there was an order to the Grishaverse. The only thing is I wasn’t a Malina fan :O I'm not sure I liked any of the love interests, I'm not a darklina shipper (for obvious reasons) but I felt like there was no chemistry between Mal and Alina other then that they were childhood besties. I love your review style and aesthetic!

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Jess
4/26/2022 05:14:09 am

I completely agree with this review. Also, now that you say it, definitely Red Queen vibes (but I really, really loved that series). I’m looking forward to reading the rest of the Shadow and Bone series, along with Six of Crow. I also started the Netflix series and it seems they’ve merged all the books into the show.

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