Square FishProduct DescriptionThe first book in The Grisha Trilogy by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom.
??Mesmerizing. . . . This is what fantasy is for.?? ??New York Times Book Review
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 confron"ts of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart.
Shadow and Bone is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy?? which is followed by book two?? Siege and Storm?? and book three?? Ruin and Rising. This title has Common Core connections?? and this deluxe paperback edition includes an interiew with author Leigh Bardugo?? a lost letter from Mal?? discussion questions?? and more.
A New York Times Bestseller
A Los Angeles Times Bestseller
An Amazon Best Book of the Year
An Indie Next List Book
??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
" 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
??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
??This gripping debut novel?? with a touch of magic and romance . . . will keep readers burning the midnight oil.?? ??Shelf Awareness
"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 in the middle of a harrowing climax. ?? ??Horn Book Magazine
??Filled with lush descriptions?? intriguing magic?? and plenty of twists?? this memorable adventure offers action and intrigue mixed with an undercurrent of romance and danger.?? ??Publishers Weekly
??A well-drawn world?? full of deceit and mythology?? populated by entirely believable characters. Full of truly surprising twists and turns?? beautiful imagery and a protagonist it's impossible not to root for?? this is a great choice for teenage fans of"n and J.R.R. Tolkien.?? ??RT Book Reviews
Amazon.com ReviewAmazon Best Books of the Month?? June 2012: Alina Starkov has never been anything more than yet another orphan of her country??s on-going wars...until she channels magic not seen in centuries to protect her best friend?? Mal. Her new-found powers attract the attention of the Darkling?? the most powerful of the country??s magic-wielders. He tells Alina that her magic could heal the Shadow Fold?? if she can only learn to control it--and if she agrees to trust the Darkling despite the mystery that surrounds his very existence. Leigh Bardugo brings a cast of well-defined characters and a unique magic system to her lavishly imagined world?? where light doesn??t always conquer dark and deception runs so deep that it becomes truth. And yet?? against all expectations?? the bonds of sacrifice and friendship remain too strong to be severed in this thrilling debut. --Malissa Kent
Amazon Exclusive: Editor Noa Wheeler Interviews Leigh Bardugo?? author of Shadow and Bone
Nora Wheeler: I was really struck when I was reading Shadow and Bone by the beautiful setting. It's not our world exactly but it feels very Russian. Can you tell me a little bit more about the setting and how it played into your writing?
Leigh Bardugo: I think a lot of people have come to expect the medieval European setting from fantasy?? and I wanted to use a different cultural touchstone for my world. There's also this terrible tension between the beauty of Russian culture and the brutality of its history that just lends itself to high-drama narrative. The more I researched the more inspired I got.
NW: I truly believe that Shadow and Bone is a book for everyone. It's fantasy but there's plenty here for someone who's not a regular fantasy reader to fall in love with. That makes it feel different to me from a lot of what's out there. Do you agree? And if so what do you think makes this book different?
LB: I hope you're right! I tried really hard to make the book accessible to people who might not ordinarily pick up high fantasy. I'm a fantasy writer so I love world building. I love maps. I love all that good stuff. But the story really began for me with the relationships between Alina and Mal and the Darkling. And I hope that comes through. Some people are put off by fantasy because they pick up a book and there are 10 terms and each one has 20 consonants and three apostrophes and you have no idea how to pronounce things and it kind of makes the book feel like work. So I tried to ease people into the world a bit more gently. That's also why I chose to tell the story from Alina's point of view. She's very down to earth very pragmatic has a modern sensibility. I hope her perspective will make it easier for readers to enter Ravka.
NW: Another thing I think makes this book so different is that the magic is very accessible. For instance?? I love the idea of the Small Science?? of something that looks like magic being an enhancement of what's actually around us all the time. Can you elaborate on that aspect of th
