A Book Review: Siege and Storm
Title of the book: Siege and Storm
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Square Fish
Publication Date: 4th of June 2013
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance
Why I picked up this book:
If you read my review of Shadow and Bone, you know I am re-reading the Grishaverse Trilogy because the Netflix series has just been released. Did you have a chance to watch it yet? Have you been binging like a ravaged Volcra on the fold?
Truth be told, if it wasn’t for the Netflix series, I might not have continued with my reviews of the Grishaverse. I had fond memories of the first book, but looking back now I might have had my rose-tinted glasses on. My second read-through felt more like a cold shower. A rude awakening to reality.
However, my fellow reviewers have assured me the book series gets better with each consecutive book. The characters get better, the plot gets better. So here’s to hoping!
About the author:
Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse (coming to Netflix in April) which spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, The Language of Thorns, and King of Scars—with more to come. Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and Ninth House (Goodreads Choice Winner for Best Fantasy 2019) which is being developed for television by Amazon Studios
Leigh was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Southern California, and graduated from Yale University. These days she lives and writes in Los Angeles
Synopsis:
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 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.
Review of the book:
Let’s cut right to the chase here. This book was supposed to be better. Siege and Storm was meant to be the big redemption. This was meant to be the one that made me fall back in love with the Grishaverse. Was it? Ehhhh. I guess it was better, in the same way, that getting mauled by a dog is marginally better than getting mauled by a wolf, I suppose.
The biggest issue, for me, across both books is that it fits the beats of a young adult fantasy perfectly. I don’t mind when a book is ever so slightly predictable, but when the plot is starting to feel inevitable that’s when it is starting to rub me the wrong way.
You could overlay the story of Alina, on any of a dozen young-adult fantasies. Change the names, the places and add a sprinkle of Russia to the magic system sure, but in the end, the storyline is very much the same. We start our quest with our young hero, coming to grips with the fact that they have an incredible power they never knew they had. We then follow them on their journey as they learn to control this power, amongst people who are all far better equipped, far better trained. We then find out they have been betrayed by someone they trusted, and they’ll have to use their newfound strength to fight this evil and escape with their life. The second book then shows them consolidating their power, gaining incredible strength, forge powerful alliances, all setting them up to take down the evil forces once and for all. The confrontation of light and dark, that will decide the fate of the world. Which of course they will lose. They were arrogant, underestimated their opponent’s powers, were outclassed and outwitted. So in the third book, we can see them shamed and humiliated. We can see them lick their wounds, refuse to confront their fate, until the stakes become too high and they finally, against all odds defeat the evil that has plagued them this whole time.
Sound familiar? It should. I have about half a dozen book series on my shelves right now that fit this narrative. As I said, there’s nothing wrong with that. We enjoy this type of story for a reason. The problem is when it fits all those steps perfectly, bringing very little creativity to the story. You can dress it up however you want, but in the end, it’s about as impressive as a dancing bear.
Another thing that ruffled my feathers, and I realize this will be extremely personal, is the use of Dutch words in this book. I’ve seen it time after time, in fantasy novels, Dutch words get thrown about, characters are given Dutch sounding names which are consequentially atrociously mispronounced, all for the sake of adding something different, something ‘exotic’ to the story.
Don’t bother. You’re already misrepresenting Russian culture in your book, why throw in a second one? If you want to use either of these, you’re more than welcome to, but at least do your bloody homework. Tell you what, I’d even tell you all the things you’d like to know and more, completely free of charge. But don’t take my language, my culture, my stories and my heritage, and sprinkle it across your story like a trail of ‘exciting breadcrumbs’.
Furthermore, I take offence to the supposed ‘plot twist’ in Siege and Storm. The majority of Alina’s journey in Shadow and Bone is about finding her powers and ultimately claiming the amplifier that was meant for her. The stag from fairy tales and legends, the stag no one had seen for centuries, the stag that could not exist. The stag Alina hopes to spare with her mercy but is ultimately killed.
We then come to find out, in the first 100 pages or so of Siege and Storm, oh yeah that Stag? There are two more magical beasts like that and one of them is surprisingly easy to kill, come to think of it, you have a BFF who is ridiculously good at tracking, shouldn’t take him more than a week to find it. REALLY? You just want me to sit here and take that without question? Really?! You know what, it’s fine. It’s fine! I’m fine.
It’s not like I wanted to give up on this book several times whilst reading. Oh no, wait I did. I definitely did and I probably would have if it wasn’t for one character. Nikolai. The one saving grace. Nikolai the one character across these two books who is likeable. The one character who has emotions beyond falling in love with a pretty girl, or being a power-hungry tyrant. The one character who seems to take note of what is happening around him and actually acts on that information, rather than going: ‘huh that’s neat.’
I’ve not come across many books where I wanted one of the side characters to become the main focus of the story, but this is one of them. Forget Alina, forget Mal. Give me Nikolai and a dozen of his defected Grisha-turned-privateers. Show me how he outwits this ancient omnipotent dark force that has been a stain on his country for generations. Not using a supposed equally powerful and opposite force, but through sly manoeuvring and thought out tactics.
I swear, if it turns out this ray of sunshine is dead and will not resurface in the third book, it’s hardly going to be worth it for me.
So what are your thoughts? Are you as angry as me? Are you in need of a cup of camomille tea and a serious palette cleanser? Or are you convinced I am a mean bitter old lady who doesn’t appreciate a sweet young adult novel? Let me know in the comment section below and, until then - just one more page!