Review posted first on shonamoyce.com 
 Siege and Storm is five-star worthy storytelling. Book two trumps book one. The pacing is faster, more thrilling and intense; the world building is still luxuriously detailed but more subtle and controlled, and the characters breathe with life. 
 Alina steps up in this book and we get to see her embrace who she is. She possesses a newfound strength in this book and she wears it well. I love the rising conflict between her and Mal. I love the addition of chameleonic Nikolai. I love the intriguing but sinister allure of the Darkling. 
 In short, I loved this book. Even more than the first. I read it in a day and I'm about to pull an all-nighter for book three.