Siege And Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Sep. 8th, 2013 10:25 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
quippeThe Blurb On The Back:
Darkness never dies. Alina and Mal are on the run. Hunted and haunted, but together at last, they can’t outrun Alina’s past or her destiny forever.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and he needs Alina to realise his dangerous plan.
There are others who would like to use Alina’s gift too. And as her power grows, somehow, she must choose between her country, her power, and her love – or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
Alina and Mal are on the run, terrified by the news that the Darkling survived Alina’s actions in the Shadow Fold, which has itself started to expand, swallowing nearby towns. When the Darkling finds them, they discover that he can now summon nichevo’ya, dark creatures immune to conventional weapons and unafraid of Alina’s light. Worse, he’s intent on finding another amplifier – a legendary sea serpent – for Alina so that he can use her power to expand the Fold permanently.
But Alina and Mal have allies. Not all the Grisha in the Darkling’s retinue support him and the captain of their ship – a notorious privateer called Sturmhond – has his own agenda. As Alina learns more about her power, she finds that her attempts to heal Ravka will strain her relationship with Mal and force her into deals that she’d rather not make …
Leigh Bardugo’s sequel to SHADOW AND BONE sags beneath the weight of relationships that never really convince and has an MC incapable of taking control of her own destiny and defined by those same unconvincing relationships. This is a shame because I love the ideas at the heart of this (the idea of evil being literally seductive and the corruption that can come with power), I enjoy the way magic works in this world and the Stormhund is an interesting character with complex motivations. Although I will check out the conclusion to this YA fantasy trilogy, I won’t be rushing to do so.
Although supposed to be mouthy and determined, Alina actually comes across as weak and indecisive and utterly incapable of dealing with any of the male characters looking to control her. I never bought into her relationship with Mal because they spend most of their time squabbling or not talking to each other. I like her dilemma about her need for power but it’s never really explored and I wanted to see her take charge more.
The Darkling is increasingly two-dimensional as a villain but the Sturmhund is a welcome addition (all-be-it a key revelation is telegraphed too early) but I could have done without the inevitable rivalry with Mal. I also wish there’d been more with Genya and Baghra because it would have helped flesh out Alina’s relationships and character.
Although I kept turning the pages, I was left disappointed by this book and while I’ll read the conclusion, I won’t rush to do so.
The Verdict:
Leigh Bardugo’s sequel to SHADOW AND BONE sags beneath the weight of relationships that never really convince and has an MC incapable of taking control of her own destiny and defined by those same unconvincing relationships. This is a shame because I love the ideas at the heart of this (the idea of evil being literally seductive and the corruption that can come with power), I enjoy the way magic works in this world and the Stormhund is an interesting character with complex motivations. Although I will check out the conclusion to this YA fantasy trilogy, I won’t be rushing to do so.
SIEGE AND STORM was released in the United Kingdom on 6th June 2013. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
Darkness never dies. Alina and Mal are on the run. Hunted and haunted, but together at last, they can’t outrun Alina’s past or her destiny forever.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and he needs Alina to realise his dangerous plan.
There are others who would like to use Alina’s gift too. And as her power grows, somehow, she must choose between her country, her power, and her love – or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
Alina and Mal are on the run, terrified by the news that the Darkling survived Alina’s actions in the Shadow Fold, which has itself started to expand, swallowing nearby towns. When the Darkling finds them, they discover that he can now summon nichevo’ya, dark creatures immune to conventional weapons and unafraid of Alina’s light. Worse, he’s intent on finding another amplifier – a legendary sea serpent – for Alina so that he can use her power to expand the Fold permanently.
But Alina and Mal have allies. Not all the Grisha in the Darkling’s retinue support him and the captain of their ship – a notorious privateer called Sturmhond – has his own agenda. As Alina learns more about her power, she finds that her attempts to heal Ravka will strain her relationship with Mal and force her into deals that she’d rather not make …
Leigh Bardugo’s sequel to SHADOW AND BONE sags beneath the weight of relationships that never really convince and has an MC incapable of taking control of her own destiny and defined by those same unconvincing relationships. This is a shame because I love the ideas at the heart of this (the idea of evil being literally seductive and the corruption that can come with power), I enjoy the way magic works in this world and the Stormhund is an interesting character with complex motivations. Although I will check out the conclusion to this YA fantasy trilogy, I won’t be rushing to do so.
Although supposed to be mouthy and determined, Alina actually comes across as weak and indecisive and utterly incapable of dealing with any of the male characters looking to control her. I never bought into her relationship with Mal because they spend most of their time squabbling or not talking to each other. I like her dilemma about her need for power but it’s never really explored and I wanted to see her take charge more.
The Darkling is increasingly two-dimensional as a villain but the Sturmhund is a welcome addition (all-be-it a key revelation is telegraphed too early) but I could have done without the inevitable rivalry with Mal. I also wish there’d been more with Genya and Baghra because it would have helped flesh out Alina’s relationships and character.
Although I kept turning the pages, I was left disappointed by this book and while I’ll read the conclusion, I won’t rush to do so.
The Verdict:
Leigh Bardugo’s sequel to SHADOW AND BONE sags beneath the weight of relationships that never really convince and has an MC incapable of taking control of her own destiny and defined by those same unconvincing relationships. This is a shame because I love the ideas at the heart of this (the idea of evil being literally seductive and the corruption that can come with power), I enjoy the way magic works in this world and the Stormhund is an interesting character with complex motivations. Although I will check out the conclusion to this YA fantasy trilogy, I won’t be rushing to do so.
SIEGE AND STORM was released in the United Kingdom on 6th June 2013. Thanks to the Amazon Vine Programme for the ARC of this book.
