THE LOWDOWN:
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.

FIRST IMPRESSION:
The boy and the girl had once dreamed of ships, long ago, before they’d ever seen the True Sea. They were vessels of stories, magic ships with masts hewn from sweet cedar and sails spun by maidens from thread of pure gold. Their crews were white mice who sang songs and scrubbed decks with their pink tails.
—Hardcover edition

SNAPSHOT:
Alina Starkov narrates this surprisingly easy-to-read tale of magic, war, and romance. Alina and Mal must stop running from the Darkling, who wants to take over Ravka, and return to save their country. The choices for Alina are never easy as she is caught between the princes’ struggle to lay claim to the throne of Ravka.

Stubborn yet at the same time unsure of herself, Alina must decide where she can do the most good: with Mal, on the throne next to Nikoli or Vasily, leading an army, or becoming a living saint.

Alina, though she has loved Mal for almost her entire life, soon realizes that he cannot be with her. She sees that if she wants to save her country, she has to think of Ravka before herself. Mal, meanwhile, does not want to be trapped in the palace, watching Alina from a distance. He misses the life he had as a soldier; and the life he had away from the palace with Alina when they could be together. He is a clear standout, sure to be a fan favorite.

While the protagonist and those closest to her feel very much alive, there are several character that are mentioned briefly and then lost in the shuffle. It would have served to tighten the narrative to either remove such characters or find more for them to do.

Though there is a very clear ending to this second installment in The Grisha trilogy, it does suffer from being a middle book. Several loose ends are still dangling, particularly on the whereabouts of nearly half the main characters (and a certain prince among them!).

The complex world of the Grisha, which could have been tricky to keep straight, was overall handled expertly and with clear care. Readers will either greatly enjoy or be tripped up by the use of another language in places. The series also sports gorgeously unique covers.

Appropriate for ages 14+. Vague sexual situations, abuse, fantasy violence.

Deals with death and loss, family, guilt, mental health, war, self-identity, and responsibility.

GET IT ON YOUR SHELF:
If you…

YA Fantasy

Hardcover & Ebook, 432 pages

Published June 4^th, 2013 by Henry Holt & Co. (ISBN0805094601)

http://us.macmillan.com/siegeandstorm/LeighBardugo

 

(Review copy provided by Henry Holt & Co.)

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