King of Scars

I was hoping for fun, but King of Scars landed more on fine. I still enjoyed the world-building and many of the characters, but the pacing was both slow and uneven, with none of the propulsive fun of the Crows books. The Nina POV chapters were the strongest for me. I found myself really wishing that Bardugo had an editor who'd push back against her tendency to use limp Whedon-y one-liners to undercut emotion or drama. I'll read the second book in the duology, but I will go in with adjusted expectations.

Leigh Bardugo keeps getting better and better. The Grisha trilogy was a lot of fun, and the Six of Crows duology was edgy and tightly crafted. This was a great follow-up to both of them, maintaining some of the beloved characters and upping the ante in their latest adventure. I was uncertain about how I’d like this, since Zoya (who wasn’t exactly my favorite character before) has a central role here. I think it’s a sign of Bardugo’s talent that she made Zoya so interesting without changing her or softening her. Zoya is still as hard and ornery as ever, and Bardugo did a great job of exploring the character and still being true to it. And she even got me to root for Zoya, too!

I don’t want to say too much because I don’t want show more to give anything away, but here are some of my spoiler-free thoughts: Nikolai is amazing, as always. Grisha lore and Grisha powers are explored more in this story, and they’re given a great deal of depth and nuance. This story included characters both from the Grisha trilogy and from Six of Crows duology, and while there are two (mostly) separate stories in this novel, it will be interesting to see how they converge in the sequel. I liked that we saw more of Adrik, but I was sad to see that he isn’t such a great commanding officer. Nina runs roughshod over him. I know that this story was more about Nina coming into her own, but I’m hoping that Adrik gets better at handling power in the sequel. I’ll be interested to see where his story goes. I liked that the suspense kept building throughout, and I liked the political dilemmas. I liked that even smaller, background characters felt real and vivid. And finally, about that ending, let me just say that I’m curious to see what will happen next. I will be watching for the sequel with great interest. show less

This is the first of a new fantasy duology taking place in the author’s “Grishaverse.” [Grisha are gifted people who can manipulate matter at its most fundamental levels. They mainly employ their extraordinary abilities to help people, but their talents can be used for ill as well as good.] I don’t think it should be read apart from the author’s previous books set in this world; there is too much unexplained backstory that would be confusing to new readers.

In this book, three years have passed since the end of the last story set in the Grishaverse, Ruin and Rising. The focus is now on Nikolai Lantsov, the rakish and irresistibly charming King of Ravka. During the Civil War, he was tortured by the Darkling, a powerful Grisha show more who used his skill for evil purposes. Nikolai was “infected” by the Darkling’s creature, a monster that has subsequently grown in strength inside Nikolai. Now, Zoya Nazyalensky, head of the Grisha army and Nikolai's general, must lock him up every night so the creature doesn’t overtake Nikolai and drive him to go out seeking blood. Both Nikolai and Zoya are dedicated to restoring stability to the Kingdom after the devastation of war, but Nikolai’s condition imperils that goal.

Zoya is lobbying for Nikolai to take a bride, so that someone else can take over making sure that Nikolai’s beast is at bay. Nikolai is not so sure: “Zoya, I can’t very well court a bride if there’s a chance I may turn her into dinner.”

Simmering under the surface are the feelings that Nikolai and Zoya have for one another, but neither will admit to them, fearing their professional relationship would be jeopardized.

Meanwhile, a number of “miracles” have been reported throughout the Kingdom, and Nikolai and Zoya need to investigate them. Could these strange happenings, they wonder, be tied to the dark being that lives inside Nikolai? One thing is certain: the miracles are empowering the religious element in the Kingdom, and both the Apparat, or chief priest, and a man called Yuri who is heading a movement worshipping the Darkling, are gaining followers and influence because of these supernatural occurrences.

Nikolai and Zoya want to keep an eye on Yuri, so they bring him along to visit the site of the miracles. Thus the three of them enter the Fold, the dreaded area full of horrors created by the Darkling. With the Darkling dead, they assume it is now safe to enter, but other forces in the Fold overpower them. As far as the Kingdom of Ravka knows, they have disappeared.

Alternate chapters relate what is happening to Nina Zenik. Nikolai sent her, along with two other Grisha, on a secret mission to Fjerda to help endangered Grisha escape that country. The Fjerdans have been capturing Grisha and experimenting on them with Jurda parem. This drug can transform and enhance a Grisha’s power into something new and dangerous so the Grisha could be used as “weapons.” But the price for the Grisha was addiction and after a short time, death.

Nina is also trying to overcome the loss of her love Matthias, but her heart has so far refused to let him go. In addition, since her own bout with Jurda parem, she hears the whisperings of the dead, and those voices are pulling her east to the river cities. She insists her two companions go with her to Kejerut, from whence the dead are calling her. They sojourn at a nearby convent, where Nina forges a bond with Hanne, one of the novitiates with secrets of her own.

As the story builds to its dénouement, all of the main characters are confronted with life-and-death choices that will change their very natures. Moreover, the lives of many others depend on what they choose to do. These factors add monumental gravitas to the decisions they need to make

In the process of weighing their options, we learn a great deal about how and why they became who they are. Each of them has scars from pain earlier in life, and each endeavors to forget them, deny them, or hide them from view. But the memories won’t always stay buried, and the resulting vulnerability weakens them.

There is a huge build-up of tension at the end, and a number of unresolved issues that will make readers eager for the second installment.

Evaluation: Bardugo makes human passions come alive on the page. You can feel and taste the hungers of her characters, and experience the pain of loss and thrill of young love as if you were going through those emotions yourself. I also appreciate the fact that Bardugo's characters are so idealistic and noble. We need that so much right now in the world! The dialogue is intelligent and emotionally resonant, and the political intrigue and challenges seem realistic and significant. This is an engaging book that gives you a lot to think about, as well as a lot to savor. show less

So, let me start with the fact that I found the Shadow and Bone trilogy pretty mediocre. Yes it was a nice, solid read and the world was interesting but what was it.

This on the other hand? Five out of Five, absolutely deserved. At some points I found Nina's arc to be kind of slow going, but that does not stop me from loving the entire rest of the crew and story and even her arc in the end, was amazing!

All the characters are relatable, interesting and engaging, the world building is finally broadening and instead of the love sick puppy eyes in the trilogy we now have interesting politics and deep human relationships.

I devoured this book in practically one go and definitely recommend it!

"Zoya of the lost city. Zoya of the garden. Zoya bleeding in the snow. You are strong enough to survive the fall."

honestly how does leigh bardugo stick the landing EVERY SINGLE TIME.

I took forever to finally read this, but I'm glad I did because my expectations were cooled down, and I waited until I was in the mood for a pretty slow (and weirdly nostalgic??) book, and so I enjoyed every tentatively-paced, callback-filled page. I thought it may try to stand more on its own, but it was so deeply rooted in the two other series and weirdly I admire that. I love sequels that really feel like sequels, that's all.

And surprisingly considering I was all over Nikolai in Shadow & Bone, I was most glad that Zoya got the justice she deserved, and show more that the book as a whole was mainly pulled by her and Nina. I love seeing where Nina has gone after Six of Crows, in all ways, and where she's going. As well, Isaak was a surprise and I loved every moment with him.

But I often attach myself to the bitchy hot girl character for this exact fever dream: they get developed and they're still a bitch and they're still hot but most importantly, they get a plot and an arc that they truly deserve rather than just being someone else's enemy (and they're still a bitch). And ngl i really am out here loving her and nikolai together always all ways

I also like the expansion of the Grisha world - just the idea of "Grisha theory" is a really neat step further than I often see. I'll admit I wasn't crazy about Zoya & Nikolai's eventual plot and I never cared much for the Darkling, I don't think he's a very compelling Big Bad Evil Guy but the political minutiae and the fantastic character work kept the momentum going.

Anyhow, colour me surprised that Zoya was the character I was happiest to see again, and also I'm very much here for Nina continuing the heist tradition. show less

Okay, I thought I loved the Six of Crows duology, which I do, but this one!! Ugh, this one just gave me life.

The Plot:

Just as the Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom leave the reader wondering what’s happening most of the time, so does King of Scars and Rule of Wolves. It was interesting and fascinating to see how Nikolai and Co. handle all of the battles they have to fight and how they handle the effects of the previous Grisha verse novels. All the characters are dealing not only with how to rebuild after a civil war but also having to come to grips with their past traumas from their childhoods and even teen years. One thing I loved about Shadow and Bone was the world-building. Six of Crows shows how well she can write captivating show more characters, and in King of Scars, she writes trauma so well that it completely breaks you.

Nina’s Storyline:

First off, Nina’s chapters ripped me apart. I have a lot of conflicting feelings about her chapters as well. I loved that she did go and bury Mathias in his homeland, fulfilling her last promise to him. I also love that we get to see Adrik and meet Leoni, who was saved by Jesper’s mother. When that was revealed, I was really hoping she and Jesper would be able to meet, but alas, we were denied that. Bardugo wrote trauma and grief so well in both these books, not just for Nina but for Nikolai and Zoya as well. Nina’s grief for Mathias almost killed me as I was reading the book. But I do like Hanne, and Nina definitely has a type. But anyway, while I love Hanne and love the fact that he’s transgender. However, I’m really saddened by how Mathias’s story went in Crooked Kingdom. I was happy to see the boy who killed him in this duology and to see how much he’s changed and does not fully buy into the Druskelle propaganda. But Mathias's death was still pointless and dumb. The series could’ve still worked with Nina and Mathias going on the mission to free Grisha in Fjerda. Nina and Mathias could’ve been friends with Hanne, and at the end of the series, they could be ambassadors between Fjerda and Ravka. I’m especially annoyed that Nina’s whole identity is erased in the end, and she stays as Mila Janderstat. I understand it was her choice, but keeping Mathias alive would’ve been better.

Zoya and Nikolai’s Storylines:

It’s difficult to discuss their two storylines separately since so much depends on the other, so I’m combining them. Zoya and Nikolai! Zoya and Nikolai are probably my favorite couple. Their friendship and back-and-forth were wonderful. They have so much trust built between them that the relationship is so beautiful to watch and grow. Although I sometimes wanted to beat their heads together, they figured it out in the end. The part that will continually get to me is after the Darkling escaped Zoya, and she believes that Nikolai’s pissed at her for failing because he won’t look at her. But in his chapter, he won’t look at her “because I am greedy for the sight of her.” Nikolai wants to look at Zoya so much, cares and loves her so much, that if he looks at her, he wouldn’t be able to stop looking. Zoya is the sun to Nikolai, and she’s in pain because he won’t look at her. He can’t tell her any of this, though, so he responds with, “I am looking at you now.” You cannot convince me that this is not a great love story!

“Zoya of the Lost City. Zoya of the Garden. Zoya bleeding in the snow. You are strong enough to survive the fall.”

Zoya wasn’t someone that I gave much thought to, but this series completely changed my opinion. She is THE Dragon Queen of Ravka (and my heart). She’s prickly, harsh, and a “steel-spined harpy,” which I love because we’re not given enough harsh female characters, but none of this changes when she and Nikolai (finally) get together. We still get these kind of exchanges between the two.

'“Kiss me, Zoya,” he said.

“Why?”

“I need reassurance that you are real and that we survived.”

Zoya went up on her toes and pressed her warm mouth to his. “I’m right here and I’m freezing, so move before I toss you into a gully.”

He sighed happily. There she was. Bitter and bracing as strong drink. She was real, and at least for now, she was his."

Mental Illness Representation:

Besides having to fight wars on all sides, Nikolai fought the demon inside him thanks to the Darkling. It was such a great representation of facing our fears and our demons and finding that fighting with them may be better than fighting against them. Getting rid of our demons may not happen, but we can learn to live with what happens and move forward. With Zoya, the opposite stands true. She’s walled herself off so well that she becomes the thorns that protect flowers because showing love or weakness is too dangerous. She protects her heart, thinking it’ll keep her safe, but as Juris says, “Stop punishing yourself for being someone with a heart. You cannot protect yourself from suffering. To live is to grieve. You are not protecting yourself by shutting yourself off from the world. You are limiting yourself.” So much great mental health representation in these two books!!

One Last Note:

GENYA SAFIN DESERVES BETTER! I’ve only read the first Shadow and Bone book, so I don’t know what happens with Genya and David, except for what’s present in these books and what happens in the show. Of course, the show differs here with how David’s death happens. I wish he weren’t killed, but his death was way more meaningful in the show than in the book. The man just had his wedding, went down to his lab to tinker, and was killed by a bomb. Why?? In the show, we at least have the fact that he sacrificed himself for Genya. Also, finding out that David has a journal he keeps on him for ways to compliment his wife and “correct” responses to certain reactions because he knows it makes his wife happy, and he wants Genya to be happy. After everything that happens, Genya deserves happiness in the world.

THAT ENDING?!?! I CANNOT, I NEED A CROWS/NIKOLAI&CO. CROSSOVER BOOK! show less

4.5 star rating.

I really need to stop insisting on reading books as soon as they come out. I always end up stuck on some intense cliffhanger and having to wait so damn long for the sequel.

First off, despite this being Nikolai's duology, the girls really stole the show for me. Zoya was incredible; I am completely in love with her character now, and I actually found myself enjoying Nina's chapters in Fjerda the most. She's already a fave of mine from the Six of Crows duology (possible trilogy???) and she was such a highlight in King of Scars, as was her blossoming romance which is KILLING ME. Though I enjoyed her chapters the most, the Nina sections did feel pretty out of place in the novel, considering there were no major ties to any of show more the events happening with Zoya and Nikolai back in Ravka. It felt almost as though it was a Nina standalone novel pushed into Nikolai & Zoya's book (don't get me wrong though, I completely loved having Nina there).

Zoya's chapters were fire. What can I say? She's an amazing character. Her backstory broke my heart and her ruthlessness is Everything. Hearing her completely destroy the Darkling's "legacy" and describe him as the monster he was, as a man who hurt so many she loves was so satisfying (PROUD OF YOU ZOYA BABY). I loved her chemistry with Nikolai and their banter was so fun.

It was nice to have new characters, I especially liked Isaak and Hanne, I already love them. I kind of hoped there'd be more new characters, but it was nice to have the returning friends from Shadow & Bone. I guess I can't really write this rambling mess of a review without mentioning Nikolai so quick update: yeah I'd still die for him.

That's pretty much all I have to say; I'm honestly just reeling from the ending. It was painful and shocking and Leigh you're evil but also give me the sequel right now. show less