Scan barcode
flick_w's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Miscarriage, and Pregnancy
Minor: Cancer and Pedophilia
thecourtofreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
"is this the part where we die well?"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, and Grief
Moderate: Drug use, Drug abuse, and Violence
Minor: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, and Child death
pagebypaigereviews's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
The new King of Ravka is not what he seems.
"The monster is me and I am the monster."
After the Darkling's defeat, Nikolai ushers in a new era of peace and ingenuity. But he and his most trusted allies are harboring a dark secret from the masses: Nikolai has not completely recovered from the Darkling's curse, and the monster inside him constantly battles him for control. Meanwhile Nina works undercover in enemy territory, carrying precious cargo. Something dark calls to her, persistent enough to convince her not to give in to the sorrow that threatens to consume her.
King of Scars is the first of the newest series in the Grishaverse. This was a highly anticipated read, as the main character, Nikolai, is one of my all-time favorite characters. Even so, it was a bit of a slow start for me, and I actually ended up putting it down for a while before coming back to it, but I'm so glad I did!
As always, I adore Bardugo's writing style, but the plot and character development in this book were the best I've seen thus far. Her characters are so easy to get attached to. The magic in this series is on another level compared to the other Grishaverse books! I was pulled in to the story once it got going. It had me alternatively laughing and fighting tears, such was the emotional journey.
The hardest part for me was seeing Nikolai not always acting like the character I knew and loved from the other books. Since he is a main character, we get much more from him than just his witty charm, and reading about his inner turmoil was a little different than what I expected. Also, some of the content may be disturbing to younger readers, so I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading.
Overall, I gave it 4.5 / 5 stars! This is by far my favorite book in the Grishaverse series so far and I am excited to get my hands on the next book, Rule of Wolves!
"The monster is me and I am the monster."
After the Darkling's defeat, Nikolai ushers in a new era of peace and ingenuity. But he and his most trusted allies are harboring a dark secret from the masses: Nikolai has not completely recovered from the Darkling's curse, and the monster inside him constantly battles him for control. Meanwhile Nina works undercover in enemy territory, carrying precious cargo. Something dark calls to her, persistent enough to convince her not to give in to the sorrow that threatens to consume her.
King of Scars is the first of the newest series in the Grishaverse. This was a highly anticipated read, as the main character, Nikolai, is one of my all-time favorite characters. Even so, it was a bit of a slow start for me, and I actually ended up putting it down for a while before coming back to it, but I'm so glad I did!
As always, I adore Bardugo's writing style, but the plot and character development in this book were the best I've seen thus far. Her characters are so easy to get attached to. The magic in this series is on another level compared to the other Grishaverse books! I was pulled in to the story once it got going. It had me alternatively laughing and fighting tears, such was the emotional journey.
The hardest part for me was seeing Nikolai not always acting like the character I knew and loved from the other books. Since he is a main character, we get much more from him than just his witty charm, and reading about his inner turmoil was a little different than what I expected. Also, some of the content may be disturbing to younger readers, so I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading.
Overall, I gave it 4.5 / 5 stars! This is by far my favorite book in the Grishaverse series so far and I am excited to get my hands on the next book, Rule of Wolves!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse
emily_mh's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I went into this book fully expecting it to be completely centred around Nikolai and for him to be the star of the show, but this was definitely not the case in a surprisingly good way. Instead, the female characters absolutely SHONE in this book and completely stole the show. They were just incredible. It was a joy to read from Nina's perspective again, but it was actually Zoya who I fell in love with. She's had such an incredible character arc over the course of the Grishaverse and that was really revealed and expanded upon in this book. She's such a bad ass and doing a much better job of being the main character than Nikolai is.
Being back in the Grishaverse was a delight, but so was reading Bardugo's writing again. It is wonderfully descriptive, and her plot development here is truly on another level in comparison to Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows. I really enjoyed seeing her expand her world-building, and she REALLY knows how to write incredible endings.
I docked a half-star for two reasons. The first is that I felt extremely disconnected from Nikolai, to the point where (shockingly, given he was one of my favourite characters in Shadow and Bone), I was dreading his POV chapters. The second is that for the first half of this book the plot felt a little directionless in that I didn't really know what the book was going to be about until like 250 pages in.Also, the return of the Darkling kind of feels like a cheap enemy and I'm worried about how it's going to impact my enjoyment of Rule of Wolves.
Being back in the Grishaverse was a delight, but so was reading Bardugo's writing again. It is wonderfully descriptive, and her plot development here is truly on another level in comparison to Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows. I really enjoyed seeing her expand her world-building, and she REALLY knows how to write incredible endings.
I docked a half-star for two reasons. The first is that I felt extremely disconnected from Nikolai, to the point where (shockingly, given he was one of my favourite characters in Shadow and Bone), I was dreading his POV chapters. The second is that for the first half of this book the plot felt a little directionless in that I didn't really know what the book was going to be about until like 250 pages in.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, and War
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Body shaming, Cancer, Child death, Confinement, Death of parent, Excrement, Fatphobia, Gun violence, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Vomit
luluslittlelibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I really liked this book more than I expected. The beginning is painfully slow, so it was hard to get into, but once things started moving at a faster pace, I was hooked. I loved getting to read Zoya and Nikolai's POVs for the first time. They both have very clear "voices" so it was super engaging to read from their perspectives. I would have also been interested in getting a POV from Genya or David as well in this book.
I LOVE Nina's storyline. For me, I was a lot more interested in what was going on with her in Fjerda than I was with the others in Ravka. I'm not going to give any spoilers but I would recommend this to anyone interested in reading more about Nina and what she's doing as a Ravkan spy in Fjerda.
And then there's the sequel. I definitely liked Rule of Wolves more than King of Scars so I would recommend reading it even if you didn't love King of Scars (I think it is much better). Once again I love everything that happens with Nina (and Hanne!). And I think the connection between Zoya and Juris is very interesting. I'm not big on the storyline surrounding the darkling, I think it was interesting but maybe didn't belong in this book (?). Also, the ending is SO GOOD.
I LOVE Nina's storyline. For me, I was a lot more interested in what was going on with her in Fjerda than I was with the others in Ravka. I'm not going to give any spoilers but I would recommend this to anyone interested in reading more about Nina and what she's doing as a Ravkan spy in Fjerda.
And then there's the sequel. I definitely liked Rule of Wolves more than King of Scars so I would recommend reading it even if you didn't love King of Scars (I think it is much better). Once again I love everything that happens with Nina (and Hanne!). And I think the connection between Zoya and Juris is very interesting. I'm not big on the storyline surrounding the darkling, I think it was interesting but maybe didn't belong in this book (?). Also, the ending is SO GOOD.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Blood, Death, Grief, Drug abuse, Drug use, Violence, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Religious bigotry, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, Medical trauma, Murder, Gore, Child death, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Sexism, Sexual violence, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Confinement, Trafficking, Domestic abuse, Racism, Slavery, Sexual assault, Adult/minor relationship, Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia
ghostofthegallows's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Great stand alone duology. It was a strange mix of fast and slow. A bit confusing as to what was going on but its very good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Religious bigotry, Adult/minor relationship, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Torture, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cursing, Death, and Grief
durrareadsstuff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Nikolai knew. He was a king who had only begun to make mistakes. He was a soldier for whom the war would never be over. He was a bastard left alone in the woods. And he was not afraid to die this day.
Oh wow, this book. 🤯🤯🤯 Leigh Bardugo just keeps on writing masterpieces. I was so excited for this book since, you know, Nikolai, duh🤭. Honestly at the beginning I was a little bit disappointed, I thought he was better in Siege and Storm. But, actually, the characters were consistent. We get to see another side to Nikolai, a more vulnerable and deep side and I loved it! I also despised Zoya before, but she's had her reasons for being a stone-cold witch. And in this book she is forced to face her past and because of that she became all the more powerful. I loved her POV, and as always with Leigh's characters - it was downright tragic.
All the POVs in the book were awesome, and so was the writing. Nina being a spy was just - that girl kicks ass dude!! I liked how Nina embraces her "new" powers and the grief written in this book was completely heartbreaking 💔. Reading about her transitioning between characters reminded me of Nikolai in Siege and Storm again. I loved Adrik and Leoni, and how they're the total opposite of each other. Once again, Ms Bardugo teaches you about trauma, in this case about the two very different ways people handle them. Having Hanne in the storyline added a new vantage point, from the Fjerdans who were stuck in their customs. I was skeptical about Isaak, but he did the job well, so he's good. Princess Ehri, OH MY GOD. (I can't say much more without spoiling anything, so I'll just leave it at that.) 😉
Another thing I absolutely adored: When the characters mention "the couple who runs the orphanage" and the crows, I sort of get nostalgic (?) Especially when Nina said she wished Inej was there, I STAN THEIR FRIENDHIP!!! 😍 Towards the end, plot twists kept coming like one of those automatic gun machines🔫. There is no way anyone could have guessed them. Or maybe I'm just naive, whatever. Anyway, the characters were developed so, so well. Even though you're not a total bada** like they are, you'll find yourself relating to parts of their stories, which makes them attach to yourself like super glue 😎 So much themes were discussed: Fjerdan bigotry, sexism, feminism, abandonment, child marriage, grief, and of course, facing your demons.
This book was everything I imagined and please please, Rule of Wolves, don't disappoint me. I can't wait to see more of Zoyalai and just everything else!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Sexism
Moderate: Addiction, Religious bigotry, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Abandonment, Miscarriage, Abortion, Forced institutionalization, and Emotional abuse
glas_halb_lea's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy and Miscarriage
Minor: Blood and Grief
chaptersonapage's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Please note: while this is spoiler free for King of Scars, it takes place after the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Six of Crows duology and will have some spoilers for those books.
King of Scars takes place several years after the Shadow and Bone trilogy and shortly after the Six of Crows duology. It primarily follows Nikolai and Zoya from the original trilogy, and Nina from the Six of Crows books.
Nikolai has been struggling since his last appearance in the books. Though the monster had receded for a while after Alina took down the Darkling, It’s been coming back some nights and he doesn’t have much control over it. He is new king he needs to work hard to cure himself or risk the whole kingdom. Though he is struggling with his demons, he still is the same witty and charming Nikolai we knew in the original trilogy. As a King, he has a lot more responsibility, but he works hard for his country. He’s dedicated and does what he needs to do to make his kingdom as successful as it can be.
Zoya is his commander and a trusted confidant. She’s grown since the start of the series, and it’s refreshing getting to see her progress as a character. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about her and her backstory, and her quick tongue is always good for a laugh.
Nina returns to us from the Six of Crows books, having come back to Ravka to work with the Grisha again. she’s with a small crew who has gone up to Fjerda on a mission, with her own side mission of finding a resting place for Matthias. I found her very interesting to read about because I love learning about her powers. She’s finally learning how to use it and how to handle her new life in general. She misses Matthias and it’s a struggle, but she’s tough and has a big heart.
Many other characters return from the other two book series. It’s great to get to see who Adrik grows into as he gets older, as well as getting to see what the twins and Genya are up to. Everyone seems to have really grown up and I enjoyed seeing where life has taken them after a few years.
Overall, while it took me a while to read this book, I did really enjoy it. I considered giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5, but I think that’s because it’s hard to live up to my love for the Six of Crows duology. Those books aside, I really enjoyed reading this and am interested to see how the next book progresses.
King of Scars takes place several years after the Shadow and Bone trilogy and shortly after the Six of Crows duology. It primarily follows Nikolai and Zoya from the original trilogy, and Nina from the Six of Crows books.
Nikolai has been struggling since his last appearance in the books. Though the monster had receded for a while after Alina took down the Darkling, It’s been coming back some nights and he doesn’t have much control over it. He is new king he needs to work hard to cure himself or risk the whole kingdom. Though he is struggling with his demons, he still is the same witty and charming Nikolai we knew in the original trilogy. As a King, he has a lot more responsibility, but he works hard for his country. He’s dedicated and does what he needs to do to make his kingdom as successful as it can be.
Zoya is his commander and a trusted confidant. She’s grown since the start of the series, and it’s refreshing getting to see her progress as a character. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about her and her backstory, and her quick tongue is always good for a laugh.
Nina returns to us from the Six of Crows books, having come back to Ravka to work with the Grisha again. she’s with a small crew who has gone up to Fjerda on a mission, with her own side mission of finding a resting place for Matthias. I found her very interesting to read about because I love learning about her powers. She’s finally learning how to use it and how to handle her new life in general. She misses Matthias and it’s a struggle, but she’s tough and has a big heart.
Many other characters return from the other two book series. It’s great to get to see who Adrik grows into as he gets older, as well as getting to see what the twins and Genya are up to. Everyone seems to have really grown up and I enjoyed seeing where life has taken them after a few years.
Overall, while it took me a while to read this book, I did really enjoy it. I considered giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5, but I think that’s because it’s hard to live up to my love for the Six of Crows duology. Those books aside, I really enjoyed reading this and am interested to see how the next book progresses.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Grief
nini3l's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
why was Nina there? what role did she have?? I thought this was about Nikolai
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Miscarriage