Thanks for being my best friend and making my life bearable. Oh, and sorry I fell in love with you for a while there. Make sure to write!" 
 What is this book about? 
 Imagine Durmstrang, the Russian school of Wizardry, but then more awesome, more powerful, more dangerous en much more glamorous and you might come close to explaining Shadow and Bone. The story is about Alina, an orphan peasant girl who is, just like everyone else in Ravka, part of the King's army. The nation is at war and isn't just scared of the other tribes, but also of the Shadow fold, a mysterious pitch black sea filled with monsters. When Alina finds out that she is part of the magical Grisha, a special branch of the army with magical abilities, she is swept away by their leader the Darkling and is hailed as the savior with her unique ability to summon the sun. 
 Why is it boring? 
 Oh god, is it yet another trilogy about magical young adults? Is there yet again a love triangle between two hunky guys and a girl who thinks of herself as plain and ugly? Will the main character of this book turn out to be the most special and powerful Grisha yet to come? YES, YES! All of that is true, but is that really such a bad thing? 
 Who would you recommend it to? 
 Lovers of anything magical, Young Adulty and hunky bad guys. The world building in the Grisha trilogy is insane. If I could wish to transfer myself to a different fictional universe, I would have a hard time choosing between Harry Potter's magical London and Ravka. And although it is a young adult novel, don't expect whiny teens and uncomfortable first sexual encounters. All the characters are tough as nails as whining as a Grisha will get you cut in half. Oh and those hunky bad guys I was talking about? The book is filled with them, but no one can beat the Darkling. 
 Why should I read it if it's boring?! 
 A magical story to rival Harry Potter isn't enough for you? Well Alina is an awesome heroine, being much more snarky then any other character in YA history. The love triangle isn't annoying, which is a feat in itself. Mal, one of the corners of the triangle, gets to tell you romantic lines that rival Augustus Waters and will make you weak in the knees. But besides the book being a love story, it is also about power and greed and the story does not waste any time before throwing you down into the darkness of the Shadow Fold and releasing scary Volcra on all of the characters. However, I can't stress enough that this book contains a character called the Darkling who is hunky and dangerous and scary and awesome and should be plenty of reason for you to pick up this book. 
 Rating 4/5 
 Join the Goodreads group to (re-) read the first two books of the Grisha Trilogy, just in time before the final installment will be published!