Siege and Storm, by Leigh Bardugo

Book 11 of 2016

Book #2 in The Grisha Series didn’t have me as captivated as book #1 (Shadow and Bone) did, but I still enjoyed it. (Which is more than I could say for Book #2 in the Red Queen series, The Glass Sword).

The beginning of Siege and Storm finds Mal and Alina on the run in the Eastern European-inspired fantasy world that surrounds them. They have traveled across the True Sea in hopes of keeping Alina’s powers secret from those they meet, and are focused on finding new lives together far, far away. Unfortunately for the twosome, however, they are quickly cornered by The Darkling and are captured by his army. They are held prisoners on a ship, run by a very mysterious, sneaky and intimidating privateer, who is working with the Darkling to bring Alina and Mal back to the Palace. Soon thereafter it becomes clear that the privateer’s alliance with the Darkling isn’t what it seems, and that’s when the action really begins.

Here are a few instances where I think the book went wrong:

Siege and Storm certainly wasn’t a perfect sequel, which was disappointing since I enjoyed Shadow and Bone so much. I found the story much slower, although I will admit that the highlight for me was the emergence of Prince Nikolai. And there was a lot of action, especially in the second half of the novel.

As for the sexual tension in the story? Let’s just say a lot of it was unnecessary. The misunderstandings between Alina and Mal were a bit of a stretch; I was constantly left wondering why so much miscommunication occurred between the two of them since they were ‘so close.’ The Darkling’s feelings towards Alina left me yawning, and really the only noteworthy chemistry that happens in Siege and Storm is between Alina and Nikolai, (although definitely not his brother).

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All that being said, I would still recommend this series to Fantasy lovers; it is imaginative and action-packed. I am looking forward to the final installment in the series and will keep you posted on my overall thoughts! Drop me a line with your opinion on this series.