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Title: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2
Publication: June 4th 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.
Genre: Young Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Rating: 4/5
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.
I loved Siege and Storm just as much as I did Shadow and Bone. Maybe even a bit more! I just think this is a great fantasy book that has all the right elements. It was excellently excecuted and just wonderfully written.
Now that I have finished it, I must say that I'm pleasantly surprised by the change Alina made from the first book. She's still a lot like how she was in Shadow and Bone but you can tell she changed a lot. Not all of it can be considered good but I was impressed by her.
There was romance in Siege and Storm, though it doesn't overshadow the plot of the story. Now that the Darkling is away more or less, there was more opening for Alina and Mal's relationship. I have nothing against Mal or anything. I do like him but he isn't my favorite person in this series, especially this book. It's obvious that he and Alina are drifting apart. And the Darkling? I don't know what to say about him. He was not much in the book, except for a few times but damn he's evil. I still love him, though.
There were quite a lot new characters and I don't want to linger too much on them but the most important one was obviously Sturmhond. And for the sake of spoilers I'm not going to reveal who he really is but I have to admit that I was really surprised by it. I will say, though, that I kind of ship him and Alina. I wonder if I'm the only one who feels like that. But anyway, he's awesome.
Like with Shadow and Bone, the plot in this book was flawless. I love how things ended up fitting together like a puzzle piece and yet the author kept me on the edge of my seat, with even more questions that I wanted the answer to. I also think that Leigh Bardugo writes exquisitely. I'm really in love with her writingstyle.
The only negative thing, which is not even that big of a deal, is that around after the first half of the book the story seemed to slow down a bit too much for me. This is probably just a personal issue but for a while I had to keep pushing to read, though it soon picked up again.
All in all, Siege and Storm was almost perfection. I enjoyed it immensely and can't wait to start the final book.
About the Author:
Leigh Bardugo is the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of the Grisha Trilogy: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she’s lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. Her new book, The Dregs, arrives fall 2015.
Title: Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #1
Publication: June 6th 2013 by Indigo
Genre: Young Adult ~ Fantasy
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | Kobo
Cover Rating: 5/5
Overall Rating: 4/5
The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka. Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom's magical elite - the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free? The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him. But what of Mal, Alina's childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can't she ever quite forget him?
Glorious. Epic. Irresistible. Romance.
Shadow and Bone turned out better than I had expected. Way better. It's been a while since I've been so addicted to a book and that I had this intense pull toward to keep reading.
I was really impressed by this whole world that Leigh Bardugo created. It's pretty complex with all the foreign names for different kind of things but eventually I caught on. Sort of... But yes I kinda loved this book. And I wished I had read it sooner.
I liked Alina as the main character. She was pretty down to earth in my eyes and although she felt like she didn't belong the world before and after she found out she's part of the Grisha - once she got the hang of her powers, she was pretty great.
I really liked her friendship with Mal also. They've known each other since they were kids and have always been there for each other so, yes, it has my approval. And I'm kind of rooting for them to be together. Mal is just such a sweet guy and obviously he's been through a lot, too.
The Darkling was something else. Part of me was pretty wary and maybe a tad scared of him but the other part of me loved him. I have issues, I know. He's definitely one of more complex characters and yeah, he kind of ripped my heart out. Actually, this book in general ripped my heart out. But damn it, I loved it all.
There were moments where I absolutely loved this book and then there were moments where I liked it less. It was almost a five star book but I just missed that little something extra. I can't quite put my finger on it what exactly it was, though. After the first 50% the story slowed down a little for me, to be honest. But aside from that it was all pretty great!
Complex world-building, excellent writing, great characters - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo has it all. Aside from some little minor points, I loved it. And I can't wait to get my hands on the second book!
About the Author:
Leigh Bardugo is the author of the New York Times bestsellers Shadow and Bone and Siege and Storm. She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and most recently, makeup and special effects. These days, she’s lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band.
