2019: #13 – Siege & Storm (Leigh Bardugo)

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Series: Shadow and Bone #02
Published by Henry Holt on June 4, 2017
Genres: y/a fantasy
Pages: 435


Also by this author: Shadow and Bone, Ruin and Rising, Ninth House, Six of Crows
Also in this series: Shadow and Bone, Ruin and Rising

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.

As this second book in the trilogy opens, Alina has escaped the control of the Darkling, Mal still by her side. But the Darkling has come out of their battle with new, scarier powers, and this is a war Alina and Mal can’t fight on their own.

The two unexpectedly end up partnered with Strumhond, a privateer with his own small army of Grishas, and together they begin working towards taking down the Darkling. Unfortunately, it seems that the only way to do this is to complete the plan that he himself came up with — find the amplifiers for themselves.

This book is also full of political intrigue and machinations, and there are multiple surprises to keep you guessing. Alina has a better understanding of herself in this book, even if she isn’t always sure she likes what she’s doing.

Despite a few slow spots, this is a solid second book in the trilogy.

Other reviews:

• “This book is very different than the first since most of the first book took place at the Little Palace, but this one involves much more traveling, which I personally like because I want to see more of the Grisha world.” — Wanderer’s Pen
• “The Darkling continues to be a manipulative and intriguing villain, to whom you can’t help but feel drawn to. It was fascinating to see Alina be drawn to him over and over again, no matter how much she tried to resist. They have such a strange connection and chemistry, that makes them a fantastic duo.” — The Review Marina
• “Leigh Bardugo is a master of fantasy and definitely knows how to keep you guessing. I’m also terrified because I don’t know who’s even going to survive by the end of the series.” — BritReadsBooks