Elves, bows, medieval England and enchanted forests. I don't know about you, but generally when I think of fantasy – especially high fantasy – this is what I picture. And so many are just so similar. It's got to the point where I feel like saying: OK, so you're an elf, have a bow and talk to trees. What else is new?

Also, I'm not sure about you, but some high fantasies just give me headaches: it seems the authors spend so much time coming up with all these weird words and places that they forget to give the characters actual emotions and personalities.

So imagine my excitement when I picked up Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo and discovered there were no elves, no bows, no England and no talking trees. Instead, we enter a wonderful rich and beautiful world inspired by 1800s Tsarist Russia. It is full of luxurious dresses, lavish dances and courtly intrigue. Even the brilliant castle image on the cover just screams Russia. And, cherry on top of the cake, all the characters are so real – this is a fantasy book with true heart. When I read Shadow and Bone a year ago it completely took both my breath and my heart, along with all of my completely obsessive tendencies. But let me expand...

I'm going I start with my favourite aspect of Shadow and Bone: the setting. Bardugo has created the most stunningly unique and beautiful world you can possibly imagine. It has all the fantastical elements a reader could want, bringing to mind the richness of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, just without being nearly so heavy or hard to understand. Simply the idea of a Shadow Fold being created by an evil Grisha (magic-user), cutting the entire land of Ravka off from the rest of the world, is amazing.

And then there are the Grisha themselves... Well, let's just say I want to be a Grisha so very badly and leave it at that!

On top of that, of course, there is that delicious feel of Tsarist Russia as well. This beautiful and unique world-building adds a whole other layer to the story and completely sets it apart from both paranormals and what people generally think of as 'high fantasy'. I love the word Leigh used to describe the series: 'Tsarpunk'. This is described by Leigh as "fantasy that takes its inspiration from the aesthetics, culture, politics, and social structure of early 19th century Russia." So basically although this series is set in an alternate world in old-timey Russia and has all the magic and fantasy you can possibly want, it also has more 'steampunk' themes, such as guns, cannons and magic described in quite a scientific way – referred to in Shadow and Bone as "the Small Science," for example, and explained as the Grisha's ability to manipulate matter.

The Grisha's personal background is just as rich – as are their mythologies and beliefs – although I really won't go into that as I will be talking forever! All I will say about the world is that it is just so easy to immerse yourself into. Yes, there are phrases you will need to learn but somehow it all just feels so… natural. As if you aren't learning a new world at all, just rediscovering an old, beloved one. One you never, ever want to leave… Amazing.

Something else that truly sets Shadow and Bone aside is the characters – especially Alina and Mal. The two of them separately are some of my favourite characters in YA fiction. Alina is wonderfully sarcastic, hilarious, cheeky and strong. I don't know about you, but the passive damsel-in-distress or not-involved-at-all or evil-witch role of females in many high fantasies is something that always bugs me. But Alina: she is strong – so strong. And she has such a cool power! And, more, she just feels real – like my best friend – and I just love her.

As for Mal… Well, there are a million reasons I could give to explain why I adore Mal: he's cheeky, funny, so sweet and just irresistible. But the one thing, the one word, that made me love Mal so much I could go insane – and so much I had to make a picture about it? "Always." Read the book and you'll understand. Trust me.

But most important is their bond – the two of them and the friendship they share is just so perfect, so beautiful, so funny and so sweet. This friendship just pushes Shadow and Bone head, shoulders, knees and toes above all the other fantasy books out there – and above most YA books full stop.

Then, of course, there is The Darkling. He is the leader of the Grisha and is strong – so very strong – both in the sense of his magic and his personality. Maybe I should not have loved him, but I did. I couldn't help myself! Bardugo has, somehow, managed to make the fictional magnetic lure of The Darkling in the book radiate into the real world, into the reader's mind. He is dark, intense and utterly mysterious. And he's not exactly the 'good guy'. He doesn't regret killing. So, yes, I probably really shouldn't have got those little heart flutters whenever he walked into a scene, but I did. I dare you all to read Shadow and Bone and not feel That Pull.

Back to the point, the fact that Bardugo's writing can just jump off the page with these three characters, and the numerous minor characters, is the true reason why this book stands out in the fantasy genre. Only once in a blue moon do you get characters as magnetic, as real and as irresistible as this. And it only happens when the author is magic. Therefore, I am revealing my own private theory about Leigh Bardugo: She is a real life Grisha. Her books are so magical that she has to be magic.

I think so, anyway…

And even though it doesn't really distinguish it from the rest of the pack, the beautiful writing in Shadow and Bone just has to be mentioned. It is so lyrical and yet not heavy and old-fashioned like so many fantasies. It is witty and modern and funny and beautifully described, and so wonderfully light. And it's also so different from the cookie-cutter-paranormal-love-triangle it seems to be from the blurb. Even though it isn't not a love triangle, it is just so much more, more, more. It has hidden themes, heart, thousands of twists and is just so very human for a fantasy.

The point I am attempting to make via this very long and rather rambling article is that Shadow and Bone is absolutely knock-your-socks-off amazing and just so different from your average YA fantasy. It is addictive, beautiful, fantastical and I just can't recommend it enough. Literally everyone will love it: fantasy lovers; historical fiction lovers; magic lovers; lovers of strong characters and amazing relationships. And, of course, not forgetting the two gorgeous lead guys for us girls.

Shadow and Bone was one of my favourite books from 2012 and Siege and Storm will be one of my favourites for 2013. I love this series to death and want everyone, everywhere, no matter your age or gender, to read this series – right now! You're going to love it!

Join the Teen book club

• Listen to this exclusive snippet from the audiobook of Shadow and Bone from Audible.co.uk!
• Wish you could look like a Grisha? Speak like a Grisha? Eat like a Grisha? Immerse yourself in the world of Shadow and Bone
• Then find out how much you know about Ravka in our dark and dangerous Shadow and Bone quiz
• Read the first chapter and then get your own copy!
• Megan's pictures are part of Fierce Fiction's Grisha Army competition.