I’m a fantasy author, so naturally I’m not living in the real world and couldn’t tell you what the popular bands or TV shows are right now unless they’re fantasy of course. I loved the BBC’s adaptation of His Dark Materials and Netflix’s take on The Witcher! I’m aware of the latest YA fantasy book releases because they’re my passion, but wow, there’s so many new and amazing books every month that I couldn’t possibly read them all straight away, not without stacking my TBR pile even higher, and it’s already a towering spire of doom, trust me!
And so I sometimes come to the party late with certain YA books. For example, I have yet to read Six of Crows, which is highly regarded as one of the best YA fantasy titles of all time, because I have only JUST begun my adventure into Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. This past week, I peered through my TBR pile and spotted Shadow and Bone. I’d tried to pick it up a while back but couldn’t get into it. Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for a certain book, you know? You’re not ready for it.
But last week I was so ready.
I tore through all three books of the Shadow and Bone trilogy in less than three days. I devoured them utterly and it filled my creative well as I sit between projects. Of course, now I definitely have to start Six of Crows and that’s next on my list. If you’re a Grishaverse fan, please spout your love of the series at me. Tell me who your favourite characters are, why you love Nikolai and the Darkling so much. PLEASE. I have opinions okay?
I might be late to the Grishaverse, but I should be well prepared for when the Netflix adaptation arrives! And boy, do I need this. The great thing about Netflix’s adaptation of The Witcher is that it opened up the series to a new audience. Sales for both the books and the video games shot up, and now there’s a whole legion of new fans desperate for more. I imagine the same will happen for Shadow and Bone, and this can only be a good thing. More fans and more love means hopefully more books! Count me in!
When it comes to books especially, there’s no such thing as discovering your new favourite book after everyone else. Books never age. Books are eternal. And so is our love for them.
