Review : Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Summary (from Goodreads)

Title : Siege and Storm (Grisha
Author : Leigh Bardugo
Publication Date : June 4th 2013
Publisher : Henry Holt and Co.
Goodreads - The Book Depository

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.

Personal Thoughts

I'm conflicted when it comes to Siege and Storm. By no means was it a terrible book, but I felt like it did not completely live up to my expectations. However, there were elements to the book that kept me on the edge that I absolutely loved.

The characters in Siege and Storm weren't as strong as the ones in Shadow and Bones, in my opinion. However, that doesn't mean that they weren't likeable. Alina, was still the strong, level-headed main character who grew throughout the first book in this sequel. She was this naive girl at first, but the reader could clearly see the growth that she has undergone. She has also finally begun to completely acknowledge that she is a truly powerful Grisha and if she uses her powers to her benefit, she could help a lot of people. Alina might appear weak on the exterior, but you realize that her character is strong as one can get, when you finally get to peel the layers to her complex character. At times though, her way of thinking could turn out to be quite frustrating, in all honesty. Despite my frustration with Alina at certain points throughout the book, I still loved her dearly and she is always going to be a main character that I cherish. Mal, on the other hand, was not as memorable as I remembered him to be in Shadow and Bone. I feel like the author sort of washed him down in a way because of the love triangle and I felt like I never got to know more about who Mal was. Another disappointing aspect about the characters was the absence of The Darkling for most of the book. If you've read my review for Shadow and Bone, you know how much I loved this villain. He was twisted, sick, mysterious and entirely compelling. I definitely didn't see him as love-interest material, but as a villain he was fantastic. So, I was quite let down by the fact that he was very much absent throughout this book. However, Leigh Bardugo compensates for his absence in the form of a fresh character, Nikolai. What a charming fellow he was with his wit and humor! I absolutely adored his presence in the book. He too had his fair share of secrets and I'm curious to see what the author has in store for him because I have a nagging feeling that he is not what he appears to be.

World-building-wise, Leigh Bardugo took it even further in Siege and Storm. The setting of this series is rich, complex and full of intricacies. I could not help but be immersed in this elaborate and captivating world of the Grisha. I love how the author makes sure to develop the world so that you know what's going on. While the world building in Siege and Storm was a strong point, the plot's pacing wasn't. The plot itself was intense with its dash of mystery. However, it moved too slowly. The first part was action-packed and even had the shock factor, but towards the middle of the book, the book started to slow down just a little too much for my tastes. Because of that, it took out from my overall enjoyment of this book. However, once again, Leigh Bardugo compensates for this slow pace by hurling a formidable ending at us, that has me itching for the final book in this trilogy. The romance too had some faults to it because it seemed like the author wanted to implement a love quadrangle, in a sense, with Alina, Mal, Nikolai and The Darkling. Also, Alina and Mal's relationship really suffered in this book to the point where I actually thought things could not be saved. The fact that Alina was extremely powerful was taking a toll on Mal and while it was understandable and important for the progress of their relationship, it didn't make it easier for me to enjoy the romance. Despite my issues with this book, I thought it was enjoyable mostly due to Leigh Bardugo's talented writing. Her addictive writing style actually makes up for some of the flaws of this book and I feel I could read anything she writes in the future.

Siege and Storm might not have completely lived up to my expectations, but it was still an absolutely brilliant book that I'm definitely not going to hesitate to recommend. While I did not think it was 5-stars material, it was enjoyable and Leigh Bardugo leaves you with an ending that's not exactly a cliffhanger, but still has you wanting to grab the next one right away. Fantasy fans, this is not a series to be missed out on!

Rating

Cover : 4/5
Plot : 3/5
Characters : 3/5
Writing : 4/5