See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone . Daring rogue Nikolai finally joins the fold in Season 2 -- covering explosive events of both Siege and Storm and Ruin and Rising -- streaming now! Enter the Grishaverse with Book Two of the Shadow and Bone Trilogy by the #1 New York Times –bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. Soldier. Summoner . Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner―hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long. The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army. But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice―and only she can face the oncoming storm. A New York Times Bestseller This title has Common Core connections. Read all the books in the Grishaverse! The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (previously published as The Grisha Trilogy) Shadow and Bone Siege and Storm Ruin and Rising The Six of Crows Duology Six of Crows Crooked Kingdom The King of Scars Duology King of Scars Rule of Wolves The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic The Lives of Saints Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel Praise for the Grishaverse “A master of fantasy.” ― The Huffington Post “Utterly, extremely bewitching.” ― The Guardian “This is what fantasy is for.” ― The New York Times Book Review “A world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp.” ―NPR “The darker it gets for the good guys, the better.” ― Entertainment Weekly “Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down.” ― USA Today “There’s a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo’s original epic fantasy that sets it apart.” ― Vanity Fair “Unlike anything I’ve ever read.” ―Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent “Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!” ―Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series Gr 8 Up–After narrowly escaping the Darkling at the end of Shadow and Bone (Holt, 2012), Alina and Mal are still on the run. Though many believe her dead, Alina knows he will never stop hunting her, and she is right–it isn't long before the Darkling finds and recaptures both Alina and Mal. Forced onto a boat, the imprisoned couple has little choice but to do as he commands: track a second amplifier so that he can use Alina's twice-amplified powers against Ravka. With the help of a pirate with questionable motives, Alina and Mal escape and seek a third amplifier that Alina hopes will give her the strength to combat the Darkling's increasingly evil power and influence before his dark power becomes unstoppable. As with Shadow and Bone, this is a dark fantasy best for patient readers: Bardugo takes her time developing the plot and keeping readers guessing. World-building and character development are top-notch, and relationships and motives are complex; Alina hungers for more power just as much as the Darkling does. Those who haven't read the previous novel recently may want to brush up as there is little rehashing of its plot. An action-packed, heartbreaking ending will leave teens breathless for the final installment.–Leigh Collazo, Ed Willkie Middle School, Fort Worth, TXα(c) Copyright 2013. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. After twice narrowly escaping the Darkling—the most powerful Grisha (magician) in the land—Alina and Mal find refuge of a sort at the court of the Ravkan king. While the Darkling creates his inhuman armies and regains his strength, Alina copes with disturbing feelings and visions related to her expanding light-summoning abilities, reassembles her own army of Grisha for the next battle, and tries not to lose a sweetheart who daily grows more emotionally distant. Although one could dive into this series here, readers will enjoy it all the more if they begin with Shadow and Bone (2012). In this hefty follow-up, Alina continues her first-person narrative as she, Mal, and Ravkan Prince Nikolai take center stage, with only brief appearances by the Darkling. Bardugo populates her fully realized world with appealing three-dimensional characters and an involving plot that keeps a steady pace. But she doesn’t skimp on the introspective moments that will bond readers to the main characters and have them tapping their feet impatiently for