Welcome to Litsy!

#Read2025 #SeriesLove2025 March 2025 #AuthorAMonth I‘ve had this in my library for a good while and I‘m glad to finally have the extra motivation to read it. Excellent world building, intricate magic system, and, most important from my point of view, interesting, well-rounded characters with realistic relationships. Recommended.

Wow. This was very fast paced YA - like whiplash fast pace. I would have appreciated a little more world building because parts of the plot felt unearned. But this felt like one long intro paragraph for a greater story potential to be told.

I shall continue into the Grishaverse soon, I fear. 😨 #AuthorAMonth

I get why this had its own fandom! I doubt I‘ll get to much more this month for #AuthorAMonth but I definitely think I‘d want to continue the whole series.

Leigh Bardugo is #AuthorAMonth so I‘m using this as my excuse to finally wind my way into the Grishaverse. 🩵 💙

Sometimes some YA fantasy just hits the spot! I bought the trilogy used a few years ago, so I‘m happy #authoramonth prompted me to finally pick it up. I liked the Netflix series, which I‘ve recently learned is a combo of this series and the Six of Crows duology. Wish they wouldn‘t have canceled it 😕.

Sietje and Venkman sunbathing in the background.

I‘ll be reading book 2 soon.

DNF. Nothing happens other than romancy stuff that does not interest me. Won't be reading more of the series.

Was looking for an easy, entertaining read and this fit the bill well enough. The world building is a bit lackluster compared to other fantasy series I‘ve read and the characters are predictable (same old YA love triangle trope). All of the perspective is first-person from the protagonist which can be limiting. It‘s a fun read as long as you don‘t expect too much from it. One of the few times I‘ve heard the Netflix version is better than the book.

#WickedWhispers @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs
#Shadow

I have to rearrange my special books shelf to fit this set and my six of crows… and I have king of scars coming 🤦🏼‍♀️ I may need a new shelf 👀📚📚📚📚 love these special Edd from Litjoy … btw I ordered these on the 23rd of October last year … I‘m very patient about getting special editions 🤗📚

Next #kindle read

#summersouls #boat

Love, love, love!! All I know is I‘m glad I have the box set because otherwise, I‘d be extremely upset. Onto the next! #shadowandbone #grishaverse #leighbardugo #booktotv

My husband convinced me to buy the box set because he really loved the show, but now I‘m upset because I need to be an adult tomorrow and i just want to read. Just reached chapter 5! 😫😫😫 #shadowandbone #paperback #whyisthisisgood?! #leighbardugo #trilogy #booktotv

Starting this one! I‘m trying to take advantage of my last few hours of the weekend before I have to work on my online classes. Also, I‘m doing great so far on only reading books I own. #shadowandbone #booktotv #leighbardugo

My #lastfirst of 2023/2024 is the Grishaverse - managed to finish Shadow and Bone and start Siege and Storm. Figured I'd see what the fuss is about as I'm developing a Young Adult Literature class.

I may be burned out on the Chosen One trope, though, so we'll see if I continue.

@BookNAround

I enjoyed this, I just felt like Bardugo could have done…. More. More world building, more character building, and actually a longer story. Will continue the series though!

#promptmaze (Which I‘m now stuck in 😭) #wintergames #snowangels

I got this email from Barnes & Noble today talking about the books Leigh Bardugo has written. I‘ve never read any of her books but I know that the book community loves her books. I haven‘t seen any bad reviews for them. These books sound interesting and I want to read them one day so I can find out why everyone loves them and why they have so much hype. I feel like the entire book community has read them except me.

#autumnplease #shadow #Scarathlon #skeletoncrew

I have this series and have yet to read it 🙈

@eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Emilymdxn

Shadow and Bone, the first book in the Grishaverse Trilogy, by Leigh Bardugo, is my pick for the #Shadow theme of the #autumnplease challenge. I found Shadow and Bone to be unique from your typical fantasy story; the Grishaverse is heavily influenced by Tsarist Russian and Slavic cultures and the historical “magic” of science and alchemy. I loved it!! #ya #youngadult #fantasy #youngadultfantasy @eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks #scarathlon

Really need to get to this book eventually 😅 It works for my #ScarathlonPictureChallenge for 10-6 “Shadow” #Batbrigade @Catsandbooks

Finally started this series.

A short read, I like how fast-paced it is. A bit underwhelming, though.

Will read the rest.

Actually I should know by now that me starting a Netflix-series based on a book will end with me stopping to watch the series and starting to read the book. While I loved it in the start it got a bit superficial and fast in the last third. I am now also not sure whether I should read on in the series or try Six of Crows?

May 10 #MayMontage Design on Cover @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks

Okay so I went through this book much quicker than I had anticipated. I had hoped for a bit more spice, but I knew beforehand that this was in no way a smut type fantasy. I really was intrigued by the story and the world building though! I did struggle with some of the words/terms in the beginning, but in the end it was so natural to read and I can‘t wait to start the next book 🙏🥰

Got this after seeing the Netflix series, which I loved. Pleasantly surprised that Netflix stuck to the book almost perfectly. The writing is a little juvenile, but it fits well with the character, who is herself a bit juvenile. On its own not a terrible book, but needs the context of the others (6 of crows etc). Had it not been for the series, I wouldn't have known there was more to this initial story (beyond the next 2 books ofc). Story is good.

I guess it was okay. I understand why people liked it but I thought Six of Crows was way better. The show really ended it for me. It reminded me nothing like Six of Crows and Shadow and Bone. 3.4/5⭐️

When you want to start a new read, but your cat needs attention 🙈📚🐱

Bardugo‘s Shadow and Bone trilogy has been on my TBR list for a long time, and I‘m glad to have finally started the series. Interesting characters, good plot/tension and OK world building. The “young adult” nature of the writing was really on display in this first novel. I wonder what might have happened in the Grishaverse had it been written for adults.

Is the Netflix series any good?

I enjoyed this when I first read it in 2017.

I reread listening to the audiobook via BorrowBox,
It was not bad.

Read for reading challenges

4/5

I am pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this book. A much more global take on fantasy with politics of serious consequence, and magic with limits. *Almost* had a love triangle (bleh) but it didn't go there which is a relief. Strong, memorable characters with a fair amount of development.

This was a lot of fun! Coming of age story for a girl who doesn't quite fit in where she is, discovers she has some magic in her, finds a new home aaaand it has its own problems. I loved the world building, the characters, and the ending leaves it in a state where I want more (hello book 2).

Amusingly, this is the second book in a row that has referenced drinking kas (for varying spellings). I'll have to have some to celebrate!

So, I watched the show after finishing Crooked Kingdom because I love the Crow casting so much. Then I decided to start this one. It wasn‘t as good as the Crows duology but I‘m still looking forward to reading the rest of the series. I did prefer the book ending to the show because I felt it was more empowering to Alina character.

Some re-reads of some of my favourite books. I can‘t count how many time I‘ve read these books but they get better each time

On my list to read. Prompt “Bone” #OminousOctober @Eggs @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks #Scarathon #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick

Hello Littens! I‘ve gotten away from posting here and also haven‘t been reading much other than ARCs. Finally got to the library and got a stack from my TBR list, yay! I confess I did watch Shadow and Bone on Netflix (Ben Barnes 🥰🤩🤤) before reading the book, so I‘m thinking I‘ll tackle that one first. Any rave reviews for anything else in this stack? Which is the best Halloween season read??? 🎃👻💀 Thanks! #lookingforrecommendations

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

I read and loved the Six of Crows duology years ago, and have had this whole series on my Audible shelf for years, but it took Ben Barnes in the Netflix show and my silly book-first rule to make me listen. 😅

I really enjoyed this one! Fast-paced and full of action, with characters I give a damn about and great world building. I love that Bardugo can write YA that doesn‘t make me roll my eyes. I‘m a simple reader.😂

On to book 2!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Super late to the hype train, but totally getting it now. The world is super intriguing & Bardugo's writing is fantastic. The intersection of light & dark & blurring of those lines is awesome. I love the moral struggles & how the characters weren't just drawn out of a box & stuck being “good“ or “bad“; there are a lot of layers & it had my head mildly spinning. Looking forward to reading more & getting myself “caught up“.

I never read this trilogy but Costco had a boxed set for $20- you can‘t beat that!! I admired that this fantasy world is very much inspired by Russia; I haven‘t come across that in many YA books, so it was somewhat refreshing. Could I draw some similarities with other YA books? Yes. Did it have the stereotypical love triangle? Yes. Will that stop me from reading the rest? No. I still found it an enjoyable read, and that‘s all that matters.

I love the Grishaverse! I wasn‘t sure I could love another book as much as I did Crooked Kingdom, but this one definitely is a rival! #Kindle #ebook

This was a rare occasion where I actually watched the show first before reading the books, and I wish I didn‘t! The books do a much better job at world-building, though there were aspects I enjoyed about the show as well (such as showing Mal‘s journey and Alina & Mal‘s childhood/friendship). An excellent start to the series! Diving immediately into Siege & Storm! 😁

🦴⛵️💀🏴‍☠️🧙🏻‍♀️💨🪄☀️

I‘ve always wished Stephanie Meyer would have finished The Host series. 😩

Confess by CoHo —> 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks for the tag @OliviaV 😘
#WONDROUSWEDNESDAY