Ritika Bhattacharjee
“The ox feels the yoke, but does the bird feel the weight of it's wings?” -Leigh Bardugo, Siege and Storm rating- 3.8/5(it was in between a 3.5 and a 4 star read okay, leave me alone)this review contains spoilers, please do not read it if you haven't read the bookThe first book definitely surprised me, and although I had a few complaints, I loved it. (my review for shadow and bone). [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] on the other hand, is harder for me to review. The book was very, very slow towards the beginning and at certain points, to the point where i was so sure, i wouldn't like it. The pace was inconsistent and a few parts were incredibly slow, while a few had me struggling to keep up with everything that was happening. This is something that bothered me in shadow and bone as well, and I'm hoping will be resolved in the third book. (I understand a few scenes have to be fast paced, but the transition should be smoother so the reader is eased into the fast paced scenes instead of feeling like they were abruptly thrown in into an action sequence.) However as soon as Nikolai was introduced, the rating of the book in my head significantly increased (i was thinking around 3 haha). Nikolai is definitely my favorite love interest with mal and the darkling as the other options, I'm pretty sure everybody thinks the same way, if not my favorite character (scratch that. he's my favorite character) Also, was I the only one who wasn't surprised by the Sturmhond plot twist? I mean he's described as a young boy with green eyes, there's no way he's not a love interest. there's also so much foreshadowing for it, considering he never talks about where he's from (any doubts i had were later confirmed when I googled sturmhond fanart- i strongly advise against googling fanart until you're done with the book. google images are the dark web, for, every book spoiler to ever exist is on there.) PREMISEAlina and mal are trying to run away from their lives at Ravka but can Alina really hide her powers for too long? On the other hand, the darkling has new powers that further threaten Ravka's future. With the help of a funny, charming privateer she returns to the country she abandoned only to find it worse off. Alina finds herself slipping deeper into the darkling's magic and discovering a different side to herself, while trying to lead the second army, hoping to cope with the hopes of the common people who believe she's a living saint and also dealing with relationship problems (mal. why. just why) CHARACTERSAlina- unlike a lot of people, i liked Alina in the first book. I understood her self deprecating nature and constant self destruction, it was what made her more real to me. [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] Alina, on the other hand has completely blown me away. I absolutely love her. she's embracing herself and understanding that she has a dark side under all that light. Her hunger for the third amplifier, calling to the darkness, feeling like the fold was a part of her, understanding the volcra, every single thing intrigued me. the character development is immersing and I'm looking forward to witness [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754] Alina. I'm curious as to how [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] will transition her from being extremely weak and unable to call her power to ultimately what I'm guessing will be the saviour of Ravka and the destroyer of the fold. “So many men had tried to make her a queen, now she understood that she was meant for something more”Mal- no. just no, I'm sorry. shadow and bone mal was okay in my opinion, but book 2 mal is just not it. he loves alina, there's no doubt about that. he protects her, and even abandons his post as a tracker, something that is very dear to him, for her. But he loves the Alina who was his childhood bestfriend, who was at the sidelines, not the grisha Alina. he's constantly insecure about the fact that he's an otkazats'ya, while Alina is powerful. I now understand why so many people disliked him in the first book, they saw what was coming and the behaviour that indicated the same. the fact that he is oblivious that Alina isn't doing her best and continues to push his insecurities at her just infuriates me. the darkling(‘s vision? I'm still a little confused) that made Alina flinch while mal was stupid enough to think that it was about him (I know I'm being harsh but he just can't look past himself.) was the last straw. I don't see Alina with mal and will be very disappointed if that's what happens in the end.“i don't need to think about it”, Mal shouted “and neither does she”This is him talking about going back to Os Alta when Nikolai, Alina and Mal arrive at Kribirsk. ugh. just, ugh “At least she didn't flinch when i touched her” he spat this was when alina had WAY too much on her plate already, i just dislike him so much, i can't, i'm sorry. i don't know if mal can redeem himself after this.Nikolai- I am absolutely and completely in love with Nikolai Lantsov. He is everything. i repeat, everything, mal is not. he understands Alina, while also NOT being extremely morally grey like the darkling. he's humorous, sarcastic and extremely endearing. The birthday dinner scene with Vasily and the political intrigue in it, was one of my favourite scenes in the book. “When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”“i like mongrels”, i said. “they have cute floppy ears.” “my ears are very dignified”“I took a breath. “Your highness—”“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I've also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart' or ‘handsome.”The darkling- I cannot stop hoping for a redemption arc * sigh *, but then again, this is for the darkling's personality and not as a love interest. I don't see the darkling as a love interest anymore and in my honest opinion, his personality and character wouldn't be suitable for the same. his motivations and backstory are just way too strong to be deterred by something as trivial as feelings. he's still one of the best written and extremely well developed characters. And although he was absent throughout most of this book, the few appearances, use of the nichevo'ya and the visions/appearances Alina could see, left me wanting more. “we are alike”, he said, “as no one else will ever be” the truth of it rang through me. Like calls to like. What I loved1. NIKOLAI. NIKOLAI LANTSOV. ABSOLUTELY.2. The character development of Alina3. The ending. i have to admit, the ending is definitely not something i expected. it saved the book for me. “For the living and the dead, she would make herself a reckoning. She would rise. “4. Did i mention, nikolai lantsov. yes. him.A few setbacks1. as mentioned earlier, the pace inconsistency2. mal's character development3. genya. (this was dropped out of nowhere, and goes long lengths to tell us how far the darkling's willing to go, to assert authority and fullfill his motives. it really upset me, considering Alina couldn't even tell her apart from Baghra. i hope this is remedied in [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754], because Genya did nothing wrong and does not deserve this. It breaks my heart that she had to choose between helping Alina and her loyalty to the darkling since he gave her status, something that she has never had and has forever wanted.Overall, despite the issues, i couldn't stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen, which according to me, is a good sign. The world building is immersing and the world of the grisha is growing on me and I absolutely cannot wait to read [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754] to see what happens to Alina and Nikolai and what's in store in terms of plot:)
“The ox feels the yoke, but does the bird feel the weight of it's wings?” -Leigh Bardugo, Siege and Storm rating- 3.8/5(it was in between a 3.5 and a 4 star read okay, leave me alone)this review contains spoilers, please do not read it if you haven't read the bookThe first book definitely surprised me, and although I had a few complaints, I loved it. (my review for shadow and bone). [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] on the other hand, is harder for me to review. The book was very, very slow towards the beginning and at certain points, to the point where i was so sure, i wouldn't like it. The pace was inconsistent and a few parts were incredibly slow, while a few had me struggling to keep up with everything that was happening. This is something that bothered me in shadow and bone as well, and I'm hoping will be resolved in the third book. (I understand a few scenes have to be fast paced, but the transition should be smoother so the reader is eased into the fast paced scenes instead of feeling like they were abruptly thrown in into an action sequence.) However as soon as Nikolai was introduced, the rating of the book in my head significantly increased (i was thinking around 3 haha). Nikolai is definitely my favorite love interest with mal and the darkling as the other options, I'm pretty sure everybody thinks the same way, if not my favorite character (scratch that. he's my favorite character) Also, was I the only one who wasn't surprised by the Sturmhond plot twist? I mean he's described as a young boy with green eyes, there's no way he's not a love interest. there's also so much foreshadowing for it, considering he never talks about where he's from (any doubts i had were later confirmed when I googled sturmhond fanart- i strongly advise against googling fanart until you're done with the book. google images are the dark web, for, every book spoiler to ever exist is on there.) PREMISEAlina and mal are trying to run away from their lives at Ravka but can Alina really hide her powers for too long? On the other hand, the darkling has new powers that further threaten Ravka's future. With the help of a funny, charming privateer she returns to the country she abandoned only to find it worse off. Alina finds herself slipping deeper into the darkling's magic and discovering a different side to herself, while trying to lead the second army, hoping to cope with the hopes of the common people who believe she's a living saint and also dealing with relationship problems (mal. why. just why) CHARACTERSAlina- unlike a lot of people, i liked Alina in the first book. I understood her self deprecating nature and constant self destruction, it was what made her more real to me. [b:Siege and Storm 14061955 Siege and Storm (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1362166252l/14061955.SX50.jpg 19699752] Alina, on the other hand has completely blown me away. I absolutely love her. she's embracing herself and understanding that she has a dark side under all that light. Her hunger for the third amplifier, calling to the darkness, feeling like the fold was a part of her, understanding the volcra, every single thing intrigued me. the character development is immersing and I'm looking forward to witness [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754] Alina. I'm curious as to how [a:Leigh Bardugo 4575289 Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1534446099p2/4575289.jpg] will transition her from being extremely weak and unable to call her power to ultimately what I'm guessing will be the saviour of Ravka and the destroyer of the fold. “So many men had tried to make her a queen, now she understood that she was meant for something more”Mal- no. just no, I'm sorry. shadow and bone mal was okay in my opinion, but book 2 mal is just not it. he loves alina, there's no doubt about that. he protects her, and even abandons his post as a tracker, something that is very dear to him, for her. But he loves the Alina who was his childhood bestfriend, who was at the sidelines, not the grisha Alina. he's constantly insecure about the fact that he's an otkazats'ya, while Alina is powerful. I now understand why so many people disliked him in the first book, they saw what was coming and the behaviour that indicated the same. the fact that he is oblivious that Alina isn't doing her best and continues to push his insecurities at her just infuriates me. the darkling(‘s vision? I'm still a little confused) that made Alina flinch while mal was stupid enough to think that it was about him (I know I'm being harsh but he just can't look past himself.) was the last straw. I don't see Alina with mal and will be very disappointed if that's what happens in the end.“i don't need to think about it”, Mal shouted “and neither does she”This is him talking about going back to Os Alta when Nikolai, Alina and Mal arrive at Kribirsk. ugh. just, ugh “At least she didn't flinch when i touched her” he spat this was when alina had WAY too much on her plate already, i just dislike him so much, i can't, i'm sorry. i don't know if mal can redeem himself after this.Nikolai- I am absolutely and completely in love with Nikolai Lantsov. He is everything. i repeat, everything, mal is not. he understands Alina, while also NOT being extremely morally grey like the darkling. he's humorous, sarcastic and extremely endearing. The birthday dinner scene with Vasily and the political intrigue in it, was one of my favourite scenes in the book. “When people say impossible, they usually mean improbable.”“i like mongrels”, i said. “they have cute floppy ears.” “my ears are very dignified”“I took a breath. “Your highness—”“Nikolai,” he corrected. “But I've also been known to answer to ‘sweetheart' or ‘handsome.”The darkling- I cannot stop hoping for a redemption arc * sigh *, but then again, this is for the darkling's personality and not as a love interest. I don't see the darkling as a love interest anymore and in my honest opinion, his personality and character wouldn't be suitable for the same. his motivations and backstory are just way too strong to be deterred by something as trivial as feelings. he's still one of the best written and extremely well developed characters. And although he was absent throughout most of this book, the few appearances, use of the nichevo'ya and the visions/appearances Alina could see, left me wanting more. “we are alike”, he said, “as no one else will ever be” the truth of it rang through me. Like calls to like. What I loved1. NIKOLAI. NIKOLAI LANTSOV. ABSOLUTELY.2. The character development of Alina3. The ending. i have to admit, the ending is definitely not something i expected. it saved the book for me. “For the living and the dead, she would make herself a reckoning. She would rise. “4. Did i mention, nikolai lantsov. yes. him.A few setbacks1. as mentioned earlier, the pace inconsistency2. mal's character development3. genya. (this was dropped out of nowhere, and goes long lengths to tell us how far the darkling's willing to go, to assert authority and fullfill his motives. it really upset me, considering Alina couldn't even tell her apart from Baghra. i hope this is remedied in [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754], because Genya did nothing wrong and does not deserve this. It breaks my heart that she had to choose between helping Alina and her loyalty to the darkling since he gave her status, something that she has never had and has forever wanted.Overall, despite the issues, i couldn't stop reading and just had to know what was going to happen, which according to me, is a good sign. The world building is immersing and the world of the grisha is growing on me and I absolutely cannot wait to read [b:Ruin and Rising 14061957 Ruin and Rising (The Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #3) Leigh Bardugo https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1392398530l/14061957.SX50.jpg 19699754] to see what happens to Alina and Nikolai and what's in store in terms of plot:)