Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1)

Content Overview

Overall Content
Severity
0.9

Language

0.3/10

Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking

0.5/10

Intimacy, Sex, Immodesty

1.0/10

Violence, Weapons, Blood, Crime

2.5/10

Potentially Intense Themes

0.3/10

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #1)

Leigh Bardugo

Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart. 

-Excerpt taken from Goodreads.

Check Goodreads to see the book’s ratings.

My Opinion

4 out of 5 stars (4 / 5) I read this years ago when I was still trying to understand fantasy. At the time I read mostly thrillers and spy novels. Eventually I read so many thrillers that they felt all the same. In enters fantasy! I feel like there is so much more variety in fantasy. I’ve really grown to love it (obviously) and I can’t believe I resisted it for so long! 

I also wanted to reread it in preparation for the Netflix series, which is supposed to be amazing. The book was well done. It’s in the same world of Six of Crows, which I loved, so it was fun to be back. I honestly couldn’t remember much of the book and didn’t know the Darkling was in it. Why does everyone love him so much? He seems awfully questionable in morals and not all that likeable. Yet. But I have high hopes for book 2!

I really liked Alina as the protagonist. She’s tough, loyal and still naive but that flaw is to her benefit. Mal was my favorite and I can’t wait to get to know him more. He grew as a character but he still has more maturity in him. 

Now, that ending was a bit abrupt. I know authors think that leaving us hanging keeps us intrigued (ok it does sometimes) but really? Sometimes it’s just aggravating!

I love Bardugo’s writing so I will continue the series!

Detailed Content Review

Language 

F***-

H***- 

S***-

A**- 3

B****-

D***-

Bas****-

Religious Cursing

J****-

Chr***-

G**-

L***-

Derogatory terms etc-

Alcohol, Drugs, Smoking

A young woman drinks champagne. 

A man is drunk. 

A man drinks alcohol. 

Intimacy, Sex, Immodesty

*No LGBTQ+ aspects included*  

It is rumored that a young woman is liked by the king and sleeps at the palace so he can have her near. Sex is implied. 

A man briefly kisses a young woman. 

A man kisses a young woman, grabbing her head and pulling her close. 

A man grabs a young woman and asks her to keep him warm. She fights him off. 

A man says a young woman should be kept around “for a bit of fun.”

A young man kisses a young woman. 

A man kisses a young woman. 

Violence, Weapons, Crime, Blood

Winged creatures attack a ship of people. They fight and some are carried off, assumed to die. A winged man grabs a young man carrying him off and grabs for another, cutting him with claws. One shoots it and it’s wing hangs broken while a young woman stabs it with a knife. 

A man is shot dead. People attack a coach while traveling. Fighting ensues outside. A man tries to take a young woman so she slashes with a knife and runs. A man uses magic to use shadows to kill the men who attacked. A man attacking a young woman is cut in two. His body sways before it falls forward onto her. 

A man holds a knife to a young man’s throat. The butt of a knife is knocked on his head, blood pouring. The young woman knees a man in the groin then brings his head to her knee, hearing a crunch as she breaks his nose and blood flows. 

A man uses magic to bring shadows over a land. They search out people and many are killed, screams are heard. 

A young woman punches a man. 

Winged creatures attack a group of people. Screams and sounds of fighting are heard. 

Potentially Intense Themes

A young woman holds her bloody friend in her arms as she feels his life slip away. 

**As an Amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases. 

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