Leigh Bardugo’s “Shadow and Bone” – A Book Review

I recently finished reading Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and I have to say, I’m not impressed. The book was hard to get into and I found myself spacing out and putting it down often. I didn’t have it in me to be excited about it, I just wanted to get it over and done with so I can proceed to other books. The plot was lacklustre and there were so many missed opportunities to make it more solid and impactful. It really had the potential to be more epic, but the narration and world building just isn’t a cut above the rest. Alina’s character was too weak, indecisive, push-over and what have you. It felt like whatever she did outstanding was just an afterthought. It lacked character development, something I crave for in fantasy books. The Darkling on the other hand, is something I want to read more of. I wanted to know more about his backstory and his real name. I will take a break delving into Siege and Storm. I need to cleanse my palate first. So sorry but the hype was overrated.