Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by thefox22
Shadow and Bone & Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
3.0
Reread, January 2019:
SO. I still think this is the weakest book in the series, so I will probably keep my rating at 3 (though it's more like 3.5 stars because I really enjoyed it). I stand by a few things I said in the original review, but there are others where I don't. See here:
*I definitely think 2015 me was harsh on Alina. She's just trying her best, y'all. Yes, she's a bit whiny and insecure, but I like that Leigh allows her that time to be her age, to grow as a person and discover who she is and what she wants. She still doesn't quite know what she wants, but she's putting everything into being a good leader and saving Ravka, that she doesn't give herself enough credit. She's suffering, all the time, and she doesn't let enough people see her drowning. I wish she'd been more open, leaned on her friends and Mal more, but I understand why she didn't. And like, the darker, more ambitious Alina? LOVE.
*However, god, I find Mal annoying. And yes, yes, I know he's just being a jealous little teenager. But he's kind of always had that alpha maleness that's aggravating. He's just STUPID. He is, in this book especially, because he like refuses to listen to Alina. He gives her space, and he lets her do what she wants, but he doesn't LISTEN. buuuut, I really like him. I do. I think he does get more negativity than he deserves at times.
*Honestly, I don't really ship them? And it's not because I ship Alina with anyone else (maybe The Darkling at one point, but I can't remember), it's because they just don't really give me feels. And some of the drama of their romance seemed unnecessary (all of that focus on Zoya and her beauty, and both of them being idiots).
*Frankly, I think Alina and Nikolai's relationship is more like siblings, and I DO agree with my earlier critique that forcing a romance with them was ugh. (Not that there was one, but I think that one scene and the rest of the focus on it wasn't needed).
*There was a lot more tell than show, which was disappointing, and it doesn't feel like A LOT happens until the last quarter of the book. So yeah, the plot was kind of eh for so long, and it really is more like a bridge book to get to the finale. But I LOVED Ruin and Rising so much, so we'll see if that changes at all when I reread it. :D
*****
*Review can be found on The Fox's Hideaway.
My Review!
*SPOILERS. SPOILERS ABOUND. You've been warned.
It kills me to say that I did not love this book as much as Shadow and Bone. There were just so many problems I had with it. I don't even know where to start.
My biggest issue with this book was the main character, Alina. I loved her in the first one! I thought she had flaws, but that made her more real and genuine. However, I was constantly torn between wanting to cheer her on and slapping her to wake her up. One of Alina's big flaws is insecurity and putting too much thought into appearances. And it wasn't a huge deal in the first book, and I could understand it. But when a character's constant insecurity becomes self-pitying, that's where I become tired with the overdone dramatics. I'm not saying that she's not allowed to have her moments of self-doubt, but this felt forced and just too much. And I just felt that Alina didn't do that much in this book. I felt like everyone else around her was making the decisions, and she was acting like a pawn. One that spent a good portion of the book focusing too much on the dramatics between her and Mal and not on what was happening in her home. A hero/heroine is allowed those moments, but I'd like a bit more than constant introspection concerning a guy who didn't choose to stand by her side.
Oh, Mal. You inconsiderate jerk. I loved him a lot. But in this book, he became a jealous, needy, and selfish control freak. He gave up a lot for Alina, selfless sacrifices for the sole reason that he loves her. So, I understand the resentment, the doubt, the moments of anger at not being able to control anything going on. But instead of supporting Alina and being on her side, he threw temper tantrums, ran away, and then came back acting like nothing was wrong. He was selfish and unsupportive, but you know what, so was Alina. Change in characters are inevitable, and they've both been through a lot. But instead of the jealousy ploys and the non-communication, they could have focused on strengthening their relationship. I wanted more swoony romantic scenes or even the banter that comes from years of friendship. Even though their romance was very light in the first book, I believed it. And after this one, I'm just wondering why the hell they fell in love with each other in the first place.
The secondary characters were the saving graces in this book, though their relationships with Alina are all so very underdeveloped. Sturmhond. Oh, Sturmhond. My favorite. The dastardly privateer who is a complex individual with a quick wit and big secrets. Alina's relationship with him was the most developed out of them all, even Mal's. But I was mad because it felt like the author was forcing romance onto the two of them. Was it just me who felt their banter was more like siblings; fighting, teasing, and supporting one another without fail? The author spent so much time building up this relationship and sacrificing the real romance, the one that needed it the most.
I spent a good portion of this book wanting to throw it at the wall. The entire middle of the book was boring. A dose of dialogue with Alina and the secondary characters and a splash of drama-free scenes could have done wonders. Nothing was happening. Alina was pining away and constantly thinking about Mal and their disastrous relationship. So much of that middle portion could have been used to develop character relationships with dialogue and rich backgrounds. And it being boring also could have been because The Darkling was completely absent (the synopsis is a total lie, btw). He made everything lively and mysterious and dangerous. I was missing that exciting element.
The last quarter of the book was infinitely better than the whole middle of it. I was hooked again, riveted as the action showed up and everything led up to one hell of an ending that shocked me. And even though I was bored, I love Leigh Bardugo's writing. It's lovely and rich and this world is so incredibly detailed that I never have a problem picturing what's happening in my mind. I liked Siege and Storm good enough, but I'm the black sheep here when I say that I was so disappointed.
Rating: 3 Paw Prints!
SO. I still think this is the weakest book in the series, so I will probably keep my rating at 3 (though it's more like 3.5 stars because I really enjoyed it). I stand by a few things I said in the original review, but there are others where I don't. See here:
*I definitely think 2015 me was harsh on Alina. She's just trying her best, y'all. Yes, she's a bit whiny and insecure, but I like that Leigh allows her that time to be her age, to grow as a person and discover who she is and what she wants. She still doesn't quite know what she wants, but she's putting everything into being a good leader and saving Ravka, that she doesn't give herself enough credit. She's suffering, all the time, and she doesn't let enough people see her drowning. I wish she'd been more open, leaned on her friends and Mal more, but I understand why she didn't. And like, the darker, more ambitious Alina? LOVE.
*However, god, I find Mal annoying. And yes, yes, I know he's just being a jealous little teenager. But he's kind of always had that alpha maleness that's aggravating. He's just STUPID. He is, in this book especially, because he like refuses to listen to Alina. He gives her space, and he lets her do what she wants, but he doesn't LISTEN. buuuut, I really like him. I do. I think he does get more negativity than he deserves at times.
*Honestly, I don't really ship them? And it's not because I ship Alina with anyone else (maybe The Darkling at one point, but I can't remember), it's because they just don't really give me feels. And some of the drama of their romance seemed unnecessary (all of that focus on Zoya and her beauty, and both of them being idiots).
*Frankly, I think Alina and Nikolai's relationship is more like siblings, and I DO agree with my earlier critique that forcing a romance with them was ugh. (Not that there was one, but I think that one scene and the rest of the focus on it wasn't needed).
*There was a lot more tell than show, which was disappointing, and it doesn't feel like A LOT happens until the last quarter of the book. So yeah, the plot was kind of eh for so long, and it really is more like a bridge book to get to the finale. But I LOVED Ruin and Rising so much, so we'll see if that changes at all when I reread it. :D
*****
*Review can be found on The Fox's Hideaway.
My Review!
*SPOILERS. SPOILERS ABOUND. You've been warned.
It kills me to say that I did not love this book as much as Shadow and Bone. There were just so many problems I had with it. I don't even know where to start.
My biggest issue with this book was the main character, Alina. I loved her in the first one! I thought she had flaws, but that made her more real and genuine. However, I was constantly torn between wanting to cheer her on and slapping her to wake her up. One of Alina's big flaws is insecurity and putting too much thought into appearances. And it wasn't a huge deal in the first book, and I could understand it. But when a character's constant insecurity becomes self-pitying, that's where I become tired with the overdone dramatics. I'm not saying that she's not allowed to have her moments of self-doubt, but this felt forced and just too much. And I just felt that Alina didn't do that much in this book. I felt like everyone else around her was making the decisions, and she was acting like a pawn. One that spent a good portion of the book focusing too much on the dramatics between her and Mal and not on what was happening in her home. A hero/heroine is allowed those moments, but I'd like a bit more than constant introspection concerning a guy who didn't choose to stand by her side.
Oh, Mal. You inconsiderate jerk. I loved him a lot. But in this book, he became a jealous, needy, and selfish control freak. He gave up a lot for Alina, selfless sacrifices for the sole reason that he loves her. So, I understand the resentment, the doubt, the moments of anger at not being able to control anything going on. But instead of supporting Alina and being on her side, he threw temper tantrums, ran away, and then came back acting like nothing was wrong. He was selfish and unsupportive, but you know what, so was Alina. Change in characters are inevitable, and they've both been through a lot. But instead of the jealousy ploys and the non-communication, they could have focused on strengthening their relationship. I wanted more swoony romantic scenes or even the banter that comes from years of friendship. Even though their romance was very light in the first book, I believed it. And after this one, I'm just wondering why the hell they fell in love with each other in the first place.
The secondary characters were the saving graces in this book, though their relationships with Alina are all so very underdeveloped. Sturmhond. Oh, Sturmhond. My favorite. The dastardly privateer who is a complex individual with a quick wit and big secrets. Alina's relationship with him was the most developed out of them all, even Mal's. But I was mad because it felt like the author was forcing romance onto the two of them. Was it just me who felt their banter was more like siblings; fighting, teasing, and supporting one another without fail? The author spent so much time building up this relationship and sacrificing the real romance, the one that needed it the most.
I spent a good portion of this book wanting to throw it at the wall. The entire middle of the book was boring. A dose of dialogue with Alina and the secondary characters and a splash of drama-free scenes could have done wonders. Nothing was happening. Alina was pining away and constantly thinking about Mal and their disastrous relationship. So much of that middle portion could have been used to develop character relationships with dialogue and rich backgrounds. And it being boring also could have been because The Darkling was completely absent (the synopsis is a total lie, btw). He made everything lively and mysterious and dangerous. I was missing that exciting element.
The last quarter of the book was infinitely better than the whole middle of it. I was hooked again, riveted as the action showed up and everything led up to one hell of an ending that shocked me. And even though I was bored, I love Leigh Bardugo's writing. It's lovely and rich and this world is so incredibly detailed that I never have a problem picturing what's happening in my mind. I liked Siege and Storm good enough, but I'm the black sheep here when I say that I was so disappointed.
Rating: 3 Paw Prints!