Siege and Storm is the second book in the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and it is a wonderful transition novel from book one to book three.
Format: Paperback
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Page Length: 435 pages
Publisher: Squarefish (June 17, 2017)
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You have bewitched me, body and soul.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
I love this trilogy so much, and the second book is a solid installment. It introduces some of the best characters in the Grishaverse (I'm looking at you, Nikolai) as well as smoothly moves us towards the trilogy's conclusion.
Here’s a summary from GoodReads: Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her--or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and the main reason is Nikolai. He is a breath of fresh air to Alina and Mal's constant groaning and moaning. His plucky optimism and constant optimism balance out the doomsday mentality of Alina and Mal. Nikolai is the perfect prince.
I also enjoyed the expanded connection between Alina and the Darkling, and for the life of me, I don't understand why she consistently chooses Mal. This book added an element to the relationship between Alina and the Darkling. They could "appear" to each other like pulling on a chord, and it was always in a time of need. A need for each other! How many more signs is Alina looking for that the Darkling is the one for her? I would think the fact that they can literally find each other when they need each other would be enough, but oh no, not for Alina. Their moments together alternate between poignant, tender, and downright nasty. And I am here for every moment of it. Their chemistry is dynamite, and I melt when the Darkling tells Alina, "I've seen what you truly are, and I've never turned away. I never will. Can he say the same?" Mal only wants to change Alina, and the Darkling accepts Alina for who she is. I could literally write a dissertation on their chemistry.
This book leads us nicely into the trilogy's conclusion. It really is well-written!
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