August 23, 2013

Review: Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

I can only say that I am really, truly sorry for the lack of posts lately. Worst thing about it? I don't know when I will be able to post regularly right now! Preparing for Uni is really stressful and I've been working two jobs and running a lot and...reading and blogging  couldn't be my first priority these days.
In order to make up for it (a bit, at least) I am doing something really exciting this weekend and you will read all about it come next week, so I hope you stay tuned for that and that it will make you a bit less furious over my Internet absence :D
Oh, and I've got a review for you, too!

Siege and Storm (The Grisha, #2)
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.
A Long Story Short:
Epic.
Review for You:
I'm going to be honest and say that originally, my excitement for Siege and Storm was limited. For the first time ever, I had to look a book up on Wikipedia because for the life of me, I could not remember everything that happened in Shadow and Bone. I remembered liking the book  a lot and wanting to read the sequel WAY back then. But it's been a year. My tastes changed a lot. I wasn't sure - and surely not excited.
With Siege and Storm I felt like I grew into the book. Or the book grew on me. In the beginning, I fell in love again with Bardugo's amazing storytelling. The almost fairy-tale-ish approach she has is different from most authors. Especially since she manages to do it without over the top descriptions and detailing.
While Alina and Mal were never my favorite YA characters (and still aren't) there was soon a new one introduced that I cannot summon enough praise for.
I'm talking Sturmhound, of course. One of the funniest, most interesting and witty characters I have ever encountered in YA. Every page that he was on I was bound to love. I have yet to feel that way about any bookish character!
The plot surprised me a couple of times because it was so unpredictable. Sometimes I thought it was going to go in a certain direction - that I didn't like - and then BOOM something happened and we were (literally!) headed somewhere completely else.
When the book settles a bit eventually, I was wrong again. I expected things to continue at a slower pace and prepared myself for the boredom a rough spot like that usually comes with...thankfully, that wasn't the case, though.
Bardugo once again managed to keep me interested in her story from beginning to end. No pause, no rough spot, no slow period. Everything going really smoothly.
The only thing I found a bit annoying was the romance and how Mal and Alina's relationship developed. Then again, I don't like Mal to begin with (I don't know why, I just don't get him at all), so that's probably why.
The ending, then, was epic. Just fantastic! I want to say it's a pretty much perfect ending! Like...the action is coming around big time and you find that you're shivering all over and then, when all that action is over, the only thing you get is a small epilogue. Not a hundred more pages explaining and analysing everything that just happened - like in some other novels.
All in all, I was very impressed by Siege and Storm. It did not disappoint at all and I can't wait for the last book in the trilogy and everything else Leigh Bardugo might have in store!!! 

2 comments:

  1. I'm glad you liked it! I was sort of split. Part of me definitely enjoyed the world Bardugo created, and her writing is always fun to read. But, part of me was just meh. I actually feel like I'm the only person in the world who didn't like Sturmhond. I mean, I liked him in the beginning. But after you learn more about him (cough cough) I thought he lost all his appeal. I don't know. Oh, and I agree. Alina and Mal's relationship was a bit annoying in this one too. Still, I'm with you on being excited for the third one to be published. Hopefully you remember these first two books before going into it ;)

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  2. I just bought Shadow & Bone this past week! Super excited to start this series...I feel like I'm the only one who hasn't read it! >.<

    Good luck preparing for University. I know it's a ton of work..don't worry we understand!

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