Narrated By: Lauren Fortgang
Publisher: Audible Studios
Age: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Audiobook
Release Date: June 4th, 2013
Goodreads
Rating: 4/5 Stars
This was my last audiobook of 2023, and it’s one I really enjoyed. I definitely preferred Siege and Storm over Shadow and Bone, and I think I’ll stick with audio for the third book, too. I enjoyed this one more partly because it was audio, narrated wonderfully by Lauren Fortgang, but also because it felt like there was more going on here, and we had less of the Darkling to deal with.
There are new characters here, who I was kind of predisposed to like anyway from the Netflix series, I think. But it’s great to see the differences between the series and book, as well as the things they kept the same. Nikolai was great, and introduced a bit more balance for Alina beside the Darkling and Mal. Mal was his ever-whiny self throughout this, and by the end I admit he was really doing my head in.
Tolya and Tamar were great additions, and through the new characters we really get the world around Alina widened, with different perspectives and attitudes she otherwise wouldn’t be exposed to.
The pace feels faster than the Shadow and Bone book, too, and Alina takes on a more political role here, still remaining focused on what she can do to help Ravka, especially against the Darkling. Here, too, Nikolai is a great addition, giving Alina a bit of a guide for navigating court. Yet even as things move along, Alina’s powers grow, and she continues to search for a way to protect the people and country she loves from the Darkling, Overall, as stated above, I enjoyed this much more than Shadow and Bone, and I look forwarding to finishing the trilogy with Ruin and Rising.
Unwrapping Words 