Shadow and Bone

This was an impulse buy for me. I wasn't sure if I was going to like it or not, especially when I started stumbling over all the Russian or Russian-inspired names and words. However, it turned out to be a surprisingly easy and quick read and I enjoyed it.

Alina and her best friend Mal are orphaned at an early age by the Border Wars. Peasants, they are sent to be raised on a duke's estate, where they will be educated and taught a trade. When their training is finished, they join the army - Alina as a mapmaker and Mal as a scout. The two are still best friends and are inseparable, though Alina's feelings are definitely no longer platonic. Alina's life is pretty normal - until the fateful day her troop enters the notorious Shadow Fold.

I don't really know how to describe the Fold except to quote Alina: "At first, it was like drifting into a thick cloud of smoke, but there was no heat, no smell of fire. Sounds seemed to dampen and the world became still...The living world had disappeared. Darkness fell around us, black, weightless, and absolute. We were in the Fold." They are not the only ones in the Fold - so are deadly monsters called volcra, which travel in flocks and attack Alina and her companions. It is during this attack that Mal is injured and Alina attacks - and everything changes permanently for her. Alina's hidden power is awakened by the shock of the attack and she is knocked unconscious.

When Alina awakens, she is taken to see the powerful - even infamous - Darkling, the most powerful Grisha (mage or spellcaster) in the land. He examines Alina and she is found to be a Grisha as well. Alina is forced to leave the army, Mal (who is recovering), and everything else she knows, and go to the Little Palace, where she will be trained to use her powers. It becomes soon apparent that the Darkling has a special interest in Alina, though she is not sure if it is personal or if it's due to her powers. Alina is no ordinary Grisha - she is a Sun Summoner, a very powerful Grisha who may be able to destroy the Shadow Fold once and for all. Unless, of course, someone else has a better use for her powers - or wants her dead before she can master them.

I definitely plan to buy "Siege and Storm," which is the second volume. I liked Alina and enjoyed her story. It's also nice to see something other than the same old Western European/Sword & Sorcery stuff. This is the first fantasy world I can remember with a Russian theme. It's very refreshing.

Alina is an orphan, under the care of Duke Keramsov, when the Grisha first come to test her and her only friend, Mal. Neither of them show any signs of the small science that make the Grisha so powerful so they are left alone, to join a life in the King's army. The once-great nation of Ravka is battling the Shadow Fold, a barren land bereft of light. Within the darkness are creatures that will rip you apart, the volcra. When their regiment has to pass through the Shadow Fold, Mal is attacked and Alina throws herself in the path of a volcra. Only something amazing happens. Could Alina have powers of the Grisha, dormant for so many years? And is she the key to saving Ravka from the darkness?

As someone who doesn't read a lot of high fantasy (that's the stuff set in other worlds), I often have difficulty getting to grips with a new world, especially all the made up words. I felt this way for the first few chapters of The Gathering Dark but soon started to get into the world of the Grisha. They don't think of it as magic however, more science but there wasn't enough to back this up. I would have liked to have seen more on this, but as it's the first in a trilogy, there is likely to be more on its way.

There are three types of Grisha; the Corporalki who have power over blood, the Etherealki who have power over the elements and the Materialki who have power over solid things such as metal. They all in turn, are lead by the Darkling who has power over darkness and is both feared and respected. The peasants think the Grisha are witches yet they form the second army, using their powers to back up the first army of the King.

The plot, at first, seems to be rather cliched. Orphan girl suddenly finds she's has magical powers and goes to live in a wonderful palace yet doesn't quite fit in. Yet somewhere along the way, it evolves and becomes a gripping fantasy adventure. There's even a villain that keeps you wanting to see the good in him. I still have hope, although I think younger readers will see it more in black and white.

My criticism is that it skims the surface of too many things. The mythology of the Grisha, the world within the Shadow Fold, the relationships. There's a lot going on but feels like it's been edited down to fit into a length acceptable for the young adult market. I would certainly read the second instalment, The Shadow Fold when it's available, as my curiosity has been piqued.