3 stars!!!! 
 This book has been sitting on my TBR shelf for the past one year or so. So, when I finally managed to get into it, I was pretty excited because I've wanted to read a Russian inspired fantasy for quite a while now. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm faded a bit as the story unravelled. I'd like to elaborate on this further. 
 One of the things, I really loved about the book was the worldbuiliding and magic system that was in place. I think Leigh Bardugo did a great job creating a fantasy world with hints of Russian influences. The descriptions were awe-inspiring and I loved how she managed to intertwine an thread of darkness into the overall beauty of the place. I definitely felt swept away into a world filled with glamour and magic. The powers of the Grisha were introduced well too. I liked how they aren't exactly magical beings but that they manipulate matter to the skills which they own. The history and other aspects of the magical powers were woven easily into the storyline without the feeling of being overwhelmed with pages of info-dumping. 
 I also enjoyed the pacing of the book, it was a fairly quick read and progressed at a brisk pace. The revelations, however, in my opinion were not that shocking. I kind of expected them. Some of the plot devices were rather haphazardly placed and I felt were just used to take the story where it needed to go. I did not see each event seamlessly flowing into the next. This made me second guess as to why something needed to happen or if there was another way that plot line could have been approached. 
 My biggest disappointment, however, had to be with the MC Alina. She has got to be the weakest character that I've ever read or come across. She has no gumption and seems to be more focused on her feelings and failings. She doesn't take in situations completely and seems to function on the whims and decisions of others. And most of all, she tends to get manipulated easily due to her inferiority complex which takes up half of the story. Her character is redeemed towards the end in preparation for the sequel. But, it begs the question, was the reason for making her so gullible a key part of the plot for this story. 
 Secondly, the romance was so lack luster. There were no swoon worthy moments. Zilch. Zippo. Nada. I get that she loves Mal because it's mentioned almost all the time in the book. But there's no chemistry. And I guess there was supposed to be a kind of love triangle with the Darkling but I seriously didn't get how she fell for him. Like what drove her to make that decision. There was no angst or sexual tension. So, I was left kind of missing something from the story. 
 I guess my rating was based more on the history and world that the author created. And I did like the Darkling, in the sense, that I want to learn more about him. He is a pretty layered character and I'd like to know what his backstory is. There is some pretty intense action towards the end which has my interest piqued. I hope to see major character development in Alina in the sequel. But, I'm not looking forward to see how Mal and her progress in their relationship. Overall, the book was okay. I would recommend giving it a try if you are in between books.