Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Review

 Title: Siege and Storm 

Author: Leigh Bardugo 

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult 

Genre: Fantasy 

Series: Shadow and Bone, book two 

Star Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 

I bought a copy of this book and reviewed it. 

I finished Shadow and Bone a few weeks ago, and I just finished Siege and Storm a few days ago. I decided to let it marinate for a day or two before I could get my thoughts on paper. The sequel to the runaway sleeper hit, Shadow and Bone, it picks up where the first book left off. With Mal and Alina on the run from The Darkling, Alina must decide if she will hide from her destiny, or rise up to meet it with all the force inside of her. Dubbed a Living Saint by the public, Alina begins to wonder if she can, in fact, save the free world. But with Mal pulling away and a mysterious, compelling privateer making an unexpected appearance, Alina must make a life-changing choice. She must decide if she is the hero everyone thinks she is, or if she’s that same little peasant from Keramzin who denies her power... 

I really, really liked this sequel! Sequels always make me nervous because a lot of the time, they don’t quite live up to the first book, but my worries were unfounded with Siege and Storm. The pacing was breakneck, and I really liked the addition of the new characters, as well as knowing the fate of many other characters from the previous book. I was immediately immersed back into Alina’s dangerous world, where power always has a high price and love may be the ultimate sacrifice. I was captivated by her lyrical, sharp voice, weary after trying to escape The Darkling’s clutches. This book pulls no punches, especially where death is concerned. I was gasping, laughing, and crying throughout the whole book; several characters that I grew to love made their first appearance in this book. And that ending though! I would be livid if I didn’t have Ruin and Rising waiting for me, to be completely honest. Technically, I’m already reading Ruin and Rising, but I really, really liked Siege and Storm! Highly enjoyable; full of action, dark magic, and romance, I just can’t resist Leigh Bardugo’s richly realized world! Next on deck: Salvage by Alexandra Duncan and The Library of Legends by Janie Chang!