i heard from so many people that this series was a let down in comparison to the author's other series six of crows so i came in with low expectations but i think that's why i enjoyed it so much! this is a typical ya fantasy set in a world that's like magical europe. there's these people called grisha who can manipulate the elements, metal or people's bodies and the main girl finds out that she's a special type of grisha that can manipulate light! this was theorised but until the main girl comes along, they didn't realise it was possible. this is especially important as there's this massive black hole in the middle of the country that when you try to sail through it, demons attack you and everyone thinks that the main girl (sun summoner) can fix it and save the world! tbh i think this is a bit of a basic ya fantasy but in the sense that this did it first. all the other ya fantasies were trying to copy this book but in hindsight it wasn't that great. i still had a really fun time though! i think my experience was enhanced having watched the show and i enjoyed finding out more stuff that didn't get touched on in the show, namely, alina and genya's friendship! i didn't really get the sense that they were that close in the show (which - spoiler - makes her betrayal a lot more heartbreaking!). also, i felt like we spent a lot more time actually in the little palace in the book which I loved! the show did not really convey that she was there for like months😭😭. I'm eager to read the rest of this series and then rewatch the show with fresh eyes! so while i enjoyed it, this wasn't particularly special so i would probably recommend a different ya fantasy series if you're looking for one unless you're already a leigh bardugo fan and are already invested in the world. ps I know that a lot of people don't like book mal and I imagined mal as a girl throughout the whole series and i am lovinggg the sapphic relationship I built in my head🤩🤩 so cute!! 3.75 stars.