4.5 stars!!!

"Darkness never dies."

Woah. Just WOAH. I think I already need to apologize if this review is weird and contains too much OMG's and AHHH's but damnit. Siege and Storm was totally amazing! Maybe not as good as the first book but still thrilling and still very, very enjoyable. Bardugo really did a great job creating such an amazing world with all those mysterious characters and I just loved every second of the book! At times it was a little hard to get into it because there were long talks or boring "events" but in the end everything seemed important and necessary.

So let's start with Privateer Sturmhound. Yes! I think I've never been more grateful for a new character, seriously. He's charming, intelligent, handsome, mysterious, caring, brave, independent, funny, cocky, very confident, useful ... I could go on with the list FOREVER. My love for him seems endless and I enjoyed every so little scene with him. Especially in the second "part" of the book I really grew to love him! Yes, he's intriguing and you're never really sure if you can trust him but then again he's helpful and always wants the best for his men and Ravka. And I do think he cares about Alina! He just doesn't want to admit it ... not 100% at least!

' "I want to kiss you," he said. "But I won’t. Not until you’re thinking of me instead of trying to forget him." '

I have to say that I was really disappointed with Mal in this book. I only started to like him in the end of Shadow and Bone but now after finishing Siege and Storm I don't really know what to think. So much happened between Alina and Mal and at times it really annoyed me. All that relationship drama was just too much and could have been easily resolved if they only would have talked to each other. Now it's easier said than done but they didn't even try! Don't get me wrong, I still think they're cute together and in some ways good for each other but especially in the second half of the book, I just wanted them to finally break up. They both deserved more than all the drama and the guilt or their broken hearts.

"I've seen what you truly are," said the Darkling, "and I've never turned away. I never will. Can he say the same?"

But now onto The Darkling! If you read my review of Shadow and Bone you probably know that I adored him in the first book! My opinion didn't change although it faltered a little bit. In the first book he seemed more human, with a background and there were more interactions with Alina where you could really think he's just a lonely guy that sees something "soothing" in his monsters and the darkness. In Siege and Storm I really missed that. I know he's the bad guy and "pure" evil and most people don't like him but I don't believe that he's just bad and there's nothing else about him. And especially if you read the Bonus content - the interview with Leigh Bardugo, where she said: "I'm not interested in characters who are just one thing, who are wholly evil or wholly good. People aren't like that. We all have our own darkness to contend with, and that isn't necessarily a bad thing." - you can't just say he's "pure" evil. At least I won't.

I liked how Alina changed throughout the whole book. Maybe not always in a good way but the changes even made her stronger, at least in my opinion, and Sturmhound was good for her because he taught her important lessons. What I didn't like was how hungry for power she became. I just never expected wanted her to be like that. The Darkling obviously always knew and it was obvious she eventually would end up lusting for more ... but I guess, I never wanted her to become like that.

The storyline was thrilling but nothing new. Still, I really liked how Leigh Bardugo put everything together ... the sea and Sturmhound and this amazing twist about him, his crew - I LOVED Tamar and Tolya btw, again 2 amazing new characters! - the hunt(s) and all those epic battles and fighting. It was super cool and so exciting!

"Weakness is a guise. Wear it when they need to know you're human, but never when you feel it."

And the ending, oh dear! What an EPIC end! I didn't quite expect it (especially the end end ... i hope the ones who read it will know what I mean - I'm only saying: Alina and Genya!) but now I have so many questions and I'm super duper hyper excited and curious for the last book! I read a few other reviews about Siege and Storm and there were some really good thoughts and ideas about what will happen in the last installment. It's sad to see it end already but I'm hoping for a gorgeous and epic conclusion that leaves no questions behind and makes everyone or most people (hopefully including me) happy! Off to read Ruin and Rising now, yay!

Little sidenote:
I loved the extra "chapter" out of Genya's POV! It wasn't much but again, made me understand why The Darkling isn't as bad as he seems ... god, maybe he is terribly bad and just evil and I'm only wishing he wouldn't be (damn you, Aaron Warner!) and I'm just weird but I still have hope. And Genya is an amazing character and I love her and I was happy to read something about her because I really, really missed her!

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