Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo [Joint Review!]

4 out of 5 Robots!

Six of Crows By Leigh Bardugo

Series: Six of Crows #1

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release: September 29, 2015

Paperback:  465 Pages

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co

My Copy: Library

Reviewer: Julia & Shannon

Book Summary:
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.(Courtesy of Goodreads)

Julia & Shannon - Joint Review! 

1. What are your feelings on this Grisha spinoff as a whole?

Shannon:  I was so excited!  The Grisha-verse is one of my favorite "worlds".  I also love that this series focuses on a part of the Grisha-verse that wasn't very well known from the Shadow and Bone series.  It felt completely separate, yet familiar at the same time.  I love that.

 

Julia: I am so thrilled that Leigh Bardugo decided to continue with the Grisha universe. The universe and Grisha are so fascinating and Bardugo is such an awesome story teller. I also love how separate this is from the other series, like Shannon said. It's an entirely separate journey with the same feel.

2. Did you like the alternating viewpoints?

Shannon:  I did.  But I like 3rd person.  Yes, you may not get into the deep inner workings of a character's mind, but I feel like you have a much more complete picture.  And rotating between the viewpoints kept things fresh and interesting.  I felt like you got to know the characters not only from their personal thoughts, but also from how they were viewed by others. 

 

Julia: I loved it. Kept the story fresh and moving. I get a better feel for every character with the switching of viewpoints. And the story felt whole that way. The characters are more vivid and alive - easier to feel a connection with. 

3. How does this compare to the other Grisha books?

Shannon:  I have a very special spot for Shadow and Bone.  It felt so exciting and different. I haven't quite fell in love with the characters in Six of Crows as much as I did in Shadow and Bone.  And Six of Crows is less romantic, with a darker tone.  But I can also say that I think Six of Crows was a better written and stronger book overall

 

Julia: This book is right on par with Leigh's other novels. It is well written, unpredictable and feels unique. I love it just as much as I do her other novels!

4. Did you have a favorite character, least favorite?

Shannon: I'm not sure I liked one character over another.  I liked parts of each of them.  I think my least favorite was probably Matthias, but it's by a small margin.

 

Julia: I keep trying to decide which character entertained me the most. I can't. They're all intriguing, witty and have depth.

5. What about the ending?

Shannon: I thought the ending was a tad predictable, but definitely left me excited and anxious to read the next book. That epilogue about killed me because I had so many questions! 

 

Julia: Boo! I didn't want it to end! I knew a little of what was to come, but it is still a solid ending. Though it will leave you dying for the sequel.

6. Rating? Recommending? Are we reading more? 

Shannon: 5 stars!  And yes, definitely recommended.  Leigh Bardugo 4 Life!

 

Julia: Definitely five stars! And everyone should read this. Leigh Bardugo fans, people who aren't fans, fantasy fans.... everyone. I will read just about anything Leigh Bardugo writes.

 

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo [Joint Review!]

4.5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #3
Genre: YA Fantasy
Release: June 17, 2014
Hardcover:  417 Pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Julia and Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

(Courtesy of the Publisher)

Julia and Shannon's Thoughts:

1. Sum up your feelings in two sentences.

Julia: This book is quickly paced, vivid and the pages will fly by. It is long, but you won't feel the length and any epic fantasy fan will not want to come up with air until the last page.

Shannon: A decent, yet unsurprising finale for this series.  I wish it was a little more edgy, but ultimately I feel satisfied by the ending.

2. What did you like? 

Julia: Everything satisfied me except for what I will tell you in the next question. The characters are riveting, the world building is astonishing and I couldn't get enough. It is strange to say of such a lengthy book, but it really is a quick read. I was flying through it and couldn't stop.

Shannon:  One thing I have loved about this series is Bardugo's imagination and world building.  She manages to infuse all of these details into her world building, but never lets her story get bogged down in the details.  There is something really beautiful about the world she creates.  This book is just a further extension of everything I like in the series as a whole.  I love the world, the mythology, and the characters.

3. What did you dislike?

Julia: I disliked the ending. It is cheesy and clean and just too perfect. I don't want to be able to predict what will happen and I don't like that many young adult authors feel the need to end a book so... gosh, clean. This is a violent world and the characters had to go through so many tribulations- why would the ending be everything they want?

Shannon: Yes, I agree with the ending.  It did end about as perfect as it could have, even if it didn't really make sense for it to be that way.  There was some major deus ex machina plot devices that had me rolling my eyes.  There are some other small grievances.  But I also think I was more disappointed with this book because the other two were so strong.

4. Do you feel this was a satisfying ending?

Julia: Regardless of what I said earlier, though it isn't what I wanted to see, it is a very satisfying ending and the majority of Ruin & Rising readers will LOVE the ending. 

Shannon: I also agree.  While I didn't love how the ending came about exactly, I was ultimately satisfied about where the series ended. 

5. Was there anything you wish you could change in this book?  In the series?

Julia:  The only thing I would change is... well, two people die. There is one person that I would have kept alive and another I would have kept dead. No one will agree with me on this, but I don't care. It would have been an awesome change of pace.

Shannon: I would have liked to have seen a different storyarc for Mal.  I kind of got him in the first book, hated him and his douchey ways in the second but liked seeing his redemption in the third. But it was so frustrating.  Especially when you realize he actually plays a much larger role for Alina than just her love interest.  But it felt, I dunno, a little out of left field and I felt a little manipulated in my feelings for Mal.  

6. How do you feel about the series overall?

Julia: I want more. I'm disappointed that it is over! I can't get enough of this epic fantasy stuff. 
Shannon: I truly love this series, top to bottom.  Even if I am grumbling a bit about certain things, this is one of my go-to recommendations for people.  I want to visit this world again and again.

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo [Joint Review]

5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grishna #2
Genre: Fantasy YA
Release: June 4, 2013
Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
My Copy: Purchased
Reviewer: Shannon
Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:

Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Julia and Shannon's Thoughts: 
1. Rate the level of awesomeness on a scale of 1 to Awesomeness 
Julia: AWESOMENESS. I loved it. I read it really slow so I could savor the awesomeness.

Shannon: Yes.  Total awesomesauce!  I also tried to take my time with it because I wanted to really experience it.  

 

2. Compare and contrast the awesomeness of this book with the first book. 

Julia: The first book was also brilliant. I loved Mal more in the first book, he frustrated me in the second. But then I fell in love with new people in the second.... sooooo.... second book wins. Just sayin'

Shannon: The first book really blew me away.  It was unlike anything I had read before.  I loved the tension between Alina and The Darkling and then the ending scenes with Mal and Alina.  But I also thought the second book was a tighter story.  It seemed to flow better.  I loved the new characters and all the plot twists! 

 

3. Love triangle?  Try love quadrangle! 

Julia: I could do without all the she loves him, but he loves her, she loves him but wants to kiss this other guy and then this other dude wants to make her his slave. And yadda yadda yadda. I mean, it all makes for a very satisfying read and I can't put it down with all of this soap opera goodness...... but yeah I think I'm just frustrated because I'm ready for some decisions to be made. The next book will clear this up for me though ;) 

Shannon: Mal, Mal, Mal.  What the heck, Mal?  Mal's insecurities and subsequent asshat behavior killed me in this book.  It was my least favorite part of the book.  But on the other hand, it all made sense, I guess.  I WAS happy to see that The Darkling isn't really in the mix. After what he did to Alina, I would lose all respect for Bardugo as an author if she tried to trump up romance on Alina's part.    

 

4. What was your favorite part of awesomeness?  What did not live up to being awesome? 

Julia: The chemistry between Mal and Alina is lacking in this book. I feel like that's how Leigh Bardugo wanted it to be though, which is fine, but they had such an amazing thing going in book one that I was just sort of like, well boo! Her chemistry with Nikolai is brilliant though. They would be the ultimate power couple and I'm crossing my fingers that she chooses her country, power and Nikolai over Mal. Things with Mal are just so complicated, I'm interested to see what will happen if she let's him go. The action scenes are the most awesomeness of this book though - fighting Grisha!

Shannon: Sturmhond was definitely the one the best parts of this book.  I LOVED how everything went down on the ship. And the fighting Grisha was awesome!  I also liked the expanded worldview we got.  There is much more than just the Little Palace!  I also liked how Bardugo ended it.  Some things were left on the verge of mending and that gave me hope for the next book.  I think we can both agree that the rocky relationship between Alina and Mal was painful.  I kind of wanted to slap Mal across the face and scream "get ahold of yourself!".  Alina also needed to just TALK to Mal.  Geez. 

  

5. The new characters:  awesome or not? 

Julia: AWESOME. AWESOME. AWESOME. And again, AWESOME. They add so much personality to the story. I only wish they had been introduced to me sooner.

Shannon: They definitely breathed some life into the story!  I loved them all and so excited to see them again in the next book!  

Other books in this series in the order that they should be read:
1. Shadow and Bone
2. Siege and Storm

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo [Review]

5 out of 5 Robots!

  

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha Trilogy #1

Genre: Young Adult Fantasy

Release: June 5, 2012

Hardcover: 358 Pages

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.

My Copy: Purchased

Reviewer: Shannon

Buy the Book: Amazon

Book Summary:
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.. (Courtesy of the Publisher)

 
Shannon's Thoughts:

You know when you read a good book, you think “that was a good book” and move on to the next? But when you read an awesome book, you think about it for days afterwards?  Shadow and Bone is like that for me.  I have spent three days reliving it in my head and generally obsessing about it. Now, I don’t want to talk it up so much that you have too high expectations that no mortal book could fulfill.   It's just that I don't find many books that really get me excited.

So.  What did I love?  I don’t even know where to start!  First of all, I LOVED the setting. The story takes place in Ravka, a Russian inspired fantasy land.  I loved the Russian elements!  Bardugo does an amazing job describing Ravka.  It is very imaginative. I also loved the characters. Alina is a regular girl who discovers she has Grisha powers.  She has to come to terms with this new power and what it means for her.  She has a hard time believing in herself at first, but slowly comes into her own.  Mal, her best friend and occasional love interest, is also adorable.  And The Darkling.  What can I say about the Darkling without revealing too much.  Just that he's a game changer and such a great character.  Speaking of Grisha powers, I loved the different types of Grisha and their powers! You can tell Bardugo put a lot of thought into it.

 
In my interweb travels, I came across Leigh Bardugo’s pinterest.  What is so cool about this is she pins things that inspire or represent aspects of the book.  It is like getting a front row seat to the author’s mind.  You can check it out here!

This is definitely in my top 5 reads of 2012 so far.  I can’t recommend it enough. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!