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punktilious's reviews
4 reviews
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Alina is dependent, despite her strength. Mal is insecure. Nikolai is concerned with only Ravka. The Darkling wants power. Everyone else is either ignorant, scared or too concerned with tradition. They are all stuck in their ways and therefore do not promote the development of the story. The only thing keeping the book moving is the goal: finding the Firebird and taking down the Darkling.
With this seemingly negative review, why did I say that I still recommend the book? While the characters are a bit of a drawback, the world is wonderful. Throughout Siege and Storm, we get to learn more about the setting and the "magic" system. The book, despite not being the best thing I have ever read, still kept me on the edge of my seat. It was fun. While Siege and Storm is certainly not a must-read, it is still worth it if you are…
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Siege and Storm is the sequel to Shadow and Bone, of which it delivers nothing less or more. While I still recommend it, do not expect anything particularly special.
The trend of romance being a huge factor continues even though there is no romance label. Alina is now involved in a "love square", that is, she has 3 suitors… While I do not mind romance, it is a major motivation for Alina. And, again, it was not what was advertised. With Genya no longer by her side, she also has few friends. It seems her love interests are the main characters she interacts with, which limits the way she can develop. In the first book, it took getting over Mal to awaken her powers. What sort of development would occur if Alina had different people by her side?
I wonder. There is an unfortunate lack of character development for all characters, not just Alina. It seems the characters wrestle with the same issues over and over again. Some characters, such as Mal, seem to have no purpose behind their actions and feelings. Why was he so proud of his position in the First Army? What made him fall in love with Alina, when he had paid her no mind?
Alina is dependent, despite her strength. Mal is insecure. Nikolai is concerned with only Ravka. The Darkling wants power. Everyone else is either ignorant, scared or too concerned with tradition. They are all stuck in their ways and therefore do not promote the development of the story. The only thing keeping the book moving is the goal: finding the Firebird and taking down the Darkling.
It is the development of one of the goals that was handled in an… interesting way. The climax WAS the end of the book, it happened abruptly and was quite unsatisfying. I look forward to how Leigh Bardugo wraps this story up in the third book.
With this seemingly negative review, why did I say that I still recommend the book? While the characters are a bit of a drawback, the world is wonderful. Throughout Siege and Storm, we get to learn more about the setting and the "magic" system. The book, despite not being the best thing I have ever read, still kept me on the edge of my seat. It was fun. While Siege and Storm is certainly not a must-read, it is still worth it if you are…
- an enjoyer of "trashy" (said with affection) romances
- looking for an easy read
- a fan of Leigh Bardugo
- interested in the Grishaverse
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Animal death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Stalking, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Body shaming, Child death, Confinement, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Grief
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A few years ago, I read Six of Crows, and I finally got around to starting the Shadow & Bone trilogy. I had heard from multiple people that Shadow & Bone was not nearly as good as Six of Crows, and I can understand why. However, I think the books are too different to compare them directly. Shadow & Bone is a story about a "chosen one" who feels out of place, with the romance subplot taking a front seat. Most of the time, the story is relatively comfortable. Six of Crows is about a rag-tag group trying to succeed in a heist: the book is tense and full of a significantly larger cast of characters. Both books are good, but they won't delight readers if you expect something similar to whichever series you read first.
Shadow & Bone reminded me of The Selection series: my favorite guilty pleasure romance. Both books are about a classist society where one (lower class) girl is pulled into the spotlight, catching the eye of a powerful, influential person. Both girls left an old love behind against their will, and both books have themes of corrupt government. If you liked Shadow & Bone and want to read a series where romance takes center stage, check out The Selection by Kiera Cass.
For these reasons, I believe Shadow & Bone should be classified as a romance, at least partially: there was significantly more romance than I expected from a book not tagged with the romance genre.
I read Demon in the Wood right before Shadow & Bone. I think it offered an interesting perspective into the Darkling's motivations. If I had read it after reading Shadow & Bone, I may have sympathized with the Darkling. However, reading it first made me wonder what life was like for the Darkling between the end of Demon in the Wood and the beginning of Shadow & Bone. I realize he has plenty of time to find a different solution, and it seems like he is afraid of losing power. He refuses to choose a different option. That is a fear Alina doesn't have: she still chooses mercy over power in the pivotal moment. The contrast between Alina and the Darkling is an interesting dynamic that I hope is explored more in the trilogy.
I recommend Shadow & Bone if you're interested in a quick read. The story is nothing particularly special, but the world-building is the beginning of something amazing. I can't wait to see it develop more. Shadow & Bone is a good book to read if you're in a reading slump, especially since it is the beginning of a multi-series universe. There are plenty more books to read.
Shadow & Bone reminded me of The Selection series: my favorite guilty pleasure romance. Both books are about a classist society where one (lower class) girl is pulled into the spotlight, catching the eye of a powerful, influential person. Both girls left an old love behind against their will, and both books have themes of corrupt government. If you liked Shadow & Bone and want to read a series where romance takes center stage, check out The Selection by Kiera Cass.
For these reasons, I believe Shadow & Bone should be classified as a romance, at least partially: there was significantly more romance than I expected from a book not tagged with the romance genre.
I read Demon in the Wood right before Shadow & Bone. I think it offered an interesting perspective into the Darkling's motivations. If I had read it after reading Shadow & Bone, I may have sympathized with the Darkling. However, reading it first made me wonder what life was like for the Darkling between the end of Demon in the Wood and the beginning of Shadow & Bone. I realize he has plenty of time to find a different solution, and it seems like he is afraid of losing power. He refuses to choose a different option. That is a fear Alina doesn't have: she still chooses mercy over power in the pivotal moment. The contrast between Alina and the Darkling is an interesting dynamic that I hope is explored more in the trilogy.
I recommend Shadow & Bone if you're interested in a quick read. The story is nothing particularly special, but the world-building is the beginning of something amazing. I can't wait to see it develop more. Shadow & Bone is a good book to read if you're in a reading slump, especially since it is the beginning of a multi-series universe. There are plenty more books to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood, Grief, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, and Classism
Minor: Torture and Murder
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I have not yet read Shadow & Bone, but reading Demon in the Wood gives me a peak into who I imagine Aleksander will be. This graphic novel also provides insight into what life is like for Grisha—and what motivations characters in the Grishaverse may have. A good read.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child death, Self harm, and Grief
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Brave New World is considered a classic and a must-read, and I agree that it is. It offers a fascinating perspective on a society where everyone is always happy. This makes me wonder: if they believe they're happy, should we view them as happy too? Or, are they people who need to be freed because they aren't truly happy according to our standards? Is a hedonistic society like this where your life is planned from birth a successful one? Brave New World offers many thought-provoking questions. Consider reading Brave New World if you're in the mood to think further about the text.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Confinement, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fatphobia, Self harm, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, and Alcohol
Minor: Infertility, Suicide, Abortion, Pregnancy, and War
While I added many content warnings, they are essential to the nature of the book. The connotation of the content warnings may be interpreted differently when reading the book. For example, all people in the World State are perfectly healthy and young-looking: the "body shaming" tag is about one character's reaction to seeing someone who is not a citizen of the World State (and therefore ages regularly and looks different from what World State citizens are used to).