April means many things to many people. To some, it’s the sign of the Easter Bunny coming with chocolates and sweets. Others might see it as the start of spring, warmer weather and vibrant gardens.
But to many others, April 23 brings the premier of the Netflix adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s YA fantasy, Shadow and Bone, also know as the Grishaverse series. So for the month of April, I will be reviewing the original trilogy for this premier.
The first book in the series, Shadow and Bone, introduces us to the world of Ravka and our protagonist, Alina Starkov, a soldier and map maker entering a shadowed scar on the world known as the Shadow Fold, filled with only monsters and darkness. It is while there that she discovers and learns to control a newfound power.
The narrative is done through first person and Bardugo does an excellent job of letting us experience things through Alina’s eyes while still keeping things interesting and fresh. The magic system is simple enough that those new to fantasy will understand it, but interesting enough to add just enough flavor to the story and world.
So whether you’re just curios about the series as a whole or wish to read the books after watching the show, Shadow and Bone is one that I can firmly recommend. You can borrow it as an ebook from both eBCCLS and eLibraryNJ and in print from BCCLS libraries.
Written By:
Lauren Lapinski
Circulation Assistant
Don’t miss our exciting live Zoom event tonight: Meet the Author Book Talk with Chip Cheek, author of “Cape May”! Wednesday, April 21, at 7 pm EST
In honor of National Library Week, best-selling author Chip Cheek will present a Virtual Book Talk/ Meet the Author event tonight (Wednesday, April 21) at 7:00 pm to discuss his popular debut novel “Cape May.” Chip will read passages from the book, describe his writing process and the inspiration for the book, and answer your questions. This program will be hosted on Zoom, so registration is required.
Hoboken Library Staff Picks 
Leave a Reply