So recently I found the Grisha Chronicles on my Scribd and I've been meaning to read it for some time. I at some point owned a physical copy of Shadow and Bone, but have since then lost it. I honestly do not know where it went. I read Six of Crows and I absolutely LOVED IT so I felt like I had to read the Grisha Chronicles because while SoC is a spin off novel, there's a lot of things about the universe I didn't really understand most likely because it was a spin off series off of a world that most readers would already be familiar with.
(I mean the fact that I still love SoC while being completely blind to the world of the Grisha is something great that Leigh Bardugo accomplished)
So I broke and I read all three books in three days. I simply devoured them. I couldn't get enough and I found myself staying up until 4AM to read as most as I can before I had to force myself to sleep because I had work in the morning. Furthermore what this series sparked was even more insane. I felt this sudden urge and need to read and write. I actually went to work constantly thinking of the next time I can squeeze thirty pages in my fifteen minute break. It was bad. However, I don't remember the last time I felt so excited about doing something, so I really welcomed this feeling. Since then I've kind of read about five or six books and honestly this boggles my mind.
But what about the Grisha Chronicles did I like? Oh boy.
1. The Magic--ahem--Small Sciences
The system that Bardugo creates in the world of the Grisha is something that's been done before, but it has her own spin to it. Which I love. We all know magic that can manipulate the elements and etc. etc, but it was interesting to see it being viewed in a more scientific approach. Now there isn't any part of the series that goes incredibly deep into the sciences, but it's touched upon where I found it to be believable. Either way, I still love magic and magical abilities and I also loved the very obvious and symbolic sense of the light and the dark with the Darkling and Alina.
2. The Darkling: Pretty Evil but not ALL Evil
I kind of wish we divulged more into what the Darkling really was like. I wanted to get more of his story in the... story
....
but we didn't. I'm kind of upset with that because, I mean, I really liked what I saw from the glimpses. As much as I love the story of the hero defeating the villain (and trust me, I do), I love a story even more when I find myself somehow sympathizing with the villain sometimes. We as readers always moan and complain when the main characters are flat, but I think the same should be put with the villains and sometimes I just want a really dynamic villain that I find myself feel sorry for (and then kick myself because suddenly I feel bad for them!).
The Darkling had little inklings of humanity and I really enjoyed seeing the little glimpses I got even if they weren't a huge part of his character.
3. The Romance
Oh my the romance. I didn't really get the romance with the Darkling and I found it pretty unhealthy and abusive (esp. with the later two books). In my opinion the romance with the Darkling and Alina was a bit forced to create some kind of love triangle or tension between her and Mal. Speaking of which.
I loved Mal with Alina. It was such a pure romantic relationship. It was pretty by the books of what you kind of want with two people in love with each other except maybe impeccable communication. They loved each other to death and they were willing to fight for each other. It was really lovely watching their relationship grow from the start of the series to the end. They finally come to terms with their feelings and they kind of become a really great team. They're not unstoppable, but with each other they're willing to keep going.
Overall, the Grisha Chronicles sucked me in just as Six of Crows did and I now see why the series was so popular. I honestly think that Six of Crows is better than the Grisha Chronicles, but I don't doubt that it has a lot to do with how Bardugo may have grown as a writer through the Grisha Chronicles. I'm really late to the party, but I'm here now.
Until Crooked Kingdom...
2. The Darkling: Pretty Evil but not ALL Evil
I kind of wish we divulged more into what the Darkling really was like. I wanted to get more of his story in the... story
....
but we didn't. I'm kind of upset with that because, I mean, I really liked what I saw from the glimpses. As much as I love the story of the hero defeating the villain (and trust me, I do), I love a story even more when I find myself somehow sympathizing with the villain sometimes. We as readers always moan and complain when the main characters are flat, but I think the same should be put with the villains and sometimes I just want a really dynamic villain that I find myself feel sorry for (and then kick myself because suddenly I feel bad for them!).
The Darkling had little inklings of humanity and I really enjoyed seeing the little glimpses I got even if they weren't a huge part of his character.
3. The Romance
Oh my the romance. I didn't really get the romance with the Darkling and I found it pretty unhealthy and abusive (esp. with the later two books). In my opinion the romance with the Darkling and Alina was a bit forced to create some kind of love triangle or tension between her and Mal. Speaking of which.
I loved Mal with Alina. It was such a pure romantic relationship. It was pretty by the books of what you kind of want with two people in love with each other except maybe impeccable communication. They loved each other to death and they were willing to fight for each other. It was really lovely watching their relationship grow from the start of the series to the end. They finally come to terms with their feelings and they kind of become a really great team. They're not unstoppable, but with each other they're willing to keep going.
Overall, the Grisha Chronicles sucked me in just as Six of Crows did and I now see why the series was so popular. I honestly think that Six of Crows is better than the Grisha Chronicles, but I don't doubt that it has a lot to do with how Bardugo may have grown as a writer through the Grisha Chronicles. I'm really late to the party, but I'm here now.
Until Crooked Kingdom...
