The Gathering Dark: The Grisha Book One
'The shadow fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters.

Alina, a pale orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom's magic elite - the Grisha.

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift.

But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him?'

I wouldn't usually have picked this up but I was sent a review copy and read it incredibly fast. The story and characters carried me along and it was great to see (eventually) such a strong female character within the plot - the love story was a little predictable but it helped the story along. An entertaining read for Twilight fans...