Nose Graze — Young Adult book reviews
My feelings for Siege and Storm are so conflicting. I certainly enjoyed parts of the book, but I think Siege and Storm suffers from Second Book Syndrome a little bit.
The biggest problems in Siege and Storm are the relationship issues. I thought Mal was such a sweet guy and I loved seeing him with Alina. But their relationship really starts to crumble in Siege and Storm and of course there's a love triangle to sort out too... This was the single biggest thing that pulled the book down for me. Every time Alina and Mal fought or bickered, I just rolled my eyes and sighed with annoyance. I could actually feel myself losing patience with them in real life. I was so sick of their fighting and their lack of communication. Alina keeps some pretty big things hidden from Mal that puts a strain on their whole relationship. I was pissed at her for not opening up to him and just annoyed at the whole situation.
"You wanted to wear the second amplifier. You have it. You want to go to Os Alta? Fine, we'll go. You say you need the firebird. I'll find a way to get it for you. But when all this is over, Alina, I wonder if you'll still want me."
Mal, Siege and Storm
On top of that, there are a few other problems: there aren't that many "reminders" in the book and it was hard to keep up with what was happening and remember all the events from book one (especially because of the crazy names), and there wasn't a whole lot of action. Most of the book was about preparing for war, but the fact that it focused so much on preparation made it feel like the second book in a series. It didn't feel that monumental. It was all just a big build up for what's going to happen in book 3.
Now, all that being said, I didn't hate Siege and Storm. I enjoyed bits of it. Although I hated the love triangle, Sturmhond was an interesting character. He was funny, interesting, and kept me entertained. I liked reading about some of the politics and palace life. Watching the two princes indirectly fight over the throne was pretty amusing!
Overall I was disappointed by Siege and Storm. I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either. The relationship problems just exhausted me to the point where I was ready to be finished with the book. If it weren't for that, I think I would have enjoyed Siege and Storm significantly more.