Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

62 reviews

oldemort's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful mysterious 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

I've decided to rate this book 4 ⭐️. I still really enjoyed it, just less than the first book. 🥲

Let's be real, the reason I didn't like this book as much was the lack of the Darkling content and the ton of Mal content.  😅

Character wise, I still found Alina a bit immature and annoying at times, but I think I liked her a bit more than in Shadow and Bone. 🙂 Obviously, I still love the Darkling and I wish there was way more of him in this book. 😍

The only thing that I didn't really like that he did was making his monsters hurt Genya like that. 😬 I mean, I get why he did it, because she'd kind of betrayed him and all, but still. 🫣

Mal, I COMPLETELY HATED WITH EVERY BONE IN MY BODY. 🤬He's so annoying and petty and throughout the whole book just seemed to be trying to start arguments with Alina and was constantly blaming her for things that weren't even her fault. 😤

Also when he said: 

 

"At least she doesn't flinch when I touch her,"

 

 

That was so disgusting! 🤢 And this is the character I'm supposed to like?! 😧

Anyway, I quite liked Nikolai, 

although I guess that was because in some ways he was similar to the Darkling, like the way he's constantly just trying to annoy Mal. 🤭

He was also funny sometimes.  😂 As for Tamar and Tolya (I'm pretty sure that's their names), they were okay. 😐 I liked how they were looking after Alina, 

but the whole "plot twist" with them secretly, like, following the Apparat person didn't really bother me much. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Like, I wasn't gob-smacked. 😶 I didn't expect it, but I didn't really care about it. 🫤 Like, obviously he's creepy and a weirdo, but meh. 🫥Although I think it would be cool if there was, like, a plot twist in the next book that was something to do with him. 😎 It just kind of seems weird that he's still such an important character if he isn't going to be involved in a plot twist of some sort. 🥸

 

Plot wise, the end of this book made me sad. 😭

Like, the poor little Darkling thought Alina was going to be nice to him and help him and then she was just like "sike, I wanna take your power". 😣 He's just so misunderstood. 😔 I really liked the plot twist with Vasily thinking he'd made a great deal because I was thinking "Surely he can't actually do anything good or smart" and then BAM! 🤯 He was a massive idiot and basically helped the Darkling get to them. 🤦🏼‍♀️ He kind of deserved to die, he was rude and arrogant. 😤 And then obviously I didn't like when Alina tried to take the Darkling's power because that was just rude! 😠 How dare she! 😡 I really thought for a second she was just going to go with him. 😞 She clearly picked up a few manipulative tactics from the Darkling (and Mal). 🫣 Honestly, Mal was really annoying when he decided to save Alina. 😒 Like, I think it would've been a good ending if they'd have both just died. 🥲 But now, because of Mal, Alina has no power and they're basically just doomed. 😬 It's kind of cool that Alina has white hair now though.  😅 I wonder if the Darkling lost his power too? 🤔 Or if he's still got his power and he's got Alina's as well now? 🧐

 

Anyway, I'm excited to see what happens in the next book, 

especially with Alina not having her power now. 🤩

My ideal ending would be either Alina and the Darkling dying because, I don't know, that just seems like a peaceful ending, or with Mal dying and Alina and the Darkling ending up together (which I don't think is very likely).  🙃

However, I think that the Darkling will die (seeing as that's the only actual way to, like, ensure that he can never do evil again) and that Mal and Alina will live and be together and live happily ever after, even though I obviously don't want that to happen. 😣 (Also, my prediction may end up being correct, so that's why this is in the spoiler bit, just in case. 😌 I mean, my ideal endings could also come true, but I highly doubt it.) 🙃

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Child death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Blood, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Cursing, Gun violence, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Grief, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

laurin_harris's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

jeggert10's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror

Moderate: Death, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Minor: Chronic illness, Infidelity, and Grief

nellsir's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, and War

Moderate: Sexual violence and Stalking

vnfhcxksiw's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Self harm, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail

snowiceblackfruit77's review against another edition

dark emotional funny 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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional 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? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Body horror, Death, Gun violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Dysphoria, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

creolelitbelle's review against another edition

dark emotional 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

The second book began excitingly enough, but the middle was quite a slog. I enjoyed the growth of characters introduced in the first book and watching them interact with new characters. Learning more about the world and how things operate was fun, but I do wish most outside of Ravka was incorporated into the story. Court politics and relationships amped up to the point that I truly couldn't guess what would happen next. I suspect at least part of the course of the final book with the potential of Alina's weapons, but the evolution of her power and the Darkling's magic is what I'm most interested to see. The best part of a fantasy with politics woven in for me is always the final battle of the war, and events at the Little Palace prove that will be epic. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

Moderate: Torture

jackiejeickaj's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny hopeful reflective sad tense fast-paced

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

3.5

Writing this review in the middle of Ruin and Rising because I was too lazy to do it earlier.
I liked this book! It was a good continuation of Shadow and Bone. I loved Sturmhond's character, he was such a strong addition to the series. I liked the plot and the ideas of this book. However, I have issues with the execution.

Alina is at the Little Palace for a while in the book. This is mostly glossed over. I believe this was a mistake. The side characters, specifically the ones who survive the battle at the end of the book, are painfully underdeveloped. Like, seriously. Zoya is a bully. David is basically a stereotypical autistic person (I'm sorry but it's true). Nadia exists. Genya is great and all but she's in the book for like 2 minutes. These characters desperately need some depth

. Also,

I am not sure how I feel about what this book did to Mal. I really like him in the first book where he is, well. I dunno. I am feeling ambivalent about - on one hand, it makes sense, on the other, it all feels too needless .

Finally,

merzost

is sick as fuck.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Blood, and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Torture, Sexual harassment, and War

Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Sexual assault

ladygetslit's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

While I enjoyed the concept of the series, Siege and Storm falls victim to second book syndrome in that it feels like not much is happening. The best part of the entire book was the addition of Nikolai’s character. The worst part of the book, honestly, was Alina’s narration. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Moderate: Torture and Kidnapping