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theemobooklover's review against another edition
4.0
this book is nice, sometimes is quite boring but the story is cute. Alina is a great main character and the character of the Darkling is fantastic.
jordan_mmj's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
heylittlesiren's review against another edition
5.0
I am not okay! I am in love with this book, with this writing, with these characters and with this world. First of all thank you Rae for telling me about this series. I don’t know why it has taken me this long to start this series. But I’m actually kind of grateful that I’m reading it now since this series is complete. I’ll now have this world to obsess over. I start to read this because of the news that this is becoming a Netflix show!!
This book was a really good start to a series. It lays the ground work for what’s to come and I’m really excited to continue on.
I really like Alina. I think she is fresh. Not so pretty, quite shy and want to be love. She is different from other characters that I used to read.
What breaks my heart is that The Darkling. You did not just did that Leigh? How could you. I have been drooling over him since he came out. My heart couldn’t take it.
Don’t hate me, but I still ❤ THE DARKLING
p/s: I am sorry that I just picked you up. Now I’m reading the next book. Excuse my while I dive into this world again xD
This book was a really good start to a series. It lays the ground work for what’s to come and I’m really excited to continue on.
I really like Alina. I think she is fresh. Not so pretty, quite shy and want to be love. She is different from other characters that I used to read.
What breaks my heart is that The Darkling. You did not just did that Leigh? How could you. I have been drooling over him since he came out. My heart couldn’t take it.
Don’t hate me, but I still ❤ THE DARKLING
p/s: I am sorry that I just picked you up. Now I’m reading the next book. Excuse my while I dive into this world again xD
introvertinsane21's review against another edition
5.0
Before that here is my full Shadow & Bone review referencing The Tailor & The Demon in the woods :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYkdYgiPRts&t=21s
I regretted not picking it up sooner. I was excited for the netflix adaptation and avoid all spoilers including the synopsis. I finally understand what the fuss is about. The pacing was good and the characters are intriguing. Alina is a good character to follow with her dry sense of humour. Although Mal is her love interest, this is a special case where I can't help but stan DarkLina
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYkdYgiPRts&t=21s
I regretted not picking it up sooner. I was excited for the netflix adaptation and avoid all spoilers including the synopsis. I finally understand what the fuss is about. The pacing was good and the characters are intriguing. Alina is a good character to follow with her dry sense of humour. Although Mal is her love interest, this is a special case where I can't help but stan DarkLina
bethanysimm110's review against another edition
3.0
Okay, I had a fun time here. I got here late, but at least I made it to the party.
YA tropey (but fun if you're in the mood for cringe), love triangle between a bad boi and childhood friend, training montage, and political scandal. I mean honestly, it's the kind of YA a girl can reach for when she needs a good dose of nostalgia. The Dark One is daddy material and I need to start reading book 2 asap. Does that about cover it?
YA tropey (but fun if you're in the mood for cringe), love triangle between a bad boi and childhood friend, training montage, and political scandal. I mean honestly, it's the kind of YA a girl can reach for when she needs a good dose of nostalgia. The Dark One is daddy material and I need to start reading book 2 asap. Does that about cover it?
allie01's review against another edition
3.0
3/5 stars, good book, would probably read again
A FEW SMALL SPOILERS
I absolutely fell in love with the very beginning of this book. The vivid descriptions of the first few scenes and new concepts are captivating and very well written. The mental picture of the massive sand-ships that float through the black sandstorm filled with people with captivating powers was very exciting and immediately got me hooked.
Bardugo did such a good job of incorporating her new made up words, letting readers know what they meant not by having to explain each one as she built this world for us, but by using them in a context so their meaning could be extrapolated, this writing style just *chef kiss* made the writing just a genuine pleasure to read.
The characters are all very likeable and interesting, particularly the Darkling who I found was given such an alluring personality, I was intrigued the entire way through to learn more about him.
I can only fault two things with this novel. Despite having created an entire new world with new things, I found that this world was not explored long enough for me to really understand it's people. This could have been fixed, perhaps, by giving a longer prologue, allowing Alina to travel with the First-army for longer and meet the people of Ravka along the way, learning about Grisha more before she is thrown into the Little Palace. The lack of this meant I was not invested in the people of Ravka, only in the select number of characters I was introduced to in the small part of the world who happened to all be Grisha. Furthermore, because readers were not given more detail about the Grisha before Alina 'becomes' one of them, the importance of this moment and it's consequences are a little lost on first time readers.
This lack of world building, especially at the beginning of the book does lead readers to be less invested in the saving of the world, and therefore the climax at the end of the book feels a little anti-climatic. Whilst I was faced with the possible doom of the world, I was not invested in anyone but the few characters I was introduced to, and didn't really care what happened to Ravka. I certainly hadn't met anyone from Fjerda or Shu Han, and absolutely had no investment in them being saved at all. The overall story therefore ended a little flat and felt small, which was made even more disappointing compared to the grand scale feeling of the first few promising chapter. I have the understanding however that this novel is this author's first, and I am overall impressed with the ideas in this book, I will definitely be reading the sequel and look forward to reading more by Bardugo as her writing style is brilliant.
A FEW SMALL SPOILERS
I absolutely fell in love with the very beginning of this book. The vivid descriptions of the first few scenes and new concepts are captivating and very well written. The mental picture of the massive sand-ships that float through the black sandstorm filled with people with captivating powers was very exciting and immediately got me hooked.
Bardugo did such a good job of incorporating her new made up words, letting readers know what they meant not by having to explain each one as she built this world for us, but by using them in a context so their meaning could be extrapolated, this writing style just *chef kiss* made the writing just a genuine pleasure to read.
The characters are all very likeable and interesting, particularly the Darkling who I found was given such an alluring personality, I was intrigued the entire way through to learn more about him.
I can only fault two things with this novel. Despite having created an entire new world with new things, I found that this world was not explored long enough for me to really understand it's people. This could have been fixed, perhaps, by giving a longer prologue, allowing Alina to travel with the First-army for longer and meet the people of Ravka along the way, learning about Grisha more before she is thrown into the Little Palace. The lack of this meant I was not invested in the people of Ravka, only in the select number of characters I was introduced to in the small part of the world who happened to all be Grisha. Furthermore, because readers were not given more detail about the Grisha before Alina 'becomes' one of them, the importance of this moment and it's consequences are a little lost on first time readers.
This lack of world building, especially at the beginning of the book does lead readers to be less invested in the saving of the world, and therefore the climax at the end of the book feels a little anti-climatic. Whilst I was faced with the possible doom of the world, I was not invested in anyone but the few characters I was introduced to, and didn't really care what happened to Ravka. I certainly hadn't met anyone from Fjerda or Shu Han, and absolutely had no investment in them being saved at all. The overall story therefore ended a little flat and felt small, which was made even more disappointing compared to the grand scale feeling of the first few promising chapter. I have the understanding however that this novel is this author's first, and I am overall impressed with the ideas in this book, I will definitely be reading the sequel and look forward to reading more by Bardugo as her writing style is brilliant.
allyhoward1's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Really good.
sarahbc93_'s review against another edition
4.0
For my first introduction to the Grishaverse, I have actually really enjoyed this!
This was quite a fast paced book and you can actually feel the plot moving with you, which helps to keep you engaged all the way through. I never felt like the plot had slowed down to the point where I was bored (hence why it’s been finished in two days!)
I quite like the character of Alina as well, for some reason I was expecting to not like her so much but I’m actually quite fond of her now. I’m not too sure how I feel about Mal yet, time will tell on that one whether he is good enough for Alina.
I’m intrigued to see where the rest of this series goes, and I’m intrigued to see where it fits in with the wider Grishaverse as well because from what I’ve heard the Six of Crows duology is slight different? I don’t know. But I’m sure I will find out soon!
This was quite a fast paced book and you can actually feel the plot moving with you, which helps to keep you engaged all the way through. I never felt like the plot had slowed down to the point where I was bored (hence why it’s been finished in two days!)
I quite like the character of Alina as well, for some reason I was expecting to not like her so much but I’m actually quite fond of her now. I’m not too sure how I feel about Mal yet, time will tell on that one whether he is good enough for Alina.
I’m intrigued to see where the rest of this series goes, and I’m intrigued to see where it fits in with the wider Grishaverse as well because from what I’ve heard the Six of Crows duology is slight different? I don’t know. But I’m sure I will find out soon!
bitterblau's review against another edition
3.0
[Voy a intentar evitarlo todo lo posible, pero quizás se me escape algún pequeño spoiler no muy importante]
No me ha gustado tanto como creía que me iba a gustar.
Parece ser que desde que me he vuelto asidua a leer soy más exigente y criticona, y es algo que realmente me apena porque este libro de haberlo leído tan solo hace dos años me hubiera enamorado.
Tenía muchas expectativas puestas en él (sobre todo por su maravillosa portada, para que me sirva de lección) y lo cierto es que he quedado un pelín desencantada.
Para empezar, no he podido evitar compararlo todo el rato con "El gremio de los magos" de Trudi Canavan, y es algo que al libro le ha venido mal, ya que sale claramete perdiendo.
La historia me ha parecido bastante superficial, me ha dado un poco la sensación de que el argumento fantástico estaba de fondo y que la trama se centraba más en los líos amorosos de la protagonista (error frecuente en la literatura juvenil que hace que me llore el alma) y en mi opinión hubiera ganado mil veces más de haber sido al revés.
Por ejemplo, en vez de tantos comederos de cabeza con "estoy enamorada de este o tal vez no" me hubiera interesado que hablaran algo más del reino, de por qué está en guerra, o de la magia y de cómo funciona, casi no explica nada de las clases que toma Alina, y a mí el topicazo de "llamo a la magia y viene, me esfuerzo más y viene más" me suena a estreñimiento .
Pero creo que en el fondo lo que más me ha irritado ha sido la protagonista, al principio prometía, y tiene amagos de tener carácter, pero a la hora de la verdad termina siendo tan petarda como la que más.
Parece que sólo mueve el culo cuando se trata de Mal o del Oscuro, (demostradísimo queda por el final) y teniendo en cuenta toda la gente que llega a depender de ella me ha dado rabia, podría haber sido algo más Katniss y no tan Bella...
Bueno, aun así, sabiendo que es sólo el primer libro y detrás vienen más, espero que algo de todo esto cambie, porque opino que se le puede sacar mas provecho en conjuto a la historia, y aun así no me ha desagradado del todo, el planteamiento me ha gustado, lo mismo que el personaje de El Oscuro, y lo cierto es que el libro se lee del tirón, pero lo que realmente me ha enamorado es la carta de Mal que venía en la edición del libro que compré y que leí al final, haciendo que no me pareciera un personaje tan soso como me había parecido.
Libro que no me ha hecho ni fu ni fa, pero que tampoco me ha aburrido. Ahí ahí.
No me ha gustado tanto como creía que me iba a gustar.
Parece ser que desde que me he vuelto asidua a leer soy más exigente y criticona, y es algo que realmente me apena porque este libro de haberlo leído tan solo hace dos años me hubiera enamorado.
Tenía muchas expectativas puestas en él (sobre todo por su maravillosa portada, para que me sirva de lección) y lo cierto es que he quedado un pelín desencantada.
Para empezar, no he podido evitar compararlo todo el rato con "El gremio de los magos" de Trudi Canavan, y es algo que al libro le ha venido mal, ya que sale claramete perdiendo.
La historia me ha parecido bastante superficial, me ha dado un poco la sensación de que el argumento fantástico estaba de fondo y que la trama se centraba más en los líos amorosos de la protagonista (error frecuente en la literatura juvenil que hace que me llore el alma) y en mi opinión hubiera ganado mil veces más de haber sido al revés.
Por ejemplo, en vez de tantos comederos de cabeza con "estoy enamorada de este o tal vez no" me hubiera interesado que hablaran algo más del reino, de por qué está en guerra, o de la magia y de cómo funciona, casi no explica nada de las clases que toma Alina, y a mí el topicazo de "llamo a la magia y viene, me esfuerzo más y viene más" me suena a estreñimiento .
Pero creo que en el fondo lo que más me ha irritado ha sido la protagonista, al principio prometía, y tiene amagos de tener carácter, pero a la hora de la verdad termina siendo tan petarda como la que más.
Parece que sólo mueve el culo cuando se trata de Mal o del Oscuro, (demostradísimo queda por el final) y teniendo en cuenta toda la gente que llega a depender de ella me ha dado rabia, podría haber sido algo más Katniss y no tan Bella...
Bueno, aun así, sabiendo que es sólo el primer libro y detrás vienen más, espero que algo de todo esto cambie, porque opino que se le puede sacar mas provecho en conjuto a la historia, y aun así no me ha desagradado del todo, el planteamiento me ha gustado, lo mismo que el personaje de El Oscuro, y lo cierto es que el libro se lee del tirón, pero lo que realmente me ha enamorado es la carta de Mal que venía en la edición del libro que compré y que leí al final, haciendo que no me pareciera un personaje tan soso como me había parecido.
Libro que no me ha hecho ni fu ni fa, pero que tampoco me ha aburrido. Ahí ahí.
uzakhikaye's review against another edition
2.0
I just really hope that the next books in the trilogy are better. The main character Alina was just so annoying to me for the first 75% of the book. Poor scrawny dull heroine, whose dullness can be proven by her even duller brown hair (ugh) who literally gets a makeover (magic make-up!) and starts falling for the dark mysterious uber-powerful mage (literally called 'the Darkling) who is pretty much obsessed with her and tells her that only she can save everyone with powers she didn't even know she had until then. But she is also in love with her childhood friend/best friend who doesn't seem to notice her because who would notice a tall skinny brown haired girl?
So Alina starts living at the Little Palace with the rest of the magic people (the Grisha) and starts her magical education. It's like part Harry Potter, part the Hunger Games and part any other generic dystopic YA novel. I could see the eventual betrayal so early in the novel that it was basically counting down the pages until it finally happened. Oh and all of the other students at the Palace seem to be mean girls who look down on Alina, because she used to be a peasant while Alina spends the whole novel being jealous of anyone Mal(her bestie) exists around. Suuuuper healthy.
So Alina starts living at the Little Palace with the rest of the magic people (the Grisha) and starts her magical education. It's like part Harry Potter, part the Hunger Games and part any other generic dystopic YA novel. I could see the eventual betrayal so early in the novel that it was basically counting down the pages until it finally happened. Oh and all of the other students at the Palace seem to be mean girls who look down on Alina, because she used to be a peasant while Alina spends the whole novel being jealous of anyone Mal(her bestie) exists around. Suuuuper healthy.