Siege and Storm, by Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 9 million/10
So towards the beginning of this blog, I reviewed Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, because you see Siege and Storm was about to come out and I needed to get pumped. It was worth the wait. I love this series so much, I cannot begin to tell you. I tried learning Russian for about 10 seconds because of it (I still want to learn it, but I swear each word is a minimum of 10 syllables. I’m gonna need a human instructor). I had intended to review this right after, but I wanted to leave you breathing/reading room, and then life was like BOOM. So.
If you’re wary of spoilers, you can go start with the Shadow and Bone review here. Anywho, back to the magic.
Basic Summary: One thing I love (and hate) about these books is that prior to the release the first five chapters are available as a free Kindle sample. I love it, because I like samples. The first one got me to get out of bed and physically drive to B&N to buy a copy. The second one is the reason I also hate them. Because I read it before the book released, and it was SO GOOD. So much action. So much adventure. And then the drama, the betrayals, the anarchy! Seriously, I just double checked to make sure I wasn’t overselling the first five, and I now I want to read it again.
Back to the summary.
At the end of Shadow and Bone, Alina (the Sun Summoner) and her best friend/hey-I-love-you-too Mal were fleeing the Darkling. They found Morozova’s stag, what was thought to be a mythical creature and powerful amplifier, only to be recaptured by the Darkling. The Darkling takes control of the Amplifier, using it to tether Alina, and just when everything seems hopeless she manages to escape and save Mal. Victory!
Start book 2, Alina and Mal are running away from Ravka, hoping to hide and save their lives. Of course, the Darkling can’t just let them escape that easily. Granted, his ploy for the ultimate thrown in Ravka didn’t go that smoothly, but he continues to pursue her. Alina ends up back in Ravka with Mal and the intriguing Sturmhound, a pirate/privateer and much more than he seems. Reunited with the forces of Ravka, Alina tries to work with the powers that be to protect her home and fight the Darkling. Which gets a bit difficult for Mal to deal with. So add more fighting, chaos, anarchy, adventure, and a touch of drama.
(Definitions for the confused: The kingdom is called Ravka. There is a giant pitch black evil place called the Unsea that splits the kingdom and makes things difficult. It’s basically the Darkling’s fault. The Grisha practice “magic” through the small sciences, basically they manipulate matter, and it’s a skill you’re born with. Grishas all have a specific talent area. Summoning, usually wind, fire, or water. Alina and the Darkling are the only ones with power over light/darkness. Heartrending and healers & bodily stuff like stopping hearts. Fabrikators, who have crazy weird building skills often involving explosives. The Darkling has been the leader of the Grisha, aka the Second Army. They work loosely with the First Army, made of normal soldiers. Technically he reports to the King, but he finds a way to do what he wants. Amplifiers magnify a Grisha’s power. They’re usually the bones of an animal or something. Whoever kills the animal controls the wearer of the amplifier. Not all amplifiers are created equal.)
My Thoughts: So much happens in this book. Sometimes you want to shake Alina, other times you want to applaud her. She’s come along way from the sickly cartographer in the First Army of book one, and it’s not always an easy transition for her. As usual, you want to punch characters for being stupid. Which they are. If there is anything books have taught me, it’s that communication can solve most fights. Suck it up and tell the truth people. They probably agree. It’s a bit scary to see how power transforms Alina at certain points, when you think of how annoyingly doe-eyed she could be in the first book. She definitely tries to be strong and bear her own cross though, and tries it until it’s almost too late.
I await book 3 with crazed excitement, and a bit of sadness. A series this complex and original is a sad thing to end. Maybe Leigh Bardugo will continue to write in this world…maybe.
Bonus Section: As I mentioned in the first review, this story has a heavy Russian influence. Which is rare in Western lit, especially if it’s not about Soviet spies. Leigh also has a few short folk stories she’s created for the series, and they are to die for. Read ’em here: The Witch of Duva and The Too Clever Fox
And, if you tweet at her, @lbardugo will often respond 🙂
The Wrap-Up: If you like YA, and you need something actiony yet non-dystopian to mix it up, check this out. And please love it. Because it’s great. I own it as an eBook, because I couldn’t wait for a hardcopy/an area store to have it, and as a hardback, because the cover art is delightful, and this is a series I’ll be re-reading.
The Pillow Fortress Review 