Review: Siege and Storm

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*4.5*
"You know the problems with heroes and saints Nikolai?" I asked as I closed the books cover and headed for the door.
"They always end up dead."

This book starts off jumping right into the action! We meet up again with Mal and Alina who are on the run after the battle at the end of Shadow and Bone. The Darkling quickly puts a damper on their little runaway honeymoon and soon they're running for their life again with a new privateer named Nikolai who was the best part of this book and why I rated it to high Soon they're preparing to go to a final battle with the Darkling.

"The less you say, the more weight your words will carry."

I definitely loved this book better than Shadow and Bone because the stakes are raised so much higher! It's more intense, action packed, and theirs so much ANGST. This book starts with awesome and kick ass 200 pages..then it gets slow and it becomes a lot more character driven..until the last heart pounding 50 pages.

"Anything worth doing always starts with a bad idea."

I had such a love-hate relationship with Alina and Mal in this one. Alina was struggling with her inner demons and Mal just didn't understand how to be there for her. It was definitely FRUSTRATING. They fought A LOT and I could've lived without that back and forth underlying plot line through the book. It was just COMMUNICATING issues Ahhh! All of their problems could have been solved if they just TALKED IT OUT!! I do like them together but I wish we actually got to see them be HAPPY together. In the beginning Alina's back to this feeling of not measuring up to Mal, and then he goes through this phase where he doesn't feel like he fits into her new life and suddenly he's not on top of the pyramid anymore and he wishes she wasn't Grisha and she's power hungry and blah blah blah..it just got a little annoying to read at time. I mean I understood to an extent but that plot line was just filled with so much frustration. I wanted to see them happy together and I'm hoping we finally get some PEACE to that relationship in the next book!!

"I thought you wanted to go."
"I wanted you to ask me to stay."


JUST TALK!!

Alina got kind of annoying to in the sense where was so reluctant and scared to accept her powers then embrace them fully. Then she finally grew towards the end. She becomes stronger and begins to crave more power. It scares her because she doesn't want to become like the Darkling but finds she needs that kind of power. It's a really interesting and intense struggling with the light and darkness inside of her. This makes her a little weary of Mals intentions towards her. She starts to wonder if he's scared of her. It becomes a little bit of back of forth. Then Mal starts to question how he fits into Alina's new life, because she's so different and literally everything has changed.

" Why won't you leave me alone?" I whispered one night as he hovered behind me while I tried to work at my desk.
Long minutes passed. I didn't think he would answer. I even had time to hope he might have gone, until I felt his hand on my shoulder.
"Then I'd be alone too," he said, and he stayed the whole night through, till the lamps burned down to nothing.

I did miss the Darkling in this one! He's such a fantastic villain and I can see why some people say he's one of the best in young adult literature because he seriously is!! Even though he isn't in this one much, his presence is still felt. In reminded me of Maven in Glass Sword. Leigh Bardugo did a great job of letting the reader miss the character but still feel his presence. And the beginning and ending of this book were so EPIC!

"I've seen what you truly are," said the Darkling, "and I've never turned away. I never will. Can he say the same?"

It's so twisted but I really want him to redeem himself at the end of it all!!

"The Darkling will hunt you for the rest of your days."
"Then you and I will have something in common, won't we? Besides, I like to have powerful enemies. Makes me feel important."
Mal crossed his arms and considered the privateer. "I can't decide if you're crazy or stupid."
"I have so many good qualities," Sturmond said. "It can be hard to choose."

This book is a 4.5 for me but the reason I gave it the 5 on Goodreads and not the 4 is because NIKOLAI!!!! MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS BOOK!! His dialogue was perfect! He was hilarious, witty, strong, really hot and ahhh he was the best! In my mind, he's Sam Claflin.

"Watch yourself Nikolai," Mal said softly. "Princes bleed just like other men"
Nikolai plucked an invisible piece of dust from his sleeve. "Yes," he said. "They just do it in better clothes."

I can't THE BANTER WAS ON POINT!

I took a breath. "Your highness-"
"Nikolai," he corrected. "But I've also been known to answer to 'sweetheart' or 'handsome'"


And I LOVED how his friendship grew with Alina!! And he totally likes her but I still think she's going to end up with Mal even though a part of me wants her to be with Nikolai!! The struggle!

"I want to kiss you," Nikolai said. "But I won't. Not until you're thinking of me instead of trying to forget him."

Ahh! Anyway, I did have some problems with Alina and Mal but overall this book is on another level than the first one! There's new monsters, flying ships, and handsome privateer. Need I say more? If you've enjoyed Shadow and Bone or even if you didn't like it, still pick this one up! It's worth it all just to get to Nikolai! I'm excited to dive into Ruin and Rising and my bookmarks already ready to go!

"I have loved you all my life, Mal," I whispered through my tears."There is no end to our story."

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