Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

From Goodreads: 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. 

My Rating: 4 hearts 

Thoughts on the Novel: Having loved the fantastic world that Leigh Bardugo created in Shadow and Bone, I couldn’t wait to read Siege and Storm. Fortunately, it didn’t disappoint! 

After running away from the Darkling with Mal, Alina is physically feeling the effects of not being able to use her power on a daily basis. She’s also struggling to feel useful because unlike Mal, she can’t make herself fit in easily everywhere. Soon enough though, the Darkling manages to find Mal and Alina … and he appears to be even stronger than before! 

While I was disappointed that the Darkling wasn’t as present in Siege and Storm as he was in Shadow and Bone, I loved that his actions very much continue to influence Alina throughout the novel. That being said, Bardugo does incorporate a new character who manages to be just as enticing as the Darkling. Sturmhond is charismatic, cocky, witty, ambitious and unafraid to take risks. It’s impossible not to fall in love with him!

Another thing that I really liked about Siege and Storm was how Bardugo addresses the seductiveness of power. In Shadow and Bone, there’s a clear difference made between the Darkling and Alina. But in Siege and Storm, once Alina starts hungering for more power, you see how having a taste of it can begin to change someone and their motives.

With Sturmhond vying for Alina’s attention and the power differential between Mal and Alina, there’s admittedly some tension that builds in the relationship between Mal and Alina. It felt very natural though, and I’m looking forward to seeing how the two of them get over the issues that developed in this novel.

Although I didn’t love Siege and Storm as much as Shadow and Bone, I did think this darker installment was a worthy sequel. Siege and Storm was released in June 2013 by Henry Holt and Co.  

Comments About the Cover: I just realized that part of the cover design of both books in the trilogy alludes to which one of Morozova’s amplifiers the book will be dealing with!