Siege and Storm

Part of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Siege and Storm is the sequel to Israeli American writer Leigh Bardugo’s 2012 best-selling fantasy novel Shadow and Bone. It is also the precursor to Bardugo’s last installment about Alina Starkov, Rise and Ruin (2014) and part of Bardugo’s broader Grishaverse series. Drawing on 19th-century Europe and Slavic (primarily Russian and Ukrainian) folklore, Bardugo’s world features magic users called Grisha, endowed with powers called the Small Sciences which change matter, appearance, and natural elements. The series details the epic battle for control of the country of Ravka. Its fate rests with Alina, who recently discovered her powers as the Sun Summoner and must now stop the land’s most powerful Grisha, a Shadow Summoner known as the Darkling, from expanding his nihilistic reign.

This novel features some characters from other Grishaverse books, which include two subsequent duologies (The Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom and King of Scars/Rule of Wolves). In supplemental material, Bardugo calls her series “tsarpunk,” a combination of Russian history and steampunk, a fantasy genre that incorporates technology and aesthetics inspired by the 19th century. In 2021, Netflix made Shadow and Bone into a television series; the second season is set to borrow plot points from Siege and Storm.

This guide uses the 2013 Macmillan Publishing Group paperback version of Siege and Storm and refers to its supplemental materials.

Content Warning: This study guide references kidnapping, violence, verbal threats, animal cruelty, bodily harm, sexual violation, and war.

Plot Summary

Childhood friends Alina Starkov and Malyen “Mal” Oretsev live near the Fold, a vast darkness that cuts across the continent and contains vicious winged creatures called volcra. Alina is a powerful Grisha, one of many who can control different natural elements, but her powers are unique. She is called the Sun Summoner because she can summon light. Alina’s power is second only to that of the Darkling, also known as the Black Heretic, who created the Fold and the volcra. In Shadow and Bone, the Darkling forced Alina to be outfitted with an amplifier—the antlers of a white stag magically seared into her collarbone—so her summoning could become more powerful. The Darkling then expanded the Fold, obliterating the town of Novokribirsk. After this tragedy, Alina realized she could use her power against the Darkling and escape. Shadow and Bone ends with Alina and Mal on a trading vessel, sailing away from Ravka.

As Siege and Storm begins, Alina and Mal make it to the nation of Novyi Zem but are quickly captured by the Darkling and his Grisha soldiers, who put them aboard another ship. This ship is captained by a Ravkan privateer named Sturmhond and his crew, which includes a giant named Tolya and his twin sister, Tamar, who both come from the country of Shu Han. The Darkling is looking for the sea whip, a second amplifier, and he forces Mal to track the beast. However, Sturmhond retakes control of his ship, and Alina and Mal escape. When they are safe, Sturmhond tells them he and his crew are working for someone who outbid the Darkling.

Alina chooses to be fitted with the sea whip’s scales, which amplifies her power. She learns that there’s also a third amplifier, a firebird. She determines to retrieve it, but her quest is delayed as Sturmhond reveals he is the Ravkan prince, Nikolai Lantsov, in disguise. Nikolai needs Alina to help him become King of Ravka—and he wants her to become his queen. She refuses and instead demands command of the Second Army, a powerful group of Grisha soldiers. Nikolai agrees, hoping to forge an alliance. Mal becomes the head of Alina’s private guard, which also includes Tolya and Tamar.

On their way to the capital Os Alta, Alina finds that a cult has grown around her legend as a saint. Once situated as commander, Alina forms a war council that includes each of the Grisha factions: the Corporalki (those who can affect the body), the Materialki (those who can fabricate or invent), and the Etherealki (those who can summon wind, fire, or water). David, a fabrikator, works to invent a mirrored disc to enhance Alina’s Cut while Nikolai strategizes on how to find the Darkling. Alina is haunted by odd, corporeal manifestations of the Darkling.

Mal, who has been forging bonds with the nobility and spending little time with Alina, invites Alina to a party that ends in a fight. Mal and Alina argue over her focus, Nikolai’s attention, and their growing inability to connect. In her despair over this, Alina almost shares a romantic moment with Nikolai, but he refuses to kiss her when he realizes she’s using him to forget Mal. Alina discovers that Mal now regularly gets drunk and fights with Grisha for sport. Mal and Alina argue, and when he asks her if she’d ever give up her power for him, she says no. She confesses she’s been seeing visions of the Darkling, but Mal turns his back on her to go drink. After crying herself to sleep, she wakes to find the Darkling in her bed. Disturbed, Alina wanders to Os Alta where she is recognized as the Sun Saint and nearly torn apart by the pilgrims in their zeal. After hearing one of the names the pilgrims call her, Alina realizes the firebird might be in Dva Stolba, near where Alina was born. Mal insists on tracking down the magical creature.

The next night, at Nikolai’s birthday party, his ne’er-do-well brother Vasily reveals he’s been secretly negotiating with the country of Fjerda. Nikolai correctly deduces they’ve been double-crossed. Within moments, the Darkling’s forces descend, killing Vasily, among others. Nikolai attempts to save the King and Queen. Alina and Mal rush to the Little Palace, where most of the Grisha have been slaughtered.

A small band of survivors takes refuge in the chapel when the Darkling arrives. He threatens the group, and Alina sacrifices herself to free her friends. She then realizes she can use her power to drain the Darkling of his. She passionately kisses him until they both collapse. Just before she loses consciousness, Mal intercedes, carrying her into an underground passage as the chapel collapses.

Alina and Mal slowly heal as the group travels through caves to the White Cathedral. Alina’s hair has gone entirely white. The White Cathedral is a tomb to hold the girl she used to be—she will have to rise in a new incarnation.