Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Charity (My Brighter Books)

1 year ago

My Rating:

Finished the second book of the Shadow and Bone trilogy and boy…I am at a loss with words with how good Siege and Storm was. Well not too much because obviously I am writing this review. But wow, this is a must read!

I haven’t read the first book since May of last year. I read the book before the show and just haven’t picked it up since. With the never ending TBR pile, I am sure you as a reader, you can understand.

Going into this I thought it would be hard to pick up where I left off in the first book since it was long ago. But Leigh Bardugo has such amazing writing skill that it was so easy to jump in the Greishaverse once again and immerse myself in the world completely. I didn’t struggle to understand what was going on and was introduced to so many lively new characters that it had my thrumming through the pages quickly.

There are so many things happening in this book and so many surprises that completely leave you shell shocked. How can I write a review that won’t give anything away? I will do my best but understand, if you haven’t read this book and you continue reading this review. That is your own fault if at any point I give you any spoilers.

Be considered for WARNED.

Where it was left off in the first book Shadow and Bone series, it is after the fight in the Fold. Lots of people are dead and The Darkling is not so dead. Alina and Mal are on the run from the Darkling. After getting fitted with the Stag amplifier, Alina is stuck with massive power that she is slowly starting to realize that is changing her from the inside. Trying to make a better life for themselves, they attempt to blend in and work to get themselves further away from the Darkling. But as time goes by that Alina doesn’t use her Sun magic, you can see her physically waste away.

They couldn’t outrun the Darkling for too long. The Darkling’s Grisha captured Alina and Mal where they found themselves on the Sturmhond privateers ship. Instead of going straight back to Ravka, the Darkling has a different plan. He alludes that there is another amplifier that can be captured that will make the current amplifier more powerful. Something that is a myth and he knows that there is a way to do it.

Throughout the whole book, she gains new enemies and new allies. Alina and Mal do end up at the Little Palace once more where she faces pulling together the Second Army that has fallen apart since her escaping and the uprising from the Darkling. She learns that she must act as a leader to pull the Second Army together if they were to have any chance to defeat The Darkling. As The Darkling grows more powerful so does Alina and her deep desire for more power.

You see the strain this new life and power has on Alina and Mal’s relationship. It does make me wonder what this relationship will end up as the love triangle is also introduced more in this book.

Then there is the dreaded situation that I absolutely hate. THE ONLY thing I wish was different in the book. The, ‘I am not going to tell anyone what I am dealing with because I can figure it out on my own. Even though there are plenty of people who will stand by her side. Because of me not telling anyone of my issues (in her case, what she is seeing) that a lot of problems are formed because of it.’ A lot of conflict could have been avoided if she just CONFIDED into the people who would risk their lives for her. But alas, not the case in this book and bothers the crap out of me.

Not going to lie, this was a fantastic 2nd book in the trilogy. This is a book that seems like nothing goes according to plan or goes right. Which I believe makes this a fantastic book. This made me want to drop everything I planned to read this month and read Ruin and Rising, the 3rd book of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. At least, bumped up the list to be read.

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