Leigh Bardugo Siege and Storm (Paperback) - Common

Leigh Bardugo's sophomore effort returns readers to the richly crafted world of the Grisha and fans of Shadow and Bone will not be disappointed.Following the catastrophic events within the Shadow Fold, Alina Starkov and Mal have fled to the coastlines of Novyi Zem, desperate to put Ravka and the malevolent Darkling behind them—but their flight proves short-lived as they're apprehended in the opening chapter and whisked aboard a whaler captained by a cunning privateer and his crew of seafaring renegades. Using Mal's affections for Alina as a bargaining chip, the Darkling coerces the young tracker into locating a second fabled cryptid: Rusalye the sea whip, whose scales can further amplify Alina's power. And the Darkling means for her to have it.The Darkling is largely absent but his presence is felt throughout the novel. After his deathly showdown with Alina, the megalomaniacal villain has emerged from the rift with a devastating new trick up his kefta, one that enables him to summon tempestuous monsters—the nichevo'ya—capable of leveling whole cities. The Darkling intends to use the Sun Summoner as a weapon to end the centuries-old strife besieging Ravka, but as it happens Alina has unexpected allies in high places. Joining her noble cause is Nikolai Strumhond, an enigmatic privateer with a greater stake in Ravka's fate than Alina realizes. As complex characters go, Strumhond is (arguably) one of the finest examples. This is a guy with many masks, and like any great con artist Strumhond can instantly conjure a different persona to fit every occasion. Perpetually cool under pressure, his chameleon-like charm and witty retorts make it seem as though he's channeling Johnny Depp, and he steals every scene, scrupulously shifting the focus onto himself to his very best advantage. Readers will swoon over this adventurous rogue, but that doesn't necessarily mean he can be trusted.As for Alina, she's come a long way from the mousy orphan she was at the start of the series, and there are moments in which she expresses honest amazement at the unbidden changes in herself. As our heroine is drawn back to the Ravkan capital of Os Alta, she is daunted by the burdens of power thrust upon her—and it doesn't help that the king's former priest, the Apparat, has amassed a cult worshipping Alina as a saint. Yet even as Alina harnesses control of her destiny, her relationship with Mal is further strained by her responsibilities as the Sun Summoner and by her infrangible connection to the Darkling. Amidst a heady brew of political unrest and heightened religious fervor, Bardugo serves up enough romantic angst to satisfy even the moodiest of adolescent readers. Between the whirlwind of emotions and shadowy monsters, there's nary a dull moment. Audiences will find themselves torn between sympathy and frustration at Mal's inability to integrate himself into Alina's chosen world and his growing insecurities may ultimately tear them apart.From elegant storytelling to immersive world-building, there's a great deal to love about this series. Bardugo's writing is both clean and lyrical, but her greatest talent by far lies in the beautifully rendered dialogue; the exquisite ebbs and flows of conversations between her well-defined characters hold much humor and keep the pages turning.Siege and Storm is an imaginative and gripping tale that bears no trace of Sophomore Syndrome. Quite the contrary, this solid sequel offers captivating prose and a stalwart pacing that surpasses its predecessor—and is in many ways a marked improvement. Leigh Bardugo not only proves herself a master of high fantasy, deftly blending classic fairytale landscapes with Russian-inspired folklore and vernacular, she defies assumptions of predictable characters and middle-book woes. This latest addition to the Grisha Trilogy will tug at readers' heartstrings; the tension never lets up, both in action and between characters. Sizzling with magic and betrayals, this superior second book flows flawlessly from beginning to end; while the plot crescendos, if languidly, to a harrowing finale that promises a painful resolution for Alina in the third and final act.