She quickly learns that the Darkling is seeking a second amplifier for her in an attempt to further enhance her ability to aid him in the manipulation of the Fold. It’s a dynamic she doesn’t enjoy but believes will keep them safe.ĭespite their efforts to hide though, they’re almost immediately captured by the Darkling and his crew and thrown onto a ship that is captained by a notorious pirate named Sturmhond.

In this new life, Mal will be able to thrive as he always has, and Alina will be entirely dependent on him. She’s relieved to be with Mal, but you can already see the beginning of resentment forming in her. She wears a scarf around her neck to hide the Morozova collar that the Darkling had welded to her and refuses to call any light, but the result is that she’s weak and unhappy. They’ve left Ravka for Novyi Zem and are working terrible jobs to save enough money to continue their journey to the middle of nowhere in the hopes that they can start a new life without fearing being captured.Īlina is not in particularly good shape, having been entirely unable to use her abilities, which she now knows is what makes her sickly and weak. Storm and Siege picks up where Shadow and Bone left off, with Alina and Mal on the run from the Darkling and his followers. The Book: Storm and Siege by Leigh Bardugo I’ve loved watching the stories of all of these characters play out and I can’t wait to see how it all comes to a head in the third and final book.įair warning: spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t read this book or other books in this series.

And of course, the actual story itself is compelling and complicated and extraordinary. The characters are memorable and flawed, they’re growing in ugly messy ways that make you feel more invested in them. The narrative itself is well-written and emotionally charged.

The Grishaverse, or the world that Bardugo has created, is so beautifully crafted with many aspects that you could dive into for whole books at a time.

What I’ve loved about this series so far is that it feels incredibly well-balanced. Still, even with a slower pace than the first book, it certainly didn’t lack action or intrigue. The series is a trilogy, so naturally, I found this book to be heavy on the build for the inevitable epic finale. Siege and Storm is the second book in the Shadow and Bone series and I thought it was an excellent sequel.

Siege and storm by leigh bardugo