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ajileowens's review
adventurous
challenging
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
3.75
nina_zenik_simp's review
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
4.75
nanlikesbooks14's review against another edition
4.0
The first half was kind of slow but once it picked up, I found myself devouring it. I was also not expecting to love Zoya as much as I did! š©š»šā”ļø
qjbrown96's review against another edition
5.0
King of scars brings back my favorite character from the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Nikolai and one of my favorite characters from Six of Crows, Nina. This book follows Nikolai returning to being King and battling his ādemonsā, Zoya helps Nikolai secure his throne and rebuild the Second Army, and Nina who is trying to get over the loss of her love and must fight an old enemy to release Grisha slaves.
votesforwomen's review against another edition
3.0
hi I'm sobbing. My initial review was why would Nina end up with someone who's not Matthias? Why????
and uh...I finished it and I still don't have an answer to that. I'm still angry. I'm still really, really mad.
Nikolai is great, but other stuff? No. Stop it.
and uh...I finished it and I still don't have an answer to that. I'm still angry. I'm still really, really mad.
Nikolai is great, but other stuff? No. Stop it.
trophynter's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
5.0
yazaleea's review against another edition
3.0
I am a huge fan of the Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom duology. I love the characters, how tightly packed and explosive the intrigue is and just how everything works. I also heavily disliked the original Shadow & Bone trilogy: hated the character "arcs" of Alina and everything that happened just made no sense to me.
So I just decided to ignore the King of Scars duology because I didn't want to be disappointed after reading SoC, knowing how Leigh's Bardugo's writing is a hit or miss for me. Then the Netflix show happened and (despite all the show's flaws...) I fell in love with Nikolai and Zoya again and well, it was hard to stay away from the books any longer.
Anyway: I don't think I liked this book.
I was surprised to find myself get bored during Nina's parts (I LOVE Nina). Whatever was going on on her part just fell flat for me, no convincing risk and conflict, no drive, no real vision of what was happening and where the story was going. The thing with Hanne felt empty to me too, but that might just me still grieving over Helnik. All in all, I didn't like not enjoying the point of view of a character I love.
Then there is the Zoya / Nikolai half: I have no idea what happened, the plot was messy and losing itself, the twists were not that engaging to me. But what was engaging was their romance. It was pretty light in this first volume, and is hinted to be developed further in the second volume. I loved it so much. This is literally why I gave this book 3 stars, only for my ship because I'm a hopeless romance enthusiast.
Nikolai is the golden boy who hides his scars behind charm and wit, and he is lovely. Zoya is dry, confident and powerful, she has unwavering loyalty to those who have earned it and I love her so much, I love how we get to see more of her and how she got where she is. I may love Nikolai, but Zoya stole the whole show for me, she is a lovely character and I recognise in her the character work I enjoyed so much in SoC. I love their dynamics, I love how they go from a king and his general, to something like bantering, loyal friends, to more. We see their relationship evolve, as she is only one who he decides to show his vulnerability to, his demon to, and in turn she starts to confide and give him pieces of her. And yeah, I think they might actually get their spot on the podium of my fave Grishaverse ships with Kanej and Wesper. I'm just weak for the golden boy x grumpy witch trope, of broken souls finding solace, peace and understanding in each other. Plus they're both my type and that's just bonus points.
tl;dr: didn't like the book for the plot and found it pretty boring, but loved it for the zoyalai romance & the few cute genyavid crumbs!
So I just decided to ignore the King of Scars duology because I didn't want to be disappointed after reading SoC, knowing how Leigh's Bardugo's writing is a hit or miss for me. Then the Netflix show happened and (despite all the show's flaws...) I fell in love with Nikolai and Zoya again and well, it was hard to stay away from the books any longer.
Anyway: I don't think I liked this book.
I was surprised to find myself get bored during Nina's parts (I LOVE Nina). Whatever was going on on her part just fell flat for me, no convincing risk and conflict, no drive, no real vision of what was happening and where the story was going. The thing with Hanne felt empty to me too, but that might just me still grieving over Helnik. All in all, I didn't like not enjoying the point of view of a character I love.
Then there is the Zoya / Nikolai half: I have no idea what happened, the plot was messy and losing itself, the twists were not that engaging to me. But what was engaging was their romance. It was pretty light in this first volume, and is hinted to be developed further in the second volume. I loved it so much. This is literally why I gave this book 3 stars, only for my ship because I'm a hopeless romance enthusiast.
āThey said she was cruel because sheād been harmed in the past. They claimed she was cold because she just hadnāt met the right fellow to warm her. Anything to soften her edges and sweeten her dispositionāand what was the fun in that? Zoyaās company was like strong drink. Bracingā and best to abstain if you couldnāt handle the kick.ā
Nikolai is the golden boy who hides his scars behind charm and wit, and he is lovely. Zoya is dry, confident and powerful, she has unwavering loyalty to those who have earned it and I love her so much, I love how we get to see more of her and how she got where she is. I may love Nikolai, but Zoya stole the whole show for me, she is a lovely character and I recognise in her the character work I enjoyed so much in SoC. I love their dynamics, I love how they go from a king and his general, to something like bantering, loyal friends, to more. We see their relationship evolve, as she is only one who he decides to show his vulnerability to, his demon to, and in turn she starts to confide and give him pieces of her. And yeah, I think they might actually get their spot on the podium of my fave Grishaverse ships with Kanej and Wesper. I'm just weak for the golden boy x grumpy witch trope, of broken souls finding solace, peace and understanding in each other. Plus they're both my type and that's just bonus points.
tl;dr: didn't like the book for the plot and found it pretty boring, but loved it for the zoyalai romance & the few cute genyavid crumbs!
maida's review against another edition
2.0
āZoya of the lost city. Zoya of the garden. Zoya bleeding in the snow. You are strong enough to survive the fall.ā
Iām so sad right now oh my god.
I donāt think I made it very clear how much I was anticipating this book, but I really was. I was so excited to get to see my baby Nina again, I forced myself to read the whole Grisha trilogy so I could read this book. It was so not worth it.
I feel baited. This whole duology feels like a ploy to make fans of Six of Crows that didnāt read the Grisha trilogy read it (and viceversa) so they could get to this one. What was the point of having two different storylines if they are never going to connect? King of Scars felt so disjointed, the perspectives have literally nothing to do with each other. This ābookā has two separate books in it. What.
King of Scars was so poorly paced I was astounded. Ninaās storyline was fine at a surface level and I really enjoyed the exploration of grief through her perspective, but the pacing was so slow. So painfully slow. Half of her very repetitive chapters couldāve been cut out and it wouldāve been fine. Seriously. It was so boring.
Nikolaiās perspective, even though heās supposedly the titular character of this book, felt lackluster. There wasnāt much of an arc for him. At all. Nikolai was the only character I liked from the Grisha trilogy and now it doesnāt feel like I know him as a character anymore. The one thing I enjoyed from his perspective was his relationship with Zoyaā¦ because I fucking love Zoya.
Iām so glad we got to see her outside of Alinaās perspective. Sheās pretty much the only reason I didnāt give this book 1 star. I really liked that she finally got some character development. Her perspective was the only one I cared for. I really enjoyed everything about her, to be honest.
Most of the characters, besides the mother fucking Queen of Storms ā¢ Zoya, felt like shells of their original characters. And the ones that were added werenāt much better either. Is this really the same author that wrote Six of Crows?
With that said, here are some small things that kept me going:
ā¢ The fact that Leoni is the girl that Jesperās mother saved? Oh my god?
ā¢ Mal and Alina not being in this book. Seriously. The whole time I was scared they were going to pop up all of the sudden.
ā¢ Zoya and Nikolaiās relationship. I know I already mentioned it but oh my god. They are perfect for each other.
ā¢ Matthiasā eulogy.
ā¢ Whenever the dregs were mentioned my heart jumped out of my throat. I love them. I wish they were here.
As for things that made me want to die:
ā¢ I hated the ending. So much.
ā¢ How boring this whole book was. Yup. Iām sad.
ā¢ Nina working by herself all of the sudden? What was the point of her arc in soc then?
ā¢ The constant unnecessary switch of perspectives for the sake of keeping the reader interested. It didnāt, by the way.
ā¢ The quote-on-quote insta-lovey relationship between Nina and Hanne. Donāt get me wrong, Iām all inā¦ but cāmon give me at least some development.
To be honest, the only reason I didnāt DNF this book is because of how much time I lost reading the Grisha trilogy. I was already way too committed to turn around and not finishing it. Anyway, I hope the next oneās better?
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
Iām so sad right now oh my god.
I donāt think I made it very clear how much I was anticipating this book, but I really was. I was so excited to get to see my baby Nina again, I forced myself to read the whole Grisha trilogy so I could read this book. It was so not worth it.
I feel baited. This whole duology feels like a ploy to make fans of Six of Crows that didnāt read the Grisha trilogy read it (and viceversa) so they could get to this one. What was the point of having two different storylines if they are never going to connect? King of Scars felt so disjointed, the perspectives have literally nothing to do with each other. This ābookā has two separate books in it. What.
King of Scars was so poorly paced I was astounded. Ninaās storyline was fine at a surface level and I really enjoyed the exploration of grief through her perspective, but the pacing was so slow. So painfully slow. Half of her very repetitive chapters couldāve been cut out and it wouldāve been fine. Seriously. It was so boring.
Nikolaiās perspective, even though heās supposedly the titular character of this book, felt lackluster. There wasnāt much of an arc for him. At all. Nikolai was the only character I liked from the Grisha trilogy and now it doesnāt feel like I know him as a character anymore. The one thing I enjoyed from his perspective was his relationship with Zoyaā¦ because I fucking love Zoya.
Iām so glad we got to see her outside of Alinaās perspective. Sheās pretty much the only reason I didnāt give this book 1 star. I really liked that she finally got some character development. Her perspective was the only one I cared for. I really enjoyed everything about her, to be honest.
Most of the characters, besides the mother fucking Queen of Storms ā¢ Zoya, felt like shells of their original characters. And the ones that were added werenāt much better either. Is this really the same author that wrote Six of Crows?
With that said, here are some small things that kept me going:
ā¢ The fact that Leoni is the girl that Jesperās mother saved? Oh my god?
ā¢ Mal and Alina not being in this book. Seriously. The whole time I was scared they were going to pop up all of the sudden.
ā¢ Zoya and Nikolaiās relationship. I know I already mentioned it but oh my god. They are perfect for each other.
ā¢ Matthiasā eulogy.
ā¢ Whenever the dregs were mentioned my heart jumped out of my throat. I love them. I wish they were here.
As for things that made me want to die:
ā¢
Spoiler
The Darkling. Why.ā¢ How boring this whole book was. Yup. Iām sad.
ā¢ Nina working by herself all of the sudden? What was the point of her arc in soc then?
ā¢ The constant unnecessary switch of perspectives for the sake of keeping the reader interested. It didnāt, by the way.
ā¢ The quote-on-quote insta-lovey relationship between Nina and Hanne. Donāt get me wrong, Iām all inā¦ but cāmon give me at least some development.
To be honest, the only reason I didnāt DNF this book is because of how much time I lost reading the Grisha trilogy. I was already way too committed to turn around and not finishing it. Anyway, I hope the next oneās better?
3. A book that you are prompted to read because of something you read in 2019
amelia_rose_20's review
adventurous
mysterious
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
3.75
7/10 | "King of Scars" by Leigh Bardugo, despite its imperfections, shines through as a delightful read, its depth anchored in the brilliantly crafted multifaceted characters.
Content Warnings
Minor: Violence, Addiction, and Abandonment
lauracurrieee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-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
3.0
I went into this with quite high expectations after reading the previous Grishaverse books, particularly the Six of Crows duology. I was excited by having POVs from Zoya, Nikolai and Nina as they were characters that were stand outs for me. However, as you may have noticed, this book has taken me FOREVER to get through. I just could not get into it. The chapters were super long and slow. The first 260 pages (50%) of the book almost had me tempted to give up and DNF, which I never do. There was so much repeated information and repeated internal monologue in that first half of the book. I don't mind world building normally, but when you mix in repetition, political landscapes and a slow plot that's from three different POVs with long chapter, well you're lucky people keep reading.
Anyway, I pushed through and I'm glad I did. The plot finally picked up and we got some pay off for all the tedious building, it was a little weird but it worked. It finishes on a twist that I didn't see coming and the stakes were high for the last 20% of the book. Zoya was a highlight, I feel her characterisation continued seamlessly and continued to develop well in this book. I like Nikolai, but I missed some of the sass! I liked the introduction of Hanne, I think she was engaging and I'm looking forward to seeing how her story develops. Overall, the second half of this book saves it from what I thought was going to be a two star read. If you can push through the first half, it becomes a reasonable 3/5 stars.
P.S I liked the allusion to Beatuy and the Beast with the grey stuff.
Anyway, I pushed through and I'm glad I did. The plot finally picked up and we got some pay off for all the tedious building, it was a little weird but it worked. It finishes on a twist that I didn't see coming and the stakes were high for the last 20% of the book. Zoya was a highlight, I feel her characterisation continued seamlessly and continued to develop well in this book. I like Nikolai, but I missed some of the sass! I liked the introduction of Hanne, I think she was engaging and I'm looking forward to seeing how her story develops. Overall, the second half of this book saves it from what I thought was going to be a two star read. If you can push through the first half, it becomes a reasonable 3/5 stars.
P.S I liked the allusion to Beatuy and the Beast with the grey stuff.