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betweentheshelves's review
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Unfortunately, I think this book suffers from second book syndrome. I had a hard time staying focused by the end, but maybe that's because I'm in the mood to read more YA queer rom-coms. Anyway! There are a lot of characters introduced in this book, which makes it difficult to follow at times.
Of course, there's still a cliffhanger ending which means I'll definitely be reading the third book. And still watching the show! I have hopes that the third book will make up for the issues in the second one. Interested in seeing how this all plays out!
Of course, there's still a cliffhanger ending which means I'll definitely be reading the third book. And still watching the show! I have hopes that the third book will make up for the issues in the second one. Interested in seeing how this all plays out!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Animal death, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Torture
megplant's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Stalking, Suicidal thoughts, and Emotional abuse
rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
'Siege and Storm' by Leigh Bardugo is a fantastic sequel to 'Shadow and Bone' as it builds upon the characters and world first presented in the first installment. There is very little I can discuss around the plot without getting into spoilers but I will say that I think it did an excellent job on showing us new sides to familiar characters and exploring more about Ravka and its history.
In this book, I particularly like how Bardugo discusses religion and what it means to be considered a living saint. From where this book ends, I believe we will be seeing even more of this in the final book. One of the things I appreciate about this trilogy is that Bardugo allows Alina to be a messy, flawed character. The decisions she makes are hard to agree with at times but her complexity also makes her more believable. This is true of the characters she is surrounded by as well.
We see a lot of tragedy in this book and it is very hard to witness. I fear there will be even more to come in the next installment though I also have hope. I trust Bardugo and her storytelling to deliver a satisfying ending. I cannot wait to pick up 'Ruin and Rising.'
In this book, I particularly like how Bardugo discusses religion and what it means to be considered a living saint. From where this book ends, I believe we will be seeing even more of this in the final book. One of the things I appreciate about this trilogy is that Bardugo allows Alina to be a messy, flawed character. The decisions she makes are hard to agree with at times but her complexity also makes her more believable. This is true of the characters she is surrounded by as well.
We see a lot of tragedy in this book and it is very hard to witness. I fear there will be even more to come in the next installment though I also have hope. I trust Bardugo and her storytelling to deliver a satisfying ending. I cannot wait to pick up 'Ruin and Rising.'
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Suicidal thoughts, and Toxic relationship
kindra_demi's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, and Suicide
Moderate: Blood, Toxic relationship, and Sexual violence
claudiaswords's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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
3.5
I didn't expect so much to happen at the end of this book. The last 10% WAS WILD. Definitely excited to read the next one, although I don't know if I'm going to do it right away. My biggest take away from this book is that it wasn't as bad as I was expecting it to be. I actually really enjoyed it and it didn't bore me at all. I liked Alina's development and I'm excited to see how she develops further in Ruin and Rising. There is also Mal. He got on my nerves A LOT, but I get where he's coming from. I think he is struggling a lot to adapt to the changes in his relationship with Alina, before he was the stronger one, the protector and saviour but now Alina can fend for herself and he doesn't know what his role should be now. There definitely should have been more communication but I think both were in the right. Then there is the Darkling. I still don't get why people love him so much, maybe I am one of those people who doesn't feel attracted to the bad guy or something but I genuinely don't get what people see in him.
In summary, I liked this second installment in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, it definitely felt weird in terms of plot structure (a lot of action at the beginning and then nothing until the last 10%) but I didn't find it boring and I enjoyed getting to see Alina as a leader in a small way.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Grief, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
treed14's review
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
noonanr's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts
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