The nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Alina Starkov, a war orphan turned soldier, discovers she has an unknown power when she miraculously saves her best friend on a journey through the Fold.
Could Alina’s power be the key to defeating the darkness that divides Ravka? Swept from her regiment to the royal court, Alina is trained to to join the magical elite, known as the Grisha. But Alina is suspicious of its mysterious leader, the Darkling. With the kingdom depending on her raw, uncontrolled power, Alina must confront the dark secrets of the Grisha or watch her people perish.