CYKL: "GRISZA" (TOM 1)

Alina Starkov i Mal Orecev to sieroty, które wychowują się u Diuka Keramsova. Pewnego dnia pojawiają się pewni ludzie, którzy przyszli w jednym celu - jakkolwiek to brzmi - aby pozyskać kolejne dzieci o cudownych mocach.
Wiele lat później żołnierka Alina Starkov, która pełni funkcję kartografki wyrusza wraz ze swoim pułkiem (w którym to pułku służy także Mal) do Fałdy Cienia. Tam napotykają potwory zwane volcrami, z którymi staczają walkę. Alina jeszcze nie wie, że jest w posiadaniu mocy, o które nie podejrzewałaby się w najśmielszych snach. Czy uda się tę walkę wygrać? I co wydarzy się później? Czego dowie się o sobie Alina? Tego należy dowiedzieć się z lektury książki.

Książka otwiera "Trylogię Grisza" Leigh Bardugo. Jest to moje pierwsze spotkanie z tą autorką i jest ono zadziwiająco udane. Do plusów zaliczam lekki styl Bardugo, nieco ironiczne dialogi pomiędzy Aliną a Malem bądź Aliną i Zmroczem, które były nawet zabawne, w miarę wartką akcję oraz przynajmniej jeden znaczący zwrot akcji. I choć "Cień i kość" ma też swoje mankamenty typu: dziwne niekiedy brzmiące infantylnie dialogi, przewidywalną fabułę opartą nie tylko na ogranych motywach: chęci zdobycia władzy, zemsty i tak dalej, to jednak broni się tym, że czyta się ją niewiarygodnie łatwo i szybko. Sama się zdziwiłam z jakim zainteresowaniem ją pochłonęłam.

Nie uważam tej książki za rewelację. W moim odczuciu jest całkiem dobrym tytułem z gatunku fantastyki młodzieżowej, gdyż wyczuwam typową narrację dla tego targetu, co nie zmienia faktu, że przyjemnie mi się ją czytało. Nawet pomimo wpadek w postaci choćby niektórych cytatów, które trochę "ryły banię" (za to były śmieszne, w rodzaju: "co ja czytam?").

Opinia opublikowana na moim blogu:

https://literackiepodrozebooki.blogspot.com/2021/12/cien-i-kosc.html

“No mourners. No funerals.”

If I could apologise to a book I would, ever since it was released and every time I saw it flooding my Instagram feed I dismissed it. Now and again I would go back to it and re read the synopsis, but again I would say it wasn't for me. I enjoyed Bardugos first Grisha trilogy and was so excited when I discovered she was bringing out more books based in the same world. But this duology is completely different, this features six thieves and the heist of a lifetime.

Somehow I've gotten to this point where I read this book and fell in love with it, honestly I think I enjoyed more than her first series. I listened to it on Audible and the cast was absolutely superb. Although we have six main characters only five of them have a voice, although I have been reassured that in sequel that changes.

So the plot, Kaz Brekker, a notorious young criminal, is offered the score of all scores. The motherload, one that could change is life forever and make possible the revenge he so desperately seeks. Kaz brings together a crew to break into an impossible fortress and steal a scientist who is responsible for creating a drug that enhances a Grisha powers.

Via the various POVs we learn who our thieves are, their pasts, how they're connected and their feeling for each other. They're not all connected to each other and several of them have really tragic pasts and don't really do the whole sharing thing. Somehow this crew has to find a way to trust each other, not so easy when most of them want to kill the other, to pull off the heist.

Throughout the book I was forever second guessing people and their motives, was someone about to double cross someone else, is someone else really working with another rival gang hoping to beat them to it?? I loved this book and I loved the characters, Wylan is the only one who didn't get a voice so I look forward to knowing more about him and his background, especially with his father after they came face to face towards the end.

If you're looking for the similar fantasy adventures that were in Shadow and Bone you won't find it here, although we're still in the same world we're just no longer in Rava; the home of the Grisha. The story takes place in Ketterdam and Grisha are bought and sold. I was a fool for waiting so long to read this book and think it wouldn't be for me, it's exactly the type of thing I would watch.

Title: Wonder Woman: Warbringer the Graphic Novel

Series: DC Icons #1

Authors: Leigh Bardugo, Louise Simonson, Kit Seaton

Published Date: January 7, 2020

Publisher: DC Comics

Format: Paperback

Page Count: 208 pages

Source: Library

Date Read: June 26, 2020

Review

I was gifted the audiobook (CDs) a few years ago, but wasn't interested in listening to this version. I picked up the ebook when it was on sale a while ago, and never felt in the mood to start it. So when I saw this version in my library I decided to go for it and have it fill a prompt on the SRP. I'm so glad I did - it was a great story but also streamlined for my attention span. 

The story opens with Diana preparing for an important race to help her improve her standing with some of her Amazon sisters, especially her mother's right hand woman/#1 general who has an unfounded hate towards Diana because she was created differently than the rest of the island's inhabitants. On her way to winning the race, Diana notices a ship that 1)broke through the barrier separating the island from the World of Man and 2) the ship was on fire and going down quickly. She leaves the race and jumps into the water in the hopes of saving those onboard. There was only one survivor, an older teen named Alia. Alia is the descendent of Helen of Troy and as such, she is a Warbringer. 

Diana and Alia work to find out how to stop the people who are hunting Alia as well as help Alia redeem her ancestors/stop the Warbringer bloodline. There are others on the team: Jason (Alia's brother), Theo (friend of the family), and Nim (Alia's BFF who deserves her own series!). This is a coming of age story nestled in a journey to Greece and the resting place of Helen. On the way there is romance, really great one-liners, and some deep topics brought up (race, sexism, capitalism, etc). 

Overall, it was fun and adventurous story that added to my love of Wonder Woman. 

Sorry, not sorry, DNFed this thing at 12 percent. I cannot with this book right now. I felt like my brain was trying to slide away. The author dumps us in the book as if we should know things that she just blithely gets into. I don't know if she world-builds later or what, but I can't keep reading this book as if I know who everyone is and what they are doing. 

"Ninth House" is the first book in the Alex Stern series. Yeah, I say first book though the author makes it seems like this is just a continuation of another book. Alex through machinations (that I managed to gather) is a student at Yale. She is there because she can see ghosts (called Grays) in this book and seems to be some record keeper of a secret society at Yale. I can't say much more than that cause this book is all over the place.

My problems are the following:

Alex Stern. Can't really say much about her besides there is not much there to keep me reading about her. We start at the end of something big happening to her and then jump back to her observing some messed up ritual. I don't even know anything besides she eats a lot of ginger candy which I do not enjoy. Also I think she has another name? I don't know. I think between that and her having a secret society name I was just done. 

Yale. I got nothing here folks. Bardugo acts like everyone who reads this book knows exactly how Yale is set up. Bardugo go into the architecture and the meaning behind said architecture a couple of places and I wondered if she has a background in history cause that's the kind of meaningless stuff historians like to just randomly tell you when you ask them a question about anything. 

World-building. It's often hard to thread the needle with world-building in the first book in a series. This is a fantasy series and they are often harder in my opinion cause readers will be the first ones to bring up how the rules the author set up in book #1, and #2 are incorrect due to whatever happens in book #3. I say readers like I don't do this too.

Bardugo went a different direction and just threw us into this world and acted like it's no big deal. I still don't get what is happening. Secret rituals to keep people rich? Alex sees Grays? Alex is called upon when a dead body shows? Sorry, this made zero sense and I just did not want to continue. The whole mystery surrounding Lethe House could have potential, I just don't want to waste my time pushing myself to the finish on this one. Too many books out there. 

Leigh Bardugo takes the reader to Yale where the secret societies will do anything to achieve power:

Galaxy Alex Stern is not quite the same as the rest of the freshman class at Yale, as Alex never even finished high school, lived a life of shady drug dealer boyfriends, was a druggie and has survived a horrific event, but Alex is nothing but a survivor. She gets a second chance to have a different life and it includes a full ride to Yale, but the second chance has some extra work that Alex will have to do. Alex is tasked with monitoring the activities of the secret societies of Yale to make sure the rituals do not go wrong from paranormal forces. Alex is the perfect for this job as she has a special ability, one that she has tried to run from most of her life, but now she needs to embrace it to help keep everyone safe.

Alright I'm just going to lay this out there, I LOVED this book, I can see why it was getting so much hype last year and is one of my favourite reads so far this year. I have never read a book by Bardugo before (I know this may be shocking to some but I don't venture into YA that often) and this book was simply amazing, blew me away. It it dark, gritty, has a very grey world feel to the words and doesn't shy away from any of these traits. There are some disturbing instances and scenarios in this book that involve drug use, rape, murder and Bardugo does not simplify them or sugar coat them either, which I applaud. I will admit that it is a bit slow to start and it can seem a bit confusing especially where and how the book starts and you try to keep all the houses straight, but it does all make sense, you just have to get past that first initial bit. It also at times feels a bit pretentious but lets admit that this book is based in Yale, so I think a bit of pretentiousness is expected. However, as we get to know more about Alex, her past, her abilities and when she stops trying to fit in at Yale and be herself the book really takes off.

Alex has a troubled past and this stems from her ability to see ghosts and have unforgettable and unforgivable encounters with them when she is young. Alex turns to drugs to numb everything, not just her pain but her ability to see them. One day she wakes up in a hospital bed supposedly OD where she gets an offer she cannot refuse. Alex does try to adapt to this new prestigious role that she is given, but I love when she just says fuck it and does it her own way. Alex is smart, resilient and turns out to be a good friend, which is not a trait you are expecting when you first meet her. I like her ability to get things done, she doesn't like authority and goes ahead with what she believes is right even if it is against "orders". Alex's past has truly shaped her, from her experiences to drug use she is a strong ass woman that is for sure.

This is a contemporary set novel novel with paranormal set into our day and age. So the technology, current events and Yale feel like they are very now. I think that Bardugo did a good job of mixing the contemporary and paranormal and if you like the skull and bones type of aspects/conspiracies then you will like this book too. It really takes the secret societies or houses to the extreme, as people are willing to really do anything to achieve power and I mean anything.

I'm extremely excited to read the next book in this series, and cannot wait to see where Bardugo takes it as there are many things left unsolved with this one. I hope that Bardugo continues along with the darkness she created in this book. For me this book deserves the hype that it has been given, and if you haven't had a chance to check it out you should.

Enjoy!!!