Play Book Tag discussion

This award-winning first of a duology is a blend of fantasy and adventure set in a world popularized in the Netflix series, "Shadow and Bone." The author was inspired to write a high-stakes magical heist similar to the film "Oceans 11" based on 1700s Dutch Republic for her Ketterdam with elements of tsarist Russia thrown in for a richly-created and believable world.

The narrative follows 17-year-old Kaz Brekker, a brilliant but morally compromised young criminal mastermind, who assembles a crew to pull off an impossible heist breaching the impenetrable Ice Court, a stronghold of the highest security, to retrieve a valuable prisoner. Kaz’s team consists of an eclectic mix of misfits: Inej, a skilled acrobat and spy with a tragic past; Jesper, a sharpshooter with a gambling problem; Nina, a Grisha (magic user) who specializes in controlling the human body; Matthias, a former soldier with a complicated relationship with Nina; and Wylan, a demolitions expert with a genius mind but a timid nature. Together, they must navigate political treachery,
dangerous enemies, and their own complicated histories to pull off the heist of a lifetime.

The story never falters moving steadily along as each member of the team narrates their progression as well as their respective backstory. Relationships between team members are well developed, especially Kaz and Inej, Matthias and Nina, and Jesper and Wylan. My favorite pairing was Matthias and Nina, former enemies who evolve into a more intimate relationship.

I started a relationship with Bardugo after I read this series. She is a heck of a writer, though I have not loved all her books, enough that I will read what she writes and save judgment for afterwards

I’m hoping to read this next year - it’s on my Trim list. Thanks for the positive review!

I liked the heist aspect of this, though I felt the book was really geared to a YA audience.

Robin P wrote: "I liked the heist aspect of this, though I felt the book was really geared to a YA audience."

That's why I am still hesitating to pick up the novel, despite seeing it very often on my feed. I would prefer for Scott Lynch to finish his The Lies of Locke Lamora series

Yes, I loved the Lamora series!

Algernon (Darth Anyan) wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I liked the heist aspect of this, though I felt the book was really geared to a YA audience."

That's why I am still hesitating to pick up the novel, despite seeing it very often on..."

I have just stopped anticipating his next book. It has been over 11 years now. I know that he wrote some novellas, as lead-ins to the 4th book, but I don't have any desire to read them and then get disappointed again, that the 4th book is still not out.

Joanne wrote: "Algernon (Darth Anyan) wrote: "Robin P wrote: "I liked the heist aspect of this, though I felt the book was really geared to a YA audience."

That's why I am still hesitating to pick up the novel, ..."

My longest wait is I think for the next books in the Sword of Shadows series by J V Jones. Watcher of the Dead is from 2010. I no longer wait for George R R Martin to finish his series.

There is also Patrick Rothfuss who never finished his series, starting with The Name of the Wind . So frustrating. My hero in this genre is Michael J. Sullivan, who writes a whole series before releasing any of them, so you know you can get the whole thing. Plus his books have a lot of heart.