I decided that I needed to read this book after hearing it praised in several reviews of other young adult fantasy books that I had totally enjoyed. The reviewers were right. Shadow and Bone is amazing. I raced through it in about 24 hours and can't wait to read the sequels. Our story opens with two young orphans who are being brought up in a Duke's home that shelters children left alone by the war that has been ravishing their country for years. Alina and Mal grow up together and are both drafted into the army. Mal develops his innate talent as a tracker. Alina struggles to become a cartographer. But everything changes when they are sent into the Fold - a dark, desolate and cursed part of their country occupied by monsters. When one of these creatures attacks Mal, Alina turns on it in fury and her hidden talent is revealed. This immediately brings her to the attention of the Darkling. He is the leader of the Grisha, soldiers of the Second Army. They are divided into three orders: the Corporalki (Order of the Living and the Dead), the Etherealki (Order of Summoners) and the Materialki (Order of Fabrikators). Alina discovers that she is an member of the Etherealki, but one with a unique ability. She is taken to the capitol to belatedly start training to control her magical power. As she learns more about the Darkling and his evil ambitions to control the world, her life and the lives of those she loves are endangered. This book will take you by the throat and not let go until the last page. I was surprised to read that this was the first novel written by Leigh Bardugo. Fortunately it is not the last and I am a new fan who will be eagerly reading everything she writes.