Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo


Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo is the sequel of the previous book, Shadow and Bone. Alina Starkov has escaped with Mal across the True Sea, hunted by the Darkling. The Darkling has emerged from the Fold with another horrifying power- the ability to create life itself, a forbidden magic. When Alina and Mal are finally caught by the Darkling and his hired help, a notorious pirate of Ravka, they manage to escape. Alina decides to gather the rest of the amplifiers, three magical charms that would boost her power enough to face the Darkling and win. But as her power grows, she finds herself drawn deeper into the dark magic of the Darkling- and begins to understand his greed. With Ravka's fate in her hands, Alina must choose the right path and not give into her greed.

I enjoyed Siege and Storm and thought it was a great continuation of the series. It was filled with action and betrayal, and was hard to put down. I especially liked the struggles that each of the characters had in their minds- such as Alina's conflict between choosing a life with Mal and unsatisfied power or joining the Darkling and having all the power she wants. I enjoyed the realism of the characters and the detail that was put into the novel. The settings were described very well. I think that readers of fantasy and magic novels would love this book, and readers of Bardugo's previous novels would like it too. However, I would recommend that you read the previous novel first. I liked reading this novel and I hope others enjoy it too.


Reviewed by NK, Grade 10
Montrose Library

Comments

Melissa said…
This is the second book in the Grishaverse series. Alina Starkov and Malyen Oretsev travel to the nation of Novyi Zem where they are captured by the Darkling and put on a ship. The Darkling is looking for the second amplifier, the sea whip, and he forces Malyen to look for the beast. Alina chooses to wear the amplifier, which makes more powerful. She also decides that she is going to look for the third ampifier, a firebird. Along the way, Alina meets the Prince of Ravka, who asks her to help him become King.

I found this book to be more interesting than the first book. I liked that there was a lot more action going on throughout the book instead of only towards the end of the book. I loved the character of Nikolai, the Prince of Ravka. He was very funny and he brought the comedy part to the plot of the book. The plot itself was also really interesting. I would recommend this book to young adult fantasy readers. It is a very easy to understand book and the world is also easy to understand for new fantasy readers.

Reviewed by PM, Grade 12
Glendale Central Library

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