Shadow and Bone
Alina Starkov is an orphaned junior cartographer in the army of Ravka, a bisected nation cut in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness haunted by flesh-eating creatures called volcra. When her regiment's ship is attacked crossing the Fold and her best friend Mal is about to die, Alina involuntarily summons a pillar of sunlight out of her own palms, a Grisha gift nobody expected her to have. She is immediately pulled out of the army and delivered to the royal palace, to the beautiful and terrifying commander of the Grisha, the Darkling, who sees in her the weapon that could unmake the Fold. Leigh Bardugo's 2012 debut launches the Grishaverse and grafts Russian-inspired court politics onto a classic chosen-one plot built around a heroine who keeps underestimating what she owes herself.
Where Shadow and Bone keeps showing up
Eleven of our editors' lists feature this novel.
Also by Leigh Bardugo
Books in conversation with Shadow and Bone
A few of the closest reads from our full list.
What you might want to know about Shadow and Bone
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
First in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Orphan army mapmaker Alina Starkov reveals a long-hidden power when her unit is attacked crossing the Shadow Fold. The Darkling, leader of the Grisha, takes her to the palace.
The Shadow and Bone trilogy by Leigh Bardugo has three books: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. The trilogy is set in the broader Grishaverse, which also includes the Six of Crows duology and the King of Scars duology.
Reading Shadow and Bone first is the recommended order. Six of Crows takes place in the same world a couple of years later and assumes some familiarity with Grisha politics, though it can be read on its own if you prefer.
Yes. Netflix released a Shadow and Bone series in 2021, combining elements of the original trilogy with the Six of Crows characters. The show was cancelled after two seasons in 2023, leaving the planned Crows arc unfinished.
Shadow and Bone is YA fantasy. There is no explicit sexual content, and the violence is age-appropriate. It is recommended for readers 13 and up.
Shadow and Bone was written by Leigh Bardugo, published in 2012 by MAG.
Shadow and Bone is 352 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, Shadow and Bone takes most readers 5 to 8 hours to finish.
Shadow and Bone is a standalone novel by Leigh Bardugo, not part of a series.
Shadow and Bone is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
