Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo is the first book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy. This story follows Alina Starkov, who is an orphaned soldier often underestimated by others, and her discovery of her hidden Grisha powers. Led by the darkling, the Grisha are a highly trained group of individuals with magical abilities able to manipulate the elements, and they play an important role in the kingdom's politics and military, and their powers are both feared and coveted. Alina Starkov must embark on a risky and challenging journey of self-discovery as she learns to control her newly discovered Grisha abilities and navigates a disastrous world of politics.

The detailed descriptions and world-building in this book are so good, I almost felt like I was a character in the story rather than someone simply reading the story! The history, politics, and mythology in the kingdom of Ravka is well-written and interesting. I’m quite sure fans of Leigh Bardugo’s other works will enjoy this story as much as I did, accompanied by her rich and descriptive storytelling that keeps you hooked from the beginning to the end.