Book Review- Shadow and Bone

I just finished reading Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo.

From Goodreads:

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.

I have to admit it..I am one of those readers who often judge a book by its cover.  And when I first saw this cover and then read the summary, I didn't think I'd enjoy it.  It seemed to dark for me.  But a friend suggest I read it so I did.  And I'm sooo glad!  It was really, really good!

At first it was a little difficult to remember some of the new terminology but it soon became second nature.  I was easily drawn into the world that the author created.  Yes, that world was dark but there was some lightness too (and no, for those of you who have read the book, that was not meant as a pun).  I could easily imagine the clothing that the Grisha wore and the foods.

I really liked Alina.  I liked how she grew into her power and was true to herself.  She stuck to her friends even when it wasn't conventional.  And yes, she could be trusting and naive but she soon learned her ways.  There was a little romance in the book and it intrigued me.  I couldn't decide if I trusted the boy or not.  I'm still not sure.

And so I'm left hanging on and waiting for the next book.  One I didn't think I cared to read but now can't wait to get my hands on.  I only hope that Siege and Storm is as good as this first book was!

I gave this book a rating of 4.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2013 150+ Reading Challenge: 11
2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 9

*FTC Disclosure: I traded this book with a friend.