This review contains what may be considered an itty-bitty spoiler. (I don’t consider it one, but it’s marked as such all the same. Look out for bolded words to avoid it.)
Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Grisha #2
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Paranormal
Release Date: June 17th 2014 by Square Fish
Format: Paperback, 435 pages
Rating: ★★★★☆
Find it here: Goodreads || Book Depository
I enjoyed this one soooo much more than the first one, and I think I can credit most of that enjoyment once again to the Darkling, but also to the lovely new character, the Sturmhond. Though I still wasn’t fond of Alina, and was definitely not a fan of Mal (but, really, I don’t think I’ll ever be a fan of him), I also really enjoyed the storyline to this one. I felt it had a bit more world-building to it than the first one did (though, that was still lacking imo) and it didn’t central its focus solely on what I had thought the whole point of the book would be–which was finding the Sea Whip–so I really enjoyed going through the journey that this second book held. There was definitely no second-book-slump to this one for me, something I am always grateful for.
But, honestly. Sturmhond. Sturmhond.
By far one of, if not the (sorry, Darkling), favorite characters of this series thus far. And I really think he’ll be hard to beat, with only one book left in the trilogy. His wit, his dialogue, his ability to keep me from hating his guts. He had it all!
Toss Mal out the window and leave me with just him and the Darkling, please.
(Even though I know Mal was needed for hunting the Stag and whatnot. Whatever. I like the other two main male characters more, thanks.)
The dialogue for this sequel really was on point, and I think that’s what madam enjoy it so much more than the first. Not to say I didn’t enjoy the first a lot, because I definitely did, but I didn’t realize how much less I enjoyed it than its sequel until I had the sequel in my hands and was laughing over some of the interactions. Plus, Bardugo just has a nice, easy and captivating writing-style … which makes me so excited to finish this trilogy up and get my hands on Six of Crows, since those are said to be the pinnacle of the Grisha world.
But, that’ll come later. Back to Siege and Storm.
This may be considered a minor spoiler, so avert your eyes immediately if you don’t want to see, but that cliffhanger, man. Why. Are you trying to kill me?
Spoiler over.
It didn’t get five stars from me, but it got really close. I’m excited for the final book, and I can only hope it absolutely blows me out of the water.
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