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A review by thebiglittlelibrary
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
3.0
3.5 Stars ⭐️ Amazing writing, slow-pace
"You know the problem with heroes and saints? They always end up dead."
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Shadow and Bone. This was mostly due to the incredibly dull moments between high-action points and irritating conversations with Mal (seriously, I hate him). Both were distracting enough that I can't give it anything more than 3.5-Stars. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. Just know that it might take a little more of your concentration and patience. Still, the storyline and character developments along the way are worthwhile and important for continuing onto the next book.
*SPOILERS*
What I liked:
World building. Leigh Bardugo once again immerses us into this Russian-inspired land of magic. We sail across the True Sea from Novyi Zem, through the Bone Road, and back to Ravka. I absolutely love Bardugo's descriptive writing because you can really imagine yourself on this journey with Alina.
Alina's character development. In a short time, Alina has gone from a weak, lowly soldier to one of the most powerful beings in her world. And as her power grows, so does her desire for more. Perhaps she and the Darkling are not so different. After all, "like calls to like." In Siege and Storm, she struggles to accept the person she is becoming while trying to hold onto the past, but it becomes clear that the old Alina is gone.
Sturmhond / Nikolai. What a hoot! Honestly, he was the most interesting character in the entire book. I enjoyed his way with words and how he got under everyone's skin. Also, I definitely didn't see his true identity reveal coming, so that was a nice surprise.
The beginning and end. The first 100 pages and the last 50 pages are basically the only exciting moments in this book. And no surprise, it's all whenever the Darkling is around.
What I didn't liked:
Slow pace. As I mentioned above, the beginning and the end are the best parts of this book, but it's 400+ pages long, so getting through the middle required determination. Once Alina and Mal go back to Os Alta, I felt like the story flatlined. Even though it was boring, it was all essential to the story's progression, so I didn't totally hate it. I just wish there were more high-action moments during this lull instead of Alina and Mal's drama.
Confusing nature of Alina's powers. Alina gets another amplifier which increases her already enormous power, but there isn't any development regarding her understanding of that power. Leigh Bardugo toys with the idea that Alina can create monsters from the light the same way the Darkling can create shadow monsters, but we don't see this happening. In the next book, I hope Alina takes a deep dive exploring her powers (if she still has them) and the ancient magic that seems to be its source.
Mal. I hate this guy. He is constantly holding Alina back from her true potential and purpose. He fears her and who she is becoming. Instead of supporting and loving Alina, he makes her feel guilty and is jealous of her relationship with other powerful men. Alina better not end up with this POS. I hope Leigh Bardugo is intentionally making him a terrible romantic interest because I don't see how there's any way for him to possibly atone for being such an ass - besides maybe dying. Lord, please let him die in the next book.
"You know the problem with heroes and saints? They always end up dead."
I didn't enjoy this quite as much as Shadow and Bone. This was mostly due to the incredibly dull moments between high-action points and irritating conversations with Mal (seriously, I hate him). Both were distracting enough that I can't give it anything more than 3.5-Stars. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't read it. Just know that it might take a little more of your concentration and patience. Still, the storyline and character developments along the way are worthwhile and important for continuing onto the next book.
*SPOILERS*
What I liked:
World building. Leigh Bardugo once again immerses us into this Russian-inspired land of magic. We sail across the True Sea from Novyi Zem, through the Bone Road, and back to Ravka. I absolutely love Bardugo's descriptive writing because you can really imagine yourself on this journey with Alina.
Alina's character development. In a short time, Alina has gone from a weak, lowly soldier to one of the most powerful beings in her world. And as her power grows, so does her desire for more. Perhaps she and the Darkling are not so different. After all, "like calls to like." In Siege and Storm, she struggles to accept the person she is becoming while trying to hold onto the past, but it becomes clear that the old Alina is gone.
Sturmhond / Nikolai. What a hoot! Honestly, he was the most interesting character in the entire book. I enjoyed his way with words and how he got under everyone's skin. Also, I definitely didn't see his true identity reveal coming, so that was a nice surprise.
The beginning and end. The first 100 pages and the last 50 pages are basically the only exciting moments in this book. And no surprise, it's all whenever the Darkling is around.
What I didn't liked:
Slow pace. As I mentioned above, the beginning and the end are the best parts of this book, but it's 400+ pages long, so getting through the middle required determination. Once Alina and Mal go back to Os Alta, I felt like the story flatlined. Even though it was boring, it was all essential to the story's progression, so I didn't totally hate it. I just wish there were more high-action moments during this lull instead of Alina and Mal's drama.
Confusing nature of Alina's powers. Alina gets another amplifier which increases her already enormous power, but there isn't any development regarding her understanding of that power. Leigh Bardugo toys with the idea that Alina can create monsters from the light the same way the Darkling can create shadow monsters, but we don't see this happening. In the next book, I hope Alina takes a deep dive exploring her powers (if she still has them) and the ancient magic that seems to be its source.
Mal. I hate this guy. He is constantly holding Alina back from her true potential and purpose. He fears her and who she is becoming. Instead of supporting and loving Alina, he makes her feel guilty and is jealous of her relationship with other powerful men. Alina better not end up with this POS. I hope Leigh Bardugo is intentionally making him a terrible romantic interest because I don't see how there's any way for him to possibly atone for being such an ass - besides maybe dying. Lord, please let him die in the next book.