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3.5/5
Non-Fiction
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Nth reread. Read aloud with Rachel.
Rating:3/5
Started: 8 August
Finished: 17 August
Summary:
Alina and Mal have escaped the Darkling. They have left Ravka, travelled across the True Sea to Novyi Zem. They are trying to carve out a life for themselves, despite Alina's hunger for her power, despite her guilt at running away.
Then the Darkling catches up to them, scarred and broken, with a new gift of his own: monsters made of shadow that are his to control. He brings Alina and Mal to the true sea, with the hope of finding the Sea Whip, another mythical creature to be used as an amplifier for Alina's power.
But what he doesn't count on is Sturmhond, a cheeky, handsome, charming privateer. Or Mal's determination to keep Alina free. Or Alina herself, determined and powerful in her own right.
Thoughts:
This is the weakest book in the trilogy in my opinion. A lot happens at the start and the finish, and not a lot in the middle, but luckily, we have Nikolai to fill out the middle. He is fabulous. "When people say impossible, they usually just mean improbable." I love him so much. And the second to last scene is super satisfying, too. Take that, Vasily, you sniveling sleaze. Mal is absolutely a whiny bitch for a fair amount of the book. I'm not a fan of situations where the characters are already in a relationship but not getting along, so that was pretty annoying, but luckily Nikolai was there so it wasn't utterly awful. It was satisfying to see Alina be good at leading. She has perseverance, and it shows pretty well in this book.
Siege and Storm may be the weakest, but it's still vibrant. The world is so full and real. The characters are clear and pinnable and lovable in their own ways. And Nikolai is pretty amazing.