Review: Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm
(The Grisha #2)
by Leigh Bardugo
YA Fantasy
June 4th 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.


Goodreads summary:
Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

What I thought:
This was a fabulous book! I loved it! It definitely made me feel like I was on a roller coaster with all that happened and the characters' different emotions. Sometimes a second book in a series is just filler leading up to the climatic finish in the third book, but that definitely wasn't the case here. There were several climaxes in this book itself. Let me move on to what I loved most about this book.

I loved the characters! Well, except maybe Mal, initially, but in the end he redeemed himself a little. I loved Sturmhond/Nikolai. He is probably my most favorite character introduced in a second book of all time. He has an amazing presence and I know we're going to see more of him later. I loved his confidence, wit, mischievousness, honesty (I know he's not necessarily honest, but it does seem like he is fairly straightforward and says what he wants), intelligence, and his good looks don't hurt him either. I don't know if he'll be a romantic interest for Alina or not. I don't know that she will have her happy ending. The Darkling is right, in some ways, that like calls to like. He does get her and he is a force to be reckoned with. He definitely has that seductive, powerful, and dark pull that Alina is sometimes drawn to. I think she has to end up with someone who loves her as the Sun Summoner as much as the peasant she was and the person she is. Mal seems to have a tough time with that, although I think he is a Grisha in his own way with the talent he has for tracking. Of course I love Alina too. She has a lot to deal with. She is still trying to figure out who she is and her place in the world. I did wish in a few spots that she would have been more confident and communicated better (especially with Mal), but I still understood why she did what she did and she is still an amazing character. I really, really disliked the king and Vasily, who is the prince heir, even more. I actually could have strangled him towards the end. Ugh!

The plot was intense! There was a lot going on and you could feel things thicken. I wasn't sure who would be a danger to Alina first or when and the whole time you know The Darkling is coming for her. I also appreciated the few slow parts and especially the humorous parts, mostly involving Sturmhond. I do wonder in some ways what The Darkling's ultimate plan is. I know he seeks power, but there has got to be more to him seeking Alina and the amplifiers than just that. It makes me wonder what he knows. Then that ending! It wasn't too terrible of a cliffhanger, but I can't wait to find out what Alina and Mal end up doing, how they do it, and when Sturmhond and The Darkling come back into play.

If you enjoy reading YA or Fantasy then I definitely recommend this series!

Content: Some violence and innuendo, but I would basically consider this clean.
Source: Bought

 

 Purchase from:

   

 

I've been tumbling some Grisha things if you want to look through (they're mostly before the N.C. Wyeth pics). This is one of my favorites. I also love this spread of The Darkling from Falling for YA. . .

 

 

and this one of Alina:

 

Now I just need one of Sturmhond and Mal. You can also see Leigh Bardugo's Tumblr page, which has some great things. You can read the first five chapters of Siege and Storm from Amazon and Barnes & Noble.
 

Have you read this or the first book in the series, Shadow and Bone? Are you planning too?



 

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