Siege and Storm feels like the middle book in a trilogy, but The Shadow and Bone trilogy is a pretty good trilogy, so still 4 stars. The intrigue is getting good, and I enjoyed the turnover of new characters for old characters.

Some specifics:

On Mal. I really, really loved Mal in the first book. I thought he was a good foil for the Darkling, but maybe that was all because he actually didn't feature particularly heavily in Shadow and Bone. Either way, Siege and Storm Mal was something of a let down.

Spoiler

Being in a relationship with Alina just made him incredibly jealous and possessive, and he came across as being unable to deal with her power. This is my least favorite fantasy boyfriend, the fragile masculinity boyfriend who isn't satisfied with just being the boyfriend, but instead wants the same kind of power as the main character. See Riley Finn from Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

I just...I'm over him. At this point, I can't really see Alina ending up with anyone, and you know what, I'm okay with that.

On Alina. I really, really enjoyed Alina's growth during this book. She really grows into her power, and her connection to the Darkling combined with that power begins to change her into a darker person. I think that character arc is really interesting, and I can't wait to see how it's concluded.