Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - Siege and Storm

Overall great book, but I still preferred the first one. It was very slow at first, but it really picked up towards the end. Honestly, I was not expecting that many character deaths. Some of those were a but out of pocket. However, I was really excited to meet many characters and grow some old ones. I particularly loved Tamar and Nikolai. Although I wasn’t particularly fond of Zoya, I still appreciated how Bardugo developed her character in this book. I’m excited for what is to come in the next book as I am still very much in love with the world and NIKOLAI LANTSOV. Additionally, I really appreciated the bonus Genya chapter because she was always one of my favorite characters from book 1.

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lujisa's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

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tiramisuandpasta's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Nikolai Lantsov is the Aelin of the Grishaverse and I stand by that. He‘s also just abnormally hot and I‘d totally be invested in his friendship with Alina. Mal needs to get his shit together. Alina better learns how to properly communicate. She‘s a baddie and I love her tho. If the next book doesn’t have a happy ending, I will cry and refuse to pick up Six of Crows. Also, I really hope Alina gets her power back.

Leigh Bardugo, you’re a master of words (and fantasy).

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theirgracegrace's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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maryjames's review against another edition

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adventurous funny tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.5

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readwithde's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I very rarely prefer a sequel to an initial book in a series, but I was constantly and delightfully surprised by Siege and Storm.

The characters felt even more grounded and real, if that is possible. I'm so used to reading fantasy novels (or watching fantasy) where the heroes constantly fight their flaws and think only of the big picture. It is refreshing to have Alina realize how much she wants power, how much she has obsessed over getting the amplifiers. I love that she is constantly overwhelmed and still full of grudges and emotion; it has been only a year (if that) since she discovered she was a Grisha, and she should be overwhelmed

by commanding her own troops and preparing for war.

Even the love triangle (square?) seems real and grounded in the characters:

Mal is the passive one, waiting for Alina to prove she wants him but refusing to communicate, while The Darkling imposes his own needs and wishes on her, and Nikolai plays the long game, constantly calculating actions and choosing when to risk vulnerability.

While a few of my guesses were correct, most of the last hundred pages were a complete and welcome surprise.

It was refreshing to see Prince Vasily try to match his younger brother's cleverness and fail miserably, losing his birthright by his own hubris -- it was nearly Shakespearean or ripped from a Greek tragedy. Likewise, with nearly half the book away from The Darkling, it was refreshing to see him in his full power, both in his manipulation of others and political scheming, but also his strategies and honed skill as the leader of an army. His ambush and coup were nearly perfect.

I am very intrigued by the Sun Cult led by the Apparat. While in the shadows for most of the book, they proved to be useful allies, not to be overlooked by the Crown or Alina. I was completely unprepared for Tolya and Tamar to be part of it, but I'm excited to see where this will lead. If anything, it's a safe place for Alina to recover from her fight.

And, oh my gosh, what a crazy standoff we had between Alina and The Darkling. They have such a creepy codependent relationship, like a dark fantasy Catherine and Heathcliff, "whatever souls are made of, his and mine are the same," that is both enthralling and horrifying. Alina is clever though, and she found a weakness (just as Nikolai taught her, every person has a price), and all the talk of Saints and martyrdom definitely got into her head. Twice she has left him for dead and escaped with Mal, and twice she has been forced into hiding as he survived. I guess third times a charm.

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