Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grishaverse #1
Published by: Henry Holt and Company on June 5th 2012
Genre: YA fantasy
Format: Hardcover, 358 pages
Purchase: Fullybooked [PH] | NBS [PH] | Amazon | B&N
My Rating: 3.75 Roses
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 never thought I would love this series so much, I am not even done yet with the whole series but I know that the next two books will be as amazing as this first one, hopefully (please please let it be). Story-wise, I am in love with how the story played out, especially with the second half of the book. Character-wise, I wasn't connected with the main characters. There were two characters that stood out for me but one is not a protagonist and one is not the main character. What?? How could I go on with that?! (I kno right? But trust me, it somehow gets better, kind of) I can't give away anything because I want you all to find out about these characters but the story is interesting and I would love to read the next two books and see how the characters would develop a connection with me. Let's see.
I was grasping at straws for the first few chapters because I was so clueless. I know nothing about the Grisha world or grisha people and the way Leigh Bardugo painted the whole scenery was not enough because I have no background of it. It was still hard to grasp what the group of people do. These corporalki and etherealki, I still get confused. The magic, it was hard to understand it. It wasn't really tackled in depth and there are a lot of things I would have loved to know but weren't answered. I wasn't into this world, so to speak, but it grew on me on a certain level. I think the world building expected me to just catch up as the story goes on but it never really clicked. I was still confused hahaha.
Anyway, that first half almost got me into not finishing the book but I endured it because I was hoping that it will get better, and it did. It was way better than I was expecting and I was expecting a lot. Not expectation from the hype but expectations as I read it and deym, was I satisfied with that ending! I was on the edge of my seat ready to throw my phone because I was really annoyed at what was happening leading to the end of the book, but boy was that annoyance redeemed by a whoop in the air victory I felt at the end. I'm expectant on the next books and I'm hoping it will get better and more kick-ass than this one! Please let it be awesome because if the second book flunk, I will be so disappointed! I finished this book in mere hours, that was how quick the pace picked up for me during the second half, so really, high expectations here darling!
SPOILER-Y PART!!!
O-M-G I was almost fooled for a moment there. I've had my moments though, because I've already grown on believing that not all darkness are evil because, duh, Rhysand?!? But, oh well, some evil still lurks in the darkness and this freaking Darkling is freaking one of 'em! Ugh I want to smash his face!!!!
You know, the first moment that the Darkling was introduced, I felt like, omg, this is gonna be a beauty and the beast all over again. The dark one whom everybody thinks is a bad person is really a good one and he just wants to do good and save the world and all that fuss, but nah, this isn't a typical story. I also thought that Mal would just be a "Gale", who will be the 'best friend forever', but I was wrong okay? I was an assuming beyotch for ever thinking of these things. But despite my wrongness, I wasn't convinced that Mal would not show up again, the bestfriends always does, you know? They always show up on unexpected moments, and I'm right, he showed up right before the pivotal moment in our story.
And then he kissed me.It happened so suddenly that I barely had time to react.
SHUT.UP! When I read this, I was all W-T-F people! They barely had screen time together people!! What was I supposed to do with that kiss?? BELIEVE IT? EFF OFF! You're not fooling anybody (But of course, I was fooled for a moment, okay? HUHU) So anyway, I wasn't convinced with that first kiss, as you might have noticed by my reaction. The Darkling kissed Alina and then huh? What?! You kidding me? I wasn't even considering that you already like her! (Uh-oh, here I go again) This raised an alarm deep inside me, but the next few chapters had me almost believing that maybe they could be the leading people of this series, and I was thankful that I wasn't so deep into this thing between Alina and Darkling because he's the spawn darkness and he really is, right down to his core.
So everything after this winter something was just perfect!! I loved every single part of it even those moments that I want to strangle her and strangle them just so they would see the obvious thing that would happen if they continue!!! But why was I even trying??!!! Protagonists always present themselves in front of danger when oppportunity calls for them! Ugh these people, can they be anymore dumb? Hahaha kidding, eveything fell into place eventually, so I was happy, okay?
Mal was, as I have said, I saw him as 'the bestfriend'. He has no layers that even with the first few chapters, I knew that there's got to be another interesting guy. It couldn't be him. He wasn't anything special. Although, there's some hint that there could be more to him other than his good-natured character. He could have a power, I think. The way he said things like he just feels things whenever he's tracking and the way that he's so good at tracking tells me that he might have a power underneath him. I should hope so.
So the Darkling has his own charms. He's a magnet, okay? It was interesting whenever we see him on the scene and I just can't help but hope that he is not the bad guy here, but he certainly is. I hate it though, that he is a cruel and evil person because I was hoping that he isn't, but I think there is more to him, or I hope there is.
Genya is the breath of fresh air amidst the glamour and chatter and jealousy of this grisha people's court. There's two sides of her, I can feel it. I can feel that she's good but indebted to the Darkling. Deep inside her, I don't think she agrees on this new world that the Darkling was envisioning, or she's just really blinded by the Darkling's lies, who knows, but she has yet to decide which side she'll be on because she already gained so much because of him and things like that. I'm hoping she'll play a vital role in the next few books and I'm hoping that she won't be a pawn on the dark side.
Lastly, the Baghra (did I spell it right?), I am so doubtful of her role. I don't think that that was it already for her. Right after she helped Alina, she just disappeared like that? I was thinking that there's more to her. I think she also has evil plans, because if not, where would the Darkling get his evil roots right? His mother, the mother of evil, I can't trust her. HUHU.
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