Siege and Storm

This is the second instalment of the Grisha trilogy which started really promisingly with Shadow and Bone which I blogged about a few days ago. Well, I've now finished the second volume and I eagerly await the third.
I never like saying too much about books which are the second in a series. When reviewing books I try to give an introduction to the book that makes a potential reader whetted and with enough information to make the book sound interesting but to not give any information away. With this book, I'll undoubtedly give spoilers for Shadow and Bone, so I'm going to say very little about the actual plot.
What I will say about Siege and Storm is that for a second book it is very, very good. Middle books of trilogies are hard. The first book has the glamour; It sets the scene, it delivers the characters, it entices you in. The third book has the climax, the grand finale, which (if the series is any good at all) should be satisfying and leave you feeling rather contented (not like Breaking Dawn. Yes, I know Twilight isn't a trilogy,  but this is just a note that the last book was dire and left me feeling angry that I'd bothered reading the saga to begin with.). The middle book has to make the leap between enhancing the first book and setting up the third. I thought Siege and Storm did that extremely well indeed.
There are some thrilling scenes of fights and daring escapes. The political aspect of the first book is developed further and the whole thing rattles along at a cracking pace. Even when the action stops there is enough going on to keep you entertained. Add to this the new characters that are introduced and the old ones which are enhanced and you've got a super read here.
I said in the post about Shadow and Bone that the book is similar to Twilight, and it's something I would maintain here. I think that if you enjoyed Twilight you would enjoy this, however I think the Grisha trilogy is far better then Twilight, which had four books with very little happening. There is action in wheelbarrow laods here, but sadly because it's not about Vampires I don't think it will have the same mass market appeal.
Perhaps oddly I also think that even if you loathed Twilight, then you would love this series. Given the current trend for dystopian novels and real life teen stories, this series really does stand out as an excellent example of what can be achieved in teen fantasy.
Just a note about the jacket. The turquoise colour with red onion domes is far more visually appealing than the grey, but after a conversation today when the phrase "onion dome" went straight over someone's head, I sadly don't think that they scream out to be picked up. They are books that you really have to sell to people. I'll do my best!
One final point, the books are labelled as teen, as indeed they are, however I think that they are suitable for quite young teenagers. there's a little bit of violence in there, but nothing worse than a Bond film and the romance isn't graphic in any way.
In summary a lovely second book with a thrilling and exciting end that sets up a finale wonderfully.