Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, 1)
See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone. Catch up on the action and meet Alina, Mal, and the Darkling before Season 2 premieres on Netflix on March 16, 2023!
Enter the Grishaverse with Book One of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country's magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.
A New York Times Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
An Indie Next List Book
This title has Common Core connections.
Read all the books in the Grishaverse!
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising
The Six of Crows Duology
Six of Crows
Crooked Kingdom
The King of Scars Duology
King of Scars
Rule of Wolves
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
The Lives of Saints
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel
Praise for the Grishaverse
"A master of fantasy." ―The Huffington Post
"Utterly, extremely bewitching." ―The Guardian
Enter the Grishaverse with Book One of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country's magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.
As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.
Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.
A New York Times Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
An Indie Next List Book
This title has Common Core connections.
Read all the books in the Grishaverse!
The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising
The Six of Crows Duology
Six of Crows
Crooked Kingdom
The King of Scars Duology
King of Scars
Rule of Wolves
The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
The Lives of Saints
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel
Praise for the Grishaverse
"A master of fantasy." ―The Huffington Post
"Utterly, extremely bewitching." ―The Guardian
Editorial Reviews
A New York Times Bestseller
"Set in a fascinating, unique world rich with detail, Shadow and Bone was unlike anything I've ever read." ―Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of Divergent
"Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery all in one book!" ―Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
"Rich, satisfying, and gorgeous, laced with heart-pounding action and pitch-perfect romance." ―Cinda Williams Chima, bestselling author of the Seven Realms series and the Heir series
"Mesmerizing. . . . Bardugo's set up is shiver-inducing, of the delicious variety. This is what fantasy is for." ―New York Times Book Review
"The top fantasy book to read this year." ―The Huffington Post
"The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." ―Entertainment Weekly
"Romantic and magical . . . Plenty of plot twists and betrayals kept us enjoying this richly crafted adventure until the very last page. (P.S. A do-not-miss for fans of Graceling.)"―Justine magazine
"Fast-paced and unpredictable, this debut novel will be a hit with readers who love dark fantasy." ―School Library Journal, starred review
"This gripping debut novel, with a touch of magic and romance . . . will keep readers burning the midnight oil." ―Shelf Awareness
"Danger and duplicity abound . . . in this lavish portrayal of a country reminiscent of Imperial Russia." ―VOYA
"A rich fantasy landscape, an inspired magical structure, and a gratifying emotional hook keep the pages whirring by until a final twist upends assumptions and lands us smack i...
"Set in a fascinating, unique world rich with detail, Shadow and Bone was unlike anything I've ever read." ―Veronica Roth, New York Times bestselling author of Divergent
"Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery all in one book!" ―Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
"Rich, satisfying, and gorgeous, laced with heart-pounding action and pitch-perfect romance." ―Cinda Williams Chima, bestselling author of the Seven Realms series and the Heir series
"Mesmerizing. . . . Bardugo's set up is shiver-inducing, of the delicious variety. This is what fantasy is for." ―New York Times Book Review
"The top fantasy book to read this year." ―The Huffington Post
"The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." ―Entertainment Weekly
"Romantic and magical . . . Plenty of plot twists and betrayals kept us enjoying this richly crafted adventure until the very last page. (P.S. A do-not-miss for fans of Graceling.)"―Justine magazine
"Fast-paced and unpredictable, this debut novel will be a hit with readers who love dark fantasy." ―School Library Journal, starred review
"This gripping debut novel, with a touch of magic and romance . . . will keep readers burning the midnight oil." ―Shelf Awareness
"Danger and duplicity abound . . . in this lavish portrayal of a country reminiscent of Imperial Russia." ―VOYA
"A rich fantasy landscape, an inspired magical structure, and a gratifying emotional hook keep the pages whirring by until a final twist upends assumptions and lands us smack i...
Readers Top Reviews
Laura McToal
The nation of Ravka has been split in two by The Shadow Fold. Here dwell frightful monsters that feast on human flesh. However, each side must travel across in order to trade with the other. Alina Starkov is a mapmaker on such a crossing when the regiment is attacked. One of her friends is killed and her best friend Mal is about to be. In an effort to save him Alina reveals herself to be Grisha. Usually, Grisha are detected as children, but no abilities were discovered in Alina at this testing. The Grisha are people who can use magic (called The Small Science here) to summon certain elements, heal, make special artefacts, etc. The most powerful of them all is The Darkling. He summons shadows. Alina is The Sun Summoner. Alina is taken away to The Little Palace, where she will learn to use her powers. The Darkling informs her that The Shadow Fold was created by one of his ancestors in an accident born of greed for more power. The Darkling has spent his life trying to fix this mistake and get rid of The Shadow Fold, but he has not been able to. But with the powers of The Sun Summoner and The Darkling combined, this may now be possible. —————- I did enjoy reading this book. As I mention, Leigh Bardugo writes beautifully and I was certainly hooked. However, this book was incredibly derivative. There are a lot of parallels with The Magicians Guild by Trudi Canavan, which is a significantly better series. The Darkling shared a lot of similarities with The Dark Lord from the Mistborn books by Brandon Sanderson (phenomenal world-building in that series). One of my issues with these books and others like it is that the female main character is usually depicted as this malnourished, unlovable creature, whilst any love interest is created as a stereotypical ideal of masculinity. Yuck! I did like the overall story. It was a fun read and I liked how this first instalment ended.
ReadinginpyjamasL
I was really excited finally dive into the Grisa Universe and I wasn't disappointed. Leigh Bardugo has captivated me with this intriguing tale were magic offers supreme power to those who know how to wield it. The world-building is complex and with well-defined characters. The storyline has a perfect amount of action, peppered with relaxed moments so that the reader can breathe and contemplate everything that is happening in this book. Based on Russian culture, Ravka is a land divided by war and split in two by a barrier of darkness called the Unsea in which terrifying creatures lurk, making it hard for anyone to cross it without being torn apart. Until Alina Starkov makes her way into the Fold. She's an apprentice mapmaker in the army who somehow saves her fellow soldiers when they enter the expanse of land where there is no light. She then discovers she's a Grisha, a person who has a magical ability. Alina has a rare power, one that can be matched only by the Darkling, the leader of the Grisha. The only problem is that she doesn't know how to wield it so she's sent to the royal palace to learn how to control her magic. I like how Bardugo uses the contrast between light and darkness to convey the fact that sometimes things and events around us are as seen in just in black and white. The veil of naivety is torn from Alina's eyes when she discovers that everyone in the kingdom depends on her and sees her as their saviour. She is a strong heroine, full of wit and wisdom and has a kind heart. Her relationship with Mal, the boy who's always been by her side since they were orphaned as children, was heartwarming. They care deeply for one another but they just don't know how to express their feelings and that just confuses them and makes up for a lot of angsty moments. But as always my favourite character is the villain. The Darkling got my attention from the first moment and what a remarkable villain he is. He's a seductive and mysterious character, but at the same time frightening and very dangerous. His ability to control darkness turns him into the strongest and most feared Grisha of all time, making him an insightful strategist and an influential and charismatic leader. Shadow and Bone is the kind of book that simply makes you visualize the scenes, like watching a movie. The characters gradually evolve throughout the book, but they do not forget where they started. Leigh Bardugo has created a unique and fantastic world, full of magic, adventure, power and suspense that will capture your hearts. I can't wait to read more!
Jess GoftonGrayem
Hoo boy. I don’t believe in not saying you didn’t like a book if you didn’t like it, but even I sometimes get nervous about criticising a beloved book on the internet – especially when everyone’s talking about said book because it’s being adapted for Netflix. But here we are. Now I’ve already told a bit of a fib there because I didn’t exactly dislike Shadow and Bone – I have read far worse books – but even going into it with lowered expectations, this is not the book I thought it would be. I fell head over heels in love with Six of Crows last year and it’s now one of my favourite books of all time. Knowing that one of the characters from that book would be making an appearance in King of Scars, I knew I’d have to read her original Grisha trilogy even though it was never a series I was particularly interested in – and at least now I know my gut instincts about this book were right. I’m not going to sit here and compare Shadow and Bone with Six of Crows because that’s not fair on so many levels. Six of Crows is a heist story while Shadow and Bone is very much a traditional ‘chosen one’ fantasy story, they just so happen to be set in the same world, and if nothing else this book reminded me just how much I love Six of Crows. I love that we can clearly see how much Bardugo is improving with each book because Six of Crows is a masterpiece, so I’m not going to hold it against her that her earlier novel isn’t as accomplished because that’s how being an author works. Usually, authors get better at their craft with each story. Shadow and Bone has a lot in it to be admired. It’s easy to see how this trilogy took inspiration from and went on to inspire other Russian-inspired fantasy novels, and I did like the setting and the concept of the Shadow Fold. My main problem with this novel was the characters. I’ve seen Alina Starkov on so many ‘Favourite Heroine’ lists (and that’s nothing against the people who love her at all!) but I found her so… frustrating, and kind of boring. I wanted her to make more decisions for herself earlier in the novel, not only when her childhood friend Mal was in mortal danger. I felt like she spent the entire novel letting herself be pushed around by everyone, and while it could be argued that this was to show her develop when she finally stood up for herself I felt like I never actually knew her well enough to care when she did. Considering the country of Ravka has been at war for years and has a big shadowy mess of literal monsters in the middle of it, I felt like I spent far too much time with Alina’s boy problems. The Darkling and Mal, and I’m sorry to say this because I know the Darkling is beloved, were kind of boring. In fact especially the Darkling, for me. I don’t think I saw enough of Mal to really have an opinion of him, but I saw plenty of the Darkling and considering he’s...
LA in DallasJess
The first thing to mention about Shadow and Bone is that the novel Shadow and Bone is only 58% of the book entitled Shadow and Bone (at least for the kindle edition). The other 42% is an excerpt of Siege and Storm followed by an excerpt of Six of Crows. Yesterday afternoon when I sat down to resume reading, I thought to myself, "I guess I'm not going to finish this evening after all." But I did, easily. So, take heart! When your kindle says that you're 29% done, you've actually read half the novel. Shadow and Bone is clearly situated in time and space, and indeed the time is not very distant. Most of the action takes place in Ravka. Ravka is clearly Russia. It has enemies to the south, Shu Han (China), and north, Fjerda (Scandinavia). To the west is an ocean, the True Sea (Atlantic Ocean), and on the other side of the True Sea lies Novyi Zem (the New World). It is mentioned in passing that Fjerdan soldiers have a breech-loading rifle. Mass-produced breech-loaders were not a thing until the 19th century. Characters in the Ravkan court understand two languages, Russian and another language rendered as English. For instance, one of the princes is nicknamed "Sobachka". That is Russian "собачка", a diminutive (like "doggy") of Russian "собака", dog. Alina, on hearing this, responds '"'You can’t call a royal prince ‘puppy,’” I laughed.' That response doesn't make sense unless Alina is speaking a language other than Russian. This recalls Tolstoy's Russia, where the upper crust spoke French to each other. (Or indeed, imperial Rome, where the common folk spoke Latin and the court Koine Greek.) I don't think these details are incidental. I believe Leigh Bardugo knows exactly what's she's doing when she throws in a casual mention of breech-loading rifles. It is not all modern, however. In her Acknowledgments Bardugo mentions Russian folklore books. Unfortunately, my knowledge of Russian folklore is too thin to catch most of that. However, Baba Yaga does show up -- an old witch living alone in a hut in the woods. (The hut is not described as standing on chicken legs, but I choose to believe that they are just not visible underneath it.) I need not name her, because you will recognize her immediately. The result is a novel that feels almost like Urban Fantasy -- magic that is both rooted in folklore and placed firmly in (almost) our world. The story begins with two orphan children, Malyen (Mal) Oretsev and Alina Starkov, living in Duke Keramsov's estate orphanage. All Ravkan children are tested for magical abilities. No such are detected when Mal and Alina are tested, so they enter Ravka's non-magical army, Mal as a tracker and Alina as a map-maker. Alina comes to the attention of the Darkling, the head magician (in Ravka they are called Grisha) in a way that I will not spoil and is taken to the King's court, where lots of exciting s...
Short Excerpt Teaser
Shadow and BoneBy Leigh BardugoSquare FishCopyright © 2013 Leigh Bardugo
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781250027436
Shadow and Bone
CHAPTER ISTANDING ON THE EDGE of a crowded road, I looked down onto the rolling fields and abandoned of farms of the Tula Valley and got my first glimpse of the Shadow Fold. My regiment was two weeks' march from the military encampment at Poliznaya and the autumn sun was warm overhead, but I shivered in my coat as I eyed the haze that lay like a dirty smudge on the horizon.A heavy shoulder slammed into me from behind. I stumbled and nearly pitched face-first into the muddy road."Hey!" shouted the soldier. "Watch yourself !""Why don't you watch your fat feet?" I snapped, and took some satisfaction from the surprise that came over his broad face. People, particularly big men carrying big rifles,don't expect lip from a scrawny thing like me. They always look a bit dazed when they get it.The soldier got over the novelty quickly and gave me a dirty look as he adjusted the pack on his back, then disappeared into the caravan of horses, men, carts, and wagons streaming over the crest of the hill and into the valley below.I quickened my steps, trying to peer over the crowd. I'd lost sight of the yellow flag of the surveyors' cart hours ago, and I knew I was far behind.As I walked, I took in the green and gold smells of the autumn wood, the soft breeze at my back. We were on the Vy, the wide road that had once led all the way from Os Alta to the wealthy port cities on Ravka's western coast. But that was before the Shadow Fold.Somewhere in the crowd, someone was singing. Singing? What idiot is singing on his way into the Fold? I glanced again at that smudge on the horizon and had to suppress a shudder. I'd seen the Shadow Fold on many maps, a black slash that had severed Ravka from its only coastline and left it landlocked. Sometimes it was shown as a stain, sometimes as a bleak and shapeless cloud. And then there were the maps that just showed the Shadow Fold as a long, narrow lake and labeled it by its other name, "the Unsea," a name intended to put soldiers and merchants at their ease and encourage crossings.I snorted. That might fool some fat merchant, but it was little comfort to me.I tore my attention from the sinister haze hovering in the distance and looked down onto the ruined farms of the Tula. The valley had once been home to some of Ravka's richest estates. One day it was a place where farmers tended crops and sheep grazed in green fields. The next, a dark slash had appeared on the landscape, a swath of nearly impenetrable darkness that grew with every passing year and crawled with horrors. Where the farmers had gone, their herds, their crops, their homes and families, no one knew.Stop it, I told myself firmly. You're only making things worse. People have been crossing the Fold for years ... usually with massive casualties, but all the same. I took a deep breath to steady myself."No fainting in the middle of the road," said a voice close to my ear as a heavy arm landed across my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. I looked up to see Mal's familiar face, a smile in his bright blue eyes as he fell into step beside me. "C'mon," he said. "One foot in front of the other. You know how it's done.""You're interfering with my plan.""Oh really?""Yes. Faint, get trampled, grievous injuries all around.""That sounds like a brilliant plan.""Ah, but if I'm horribly maimed, I won't be able to cross the Fold."Mal nodded slowly. "I see. I can shove you under a cart if that would help.""I'll think about it," I grumbled, but I felt my mood lifting all the same. Despite my best efforts, Mal still had that effect on me. And I wasn't the only one. A pretty blond girl strolled by and waved, throwing Mal a flirtatious glance over her shoulder."Hey, Ruby," he called. "See you later?"Ruby giggled and scampered off into the crowd. Mal grinned broadly until he caught my eye roll."What? I thought you liked Ruby.""As it happens, we don't have much to talk about," I said drily. I actually had liked Ruby--at first. When Mal and I left the orphanage at Keramzin to train for our military service in Poliznaya, I'd been nervous about meeting new people. But lots of girls had been excited to befriend me, and Ruby had been among the most eager. Those frie...
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781250027436
Shadow and Bone
CHAPTER ISTANDING ON THE EDGE of a crowded road, I looked down onto the rolling fields and abandoned of farms of the Tula Valley and got my first glimpse of the Shadow Fold. My regiment was two weeks' march from the military encampment at Poliznaya and the autumn sun was warm overhead, but I shivered in my coat as I eyed the haze that lay like a dirty smudge on the horizon.A heavy shoulder slammed into me from behind. I stumbled and nearly pitched face-first into the muddy road."Hey!" shouted the soldier. "Watch yourself !""Why don't you watch your fat feet?" I snapped, and took some satisfaction from the surprise that came over his broad face. People, particularly big men carrying big rifles,don't expect lip from a scrawny thing like me. They always look a bit dazed when they get it.The soldier got over the novelty quickly and gave me a dirty look as he adjusted the pack on his back, then disappeared into the caravan of horses, men, carts, and wagons streaming over the crest of the hill and into the valley below.I quickened my steps, trying to peer over the crowd. I'd lost sight of the yellow flag of the surveyors' cart hours ago, and I knew I was far behind.As I walked, I took in the green and gold smells of the autumn wood, the soft breeze at my back. We were on the Vy, the wide road that had once led all the way from Os Alta to the wealthy port cities on Ravka's western coast. But that was before the Shadow Fold.Somewhere in the crowd, someone was singing. Singing? What idiot is singing on his way into the Fold? I glanced again at that smudge on the horizon and had to suppress a shudder. I'd seen the Shadow Fold on many maps, a black slash that had severed Ravka from its only coastline and left it landlocked. Sometimes it was shown as a stain, sometimes as a bleak and shapeless cloud. And then there were the maps that just showed the Shadow Fold as a long, narrow lake and labeled it by its other name, "the Unsea," a name intended to put soldiers and merchants at their ease and encourage crossings.I snorted. That might fool some fat merchant, but it was little comfort to me.I tore my attention from the sinister haze hovering in the distance and looked down onto the ruined farms of the Tula. The valley had once been home to some of Ravka's richest estates. One day it was a place where farmers tended crops and sheep grazed in green fields. The next, a dark slash had appeared on the landscape, a swath of nearly impenetrable darkness that grew with every passing year and crawled with horrors. Where the farmers had gone, their herds, their crops, their homes and families, no one knew.Stop it, I told myself firmly. You're only making things worse. People have been crossing the Fold for years ... usually with massive casualties, but all the same. I took a deep breath to steady myself."No fainting in the middle of the road," said a voice close to my ear as a heavy arm landed across my shoulders and gave me a squeeze. I looked up to see Mal's familiar face, a smile in his bright blue eyes as he fell into step beside me. "C'mon," he said. "One foot in front of the other. You know how it's done.""You're interfering with my plan.""Oh really?""Yes. Faint, get trampled, grievous injuries all around.""That sounds like a brilliant plan.""Ah, but if I'm horribly maimed, I won't be able to cross the Fold."Mal nodded slowly. "I see. I can shove you under a cart if that would help.""I'll think about it," I grumbled, but I felt my mood lifting all the same. Despite my best efforts, Mal still had that effect on me. And I wasn't the only one. A pretty blond girl strolled by and waved, throwing Mal a flirtatious glance over her shoulder."Hey, Ruby," he called. "See you later?"Ruby giggled and scampered off into the crowd. Mal grinned broadly until he caught my eye roll."What? I thought you liked Ruby.""As it happens, we don't have much to talk about," I said drily. I actually had liked Ruby--at first. When Mal and I left the orphanage at Keramzin to train for our military service in Poliznaya, I'd been nervous about meeting new people. But lots of girls had been excited to befriend me, and Ruby had been among the most eager. Those frie...
