Wondering where to start reading the Shadow and Bone books? You’re not alone – this expansive young adult fantasy series by Leigh Bardugo has garnered a legion of loyal fans and you could be one of them. Even better, a Netflix TV adaptation is set to premiere on the 23rd of April, 2021. If you were intrigued by that amazing trailer and want to read the books first, you’re on the right page.
Consider this your guide to the Shadow and Bone books, from the very first book up until the latest instalment and beyond!
The Grisha Trilogy
Welcome to Ravka … and the Grishaverse.
This trilogy is your introduction to the world of the Shadow and Bone books — to Alina Starkov, Malyen ‘Mal’ Oretsev and General Kirigan (A.K.A the Darkling), and the unique elemental magic of the Grisha. These are the books that the Netflix series is primarily based on, so you should definitely start reading here.
Shadow and Bone
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold – a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.
Buy it here
Siege and Storm
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land, all while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. But she can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world.
Buy it here
Ruin and Rising
The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army. Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.
Buy it here
The Six of Crows Duology
This series picks up in Ketterdam, a small nation near Ravka, two years after the events of Ruin and Rising. The Netflix series will introduce us to a few of the pivotal characters from this popular duology, but I’d advise you not to read it until you’ve finished the Grisha trilogy.
Brace yourself for the heist to end all heists.
Six of Crows
Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams – but he can’t pull it off alone.
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction – if they don’t kill each other first.
Buy it here (Buy the Netflix TV tie-in here)
Crooked Kingdom
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team’s fragile loyalties.
Buy it here
The King of Scars Duology
The King of Scars duology is next up in the reading order for the Shadow and Bone books. Beginning one year after the events of Crooked Kingdom, King of Scars picks up with fan-favourite character Nikolai Lantsov — the newly-crowned Ravkan king who struggles to keep his (literal) demons at bay. The sequel, Rule of Wolves, is dropping on the 30th of March.
King of Scars
Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war – and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army. Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built.
Buy it here
Rule of Wolves
As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm – and even the monster within – to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible. King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.
Buy it here
Companion Books
These books are companion titles to the rest of the series, meaning that they don’t continue the story and instead provide some fascinating lore for the Grishaverse. Not essential, but highly recommended reading.
The Language of Thorns
A beautifully illustrated collection of dark fairytales that the characters of the Grishaverse might have read as children. You can pick up The Language of Thorns without any knowledge of the rest of the books. A great gift for fans or people brand new to the Grishaverse.
Buy it here
The Lives of Saints
Dive into the epic world of international bestselling author Leigh Bardugo with this beautifully illustrated replica of The Lives of Saints, the Istorii Sankt’ya, featuring tales of saints drawn from the beloved novels and beyond. Out of the pages of the Grisha trilogy, from the hands of Alina Starkov to yours, the Istorii Sankt’ya is a magical keepsake from the Grishaverse.
Buy it here
The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
The Severed Moon invites readers to engage with Bardugo’s beloved fantasy universe through personal writing. Alternating between prompts and magical quotations from her novels, particularly The Language of Thorns, this daily journal empowers you to explore your inner magic.
Buy it here
—Shadow and Bone will stream on Netflix Australia from the 23rd of April.
Shadow and Bone
Netflix Tie-in Edition
Enter the Grishaverse with book one of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, coming soon to Netflix as an original series. This edition features exclusive cover art from the show!
Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold - a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed. Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha...
About the Contributor
Olivia Fricot
Olivia Fricot (she/her) is Booktopia's Senior Content Producer and editor of the Booktopian blog. She has too many plants and not enough bookshelves, and you can usually find her reading, baking, or talking to said plants. She is pro-Oxford comma.
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