I received this book for free from Reviewer Purchase in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Orphaned and expendable, Alina Starkov is a soldier who knows she may not survive her first trek across the Shadow Fold―a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters. But when her regiment is attacked, Alina unleashes dormant magic not even she knew she possessed.

Now Alina will enter a lavish world of royalty and intrigue as she trains with the Grisha, her country’s magical military elite―and falls under the spell of their notorious leader, the Darkling. He believes Alina can summon a force capable of destroying the Shadow Fold and reuniting their war-ravaged country, but only if she can master her untamed gift.

As the threat to the kingdom mounts and Alina unlocks the secrets of her past, she will make a dangerous discovery that could threaten all she loves and the very future of a nation.

Welcome to Ravka . . . a world of science and superstition where nothing is what it seems.

Short and Sweet Review

Alina is a soldier and she’s going across the Shadow Fold and knows she might not survive. The Shadow Fold is filled with monsters. When her regiment is attacked and one of her closest friends is in danger Alina unleashes a power she didn’t even know she possessed. After revealing her power Alina catches the attention of the Darkling, the leader of the Grisha. The Darkling believes that Alina could be the key to destroying the Shadow Fold, if she masters her power.

Alina is our main character and everything for her changes. Alina never knew that she had this power and now she’s the only sun summoner. At the little palace where the grisha reside, Alina has to make herself at home and learn the ropes. At the palace Alina meets Genya, a tailor who seems to be Alina’s closest confidante. I liked seeing Alina go to trainings and become friendly with the other grisha at the palace.

We see interactions between The Darkling and Alina. There is a bit of a connection between these two but its weird considering that Alina is a teenager and The Darkling is somewhere in his hundreds. There’s a lot going on that Alina doesn’t know about but once she’s warned she leaves the palace and ends up being reunited with Mal. I love the relationship between Mal and Alina they’ve been friends since they were kids but there’s always been something more between them.

The first book in this series sets the tone for everything more forward. We watch Alina learn how to use her power, we see a lot of secrets being revealed and the end is just amazing! Everything picks up during the ending and it just leaves you wanting more!