Title: Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Fantasy, fantasy romance
Publisher: MacMillan Publishing Group
Publication Date: 2013
Format: Paperback Print
Length: 435 pages

Rating:

Siege and Storm is the second book in the Shadow and Bone series and I thought it was an excellent sequel. The series is a trilogy, so naturally, I found this book to be heavy on the build for the inevitable epic finale. Still, even with a slower pace than the first book, it certainly didn’t lack action or intrigue.

What I’ve loved about this series so far is that it feels incredibly well-balanced. The Grishaverse, or the world that Bardugo has created, is so beautifully crafted with many aspects that you could dive into for whole books at a time. The narrative itself is well-written and emotionally charged. The characters are memorable and flawed, they’re growing in ugly messy ways that make you feel more invested in them. And of course, the actual story itself is compelling and complicated and extraordinary. I’ve loved watching the stories of all of these characters play out and I can’t wait to see how it all comes to a head in the third and final book.

Fair warning: spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t read this book or other books in this series.

The Book: Storm and Siege by Leigh Bardugo

Storm and Siege picks up where Shadow and Bone left off, with Alina and Mal on the run from the Darkling and his followers. They’ve left Ravka for Novyi Zem and are working terrible jobs to save enough money to continue their journey to the middle of nowhere in the hopes that they can start a new life without fearing being captured.

Alina is not in particularly good shape, having been entirely unable to use her abilities, which she now knows is what makes her sickly and weak. She wears a scarf around her neck to hide the Morozova collar that the Darkling had welded to her and refuses to call any light, but the result is that she’s weak and unhappy. She’s relieved to be with Mal, but you can already see the beginning of resentment forming in her. In this new life, Mal will be able to thrive as he always has, and Alina will be entirely dependent on him. It’s a dynamic she doesn’t enjoy but believes will keep them safe.

Despite their efforts to hide though, they’re almost immediately captured by the Darkling and his crew and thrown onto a ship that is captained by a notorious pirate named Sturmhond. She quickly learns that the Darkling is seeking a second amplifier for her in an attempt to further enhance her ability to aid him in the manipulation of the Fold. Even worse, these enhanced abilities will allow him to more sustainably create the nichevo’ya, shadow creates that can devour people whole and can only be killed by the Cut. Alina desperately wants to avoid helping the Darkling but is trapped aboard the ship surrounded by his crew until they arrive at the second amplifier, a sea dragon called Rusalye that Alina must slay to claim. However, as they capture the beast, the entire pirate crew turns on the Darkling to save Alina and Mal and capture the beast.

When they have adequately escaped from the Darkling, Sturmhond explains that he has been commissioned by another client to bring Alina to them to offer her a deal. He explains that if she does not wish to work with the client, he will ensure her escape. Having no other options for escaping the Darkling, she agrees but is trepidatious of Sturmhond, who is eternally only talking in half-truths and avoiding divulging any real information.

Once they reach the “client”, Sturmhond reveals himself as the second son, Nikolai, of the reigning King, explaining that he was the client all along and that he wishes to align with Alina himself so that they may save Ravka from the shadow Fold and from the neglect of the current reigning monarch. In return for their alliance, Alina demands command of the Second Army of Grisha. Nikolai agrees and they set out for the Grand Palace, stopping in every township and city on the way where a growing number of pilgrims and cult enthusiasts have begun to worship Alina as a Saint and Saviour.

Upon arriving in the capital, both Nikolai and Alina begin preparing for war with the Darkling. Alina’s relationship with Mal is falling apart the entire time as he fails to find a place for himself in Alina’s new life. In addition to the relationship drama, Alina has the impossible task of uniting a divided Grisha and allying with the distrustful crown, all while preparing for the onslaught that the Darkling promises to bring. As the plot comes to a crescendo, Alina will have to choose between her relationships and her country and use her power in ways she’s never attempted before if there is any hope of saving Ravka at all.

The Review

There was a lot going on in this book, and I loved it. There are so many aspects to the Grishaverse that were better flushed out. The story itself weaved in many different directions as it tied in not only magic but also history, religion, and the political dynamics of multiple countries. Initially, Alina felt wholly unprepared to play any role in a scheme of this magnitude, but she grows into it quickly and, in doing so, really leaves her old life (and Mal) behind.

Speaking of which, I felt so invested in the characters in this novel, even more so than in the first book. Bardugo has a talent for creating really fascinating personalities that you can’t help but have a lot of feelings towards. For example, Alina’s relationship with Mal was compelling and frustrating to see evolve. To me, they’re just a terrible match. Mal has never loved Alina just how she is, it’s always taken some dire circumstance for him to come to appreciate her, and even then, his love is more his perception of her than who she actually is. Seeing her internal turmoil as she tries to constantly reconcile who she is with who he wants her to be is equally sad and frustrating. Mal personifies her insecurities and by the end, I was really bitter about his presence.

On the other hand, Nikolai is a character I’m still undecided about. I want to like him, but you can tell there’s more at play with him than you see on the surface and never quite get to the truth. Because of this, I’m still apprehensive, but also inquisitive to see where he goes in the final book. 

So much of this novel was building towards what I’m confident will be a really epic conclusion. There were so many little puzzle pieces doled out through the narrative and at the end, there were some plot aspects that fell into place that left me going “OH!” It’s been a long time since I sat down and binged a series from start to finish so quickly, but that’s exactly my plan for Shadow and Bone. I’m starting the final book immediately and I can’t wait to see how it all ends.