In short: Shadowfell showcases Juliet Marillier's talent at crafting beautiful fantasies with her lovely storytelling and writing. 
 Finally, after hearing people gush about her novels for so long, I have read my first novel by much loved fantasy author Juliet Marillier. And it was an experience I would definitely like to repeat. Shadowfell tells the story of orphan Neryn and her journey across Alban with the help of the Good Folk. I tend to dislike faeries such as they often appear in YA paranormal novels - sort of snobbish and frigid - but the fairy people in Shadowfell were whimsical and delightful little guys, which made the reading experience so much more pleasant for me. 
 Neryn isn't the type of sword-wielding, tough-as-nails heroine that seem to be so prevalent in high fantasy fiction these days. But what she lacks in fighting skills, she makes up for in pure and true virtue. Some readers may view her character as weak because she lacks the obvious shows of strength, but it's the subtleties of her personality - her loving and kindhearted nature and her courage and mettle in trying situations - that demonstrate the fortitude of her character. I loved seeing Neryn grow and come into her own over the course of the book - it warmed my heart. 
 If I could name one fault with Shadowfell, it would be the bouts of slow pacing where I found my attention waning, but overall, Shadowfell was simply a lovely read. I totally get why Juliet Marillier is such a big deal. Her writing was beautiful and lyrical and her world building was excellently crafted. The romance was nice, as well - a gradual and sweet relationship - though pretty minimal. I definitely recommend Shadowfell to fans of fantasy reads. I will absolutely be continuing on with this series, especially due to the exciting prospect where Shadowfell leaves off.