Shadow and Bone (The Grisha #1) by Leigh Bardugo

"In Ravka, there are the Grisha, people born with the ability to control the world around them (elements, nature, even the human body) and then there is everyone else. The Grisha are the elite, placed into positions of power for their incredible abilities and everyone else has to figure out how to get by. And since a war has been ravaging Ravka for years beyond remembrance, Alina and Mal know no other life aside from being orphans, soldiers etc. But on their first journey into the Fold, a place full of dark magic and monsters, Alina and Mal's lives will both change in ways they can't even comprehend." 

3 Stars

Pros: The abilities of the Grisha/The mystery behind the Darkling

Cons: How the Grisha are held so high above the rest of Ravka (though I have feeling that will change)/The teenage angst jealousy of Mal and the Darkling et al

Full Review: 

War has raged through the country of Ravka for centuries and Mal and Alina are two orphans, products of the war. They live in a nobleman's house who has turned his estate into an orphanage. He gives them an education and treats them as well as he can. Mal and Alina are inseparable. And when the Grisha (people who can summon the elements/craft metal and glass/manipulate the human body) come to test the children, to see if they have any power, Alina does what she must to make it so she and Mal are never separated. 

Years later, they're grown and part of the King's Second Army. They're marching into the Fold. The Fold is a patch of land that's split Ravka in two. Within the Fold is darkness and hideous, nightmare like creatures that kill whoever they can. So crossing the Fold is a daunting and terrifying task. Mal has adapted well to life in the army but Alina is clumsy, not very good in a combat situation and is more content to be an apprenticed cartographer and help create maps. 

When their regiment finally enters the Fold, they're almost instantly attacked by Volcra. Mal is wounded and in her desperation to protect him, Alina calls upon a power she knows has always been inside of her, but one she's tamped down since that day the Grisha tried to test her. She lets the power go and to everyone's disbelief, she summons a blinding, brilliant light and drives the Volcra away. 

They immediate turn back to Camp and she's taken before the Darkling, the leader of the Grisha. Everyone who survived that was on the skiff with Alina explain what they saw and the Darkling uses his powers to amplify Alina's ability and she again, calls forth the light. The Darkling knows that she is the one and only Sun Summoner and may be the exactly weapon the need to turn the tides of the war. 

Of course, nothing is as simple as it seems and as Alina is swept away to learn the ways of the Grisha, she'll learn that lesson and many, many more. 

It was an interesting, quick read, nothing too complex. I like the idea of the Grisha and that their powers are separated into three groups. Coporalki (those who can control the human body), Etherealki (those who can control the elements) and Fabrikators (those who can control metal etc). I'm sure the later books will go onto explain the Grisha in more detail, but the bit of explanation that Shadow and Bone was enough to give you a basic understanding of what they do. 

I'll most likely read the second book when I have a bit more time. I'd been meaning to read this series since I read Bardugo's Ninth House and was enthralled. It didn't have the same grit and darkness as Ninth House but this series is also YA, so I wouldn't expect that. I'll see where the series goes, I'm glad I finally got around to reading the first book though.