I first ran into Leigh Bardugo through the Six of Crows books, which I absolutely loved and will write about sometime. Then I went back and read the Shadow and Bone trilogy, which introduced me to the Grishaverse proper.
I really enjoyed the books, and I’ve been glad to see further stories in the universe. As I write, the television series has just been cancelled after three seasons. I haven’t seen it yet, which may be part of the problem, but the ongoing issues around tv shows seem to have been the main cause of death (basically they stop after three seasons so they don’t have to pay higher rates to the makers).
It’s a disappointing end for the fans, but as I wrote recently there’s a whole lot of fantasy IP out there. Much of it will be exploited, and unfortunately much of it is going to be cast aside by the streaming services in the search for more and more profits.
What are the books about?
The Shadow and Bone trilogy is the story of Alina Starkov, an orphan (of course) with magical talents. In a world at war (much of which seems to be based on an Imperial Russia style) her powers will become very important. Grisha are essentially the magic users of the world, and Alina will end up as one of the most powerful of them all.
There is much conflict, both small and large, in the books. She has to figure out how to manage the people around her (not always successfully) as well as work her way through the bigger battles in the world.
Exciting stuff! There is always something going on, and more than once I had to keep reading to see how Alina would get out of the dilemma she found herself in.
Themes of the Grishaverse
Moral Ambiguity
How do I explain this without spoiling the books? Basically, nothing is black and white. Everyone lives in different shades, and they’ll all end up on the good side or the bad side at different points. I suppose I might say if you find yourself trusting someone, you’re about to have the rug pulled out from underneath you.
Love and Sacrifice
As just noted, people are challenged and they will change throughout the story. How far are you willing to go for someone you love? How much of yourself are you willing to sacrifice? These are complex questions that are asked throughout the series.
World Building
It’s an interesting concept to base the universe on old Russia. There are obvious places it pokes through, but mostly you’re immersed in an entirely new world. You definitely believe the town you’re in is absolutely real, and very different from the one you were in a chapter ago.
A Character of Great Interest
I have to talk about Alina Starkov here, since she’s definitely the star. We see her growing into her powers, figuring out who is on her side (although note the ambiguity theme above), and navigating a lot of different pressures.
She begins with strong bonds to very few people, but as she grows in power some bonds grow, some bonds weaken, new ones are formed and old ones break. In other words she acts like many other characters in many other stories. If there’s a difference, it’s in figuring out which of her relationships are real, and which are simply based on the power she is establishing.
In a similar way my character Cabac has to deal with many of the same issues. Who will deal with her as a queen, and who thinks of her as a person? What is her relationship with people who want something from her?
The big difference, of course, is that Cabac starts her story as a queen. She already has the power Alina comes into. Still, I think Cabac is very much in the Alina mold, because she was thrown into power before she was ready and is just starting to figure out what she can do versus what she has to do. They are not the same things at all.
Both characters show growth over their stories, although Alina’s is much greater, simply because she has a much longer timeline (years, against the weeks Cabac has in her story). I don’t want to spoil anything in future books, but we will perhaps see Cabac showing much more growth in later stories.
What to read next?
If you’ve read the Shadow and Bone series, the obvious choice is to move into other books in the Grishaverse. I already said I loved Six of Crows, and there are many similar stories out there. Not too many based on Tsarist Russia though!
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo: Where I started, and we’ll worth the read. A duology with a different cast, it features heists, schemes, and wonderful plots. Probably somewhere in my top ten all-time fantasy series.
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang: Bought this for the cover and really enjoyed it. China rather than Russia, but the same interest and complexity is evident in the story.
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch: Similar in style to Six of Crows, so if you like heists and scams this is the way to go.
In Conclusion
If you haven’t guessed already, I love these stories. I thought they were easy to get involved in and left me wanting even more. I started with Six of Crows, and I’m not sure if that’s where you should begin, but you won’t regret going in either direction. Great fantasy with excellent world-building and interesting themes. Highly recommended.