Okay.... I might lose some friends for this one. Don't hate me. 
 Before you jump all over me, notice the five star rating? Yes. A well deserved five star rating. More than well deserved. This is a beautiful book and could not have been better written, paced, executed, and planned. Everything I complain about is an emotional response, not a criticism of the actual writing. There is an element to anything written by Leigh Bardugo that makes me go through this phase of "Do not, under any circumstances, pull my attention away from what I'm reading." I read Siege and Storm in one day. 7PM to 1AM, with scattered breaks here and there. 
 My problems with the book are really only what has to be expected from the Trilogy three-act structure; Sequels are supposed to drop a motherfuckin' bomb on you and kidnap the love of your life then ride off on a helicopter while you writhe on the ground, having lost your legs in the explosion. That is the end of a proper sequel, my friends. Lowest point; end of Act II. Most dramatic, most tense, most unbearable wait for the next installment. Leigh, you magnificent monster, you have certainly made the wait as brutally tortuous as possible; a respectful tip of the hat to you, my friend. 
 So yes, you are going to be so emotionally unstable for a good... I'd give a good 36 hour window to fully calm down. The best time to read this book is honestly... the day before the third in the series is released. 
 Last review, I wanted more Mal. And I kind of got him. Sort of. 
 This relationship has such a level of bad luck that I wouldn't be surprised if they ever get married, "Rains of Castamere" starts playing. (GoT jokes; topical!) Everything that can go wrong does go wrong. Every misunderstanding, every fight, every ounce of tension. This book is a bit abusive to your feelings. You will hurt when this is over. You will like it, but you will hurt. Because you care. Because these characters matter and you love them. 
 Mal and Alina get about three pages of sort-of happiness, and they are over and done quickly so enjoy the alley-kiss scene while you can. After that, as us Raspberry shippers (if you don't get it now you probably aren't going to get it at all) can tell you, this ship is weathering a storm. Sure, Darklina shippers are probably going through more of a struggle to validate the legitimacy of their ship; but Malina is straight-up, canon torture. Mostly from circumstance and environment. Yet there a lot of moments that prove, just mayyybbbbeeeee, this might not work out. And it's a sucker-punch to the feels. 
 Here was my problem with Mal; all her life, Alina has lived in his shadow, unsure of herself, never really belonging. And she quietly suffered this to be by his side, to accept whatever scrap of affection he offered her perpetual friend zone. This pays off in the end, but if she hadn't left him in the first place, she might have been stuck like this forever. And Mal can not take being in the same -if anything a much milder version- position for a matter of weeks. He can't handle the exact thing it is established in Shadow and Bone that Alina has to suffer, while Alina is finally in her element and thriving. This does, honestly, piss me off. The only thing he is getting across is this; in order for them to be together, she has to surrender everything that is rightfully hers. And this is no small compromise; she is the most powerful being in the world next to the Darkling. 
 Mal does not like competition. And not in the fun way. More in a way that if he feels threatened he immediately lets Alina go. She gave no inclination to leave him. He just drops things because there is tension and is Alina shows the slightest hesitation he's making out with Zoya in a barn. Yet I've heard people give Alina shit for Nikolai or even the Darkling. The Zoya kiss really, really drove me crazy. This is after he finds out this girl tortured Alina and broke her friggin ribs. Not. Cool. Mal. If anyone deserved a good kiss, and not just the showy one with Nikolai, it was Alina. Alina patiently waited for this boy for all of her life, stuck by his side as he "tumbled" half the girls to cross their path, and loved him despite that fact he never shot her a second glance. And Mal can't take anyone looking at Alina like she's worth it. He loves her, this much is clear, but he constantly doubts her love for him. the things he was willing to sacrifice for her during Shadow and Bone almost get retracted. He knew he'd be discharged and likely killed for what he did. Yet it almost surprises and embitters him towards her. He's harsher and gets in fights and drinks a lot. He shirks his responsibilities of protecting her. It was frustrating to watch him spiral downward like that. 
 By the end of the book, Alina and Mal have one shining moment that cements that if there is a one true love, they have it. This doesn't mean they can and will end up together; but it already has spawned a small flock of Fanfiction, so at least it supports mine and my friends' headcanons. you know they love each other. Let's hope Book 3 works things out. 
 This book opens up a love...quadrangle of sorts. (The Darkling still has a stake in this, don't make me fight you). We'll get to The Darkling later. Nikolai, or still known as Sturmhond by more stubborn fans, is a delightful rapscallion with the added bonus of being a prince. Or maybe it's a drawback. Here's the thing, Sturmhond was fun, funny, and roguish and unreliable. I love that in a character. Once he got buckled into Nikolai, I had a bit more of a problem with him. I'm not sure, when a pirate makes a smarmy joke about sharing Alina to Mal, I don't mind as much. When a prince does it... ick. There is something more satisfying in piracy; it's a trade that rarely involves nepotism so you know his power and respect is well-earned. His entitlement and self-assurance seem more justified, he deserves to be a fucking cocky bastard, look at all he accomplished. So you distrust him for being a marauder and liar and then you find out that this guy wants to be king. So that moment of, never mind: I'm a prince, makes him feel less... strong. Yes, he's adventurous, but that made him seem better suited to the life of Indiana Jones, not a king. He also continues the trend of "everyone wants to use Alina for their own selfish reasons but then does legitimately nice things for her are you confused yet." He has moments of vulnerability where he wants Alina to care about him, where he wants to be a good person, where he wants the respect of Alina as a person, not just a potential queen. But by the end...you miss Sturmhond, because when he was a bossy bastard at least it was pretty damn hot. Nikolai...eh. Oh wait, He's handsome! Yeah, there's that. But you get glimmers of Sturmhond poking through and his dialogue is excellent. So sharp and fun. He's that love interest that you don't take seriously but kind has to be there for tension. 
 Side note; Alina's name means "Noble". We'll see what that's implying; because it could be implying a lot of different things at this point in time. 
 Now my favorite part. Mother of pearl, thank goodness Darkness Never Dies. The minute The Darkling showed up in chapter 1 I had the biggest, dorkiest grin on my face. Like I would succumb to giggle-fits of glee over how much I love him. As a Malina shipper, I get in a lot of trouble with my fellow shippers over the fact of how much I simply adore the Darkling. Not exactly for liking him; but supporting his obsession with Alina, even the evidence of their very strong connection. Which is real, you guys. The Darkling has a million tricks up his sleeve, honestly, and the fact he hasn't out and out slaughtered Mal at this point shows something. I'm still not sure what, other than pure tactical advantage, yet... I can't safely say anything at this point. I trust Leigh in pointing out if we knew his POV, we'd understand. So I'm banking on the ends justifying the means. And the means are currently....sickening. But honestly, if he didn't to such terrible, evil deeds, would we take him seriously as a villain? Hell no. He is terrifying. 
 The Darkling is a literary delicacy. I've said this before; he is the most intriguing character I've ever read. I'm constantly rolling him through my mind, trying to figure out motivation and meaning behind all of his actions, and when I think I figure it out I'm proven wrong within five pages. 
 And he does have a deep connection with Alina; I will fight you on this, do not dispute me. Alina summons him, subconsciously, in several instances in times of loneliness and vulnerability. There's a subplot of this, which works like the equivalent of calling your ex after you fight with your boyfriend. There is an emotional dependency on Alina's side. And the Darkling's. He has moments -honestly I feel the manipulation is a little overplayed by Darkling haters- where he feels just as alone as Alina. They are the only true set of equals pairing-wise. Duality is really intriguing, the counter-balance of these tow people really makes me want to see more of their interactions. Their attraction, while useful to him, is mutual, I'll be damned if you argue this. Yes; evil. Yes; Bow-chicka-wow-wow. 
 Mal as something to do with the Firebird. This may require him to die in order to be useful. Maybe Leigh will pull a "Sweet Far Thing" and kill our beloved love interest in the final act of the trilogy -though if she does I might just set myself on fire. Leigh, honey, if you read this, don't make me set myself on fire. 
 The ending was cold. That's the best way to describe it. Cold and at a standstill. It struck you like dead weight. So yes, you just want things to be okay again. After all we've been through, I certainly hope once this is all over, it's the case. 
 Perfect sequel; and I have a feeling it's only going to get better. I love Siege and Storm. So many feels. Eek.