EVERYONE Has Read This but Me - The Catch-Up Book Club discussion

This begins our group discussion of our Modern book selection, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, nominated by Andi.

This discussion will be full of SPOILERS.

Did you enjoy the book? What stood out to you? How would you rate the worldbuilding—were you able to visualize the settings, cultures, etc.? Did you find Alina’s transformational journey believable and compelling? What questions were you left with?

On the one hand, I appreciate Leigh Bardugo's efforts to create full cultures, with languages and clothes and customs and all.
On the other, I might be culturally too close to the real-world-source to enjoy it.

For the first chapters I treated her idea of hard kvas (as opposed to: slightly fermented refreshing summer drink I know and love) as an equivalent to soft apple cider and hard apple cider. Because, that's pretty much the level of alcohol you could get if you really tried: around the same as wine.

In the chapter 5, it's something you drink out of flasks and burns the way down your throat.

In the recipe I use, the sugar to feed the yeast comes from honey; if you wanted it to produce more alcohol, you'd need more honey. Taking the quantities they seem to drink their kvas in the books, it would much more efficient and affordable to make meade out of it.
Similarly with the recipes that use sugar instead of honey: if you distil it, it's not kvas but moonshine; if it's set to ferment, it's not going to be as hard of a drink as you want it to be.

Like, I understand the penchant for using exotic names for your drinks. But it's called kvas exactly because it's a fermented drink, not a distilled one.

Sorry for the rant; I could have more of them given the permission.

I immediately need to read #2!! Am I crazy hoping for the darkling’s redemption & hoping he was somehow misunderstood? Loved him, and definitely read the tailor which is #1.5- free online and only about 10 mins long!!!

I just finished this, after reading the Six of Crows duology some time ago (and Crooked Kingdom actually being one of my favourite books). I do have to say I like S&B less, although that doesn't surprise me as I was told by friends that that would be the case. Which makes sense, as this is the author's debut (I believe?)

Emily wrote: "I immediately need to read #2!! Am I crazy hoping for the darkling’s redemption & hoping he was somehow misunderstood? Loved him, and definitely read the tailor which is #1.5- free online and only ..."

There are many pro-Darkling fans around. :)

Quinty (Taylor's Version) wrote: "I just finished this, after reading the Six of Crows duology some time ago (and Crooked Kingdom actually being one of my favourite books). I do have to say I like S&B less, although that doesn't su..."

Yes, it's her debut so the series in general will feel period YA. I enjoyed aspects about each series but I agree that Six of Crows is better writing.

Oh I am so excited to read Six of Crows. It is on my short list! I loved the S&B trilogy and if Six of Crows is even better, I am so looking forward to reading these books as well!🙌

Inga wrote: "Oh I am so excited to read Six of Crows. It is on my short list! I loved the S&B trilogy and if Six of Crows is even better, I am so looking forward to reading these books as well!🙌"

I definitely think her writing improved and her relationship chemistry improved. Six of Crows also is heist stuff which is just generally a fun genre! I enjoyed the books after Six of Crows but some people haven't liked them as much.

** audiobook**

I’m sad to say I was thoroughly disappointed by this book.
It didn’t hold me. My attention wandered. The roles felt poorly explained and I spent half the book guessing at what they meant.

There was a handful of events that peaked my interest, but there was such a lack of description I couldn’t really picture anyone or any of the creatures.
I pushed through and finished the book but have no real desire to continue with the series.

Binge read, 5 stars! Already started the next one.

I didn’t always like Alina or her decisions, but loved the book and the Grishaverse. Very quick read.

I thought the classes of the Grisha, the rankings, the colors and symbols really added to the story. And I love the completely different perspectives and cultures of the countries being highlighted that in Ravka Grisha are treated like nobility but in other countries they may be seen as vile and often hunted/killed.

Also, the Darkling is way cooler than Mal. 😜

Rebecca is book-hooked wrote: "Binge read, 5 stars! Already started the next one.

I didn’t always like Alina or her decisions, but loved the book and the Grishaverse. Very quick read.

I thought the classes of the Grisha, the..."

I agree - I liked the ambiance of the book, but the characters weren't well developed. I don't know anyone who is pro-Mal. lol

Jessica wrote: "** audiobook**

I’m sad to say I was thoroughly disappointed by this book.
It didn’t hold me. My attention wandered. The roles felt poorly explained and I spent half the book guessing at what the..."

I thought about your comment and I think I can agree. I think I could picture Mal, Darkling and Alina maybe also Genya and Zoya but not really others and creatures were something black with teeth for me :). However I think that battles and surroundings were described beautifully, I felt like I am living there when something was happening...

Rebecca is book-hooked wrote: "Binge read, 5 stars! Already started the next one.

I didn’t always like Alina or her decisions, but loved the book and the Grishaverse. Very quick read.

I thought the classes of the Grisha, the..."


I agree, but I could probably understand Alina's decisions in a way that she was just discovering her powers and was not sure about the new surroundings, kinda unexperienced child in an adult world... I think in the second book you might find her also annoying with her decisions and tossing back in forth between the Darkling and Mal :) but I feel like that the author tried to described her personal development and self discovery as detailed as possible

I am not sure that after finishing all three books, I understood the Darkling's motivation for creating the Fold, which he could not even enter afterward. I might have missed it somewhere. In the TV series (which I watched after finishing the books and probably disliked because of it), it was shown that he created it by accident, but I am unsure about the actual idea behind it...

Jessica wrote: "** audiobook**

I’m sad to say I was thoroughly disappointed by this book.
It didn’t hold me. My attention wandered. The roles felt poorly explained and I spent half the book guessing at what the..."

I really liked the book (listened on audio too) but agree that character descriptions could have been more impactful. I also struggled with visualising the geography, but finding the map online helped. Where the descriptive language really picked up for me was in action scenes and some (not all) locations.

Heather wrote: "Rebecca is book-hooked wrote: "Binge read, 5 stars! Already started the next one.

I didn’t always like Alina or her decisions, but loved the book and the Grishaverse. Very quick read.

I thought..."

I agree on the Darkling being cooler - he felt a lot more interesting in general. Mal's backstory and motivations were closely mirrored to Alina's so he didn't stand out strongly to me. Poor Mal! :D

I think my negative view of Mal was because in the book, he only likes her once she turns pretty and powerful. So I always held that against him. In the show they tempered that and made it like he was always more into her.

I don't remember which book, but one of them goes into quite a bit of detail on the creation of the fold. I think it's hard to want Alina with Darkling as we get much further into his story but initially he seems like just a bad boy instead of like actually really screwed up individual.

The Demon in the Wood is a good Darkling backstory to understand his fierce protection of magic-users and how he develops his powers.