Hi everyone, happy Monday! I hope you all had a fabulous weekend, and your Monday is starting off well! Today I’m going to be posting my review of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy.

Shadow and Bone by: Leigh Bardugo: Alina and her best friend Mal are on a mission, but get attacked along the way. That is when Alina reveals a power she didn’t know she had, and she must now train with the Grisha, a group of magical elite. Their leader, a peculiar Darkling thinks that this could be the answer to destroying the Fold, dangerous monsters who eat human flesh. This novel was definitely fast-paced and full of action; the plot was highly engaging, although the ending wavered a little, it still ended on a high note that left the reader ready for the next novel. The world building was done well; the high fantasy of it all was enjoyable to read and navigate through. The characters were okay; they were developed and somewhat dynamic, but they can only get better in the books to come. The writing was what really made the novel. It was so good, so captivating, yet so simple. Bardugo has a way with words that make it easy to read.

Siege and Storm by: Leigh Bardugo: Running from her past, Alina is trying to start a new life in a new land, with Mal, all while trying to hide her identity as the Sun Summoner. Only her past won’t leave her alone, and her destiny as the Sun Summoner won’t either. Determined to battle in the fight ahead of her, Alina has some serious choices to make. The novel was very action driven to start, but as the reader continued on Alina’s journey there was a lot of romance between her and Mal. It was well written and cute, that is until it got tiresome. It felt like the last half of the novel was Alina pinning after Mal. Although by the end of the novel Bardugo made up for it all in her final scenes because that was quite an ending. It was well done and surprising to the reader. Bardugo has a beautiful way with words. Her characters were being set up for what looks and sounds like a great final battle. All the characters were very personable and just written so that they were relatable and just fun to read. For a second novel, this was a good read.

Ruin and Rising by: Leigh Bardugo: In the final book to the trilogy Alina has new plans, plans that take her on a hunt to find an outlawed prince. She and Mal are on the hunt making new friends and enemies along the way, as secrets about the Darkling are revealed. Things get complicated when those secrets get in the way of the future Alina wants. This novel was definitely actioned packed from start to finish. No matter what was happening it felt like the characters were on some great adventure. That is what made the plot so fast paced, but it may have been a little too fast paced. Plots flew by without the reader really comprehending what was going on; it all happened in such a flash, and that was disappointing because it would have been nice to digest the plot more. The characters were well done, they were witty and strongly built. It felt like this trilogy ended in a rush, which is too bad because it started off so well.