Review: SHADOW AND BONE

Shadow And Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Book 1 of The Grisha series
Genre: high fantasy

About Shadow And Bone:

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.

Source: Info in the About Shadow And Bone was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17658751-shadow-and-bone on 23/06/2013.

My Thoughts:

I understand that this book managed to butcher the Russian culture into an ugly mess such that anyone with a smidgen of knowledge of the Russian culture hated this book. Or, gave it a low rating at GoodReads. Now, I am not Russian nor know the Russian culture, so I was fine and totally oblivious about how bad the Russian culture got mangled in this book. Sometimes ignorance is a bliss! However having said that, this book gets a demerit for mangling someone else's culture. Poking fun at yourself and your own culture is one thing. But doing so to other people or other people's culture is just plain old rude. But on the other hand, if the "culture mangling demerit" is taken out of the equation entirely, I have to admit that Leigh Bardugo weaves a fantastic plot of struggle for survival and coming of age story set in an extraordinary world of monsters and men. Gotta give the author kudos for the beautiful world building! What I didn't like about it though is the heroine going too stupid to live to create a dilemma in the story and so the heroes/heroines can show off and save the world. This shows me that the author might have a great imagination but plot building is not her forte. At the end of it though, I enjoyed this book and if not for the "culture mangling demerit", this book would have garnered a whole lot higher rating with me.

Empirical Evaluation:
Story telling quality = 3.5
Character development = 3
Story itself = 4
Ending = 3.5
World building = 4.5
Cover art: US = 2 / UK = 4
Pace = 3
Plot = 2.5
Culture mangling demerit = -1

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 cherries


Books In The Grisha Series:


Shadow And Bone Book Trailer:

FTC Disclosure:
No money recieved for this review.

IN THE MAIL: KITTY'S BIG TROUBLE & FORGIVE MY FINS

This is what Mr. Mailman brought me:

Thank you to the wonderful people at Gollancz Dark Fantasy for hosting a Facebook contest which made it possible for me to win a copy of Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn received.

Kitty's Big Trouble by Carrie Vaughn
Book 9 of the Kitty Norville series

About Kitty's Big Trouble:

Kitty Norville is a werewolf DJ who would rather be creating mixes than disposing of supernatural dangers. In her latest escapade, she delves into history. Her recent encounters with werewolves suffering from post-traumatic battle stress have made her wonder how long the U.S. government has been covertly using werewolves in combat. That suspicion isn't just idle pondering. It leads Kitty down a very risky road on which she crosses path with a vampire hunter named Wyatt Earp and some dangerous undead characters. A mass market original for fans of Kim Harrison and Jim Butcher.

Source: Info in the About Kitty's Big Trouble was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11509410-kitty-s-big-trouble on 21/07/2011.

I would like to thank Bella of Cheezyfeet Books for hosting a contest which made it possible for me to win Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs from the wonderful people at Templar!

Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
Book 1 of the Fins series

About Forgive My Fins:

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

Source: Info in the About Forgive My Fins was taken from GoodReads at http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6710476-forgive-my-fins on 21/07/2011.

IN THE MAIL: EMBERS, GRAVE WITCH, THE DRAGON WITH THE GIRL TATTOO, DEAD LIKE YOU

My loot:
I would like to thank Simon & Schuster for the review copy of Embers by Laura Bickle.

Embers by Laura Bickle

About Embers:
Anya Kalinczyk book 1

Unemployment, despair, anger--visible and invisible unrest feed the undercurrent of Detroit's unease. A city increasingly invaded by phantoms now faces a malevolent force that further stokes fear and chaos throughout the city.

Anya Kalinczyk spends her days as an arson investigator with the Detroit Fire Department, and her nights pursuing malicious spirits with a team of eccentric ghost hunters. Anya--who is the rarest type of psychic medium, a Lantern--suspects a supernatural arsonist is setting blazes to summon a fiery ancient entity that will leave the city in cinders. By Devil's Night, the spell will be complete, unless Anya--with the help of her salamander familiar and the paranormal investigating team --can stop it.

Anya's accustomed to danger and believes herself inured to loneliness and loss. But this time she's risking everything: her city, her soul, and a man who sees and accepts her for everything she is. Keeping all three safe will be the biggest challenge she's ever faced.

Source: Info in the About Embers was taken from the author's website at http://www.laurabickle.com/index_files/novels.htm on 10/11/2010.

Also received this week is a copy of Grave Witch by Kalayna Price from Book Depository. For the life of me I cannot remember where I won this book from, so if that is you, thank you!!

Grave Witch by Kalayna Price

About Grave Witch:
Alex Craft series Book 1

Grave witch Alex Craft can speak to the dead, but that doesn’t mean she likes what they have to say . . .

As a private investigator and consultant for the police, Alex Craft has seen a lot of dark magic. But even though she’s on good terms with Death himself—who happens to look fantastic in a pair of jeans—nothing has prepared her for her latest case. Alex is investigating a high profile murder when she’s attacked by the ‘shade’ she’s raising, which should be impossible. To top off her day, someone makes a serious attempt on her life, but Death saves her. Guess he likes having her around . . .

To solve this case Alex will have to team up with tough homicide detective Falin Andrews. Falin seems to be hiding something—though it’s certainly not his dislike of Alex—but Alex knows she needs his help to navigate the tangled webs of mortal and paranormal politics, and to track down a killer wielding a magic so malevolent, it may cost Alex her life . . . and her soul.

Source: Info in the About Grave Witch was taken from the author's website at http://www.kalayna.com/alexcraft.html on 08/12/10.

I would also like to thank Gollancz for the free copy of The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Adam Roberts.

The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo by Adam Roberts

About The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo :

Lizbreath Salamander is young and beautiful. Her scales have an iridescent sheen, her wings arch proudly, her breath has a tang of sulfur. And on her back a tattoo of a mythical creature: a girl. But when Lizbreath is drawn into a dark conspiracy she will have to rely on more than her beauty and her vicious claws the size of sabres . . . A dragon has disappeared, one of a secretive clan. As Lizbreath delves deeper into their history she realises that these dragons will do anything to defend their secrets. Welcome to the world of The Dragon With The Girl Tattoo. A world of gloomy Nordic dragons leading lives uncannily like our own (despite their size, despite the need for extensive fireproofing of home furnishings), a world of money hoarded, a world of darkness and corruption. A world where people are the fantasy.

Source: Info in the About The Dragon with the Girl Tattoo was taken from the author's blog at http://dragonwiththegirltattoo.blogspot.com/2010/10/dragon-with-girl-tattoo-by-adam-roberts.html on 08/12/2010.

I would also like to thank Minotaur Books for the ARC of Dead Like You by Peter James received.

Dead Like You by Peter James

About Dead Like You:

The sixth novel in the award winning Detective Superintendent Roy Grace crime series.

Don’t imagine for one moment that I’m not watching you. . .

The Metropole Hotel, Brighton. After a heady New Year’s Eve ball, a woman is brutally raped as she returns to her room. A week later, another woman is attacked. Both victims’ shoes are taken by the offender . . .

Detective Superintendent Roy Grace soon realises that these new cases bear remarkable similarities to an unsolved series of crimes in the city back in 1997. The perpetrator had been dubbed ‘Shoe Man’ and was believed to have raped five women before murdering his sixth victim and vanishing. Could this be a copycat, or has Shoe Man resurfaced?

When more women are assaulted, Grace becomes increasingly certain that they are dealing with the same man. And that by delving back into the past - a time in which we see Grace and his missing wife Sandy still apparently happy together - he may find the key to unlocking the current mystery. Soon Grace and his team will find themselves in a desperate race against the clock to identify and save the life of the new sixth victim . . .

Source: Info in the About Dead Like You was taken from the author's website at http://www.peterjames.com/books-dead-like-you.htm on 08/12/2010.