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thebibliotourist's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
rinn_'s review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
nikolai's the main reason why im so addicted to this book pls I'll root alina with saving the world and all but it'll be sm fun with nikolai by her side (tehee)
and yeah personally this book is way better than the first one maybe cuz i like it when alina became more mature and starts leading an army of her own. having mal by her side didn't help though. i mean, i get where their coming from but its sort of cringy to see them to glued to e/o up untill now. AND alina has a purpose this time where she could fufil but mal was honestly just slowing her down. not to be cruel but maybe they were just not meant for e/o? although of course from their perspective it'll take a long time to accept that.
I'll just hope for the best between the two of them (and secretly hope that alina ends up with nikolai cuz yes)
and yeah personally this book is way better than the first one maybe cuz i like it when alina became more mature and starts leading an army of her own. having mal by her side didn't help though. i mean, i get where their coming from but its sort of cringy to see them to glued to e/o up untill now. AND alina has a purpose this time where she could fufil but mal was honestly just slowing her down. not to be cruel but maybe they were just not meant for e/o? although of course from their perspective it'll take a long time to accept that.
I'll just hope for the best between the two of them (and secretly hope that alina ends up with nikolai cuz yes)
weaponizedheart's review against another edition
5.0
Shadow and bone, as well as Siege and Storm, easily transports you to an unexplored world that the characters make sure you discover it with them. Not only Alina, but everyone else tackle new struggles, which is the reason it makes you keep reading.
I like how the romance is in suspense until after halfway through the book, not making it one of the main themes. It works well as it is (even when I was conflicted by it at times, I then knew the reason why some things were the way they were).
The Grishaverse has me on a chokehold, it's addictive!
I like how the romance is in suspense until after halfway through the book, not making it one of the main themes. It works well as it is (even when I was conflicted by it at times, I then knew the reason why some things were the way they were).
The Grishaverse has me on a chokehold, it's addictive!
zoeyfawn's review against another edition
2.0
I did get bored with this book and this is why it took me forever to finish. I am going to read the last book but I am hoping the Mal storyline gets sorted because sometimes I feel like he does not need to be there. He is just there.
schokomami's review against another edition
4.0
To be honest I thought I would leave the story with anger and frustration because Malina's relationship was even more annoying in this book than the last one, but the ending was actually so good that I have to give it more credit. It was anxiety filled and very tense, which actually makes me excited to finish the series.
pipiplup's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
madeliney's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
this is tough, because there is a lot of potential here. i know this was Leigh's first series, and it shows in many ways, but the main way it shows to me is that there is a strong reliance on what were currently popular themes and tropes of the time it was written with such surface-level commentary on those themes and tropes, with a forced love triangle to boot. it doesn't dive into what it should be diving into -- namely, the anti-hero that is Alina. this should be a dark book that really hones into the way the amplifiers take away humanity and transform the wearer, and it would be way more interesting to explore the connection that gives her to the Darkling (like calls to like, etc...) and how Alina and the Darkling have been impacted in similar ways with different results, but we don't do this. it, quite unfortunately in my opinion, remains very surface-level. because it remains so surface-level, i feel no investment in the story or the characters. it is incredible to me the difference in the writing, plotting, and characterization here, when i compare this to the Six of Crows series set in the same universe, which is fucking fantastic.
in terms of other more random thoughts i have... i really liked the new character in Nikolai, and the twins. i thought Nikolai was interesting and added a great political intrigue element to this story that was much-needed. however, there is no chemistry whatsoever between him and Alina, and it felt so forced. additionally, Mal was frustrating and admittedly felt a little dull -- i found myself frequently comparing him in my head to Gale from The Hunger Games; dismissive of the reality of the situation, stubborn, not accepting of the woman and wanting her to fit the idea he has in his head, etc... though i understood his motivations, i still found myself frustrated with the path of his character arc. in terms of the Darkling, i wish he had more depth in this particular book. he COULD be such an interesting, complex character and i thought that was going to happen, but unfortunately his arc also falls flat for me. i am quite puzzled by all of the readers i see falling apart about this character, he is so surface-level... do they need to read more books? is the bar for the hots so low? i just don't know. i will wrap up this series, for sure, and i hope characters and plot get more fleshed out in the final book. i hope for more depth.
TLDR: very much gives baby's first fantasy series. though there are some interesting plot points and ideas here, it isn't fleshed out as much as it could be and should be. if it fully dove into the dark story it could be and relied less on sell points the marketing department recommended, this would be so much better. with how saturated the fantasy market is, i struggle to recommend this series unless you are already invested in the lore, which is where i fall -- the Six of Crows series is just SO MUCH BETTER than this. read that instead.
in terms of other more random thoughts i have... i really liked the new character in Nikolai, and the twins. i thought Nikolai was interesting and added a great political intrigue element to this story that was much-needed. however, there is no chemistry whatsoever between him and Alina, and it felt so forced. additionally, Mal was frustrating and admittedly felt a little dull -- i found myself frequently comparing him in my head to Gale from The Hunger Games; dismissive of the reality of the situation, stubborn, not accepting of the woman and wanting her to fit the idea he has in his head, etc... though i understood his motivations, i still found myself frustrated with the path of his character arc. in terms of the Darkling, i wish he had more depth in this particular book. he COULD be such an interesting, complex character and i thought that was going to happen, but unfortunately his arc also falls flat for me. i am quite puzzled by all of the readers i see falling apart about this character, he is so surface-level... do they need to read more books? is the bar for the hots so low? i just don't know. i will wrap up this series, for sure, and i hope characters and plot get more fleshed out in the final book. i hope for more depth.
TLDR: very much gives baby's first fantasy series. though there are some interesting plot points and ideas here, it isn't fleshed out as much as it could be and should be. if it fully dove into the dark story it could be and relied less on sell points the marketing department recommended, this would be so much better. with how saturated the fantasy market is, i struggle to recommend this series unless you are already invested in the lore, which is where i fall -- the Six of Crows series is just SO MUCH BETTER than this. read that instead.
lillybookland's review against another edition
3.0
3,5
It's better than the first one, I really liked it until chapter 18, I hate Mal with a passion
It's better than the first one, I really liked it until chapter 18, I hate Mal with a passion
hazee's review against another edition
3.0
Estuvo un poco tedioso a ratos y creo que pudo haber sido varias páginas más corto, pero eso no importa porque NIKOLAI TE AMO FLACO, ERES EL MEJOR PERSONAJE Y LITERALMENTE EL ÚNICO CON EL QUE PUDE CONECTAR