Before we start, have you checked out the Summer TBR challenge? We’ll be giving away prizes at the end of every month, so join the challenge and start reading those books on your To-Be-Read list.
I read Seige & Storm in less than two days. The prose, written in first person, has a way of pulling me into a story like nothing else, and I really struggled to put it down. I loved the intrigue, the adventure, and danger that we immediately dive into from the beginning with the Darkling. Plus, the added dimension of Nikolai, with his wit and humor, was a nice way to round out the story.
Before we dive in, here is a reminder of how I rate my books (these will be on a scale of 1-10, 1 being low, 10 being high):
- Plot Structure: How well the story was put together.
- Character Development: Level of growth a character achieves and how well the author makes them feel “real.”
- Language: Level of swearing, innuendos, verbal abuse, and other triggers.
- Violence: Level of fight scenes and gore.
- Sexual Content: Level of physical intimacy.
Also, we can’t forget the disclaimers.
Disclaimer 1: The more I write, the more I critique books harder on plot structure and how the various elements work together. Thus my reviews reflect this. However, if you see a book appear on the blog, it’s because I enjoyed reading and thought you, as a fellow bookie, would enjoy it as well. As always, reading is subjective and what resonates with me may not resonate with you. And that’s OK! We’re in this to discover new books that are family appropriate and worth taking the time to read.
Let’s see how this book shakes out on my scorecard!
Book Description:
Soldier. Summoner. Saint.
Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.
The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.
But as the truth of Alina’s destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.
The Review:
As with Shadow and Bone, we are in Alina’s head as a first-person POV. Alina struggles to handle two amplifiers to her powers and we start to see a bit of darkness creep into her character arc. To me this adds an intriguing layer to our main protagonist.
I love the witty and charismatic traits of Nikolai, which contrast starkly with Mal’s static characteristics. The pair balance out each other, perpetuating the tangled web of love interests. I will say, this book was heavy on the romance. This usually bothers me, but there was a good amount of action to keep things interesting.
One of my favorite scenes from this novel is when Nikolai first announces who he truly is to some guards when their flying craft crashes and the guards come to inspect. Once Alina knows, she lefts an impulsive fist fly and leaves the chapter on a slightly comical note.
The Darkling posed an interesting aspect to this story. He remains in the shadows for most of it until the very end when a battle rocks the little palace. The final exchange between him and Alina was a surprise to me. A pleasant and intriguing surprise, leaving me wondering how things will play out in book 3.
Two things I didn’t love about this book:
- It was pretty gory and descriptive in the violence for the final battle scene. It was hard to read in some places, and though I know battles are gory and not something to celebrate, this took the descriptions too far in places.
- We spend half the book back at the Little Palace we spent so much time in from book 1. It was too long in my opinion and felt like the setting slowed the pacing of the book in this regard.
How I rate this book:
- Plot Structure: 8/10; As compared to the first book, there are more action sequences, and barbed dialogue. I enjoyed the back and forth between Alina and Nikolai, along with the Darkling popping in an out, adding to the mystic of the story. I will say, we spend a lot of time back at the Little Palace with little change in scenery, but the intrigue and mistrust between characters make up for that.
- Character Development: 8/10; The characters were well developed. Their goals are clear and make you want to follow them on their journeys. The only issue I have is with Alina. She can be sulky when she doesn’t get her way, but it is balanced out by Mal’s personality of stoicism and natural instincts.
- Language: 3/10; There is very little swearing in this novel.
- Violence: 6/10; This book can get graphic with the gore descriptions, especially with the monsters called the Volcra, and the Darkling’s cool view of death. Even Alina develops a level of callousness throughout this novel.
- Sexual Content: 5/10; There are moments that get steamy. There are also mentions of promiscuity in the shadows among other characters, but it is not in the forefront of the storyline.
This was a really fun read and one I would recommend if you love a bit of a horror vibe along with a love square, and characters not always being who they seem.
If you’re interested in checking out this book, you can find it HERE.
Have you read SIEGE & STORM? If so, let me know in the comments what you thought. Also, if there are any books you would love to see reviewed here, you can send those recommendations to me through this form.
Plus, don’t forget to check out my own books here if you love clean epic fantasy with no swearing, no steamy scenes, and solid adventure.
