Siege and Storm (Grishaverse, #2) (Shadow and Bone Trilogy, #2)

by Leigh Bardugo

[Quirky Cat]

Siege and Storm is the second novel in Leigh Bardugo’s groundbreaking Shadow and Bone Trilogy. It’s also the second novel in her extended universe known as the Grishaverse. No matter how you look at it, this is not a novel you want to miss out on. I’m honestly still kicking myself for taking this long to get around to reading the series.
Ravak is a country torn apart by war, greed, and the Shadow Fold. This is the same world that contains Grishas – people who can do extraordinary magic. Or in the case of the Darkling; horrible feats of power.
Alina and Mal may have escaped significant danger on that dreadful day, but now they’ve found themselves on the run. And worst of all, the Darkling is alive and is undoubtedly seeking to take Alina back. But they have more allies than they’re aware of; granted each and every person they come across is bound to have their own goals as well. But any port in the storm.

“He didn’t understand. The dreams were the only place it was safe to use her power now, and she longed for them.”

Siege and Storm was every bit as emotional and powerful as its processor. This novel blew me out of the water and left me eager to read more (luckily for me there are plenty of books left to read). Where Shadow and Bone introduced the series, Siege and Storm brought it to all new heights.
It isn’t every day that I read a fantasy novel that makes me mist up. And yet that is exactly what Siege and Storm did here. I was shocked by the amount of emotion Leigh Bardugo was able to fit in these pages.
What I loved most about Siege and Storm is that Bardugo added politics, plotting, and interpersonal disputes into the mix. It made an already complex and vivid world feel so much more alive – and intimidating.
And of course, there’s the addition of a new character in this book. Well, several, actually. But there’s one iconic one that I’ve been hearing about. And now I understand why (I also have a better understanding about the whole King of Scars plot now, so yay!).
I honestly can’t get over this novel. It was just…so emotional. Alina has been through hell and back in these last two books, and she’s earned all the right she could ever need in order to feel what she’s going through. What impresses me is how Bardugo has managed to make her readers feel all of this alongside her characters. It’s beautifully done.
I’m torn between taking a bit of a break before moving on, or diving right into Ruin and Rising. Part of me is feeling pretty desperate to see the rest of Alina’s tale. While the rest of me feels like I need some time to recover before I more onwards.

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