If given the choice, I would wait until all volumes of a book series are published before I dive into reading them. Excepting the last book, one or most of the volumes would usually feature a cliffhanger ending that would torture you until you get your hands on the next installment. There's also the fear that long-running series might never get finished. I remember that moment of panic that followed my initial sadness at the news of Robert Jordan's death, what with The Wheel of Time still a ways off from its conclusion then.
This is one major factor that I considered when I had to choose between The Grisha trilogy and the first two volumes of The Red Queen series by Victoria Aveyard at the last MIBF. The former was already done (though a new Grisha series is ongoing), while the latter was still a few volumes away from finishing its run. While I had to sandwich my reading of the series with Me Before You and A Hollow Dream of Summer's End, due to the ready availability of ebooks on any device (via Kindle and Google Play) and because I do a bulk of my reading when the little one is asleep so lighting conditions aren't optimal for paper book reading, I took comfort in the fact that the next installment is just a bookshelf away.
Siege and Storm follows the events of Shadow and Bone, which ends with Alina Starkov and Mal Oretsev's escape from the Darkling and his treacherous plans. They cross the True Sea, but peace doesn't come easy for the couple, with Alina struggling with the guilt of leaving people to die in the Shadow Fold during their flight and with the Darkling much closer at their heels than they think. They soon learn that the Darkling plans to find the second of Morozova's amplifiers to supplement the stag antlers that Alina already possesses in order to solidify his influence over her powers, and that the ancient Grisha has also tapped into a much darker power to further his plans.
Shadow and Bone was an enjoyable read, with the first half introducing its characters and the world that they inhabit. But it was after Alina's first flight from the Darkling and his plans that the story really found its groove, finally offering the adventure we expected from a fantasy title and giving us the mythology that is meant to enrich the world building at play. It also offered a complex relationship between Alina and the Darkling, playing at contrasts between their personalities, experiences and intentions, while showcasing some serious chemistry that would be debated by those who ship Alina with Mal and those who want her to find a way to be with the Darkling.
With the characters and the main conflict established, Siege and Storm focuses on events, from Alina and Mal's flight from the Darkling to Alina's decision on whether to run or fight, which could affect her future with Mal. The stakes are higher, especially with the Darkling tapping into a darker magic so unnatural that he could prove to be beyond any form of redemption. His connection with Alina takes on a new form... one that can lead Alina to question her sanity or whether she is truly without influence from the more ancient Grisha. It isn't a particularly easy journey for Alina, who is thrust in a position of influence, especially with the Apparat painting her as a living saint among the people of Ravka... and we all know that religious fervor can be as dangerous as any power wielding Grisha.
Author Leigh Bardugo doesn't just entertain with numerous well-paced events, she also continues to expand on the world building in the series. Alina's experiences in Siege and Storm includes the reader's education on their world's saints, the mythology that surrounds Morozova's amplifiers, and how Grisha who don't end up at the Little Palace end up living with their powers. It makes for a more fully realized world that you enjoy reading about, even as its heroine attempt at the near impossible task of outmaneuvering a far superior leader than she could ever be.
While familiar characters abound, there are a handful of notable new characters that we are introduced to and are obviously poised to have roles that would extend to the series's conclusion. Chief among them are Sturmhond, a privateer notorious for his illegal activities and who seems to have a vested interest in the events that affect Ravka. In his employ are Grisha who did not benefit from the education of the Little Palace, having been born in other nations or hidden by their parents who didn't wish for them to become servants of the kingdom, including the golden-eyed twins Tamar and Tolya. A few chapters in, Sturmhond establishes himself as one of my favorite characters in the series, and the later reveal of his real persona only solidified that opinion. Sturmhond and the Darkling are great for the series, challenging Alina to grow into her role in the world, which Mal, in all his familiarity, could never really do for her.
A lot happens in Siege and Storm. But even with additional characters to share its pages, the story is always more fully realized when Alina and the Darkling appear on those pages together. The two share a connection that jumps out of the pages and it is in the guessing of where that connection will take them that makes you look forward to the final installment the most. And with a second installment that offered so much intrigue, emotional upheaval and adventure, one can't help but look forward to how The Grisha Trilogy would end its run.
Happy reading!!Labels: Action, Adventure, Book Series, Books, Fantasy, Fiction, Leigh Bardugo, Reading List, Romance, Siege and Storm, The Grisha Trilogy
