Review of Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Title/Author: Siege and Storm (The Grisha #2) by Leigh Bardugo
Publisher/Date published: Henry Holt and Co, June 4th 2013
How I got this book: received it as an egalley and bought a shiny finished copy :)
Buy this book at: The Book Depository

Goodreads summary: 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 guide her – or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

**WARNING: POSSIBLE SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1**

YOU GUYS! THIS BOOK!!! SERIOUSLY!! I know I said I was really excited and that I would drop EVERYTHING once it got here (and I did), but THIS BOOK! It was even better than I'd expected!!!

So just to give you fair warning: this review will be full of gushing ;)

Remember how I LOVED Shadow and Bone?? Well, Siege and Storm might have just topped that. A lot of trilogies suffer from second-book-syndrome, but Siege and Storm never once made me think this! It was even more funny, charming, enticing, just utterly mindbogglingly good than Shadow and Bone was! I loved that opening this book and starting to read it felt like stepping into a room of old friends you haven't seen in a while and having that instant connection happening. I do admit that I was a little fuzzy on some of the details from Shadow and Bone (which made me annoyed with myself for reading it on vacation and not bringing Shadow and Bone with me as well), but Siege and Storm and I worked things out pretty well.

I LOVED meeting the new characters!! I mean, OMG, STURMHOND!!! *SWOON* I was DYING to meet him because EVERYONE kept raving about him and you guys: TOTALLY DESERVED! Sturmhond is awesome. He's witty and mysterious and charming and just GAH CAN I JUST HAVE HIM BE REAL? PLEASE?


Ahem.

He's just so quotable! I wanted to write down everything he said so I could reread the awesome later, but let me just leave you with this one:
"I like having powerful enemies. Makes me feel important."
SEE???

I loved reconnecting with Alina and Mal, though Mal kinda took a fall from the amazing boy he'd been in Shadow and Bone. I mean, sure, I still love him, but he kinda broke my heart a bit as well... I'm a bit confused right now.
Alina is my kinda girl, she's strong, she's not afraid to do the hard things and she may not always make the best decisions, but seriously, I don't think I'd have done better in her place. She is the kind of funny that I only am in my best moments and I love her fiery temper. And I love seeing her come into her own and making a place for herself and not being afraid to take charge. Girl, you rule!

Ok, so all of you guys loving the Darkling, please don't hate on me! I HATE HIM! I do love to hate him, but HATE being the important word in this. Ugh, he is just so EVIL. And his new powers CREEPED ME OUT! Can someone please, PLEASE just kill him?? **SPOILER, LIGHT UP TO READ: Seriously, if you can maim your own MOTHER you deserve a horrible, HORRIBLE, PAINFUL death. Just saying. END OF SPOILER**

Guys, once I opened this book, I basically did nothing but read it all day, because I was just unable to put it down. It was THAT good. It's a good thing I was staying with my parents, because if my mom hadn't brought me food once in a while, I probably would have starved reading it. Let me repeat: it was THAT good. I seriously don't know how I will survive the wait for book 3, because that ending was BRUTAL. Leigh Bardugo really knows how to write a sweeping epic story and I loved every minute of reading it!

My rating: 5+ stars

Made me crave: tomato soup

Many thanks to Kelly @ Belle of the Literati, Judith @ Paper Riot and Daphne @ Winged Reviews for supporting my during my freak out over some of the happenings :)