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A review by imme_van_gorp
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
3.5
I really don’t want Mal and Alina to be together in the end. I know they have history, but he’s just not right for her. He wants the girl Alina used to be, not the woman she is now. Mal desperately wants to be her hero, her savior, her everything, and he can’t stand the fact that she’s stronger, more powerful, more important than he is. Mal needs to be in the spotlight, and he resents the fact that he now has to be in her shadow. He doesn’t want Alina to be the greatest she can possibly be; he wants her to stay small and weak so he can protect her. And that’s exactly why they should never be together.
It really makes me a little sad to see Alina pine away for Mal so badly, because she really deserves so much better. It’s like she can’t let go of her own insecurities and accept that she no longer needs him. It’s as if she’s terrified of being alone, and thinks she will be lonely forever if she loses him. She thinks he’s some sort of God whose attention she can’t live without…
I’m not sure who I do want Alina to be with though. Certainly never The Darkling, but maybe Nikolai would be a good match. He has a very vibrant and fun personality with his own goals and dreams, but he also treats Alina like a real human being. Their dynamic is flirty and light yet also has the desired moments of seriousness and support. If Alina has to end up with anyone, I wish it could be him. That said, I don’t think it’s likely to happen, since she clearly doesn’t love him and I doubt he truly loves her either.
Also, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the addition of the bad-ass twins: Tolya and Tamar were such interesting characters, and I am super intrigued by their devotion to Alina. I am very excited to learn more about them and see their relationship with their Sankta Alina grow.
All in all, I thought this was a good book. Not fantastic, but still really good. The world-building in this series remains very cool and the plot is always engaging. The writing could use a little more emotional depth here and there, but is overall very captivating and addictive. I just really like it.
It really makes me a little sad to see Alina pine away for Mal so badly, because she really deserves so much better. It’s like she can’t let go of her own insecurities and accept that she no longer needs him. It’s as if she’s terrified of being alone, and thinks she will be lonely forever if she loses him. She thinks he’s some sort of God whose attention she can’t live without…
I’m not sure who I do want Alina to be with though. Certainly never The Darkling, but maybe Nikolai would be a good match. He has a very vibrant and fun personality with his own goals and dreams, but he also treats Alina like a real human being. Their dynamic is flirty and light yet also has the desired moments of seriousness and support. If Alina has to end up with anyone, I wish it could be him. That said, I don’t think it’s likely to happen, since she clearly doesn’t love him and I doubt he truly loves her either.
Also, I just want to say that I really enjoyed the addition of the bad-ass twins: Tolya and Tamar were such interesting characters, and I am super intrigued by their devotion to Alina. I am very excited to learn more about them and see their relationship with their Sankta Alina grow.
All in all, I thought this was a good book. Not fantastic, but still really good. The world-building in this series remains very cool and the plot is always engaging. The writing could use a little more emotional depth here and there, but is overall very captivating and addictive. I just really like it.