Paul's July Pick: Shadow and Bone (Ashley's Pre-Reading)

I realized today that I'm very behind on reading. Classes recently started and have me all sorts of messed up. So, I'm finally getting to Paul's book from July! It's about time...

Paul's Pre-Reading
Paul's Review (with video!)

Title: Shadow and Bone 
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Year Published: 2012

Synopsis: Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, all she’s ever been able to rely on is her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain.

Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’ve been sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed.

She is torn from everything she knows and whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes that she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the Sun Summoner. Only her power can destroy the Fold.

Overwhelmed by luxury, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to keep her wits about her without Mal by her side. But nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her mastery of her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha—and the secrets of her heart.

Why?: Paul chose this as his book of the month for July, and so that means I get to read it too! Also, it sounds really interesting - magic and danger and mystery? That's right up my alley.

Expectations: I expect a pretty epic novel. Battles, and magic training, and forging new friendships/alliances as well as trying to mend broken ones. Plus, probably quite a bit of self-discovery. And some pretty intense world-building.

Judging a book by its cover: The cover has a pretty Russian feel to it, so I feel like that will play a pretty big role in the setting and world-building. It's an interesting cover, but it doesn't really catch my attention. I think if I stumbled across it in a bookstore or a library, I might pick it up. But it wouldn't jump out and grab me.


--Ashley