Girls of Storm and Shadow by Natasha Ngan is the second book in the Girls of Paper and Fire series. Going forward with this review, I am going to assume you have either read the previous book, or my review for that book. If you haven’t read either, be prepared for some spoilers. Like always, I will not have any spoilers for Girls of Storm and Shadow.
SPACE
Plot
After escaping from the palace and their oppressive lives they lived there, Lei and Wren are learning that freedom comes with a price.
No longer a Paper Girl, Lei is now known as the Moonchosen. The commoner from the country that was able to kill the Demon King. However, that is only the beginning for Lei and Wren. Now they must travel throughout the kingdom to secure the support of rebel clans, all with a bounty on Lei’s head.
While this is happening, dark magic and vengeance are being used to fuel the plot to take out the rebel forces. Will Lei be able to achieve her goals and guard her love for Wren? If not, will Lei succumb to the dark magic that is so determined to destroy her?
Review
So, I’m going to start off with what I love about Girls of Storm and Shadow. First there is the story line itself. Two girls on a mission to destroy an oppressive system with demons and magic. Yeah, that’s awesome and I keep find myself wanting to know how everything is going to work out. Also, I’m still waiting to learn the inner workings of magic and what the Sickness is. After the story line, I have an immense love for three specific characters, and no they’re not the main characters. Now Merrin, Nitta, and Bo are pure souls that need to be protected at all costs, even though they’re demons. They truly don’t deserve the things they go through in Girls of Storm and Shadow.
Now for what I find annoying or don’t like about Girls of Storm and Shadow. I’m sorry, but Lei and Wren are annoying. At first, both behave the same as in Girls of Paper and Fire. However, that quickly changes. For starters, Lei really plays on the naïve girl that just acts and doesn’t realize what she’s doing. Even so, Lei’s redeeming quality is her heart is always in the right place with every action she takes, even if I find them stupid and obnoxious. Now Wren is my main problem through the entire book. I find Wren so problematic and it only gets worse the more you read. Although Wren is a magic wielding warrior princess, she is blind and I question her methods and morals. When I start hoping for a character to get what’s coming to them or laugh at their mishaps, you know I really don’t like them.
Reading Girls of Storm and Shadow is a long journey when the main characters are annoying, but you want to know how the story will be resolved. This is why I am only giving Girls of Storm and Shadow three and a half stars. I plan on reading the next book, Girls of Fate and Fury, when it comes out. Let’s hope it redeems itself.
Favorite Quotes
“Fear is good. It means you care. And caring is its own kind of magic. One just as powerful as any dao I can weave.”
“Light in, darkness out.”
“I see you, the way you fight. The way you are towards others. You are soft where they are hard. You have love where they only have hate.”
“Yet like most lies people tell themselves, it came apart in the shadow and quiet of the night.”
“It’s easier to be strong when you’re doing it for someone else’s sake.”
Star Rating: 
.5/5
Add it to Your List: Add to your Goodreads
Snag a Copy: I will always suggest getting the hard cover, but buy in any format on Amazon
Interested in other books that I’ve read? Check out my other book reviews here!
