Siege and Storm
Ratings659
Average rating3.6
I'm very disappointed. I actually enjoyed the first book. But this one didn't quite reach the same level. I'm not even sure if I'll continue with the next one. It was difficult for me to go through the book.
i honestly didn't care about Alina in the first book but she developed the spunk that i adore in this installment. This is my favorite book in the trilogy by far, it can be slow at times but i thoroughly enjoyed it. I didn't hate Mal and he made sense to me at times but i do find his relationship with Alina lacking in many ways, i also happen to root for The Darkling and i know i'm setting myself up for disappointment. Nikolai, though, him i loved, hands down, best character in this series. My favorite parts were when Nikolai, Alina and Mal gets into any kind of argument, the banter is so good.
De eerste paar en laatste paar hoofdstukken waren echt fantastisch! De rest van de 200 bladzijdes waren prima om het verhaal op te vullen, maar ik vond het geen meerwaarde hebben voor het verhaal. Weer 3 sterren (net als boek 1) en ik ben benieuwd hoe deel 3 gaat eindigen.
Loved it! I was happy to get back with the characters and eager to discover more about the amplifiers and the mystery Sturmhond. I'm still dubious on the Mal/Alina romance and how every man she encounters falls for her, but I enjoyed the ride. On to the next one!
I did not enjoy this one as much as the first one. I am still very interested in where the story is going and immediately picking up book 3. I loved the introduction of Nikolai.
This book was even better. Alina comes back from across the sea only to face the Darkling once again. You see more of how powerful he really his and how far he's willing to go just to bring Alina under his control. Another character also gets introduced, he's arrogant and calculated but also funny and caring. Together, Alina, Mal and Sturmhond will fight off the Darkling and hopefully free Ravka from darkness.
I don't know what to think of this book as it brought me both joy and frustration.
I was absolutely mesmerised by the story and the lore. So many secrets and lovely magic and small science. The book had a great pacing, which wasn't a surprise - the first book in the series also did. Every time I sat to read, I wanted to read more and more, and now that I read it all - I still want to read more. I can't wait to pick the next one.
The problem is that I cannot stand the main characters. Alina is outright stupid most of the time. Mal's insecurity and constant tantrums are exhausting and annoying. The Darkling... he is properly evil, and for the life of me, I couldn't tell why anyone would find him hot. Ever. The one saving grace for the characters was Nicolay, whose wit and general character were like a breath of fresh air. May he live forever.
Oh, and let's not forget the ridiculous use of Russian language in this series. I know it's nitpicky, but I am cursed with speaking the language and therefore can't avoid the cringing when reading this.
I give this book 3,5 stars.
With just a few examples of the sequel slump, I overall thought Siege and Storm tried a few new things that worked. If you liked Shadow and Bone, you'll like this and can stop reading.
SPOILERS for both books 1 and 2 below:
Cons:
Especially towards the beginning, I felt a bit of a bait-and-switch repetitiveness, almost a “Mario, your princess is in another castle!” A few examples: she runs away with Mal but the Darkling catches her; she barely escapes the Darkling during a battle in a wasteland and leaves him for dead; and there's a magical creature she needs to amp up her powers. It feels a little bit repetitive, but more importantly it cheapens the impact of the end of the last book. Kind of like the problem with Marvel movies: it's the “magical item/villain to end them all!” ... until the next movie comes along. We also go to the trouble of setting up a whole other country, but only spend a chapter or two there before going straight back to where we started. The whole first section just left me feeling like, “Wait, haven't we just been here and done this?” It's a real shame the beginning is so flat, because...
Pros:
There's a lot to like in this book once it opens up a bit. I really appreciated the introduction of the prince as a third strong character in the politics, providing some balance to the Darkling. It evens the power struggle and makes Alina's decisions more complex and interesting. We also see a lot more consequences of those decisions this time around. I did appreciate the way the last book handled her mercy towards the stag as a “more than one way to possess a life,” but I also would have really respected the ending if she just left it unfixed: you should have made the hard decision to kill the stag, and now you blew it and the world is ruined. Sometimes we have to make harsh choices for the best. Not a very YA approach, but I like when books subvert expectations. Book 2, on the other hand, did subvert those expectations. Things are going well and you have a feeling like they can mayyyyybe just pull it off, but instead it's a disaster. For the whole series, I've been looking at the monarchy through a modern lens and thinking how unstable it is to have a feeble old creep and his idiot showboy son running the country, and apparently Leigh Bardugo agrees... having a clueless party boy run your foreign policy would have real consequences in the real world, and it sure does in book 2. Similar to the original Star Wars trilogy's middle film Empire Strikes Back, I respect the author for including a large helping of reality and ending on a note of defeat.
On the whole, this series feels like it could end up in the upper end of the genre for me, alongside Mistborn or the Golden Compass. We'll see!
Leigh Bardugo is definitely starting to craft the story telling that I am so used to (and absolutely spoiled by) through the Six of Crows duology. As the plot thickens and the world and characters grow, Bardugo weaves a thrilling second installment of the Shadow and Bone series. Can't wait to see this one adapted!!!
This felt like a filler.
I onlt enjoyed the parts where there was darkling.
The worst parts (that i mostly skipped) were of Mal's constant whining. I wanted to punch him in the face.
Contains spoilers
"The ox feels the yoke, but does the bird feel the weight of it's wings?"
rating- 3.5/5
The first book definitely surprised me, and although I had a few complaints, I loved it. Siege and Storm on the other hand, is harder for me to review.
The book was very, very slow towards the beginning and at certain points, to the point where i was so sure, i wouldn't like it. The pace was inconsistent and a few parts were incredibly slow, while a few had me struggling to keep up with everything that was happening. This is something that bothered me in shadow and bone as well, and I'm hoping will be resolved in the third book. (I understand a few scenes have to be fast paced, but the transition should be smoother so the reader is eased into the fast paced scenes instead of feeling like they were abruptly thrown in into an action sequence.)
However as soon as Nikolai was introduced, the rating of the book in my head significantly increased (i was thinking around 3 haha). Nikolai is definitely my favorite love interest with mal and the darkling as the other options, I'm pretty sure everybody thinks the same way, if not my favorite character (scratch that. he's my favorite character)
Also, was I the only one who wasn't surprised by the Sturmhond plot twist? I mean he's described as a young boy with green eyes, there's no way he's not a love interest. there's also so much foreshadowing for it, considering he never talks about where he's from (any doubts i had were later confirmed when I googled sturmhond fanart- i strongly advise against googling fanart until you're done with the book. google images are the dark web, for, every book spoiler to ever exist is on there.)
PREMISE
Alina and mal are trying to run away from their lives at Ravka but can Alina really hide her powers for too long? On the other hand, the darkling has new powers that further threaten Ravka's future. With the help of a funny, charming privateer she returns to the country she abandoned only to find it worse off. Alina finds herself slipping deeper into the darkling's magic and discovering a different side to herself, while trying to lead the second army, hoping to cope with the hopes of the common people who believe she's a living saint and also dealing with relationship problems (mal. why. just why)
CHARACTERS
ALINA
unlike a lot of people, i liked Alina in the first book. I understood her self deprecating nature and constant self destruction, it was what made her more real to me. Siege and Storm Alina, on the other hand has completely blown me away. I absolutely love her. She's embracing herself and understanding that she has a dark side under all that light. Her hunger for the third amplifier, calling to the darkness, feeling like the fold was a part of her, understanding the volcra, every single thing intrigued me. the character development is immersing and I'm looking forward to witness Ruin and Rising Alina. I'm curious as to how Leigh Bardugo will transition her from being extremely weak and unable to call her power to ultimately what I'm guessing will be the saviour of Ravka and the destroyer of the fold.
"So many men had tried to make her a queen, now she understood that she was meant for something more"
MAL
no. just no, I'm sorry. shadow and bone mal was okay in my opinion, but book 2 mal is just not it. he loves alina, there's no doubt about that. he protects her, and even abandons his post as a tracker, something that is very dear to him, for her. But he loves the Alina who was his childhood bestfriend, who was at the sidelines, not the grisha Alina. he's constantly insecure about the fact that he's an otkazats'ya, while Alina is powerful. I now understand why so many people disliked him in the first book, they saw what was coming and the behaviour that indicated the same. the fact that he is oblivious that Alina isn't doing her best and continues to push his insecurities at her just infuriates me. the darkling('s vision? I'm still a little confused) that made Alina flinch while mal was stupid enough to think that it was about him (I know I'm being harsh but he just can't look past himself.) was the last straw. I don't see Alina with mal and will be very disappointed if that's what happens in the end.
"i don't need to think about it", Mal shouted "and neither does she"
This is him talking about going back to Os Alta when Nikolai, Alina and Mal arrive at Kribirsk. ugh. just, ugh
"At least she didn't flinch when i touched her" he spat
this was when alina had WAY too much on her plate already, i just dislike him so much, i can't, i'm sorry. i don't know if mal can redeem himself after this.
NIKOLAI
I am absolutely and completely in love with Nikolai Lantsov. He is everything. i repeat, everything, mal is not. he understands Alina, while also NOT being extremely morally grey like the darkling. he's humorous, sarcastic and extremely endearing. The birthday dinner scene with Vasily and the political intrigue in it, was one of my favourite scenes in the book.
"When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”
"i like mongrels", i said. "they have cute floppy ears." "my ears are very dignified"
“I took a breath. “Your highness—”
“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I’ve also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart’ or ‘handsome.”
THE DARKLING
I cannot stop hoping for a redemption arc * sigh *, but then again, this is for the darkling's personality and not as a love interest. I don't see the darkling as a love interest anymore and in my honest opinion, his personality and character wouldn't be suitable for the same. his motivations and backstory are just way too strong to be deterred by something as trivial as feelings. he's still one of the best written and extremely well developed characters. And although he was absent throughout most of this book, the few appearances, use of the nichevo'ya and the visions/appearances Alina could see, left me wanting more.
"we are alike", he said, "as no one else will ever be", the truth of it rang through me. like calls to like.
Things i loved:
1. NIKOLAI. NIKOLAI LANTSOV. ABSOLUTELY.
2. The character development of Alina
3. The ending. i have to admit, the ending is definitely not something i expected. it saved the book for me.
"For the living and the dead, she would make herself a reckoning. She would rise. "
4. Did i mention, nikolai lantsov. yes. him.
Setbacks:
1. as mentioned earlier, the pace inconsistency
2. mal's character development
3. genya. (this was dropped out of nowhere, and goes long lengths to tell us how far the darkling's willing to go, to assert authority and fullfill his motives. it really upset me, considering Alina couldn't even tell her apart from Baghra. i hope this is remedied in Ruin and Rising, because Genya did nothing wrong and does not deserve this. It breaks my heart that she had to choose between helping Alina and her loyalty to the darkling since he gave her status, something that she has never had and has forever wanted.
Overall, despite the issues, i couldn't stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen, which according to me, is a good sign. The world building is immersing and the world of the grisha is growing on me and I absolutely cannot wait to read Ruin and Rising to see what happens to Alina and Nikolai and what's in store in terms of plot:)
Alina and Mal's adventure continues in this second book when they try to find a second power amplifier. This time majority of the adventure is in the water. Yes, this is a predictable and simple story, but I liked it so much. Sometimes simpler is better.
Contrary to what I'm seeing I enjoyed this much more than [b:Shadow and Bone 10194157 Shadow and Bone (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1339533695l/10194157.SX50.jpg 15093325]! It still falls into the nice box of a very nice albeit super typical YA fantasy except just a tad bit better all thanks to Nikolai! He is the best, he is fantastic. There were some things I didn't fully expect at the start and it was fantastic revisiting some of the locals of Shadow and Bone.The worst part is Mal which is about as an unpopular statement as love for bacon. The other problems are the “YA” part of the series. Alina is great but she's also such a typical “not like the other girls” protagonist that it hurts to read. The jealousy both Mal and her showcase is pretty childish. I was alright with it in Shadow and Bone as that was their introduction but here Alina is THE SUN SUMMONER and should know a bit better. Final problem is the lack of worldbuilding. The Grisha powers are still unexplained beyond a simple “lights, oh also there are mirrors” but it's fine, I don't really mind that.I really liked Siege and Storm! It's not quite 3 stars but not 4 either (half-stars please GR!) but thanks to Nikolai being awesome I'm giving it 4!
I read Shadow and Bone before watching the Netflix series. I enjoyed the book well enough, but thought the series improved on it a lot (especially Mal and Alina as characters), and got me more excited to keep going with the book series.
Here's an extract from my conversation with Camille, one of my best book buddies.
ME: UUUUGGGGHHHHH
ME: Book Mal is so dumb.
ME: Book Alina is so beige.
ME: I'd rather read a prequel about SpoilerNikolai, Tamar, and Tolya on the Volkvolny.
CAM: Noooooooo I'm sorry that you're so stuck on it!!
CAM: I seriously still have no memory of the sequels, so they must have been so beige as to not leave an imprint
I like the world and the variety of characters and the pacing...really everything except for the all-powerful-yet-carried-away-by-romance-and-the-whims-of-men-female-heroine.
This second book in the Shadow and Bone Trilogy starts with new hope and ends with the disaster you see coming. I don't know how anyone could read this one and not dive right into the third book.
The writing is good - doing exactly what I ask from a book - transporting me to another world full of different opportunities and challenges.
Trochę mi się dłużył ten tom. Początek i końcówka- najbardziej interesujące. Jestem ciekawa jak wypadnie trzeci tom.
Ai ai ai. Het tweede boek is wellicht beter dan het eerste boek, maar dat zegt niet enorm veel.
Okay, het is iets minder voorspelbaar. Maar het blijft echt wel niet zo goed. Het leest als een boek dat geschreven is door een auteur die denkt te weten wat tienermeisjes graag lezen. Ik vrees dat wat tienermeisjes écht graag lezen niet zo heel hard verschillend is van wat ik graag wil lezen: goed geschreven boeken, met een degelijk verhaal, en met geloofwaardige personages.
Er was een soort liefdesdriehoek in het vorige boek, dat ik in dit boek uitgebreid naar een liefdes, euh, vierhoek? piramide? Alina is al van toen ze kind was verliefd op Mal, ze voelt zich onweerstaanbaar aangetrokken door de eeuwen- en eeuwenoude Schlechterik, en er hangt electriciteit in de lucht tussen haar en Nikolai, de jongste zoon van de koning van Ravka.
Zucht.
Ik ben het eens met wat ellexamines op Goodreads zegt:
The problem is the narrative of this book just will not let this series get as dark as it deserves to be. This series is one about awful characters doing awful things in which the lead is basically slowly losing her humanity and the villain is maybe possibly doing it for the right reasons and the love interest is insecure and the princes are shitty and really, no one is doing the right thing, and certainly not for the right reasons. But it refuses to let itself be this. I keep feeling Bardugo come thiiis close to inner darkness and antihero power and then shying away.
I just wanna talk about how much i love Nikolai like I literally kin him — best part of this bloody book. the rest of it was kind of boring to be honest; i don't like mal and alina and i don't really ship them either. i do like tolya and tamar tho ! i think this has a good storyline; the darkling randomly showing up was a good touch. but mal really pissed me off in this book, i just don't like him. i think he's really selfish and just annoying. he's jealous of alina because she's different and she's finally growing up and he needs to fucking realise that they can't be “commoners on the run” when alina is the bloody sun summoner. i really wish nikolai and alina had kissed tho
Nikolai saved this book for me. Mal in this book was just utterly atrocious. I strongly dislike his character, and therefore also the romance between him and the protagonist. Chemistry is lacking in their relationship and it makes for an awkward read. It is almost as if they don't actually like each other, when they are “together” it is easy to forget that that is even the case because they rarely act like it.