Siege and Storm

Leigh Bardugo

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2013

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 2

Chapters 3-5

Chapters 6-8

Chapters 9-12

Chapters 13-16

Chapters 17-19

Chapters 20-22

Chapter 23-Epilogue

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

The Difficulty of Balancing Power

While Shadow and Bone centered on Alina’s discovering and mastering her Sun Summoner power, in Siege and Storm an isolated Alina tries to determine how to use this newly discovered power.

The Darkling taunts Alina, calling her the “girl who cannot stand the thought of her own potential” (54). At first, he appears to be right: When Alina gets her second amplifier from the sea whip, she cannot fully control her growing abilities. Soon, however, the balance shifts. Alina falls under the magic’s sway, losing her human identity and becoming “like a stranger […] Beautiful. Terrible” (106). Alina soon discovers that her new power estranges her from others because it heightens her anger and unmerciful tendencies—for example, when she almost kills Sergei with the Cut. Like the Darkling, the power-hungry Alina enjoys watching others cower before her strength; for instance, when Alina challenges Zoya’s loyalty, Mal observes, “She was scared, Alina. And you liked it” (327). In both incidents, Alina must wrestle to restrain herself.

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Alina obsesses about how the firebird, the third amplifier, will enhance her strength. Baghra senses this change in Alina, warning that this obsession will lead to “losing herself completely piece by piece” (257)—this is something Baghra knows personally from being the Darkling’s mother. Alina’s daily visitations from the Darkling demonstrate how appealing she finds his selfish and open desire for power, something that the novel equates to sexual desire, as he is the only person whom Alina actually comes into sustained intimate contact with. When Alina admits that she could never give her powers up, summoning is compared to addiction; Alina won’t relinquish her position as Sun Summoner, even if it means losing Mal’s love.

However, Alina eventually finds a way to use her abilities for good, accepting her connection to the darker side of magic to undercut the Darkling. Her commonality with the Darkling makes her realize that she can twist his greed and outwit him, forcing him to deplete his energy by creating endless dark creatures.

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The process depletes Alina as well. At the end of the book, she can no longer summon. However, Alina now knows that if she does find power again, she will control her urges around it and “rise” anew (432). Her understanding will play into the next novel in the series, Rise and Ruin.

Sacrificing Oneself for the Greater Good

A major theme in Siege and Storm is that personal sacrifice is noble for the greater good. To secure Ravka’s safety, several characters sacrifice what is most dear to them: Genya sacrifices her hard-won freedom and beauty, Nikolai sacrifices his dignity, and Alina sacrifices the relationship most dear to her. These losses show the characters’ moral core.

When Genya shoots the Darkling instead of Alina, she knows she will earn his wrath. Yet, by letting Alina and Mal get away, she rights both the broken balance of her relationship with Alina and assures that Ravka will still stand. In return, the nichevo’ya destroy Genya’s beauty, scarring her “luminous […] alabaster skin and graceful hands” (415). Pilgrims call her a ruin, implying that her outward damage reflects internal—possibly sexual—corruption at the Darkling’s hands.

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Nikolai’s sacrifices are important in securing Ravka’s future. Borrowing the mannerisms of his alter ego, the charming showboat Sturmhond, Nikolai navigates the insults regarding his legitimacy, taking his brother’s abuse without ever revealing that the comments deeply bother him. This takes tremendous restraint in Ravka’s honor-bound culture, but Nikolai swallows his pride to achieve his larger goal of protecting his country.

At the start of the novel, Alina sacrifices a life with Mal to save Ravka—a decision she has a hard time fully accepting. Still, although Alina loves Mal, she knows that she must fight the Darkling—her powers are the only thing that can stand in his way. As much as it pains her, she must let Mal forge his own path as she completes her own.

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This theme extends to minor characters as well. For example, Zoya detests Alina, but accepts her command to save Ravka; likewise, Mal often throws himself into danger to protect Alina. As Siege and Storm closes, it may seem that all these important sacrifices were in vain as the Darkling now rules Ravka. However, the nobility of the characters assures that they are among those who will “rise” (432), continuing to fight evil as the narrative continues.

Growing into One’s Role

The novel’s three main protagonists—Nikolai, Mal, and Alina—must take their rightful places in the war against the Darkling regardless of how much these identities sometimes pain them.

Nikolai has two personas: a younger prince whose father and brother ignore and ridicule him, and Sturmhond, the risk-taking privateer who helps Ravka on the sly. Being Sturmhond allows Nikolai to create and test weaponry while avoiding inspection—seemingly the stronger role than having to swallow insults at court. However, Nikolai’s intelligence and understanding of politics far outstrip those of the king and heir to the throne. To do his utmost for the country he loves, Nikolai must set aside the derring-do of Sturmhond and embrace the boldness and resilience of this persona as a member of the royal family. As the book closes, he comes into his own, standing up to Vasily, though not quickly enough to prevent his brother’s treacherous dealings with Fjerda.

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Not possessing Grisha powers did not bother Mal when he was a respected tracker, but losing his rank eats away at his sense of self. While becoming the head of Alina’s guard is seemingly a lateral move, being defined by her position makes Mal feel inadequate and insecure. Now she is his whole world, both professionally, and personally, so when they grow apart, he does not know who to be. Mal turns to gambling, alcohol, and fights with Grisha. He only returns to himself when he volunteers to track the firebird, getting the chance to demonstrate the skill he has mastered. Nikolai defines Mal’s role, calling him a hero and equating his prowess to Grisha powers. Embracing this new identity, Mal rips Alina from the Darkling, ignoring the lethal danger he faces in doing so.

Alina is torn between many roles: country girl who loves Mal, the Darkling’s enabler, power-hungry Summoner, potential queen, army commander, and saint. Alina is also constantly pulled between her desire to expand her sun-summoning power and her fear of being out of control. Only when Alina accepts both the light and dark sides of her power can she fully come into her own. She ends the novel depleted but wiser, her resurrection symbolized by her newly white hair: “So many men had tried to make her a queen. Now she understood that she was meant for something more” (432).