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macliffe's review
adventurous
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Pregnancy, and Forced institutionalization
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Death, and Drug use
jelliestars's review
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Drug use, Drug abuse, Grief, Violence, and Addiction
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, War, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexism, Pregnancy, Pedophilia, Misogyny, and Miscarriage
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Body shaming, Gun violence, Infertility, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Vomit
lxxnne's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Body shaming, War, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Pregnancy, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, Death, Blood, and Addiction
emily_mh's review against another edition
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
lainiereads's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
SO GOOD SO GOOD SO GOOD!!!!!
I had no clue what happened in this book before I read it, except that it had Nikolai and Zoya, and that people loved them. And both of those things were true. Plus, other great characters, and a lot of crazy plot twists, AND amazing quotes??? Perfect.
The style of this story was so much more similar to the Shadow and Bone trilogy than the Six of Crows duology, and the only explanation I can provide for it is that the main location was Ravka again, and the tone of the story was more serious and grim than the heists of the crows.
I did think that this book felt mostly like a set up for the next one, so I am really looking forward for the action in Rule of Wolves (which I also know nothing about). There was a lot of time spent as exposition for the main conflicts to come, but I still could not have predicted that the book would have ended the way it did. Leigh always knows how to keep me on my toes.
Also, the dialogue was amazing, as always. I mean, this story revolves around some of the funniest characters in the entire grishaverse, so what do you expect if not constant witty retorts? Like with the previous books, I found myself laughing out loud one chapter, and holding my breathe the next.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of the Bardugo's other works, and I really look forward to reading Rule of Wolves. Since this one felt a bit like a set up for its sequel, I am hoping to get a new favorite out of that one. :)))
I had no clue what happened in this book before I read it, except that it had Nikolai and Zoya, and that people loved them. And both of those things were true. Plus, other great characters, and a lot of crazy plot twists, AND amazing quotes??? Perfect.
The style of this story was so much more similar to the Shadow and Bone trilogy than the Six of Crows duology, and the only explanation I can provide for it is that the main location was Ravka again, and the tone of the story was more serious and grim than the heists of the crows.
I did think that this book felt mostly like a set up for the next one, so I am really looking forward for the action in Rule of Wolves (which I also know nothing about). There was a lot of time spent as exposition for the main conflicts to come, but I still could not have predicted that the book would have ended the way it did. Leigh always knows how to keep me on my toes.
Also, the dialogue was amazing, as always. I mean, this story revolves around some of the funniest characters in the entire grishaverse, so what do you expect if not constant witty retorts? Like with the previous books, I found myself laughing out loud one chapter, and holding my breathe the next.
I definitely recommend this book to fans of the Bardugo's other works, and I really look forward to reading Rule of Wolves. Since this one felt a bit like a set up for its sequel, I am hoping to get a new favorite out of that one. :)))
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, and Addiction
Moderate: Body shaming, Blood, Murder, and Kidnapping
Minor: Misogyny, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Child death, and Miscarriage
tomi_delano's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
An emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. I fell more and more in love with familiar characters and some new ones. I got very angry at other familiar characters. Spectacular writing from Leigh Bardugo as usual.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, and Xenophobia
Minor: Body shaming and Bullying
courteneygalla28's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Body shaming, and Child death
thebibliophilegirl's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
For the past couple of months, I've been binging Leigh Bardugo's books like there's no tomorrow. And now that I've finally finished King of Scars, I can happily say that I'm now all caught up and I'm ready for Rule of Wolves! BRING IT ON!
*slight spoilers ahead for The Shadow and Bone trilogy. Before you read King of Scars, you definitely need to read the trilogy, and also the Six of Crows duology*
Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.
Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.
There. Was. So. Much. Hype. For this book. I remember being at YALC in 2018, and samplers were being handed out of King of Scars, and a few lucky people got to win an ARC. The publisher was marketing the shit out of it and I gotta say, I don't blame them. The Grishaverse books have done so well, and with each instalment that Bardugo adds to the world, fans just fall in love more and more.
“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.”
- Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars
After having already fallen in love with Nikolai, I was so ready to read more about him. King of Scars is set three years after the final events of Ruin and Rising (I think?), Nikolai is King, and he has surrounded himself with some of the fan favourite characters such as Zoya, David, and Genya. I loved seeing more of these characters, even if Zoya was more of the main character that David and Genya.
There were four point of views in this book: Nikolai, Zoya, Issak (can't say anything about him due to spoilers), and Nina.
Yes, you read that correctly. Nina. From Six of Crows. Hence why I said at the beginning that it's probably best that you read the SOC books before you read King of Scars.
“The monster is me and I am the monster.”
- Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars
I loved Nina in the SOC duology. She was just so precious and went through so much, but I can relate to her a lot. In King of Scars, her chapters just felt... extra? I can't explain it. I just didn't think her point of view added anything to the overall plot of the book - unless the adventure that Nina went on in this book is the plot for Rule of Wolves... Then, I guess it makes sense. Even though Nina is in mourning, I 100% shipped her with Hanne. Their chemistry was amazing, and if they end up together in Rule of Wolves, I will cry with happiness. Yes, Nina's chapters didn't really add anything to the book, but I still enjoyed reading from her POV again and reading all the food references! There was a passage in King of Scars where Nina is thinking about when she was younger, and how she was picked on about her weight. I completely resonated with it and I just wanted to cry for her.
“If men were ashamed when they should be, they’d have no time for anything else.”
- Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars
I was also glad to get chapters from Zoya's perspective. I wasn't really a big fan of hers during the Grisha trilogy, but she's grown up a lot, and knowing more of her backstory (there were times where I genuinely cried because she's been through so much shit), and just getting to know her a lot more, made me realise that she's actually a very good character!
When it came to Nikolai, he was still the sassy, life-loving King that we all know and love. He goes through hell in this book, and I just wanted to give him a big hug because uggghhh... Boy, does he need one. Also... Him and Zoya. Yes, I ship it. I don't know if anyone is going to understand this reference, but there was a moment in this book where Nikolai was so intrigued by Grisha magic, and he was fangirling over it, and it reminded me of the Wizard King in Black Clover.
The ending was... intense. I'm not quite sure HOW I feel about it. Even though was a slight build-up towards it, and there were a few hints, I just... I don't know. I don't know if I wanted that to happen or not. All I'm going to say about the ending though: just get ready to have your head knocked off.
Like with the rest of the Grishaverse books, I listened to King of Scars on audiobook, and Lauren Fortgang, as usual, was such an amazing narrator. I could listen to her all day. Her voice is so soothing, and she does an incredible job of voicing all of the different characters.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Yes, there were few things such as the point of Nina's POV, and the ending that didn't really make sense to me, but I loved being back with some of my favourite characters, some new characters, and being thrown into the politics of the Kingdom.
I need Rule of Wolves now...
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Physical abuse, Rape, and Sexual assault
Minor: Violence, Grief, Death, Body shaming, and Bullying
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