Joelene Reviews: Leigh Bardugo's - "The Gathering Dark"

The kingdom of Ravka has been torn apart by the Shadow Fold, a strip of impenetrable darkness that homes a host of monstrous creatures. Even with the support of Ravka’s magically talented protectors, the Grisha, the divided country is slowly losing the fight against its neighbouring kingdoms.

Two orphans who have always relied on each other, Alina and Mal have been inseparable since they were eight. Lately though, the space between them seems to be growing. Mal is gorgeous and outgoing, succeeding in everything he tries; while Alina is abrasive and introverted, never fitting in with anyone aside from Mal. And away from the orphanage at last, they are about to make their first trip across the dreaded Shadow Fold.

Everything goes wrong; and somehow Alina unleashes a power that she never knew she had. One that will throw her in to league with the powerful and terrifying Darkling; the man who rules the Grisha.

The setting was the first thing to draw me into Gathering Dark. Bardugo borrows much of her atmosphere from Russian culture. While the backdrop isn’t faithful to every nuance of Russia, the taste readers get makes it stand out. Setting plays a vital role in Gathering Dark, as Alina travels through both the rustic and the opulent social circles. The contrast between them are written in loving detail; tied throughout to Alina’s emotional upheaval and her spiritual journey.

This spiritual journey is the core of the novel, permeating through many of the subtexts as well as driving the majority of the story. This is the matter that I was torn about. On one hand, I loved the spiritual journey. It resonates on an emotional level; and Alina’s voice is genuine enough that what would be annoying in another book fits this one. We all have that little voice that tells us we’re not enough. Reading it as a theme generally irritates me. I want my female characters to push through no matter what; I want them to think that they’re good enough because, all too often in literature, they don’t. In Gathering Dark, however, Alina sounds real. Her inner dialogue of not being good enough doesn’t bother me because I don’t feel like she’s a fictional character.

The other side of the coin, and the reason that I couldn’t fully appreciate Alina’s emotional journey is that so much of it was centred on looks. Alina is not beautiful. That should be a small detail; the difference between whether men will vie for her attention or not. Except, that’s not how it plays out. A character reminding the reader that she’s unattractive every few pages is just as annoying as one who reminds us how beautiful she is. I applaud Bardugo for stepping out and writing a genuinely plain female lead. I only wish that she had thought to add more depth to that aspect of the character, or that she had made Alina care less about looks.

There are a million things that I’m looking forward to seeing more of in the second book of the Grisha series. Bardugo builds up a brilliant courtly kingdom in Gathering Dark and I’m hoping that she will delve further into political intrigues in the next instalment. Mal is the other bit of sequel-bait for me. As Alina’s closest and oldest friend, he brings out a side of her that is sweet and less self-conscious. They work well together. I also want to see more of him for himself. Some other readers think that there is a rising of Team Mal and Team Darkling; but for me there is no Team Darkling. It is Mal all the way. He is confident and considerate – in that floundering manner that boys are considerate. Rather than stifling Alina, he draws out the best in her when he can and when he can’t he accepts her at her worst. Aside from that, he has his own issues and insecurities to work out; making the relationship a well-rounded one.

With a combination of superb writing, good pacing and strong, relatable main characters, Gathering Shadows is definitely not one to be missed. I only wish that I had read it a few months later so that I wouldn’t have to wait so long for the next instalment. Fans of Juliet Marillier and Isobelle Carmody should enjoy this talented new author.

Gathering Dark – Leah Bardugo

Orion (June 5, 2012)

ISBN: 9781780621104