Review: Siege and Storm

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Date of Publication: June 4 2013
Pages: 432
Series: Sequel to Shadow and Bone
Source: Giveaway! YAY!

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.

Review:

I'm addicted and I just can't get enough.

No seriously. There is something insane within this story, some alluring quality that calls to me. Time blurs by as the pages turn and I can't muster up any will to stop reading. Siege and Storm is a pretty all consuming read.

Alina has and is changing. She is dealing with having great power and it is taking something from her. She is more ruthless and less focused on being kind to everybody. She knows what she wants and is determined to get it. I enjoyed reading about Alina trying not to fall apart. There is noticeable change in her character and I kept wondering whether it was change because she's no longer a peasant or if the change came because of the power she took that isn't quite natural. Either way, there is a beautiful set up going on and I'm looking forward to seeing Alina change again in the final book.

The plot shined in Siege and Storm. I said in Shadow and Bone that although there were elements of something truly unique, the story was pretty typical until the end. I'm glad Siege and Storm improved upon that and the plot is memorable with many twists and turns. What I liked most was the focus on the difficulties Alina faces as a major player. It's impossible for her to know who to trust and she's so alone sometimes that I can't help but sympathize with her.

The Darkling may be one of my favourite villains ever. He has so much charisma and every scene his character is in, he steals the show. I once fell into the trap of believing he could be redeemed, that he wanted to fix the fold. I was wrong and it's clear all he wants is power. He's the type of villain that it despicable and horrible but also calls out to you; he's very hypnotic.

There are some other characters better introduced as well that impressed because of how dynamic they were. They could change very easily which made them resemble real people and they did evolve. Alina's relationship with Mal fascinated me because it was so representative of her life. The two of them truly love each other but there are enormous obstacles in their way. I was frustrated with both of them at times, but their mistakes were reasonable.

Finishing Siege and Storm makes me sad. Leigh Bardugo's books truly bring me to another world and as stressed out as I have been because of school, they make me forget everything but Alina's story. I'm sad that I have to wait so long for the next book, and I'm even more sad that this is a trilogy because these books have struck a chord and are among my favourites. I'm now experiencing a tremendous book hangover.

-P.E.