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therobinjoyce's review against another edition
challenging
dark
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Once again, Leigh Bardugo has done it and produced a fantastic and gripping piece of fantastical fiction for the world to enjoy.
The action definitely heats up in this one with the introduction of Sturmhond and the whole Pirates, nichevo’ya, and Rusalye arcs.
It’s so wonderful to dive back into the mind of Alina Starkov as she tries to escape the dark forces after her and her strained relationship with her old friends. While it was a little slower pace-wise than Shadow and Bone it was still wonderfully written and I absolutely loved the new characters we got to meet in this novel.
The ending also was insane and I cannot wait to finish Ruin and Rising and find out what happens!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Animal cruelty, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Violence, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Torture, Murder, Mass/school shootings, Gun violence, Grief, Gore, Genocide, Fire/Fire injury, and Child death
maegnoche's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Siege and Storm started out really slow paced hence the medium pace of the book but after it picks up and you're hooked. I'm not in the mood to write a super long review but I the key highlights of this book are: character development, wasted enemies to lovers potential, and a really unlikable MC love interest who gets redeemed in the last book.
Content Warnings
Minor: Murder, Toxic relationship, War, and Violence
shaylee_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
slow-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? No
2.0
Ratings:
Plot:⭐⭐/5
Writing:⭐⭐⭐/5
Characters:⭐⭐⭐/5
Romance:⭐/5
Diversity:⭐⭐⭐/5
Overall:⭐⭐⭐ /5
Tropes: Friends to lovers
This book took me so long to get through! The reason for that was that this book was so SLOW! I was about 200 pages into this book and I felt like nothing had happened and I felt like I was still in the beginning of the book, not in the middle. I just felt like nothing was happening and this book could have been cut in half.
Another thing I disliked was Mal… just Mal. He got on my nerves so much in this book, to me he was a very manipulative, gaslighting person who made everything about himself and made Alina feel guilty for wanting to help people. He gaslighted Alina so much in this book! He made her feel like everything that was going wrong in their relationship was her fault and that she should change to make him happy and not be herself and it PISSED me off. Don't even get me started on the whole Zoya thing!!
Another thing I'm not feeling Alina and Mal's relationship, it feels so forced and like we are supposed to believe that they are deeply in love but we don't ever see that because they barely spent any time together. Honestly Alina seemed to be so in love with him and wanting to be with him so much but Mal didn't seem to feel the same, he gave me so much F-boy vibes… like he was only pretending to care about her so he could get into her pants. I'm just not convinced in their relationship.
Another thing is that The Darkling is supposed to be this monster but it's now really shown.. we are told that he is this terrible person but nothing he does seems to back it up. I'm not saying that he's not a terrible person because he is, I'm just saying that we are being told that he is this terrible person instead of being shown that he is.
One thing I loved was Nikolai! He was amazing! Carried this book in his back! I'm in love with him and he saved this book.
All together I enjoyed this book but it just wasn't as good as the first book and it was kinda a let down but I'm excited to finish the trilogy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Violence, and Gore
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Torture, Body horror, War, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Gun violence
readwithde's review against another edition
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.
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
Even the love triangle (square?) seems real and grounded in the characters:
While a few of my guesses were correct, most of the last hundred pages were a complete and welcome surprise.
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.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Stalking, Toxic relationship, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Grief, and War
sooreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Toxic relationship and War
Minor: Torture
gayghostprince's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
only 4.25 because it broke my heart
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gore, Death, War, Blood, and Body horror
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Emotional abuse, and Stalking
I put stalking because of the fact that Alina is clearly traumatized by the darkling chasing her.kathshiroma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Genocide, Grief, Murder, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
readitandweep's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship
flicksturz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
book 2 of the trilogy. siege and storm. let's go.
honestly, i had such low expectations for this book due to all the reviews i saw on booktok. but i have got to say, this book was lowkey pretty good! maybe it's because i like these scenarios where they plan and sorts, but i liked siege and storm.
i mainly started this book for nikolai to be honest, but i was not disappointed by the new characters or the book at all. book 2 delves deeper into morozova's amplifiers, but other than that, we also see alina learning to adapt with her stronger powers and having to live on the run from the darkling. what made me sad was how in book 2, mal and alina sort of drifted apart from each other. the both of them wanting different things, causing a strain. next up, nikolai. what can i say? he is everything. i love him with all my heart. i loved tolya and tamar though, they are very badass, and i need more of their content in the next book. but i am disappointed cause i didn't see as much genya and alina content in this book, but alina looking out for genya and worrying about her was good enough.
but i pretty much enjoyed this book, even though it was more slow-paced than book 1, and it was a great book to show character development and world building. i rate it a 4/5 stars, definitely a good read!
(also, where tf did nikolai go???)
honestly, i had such low expectations for this book due to all the reviews i saw on booktok. but i have got to say, this book was lowkey pretty good! maybe it's because i like these scenarios where they plan and sorts, but i liked siege and storm.
i mainly started this book for nikolai to be honest, but i was not disappointed by the new characters or the book at all. book 2 delves deeper into morozova's amplifiers, but other than that, we also see alina learning to adapt with her stronger powers and having to live on the run from the darkling. what made me sad was how in book 2, mal and alina sort of drifted apart from each other. the both of them wanting different things, causing a strain. next up, nikolai. what can i say? he is everything. i love him with all my heart. i loved tolya and tamar though, they are very badass, and i need more of their content in the next book. but i am disappointed cause i didn't see as much genya and alina content in this book, but alina looking out for genya and worrying about her was good enough.
but i pretty much enjoyed this book, even though it was more slow-paced than book 1, and it was a great book to show character development and world building. i rate it a 4/5 stars, definitely a good read!
Content Warnings
Minor: Toxic relationship
paularize's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.25
some thoughts:
- this started out somewhat promising and I was really excited in the beginning when they went to Novyi Zem because it’s a country we don’t know a lot about but then they immediately left again to go back to Ravka AGAIN
- Nikolai is fun! Would’ve loved to see more of him!
- I thought we would spend more time with his Sturmhond persona on the funky pirate (privateer, sorry) ship tbh. I don’t know if that is because I’ve only known him as Sturmhond for the past 4 years or because I am not immune to sea adventures and secret identities but it didn’t happen anyway so. Hm.
- imagine having the whole little palace at your feet and still choosing the former darkling‘s rooms like?? they made you commander if you don’t want to sleep there just say it girl
- speaking of commander, I am so glad the netflix show aged these people up thank god
- speaking of the show, I was pretty bored for huge chunks of this book (what even happened. Did anything happen) but at the same time it has the potential to work a lot better in the show and I am super intrigued what they will make out of it, especially if they take the time to explore some of the themes more deeply like the cult around the sun summoner or Alina‘s inner conflict with power.
- Tamar <3
- whenever Kerch or Ketterdam is mentioned I’m like!! Maybe I should reread six of crows again (I won’t. unless)
- I have nothing to say about Mal, he was just There™
- it’s pretty clear this is mostly a filler book to get to the important plot points in book 3 but I’m just not invested enough in a lot of the side characters to read another little palace training arc
I have to wait a few weeks for the 3rd book which is a blessing because i need a break after this but I genuinely hope it will be more exciting than this
- this started out somewhat promising and I was really excited in the beginning when they went to Novyi Zem because it’s a country we don’t know a lot about but then they immediately left again to go back to Ravka AGAIN
- Nikolai is fun! Would’ve loved to see more of him!
- I thought we would spend more time with his Sturmhond persona on the funky pirate (privateer, sorry) ship tbh. I don’t know if that is because I’ve only known him as Sturmhond for the past 4 years or because I am not immune to sea adventures and secret identities but it didn’t happen anyway so. Hm.
- imagine having the whole little palace at your feet and still choosing the former darkling‘s rooms like?? they made you commander if you don’t want to sleep there just say it girl
- speaking of commander, I am so glad the netflix show aged these people up thank god
- speaking of the show, I was pretty bored for huge chunks of this book (what even happened. Did anything happen) but at the same time it has the potential to work a lot better in the show and I am super intrigued what they will make out of it, especially if they take the time to explore some of the themes more deeply like the cult around the sun summoner or Alina‘s inner conflict with power.
- Tamar <3
- whenever Kerch or Ketterdam is mentioned I’m like!! Maybe I should reread six of crows again (I won’t. unless)
- I have nothing to say about Mal, he was just There™
- it’s pretty clear this is mostly a filler book to get to the important plot points in book 3 but I’m just not invested enough in a lot of the side characters to read another little palace training arc
I have to wait a few weeks for the 3rd book which is a blessing because i need a break after this but I genuinely hope it will be more exciting than this
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, and War