Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo - Book Review

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Series: The Grisha #2 Published by: Henry Holt and Co. on 06/04/2013 Pages: 432 Format: Hardcover Genre: Fantasy Source: Purchased Rating: 4/5
FROM GOODREADS: Darkness never dies.
Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can't outrun her past or her destiny for long.
The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling's game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guider her -- or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.
MY THOUGHTS:
This is the first fantasy series I have EVER read, because I never really thought of myself as someone who would enjoy reading fantasy. I have no interest in The Hobbit or Lord of the Rings. Yes, I am that black sheep, and I, of course, thought all fantasy would be that type. Totally made a mistake with that assumption, because The Grisha series is da bomb (DOT COM).
I actually won a copy of Shadow and Bone, and decided to give it a chance, because everyone had jumped on the "READ THIS BOOK!" bandwagon with it. I wanted to know what the big deal was, because just when I thought I was done hearing about how amazing this book was, I would hear it again. So I finally picked it up, and devoured it.
I was under the impression that fantasy worlds would be too hard for me to comprehend and actually care about, but I was wrong. I love these characters. I love the uniqueness of everything Leigh Bardugo came up with, especially the different magical powers!! If anything, I have Leigh Bardugo to thank for introducing me to the world of fantasy, which is now a genre I LOVE to read!!
 When I finally finished, I was dying for the next installment, and luckily I didn't have to wait much longer to read it, because it was set to release in the next few months after I finished Shadow and Bone! Then, I found out that Fierce Reads was stopping in Oklahoma for a signing and Leigh Bardugo was going to be there. I was flailing with excitement, because authors hardly EVER come to Oklahoma. I vowed to go to this signing if it killed me. I went and I met Leigh, and mumbled a few words about how I loved her book. I honestly don't remember much of any of what was said, because I was so starstruck to not only be in her presence, but Jessica Brody, Emmy Laybourne, and Anna Banks' as well. I bought Siege and Storm, got all my books signed, picked up some amazing swag, and raced home to settle in to the reading cave to devour Siege and Storm! My hopes were sky high for the next installment, to say the least, and to read more about Alina, Mal, and The 'legendary' Darkling.
For some reason, I'm a Team Mal girl. I just adore his sweetness, and his and Alina's backstory together. I just feel like they are meant to be together, even if he can be a butt and completely frustrating sometimes. The Darkling is my favorite villain. I love to hate him. He is pretty swoon worthy, but you'll never guess who is even more swoon worthy than him?! I'll give you a hint. His name starts with Sturm and ends with hond. Oh, that boy. He is just so charismatic, and cunning, and I love him, as do all the other fangirls of this series.
Siege and Storm sort of suffers from the middle book syndrome. I felt there wasn't much plot movement involved, but more character development than anything, which I was completely fine with, because I didn't mind delving deeper into these characters backstories and this beautiful world with endless possibilities.
Overall, I didn't absolutely freak-out crazy love Siege and Storm as much as I did Shadow and Bone, but I still loved it! This isn't a book series I would peer pressure someone into reading, but it is definitely worth picking up (ESPECIALLY if you're in a need of a cure for a book hangover)!!! I can't wait to see what happens in Ruin and Rising! Can it just be out already?!
Siege and Storm was a hard one for me to rate, but I ended up going with 4 out of 5 stars, mostly because of the middle book syndrome, but I still really enjoyed it!

 

And in case any one was interested, here's a horrible picture of me with the amazing Jessica Brody, Leigh Bardugo, Anna Banks, and Emmy Laybourne!! <3