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marine2907's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Murder, Child abuse, Medical content, Drug use, Death, Grief, Violence, Addiction, Body horror, Drug abuse, Abandonment, Adult/minor relationship, Injury/Injury detail, War, Alcohol, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
jessiereads98'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
Leigh Bardugo’s best work. The world she’s built through the past 2 duologies comes together beautifully here. Seeing past characters again was a delight. The pacing here is also consistent rather than shoving a bunch of action into the final 100 pages. My heart was repeatedly broken and put back together.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Death, War, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, Violence, and Grief
Moderate: Physical abuse, Medical content, Genocide, Slavery, Body horror, Torture, Confinement, Drug use, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Drug abuse, Sexual violence, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Child abuse, Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Addiction, and Alcohol
andra_mihaela_s's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
3.5 stars!
In this sequel we continue the story from book 1 after some time has passed. We try to deal with the aftermath of The Darkling's revival and the problems up north with the Fjerdans that Nina send word.
This one was a slow start...I don't reread books that often and for 200pages a was quite bored:(
We have the following perspectives alternating via chapters as Leigh Bardugo usually does:(in order of how much I liked them): Mayu, Nikolai, Zoya,The Monk and Nina.
CW: experimentation; violence; war crimes; drug use;
The atmosphere was tense and really good(a plus that arises from the author's writing style...so if you enjoyed that in other books by her...you'll like it here as well )
But when it comes to the plot....i feel that we had too much on our plates for most of the book...we have the workings of a war with Fjerda(battles, espionage, secrets revealed and all that); we have the political problem that Mayu created in the last book that is mixed in with some morality issues and suffering by people; we have the strange happenings that are connected to the fold somehow; we have the Darkling and his agenda; we have Nina's mission and her relationship with Hanne AND we have Nikolai and Zoya's dynamic to account for....pretty much if you ask me.
I will admit that all of this have a good/ good enough conclusion by the end..but it definitely feels like the author left a BIG door..more like a gate...>..>...to come back and add more books...and I don't know if they're necessary:(
As I said...in the first 200pages the pacing was rough...I kept reading this one due to the chapter /perspective carusel: I constantly found myself wanting to know more about what character was doing. After that...things started to pick up..we have a war on our hands and Hanne and Nina's story started to take shape into something a FINALLY began to enjoy...loved how Hanne managed to achieve a form she felt comfortable in at last.^^
I also enjoyed Mayu's development even though she wasn't necessary the main focus. But despite these praises...I FIRMLY BELIEVE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WAS LACKING , especially for the lesser known POVs :(
We have 2 sad/ shocking moments in the book..one in Ravka and one with the Fjerdans and i must say...that these 2 cannot hold the whole book....-_-
We also have a small part with some beloved characters and a deeply enjoyed them.
Zoya's insecurities were really good and explored as were Nikolai's but...still...not enough to justify the why they had such a struggle in regards to their relationship until the end....>..>
I also hoped for more Darkling..and I understand what the author tried to do with him...but yeah...not sure if I like the ending.
Overall, I expected a little bit more character work..the action scenes were nicely done and mostly landed well for me. I enjoyed that Fjerda's people were presented as more than frightened monsters towards Grisha(but I wanted more complexity from Prince Rasmus, the Queen and Hanne's family..especially her family..>..>); Mayu's side of things were explored well enough although I felt potential in regards to the Shu Han story that wasn't realised; the religion bit was nice and the crossover with other important characters in this universe was great! ^^
I recommend this book if you've read the first book and want to be up-to-date, but be aware you'll finish this book and feel not completely satisfied.
Enjoy
In this sequel we continue the story from book 1 after some time has passed. We try to deal with the aftermath of The Darkling's revival and the problems up north with the Fjerdans that Nina send word.
This one was a slow start...I don't reread books that often and for 200pages a was quite bored:(
We have the following perspectives alternating via chapters as Leigh Bardugo usually does:(in order of how much I liked them): Mayu, Nikolai, Zoya,The Monk and Nina.
CW: experimentation; violence; war crimes; drug use;
The atmosphere was tense and really good(a plus that arises from the author's writing style...so if you enjoyed that in other books by her...you'll like it here as well )
But when it comes to the plot....i feel that we had too much on our plates for most of the book...we have the workings of a war with Fjerda(battles, espionage, secrets revealed and all that); we have the political problem that Mayu created in the last book that is mixed in with some morality issues and suffering by people; we have the strange happenings that are connected to the fold somehow; we have the Darkling and his agenda; we have Nina's mission and her relationship with Hanne AND we have Nikolai and Zoya's dynamic to account for....pretty much if you ask me.
I will admit that all of this have a good/ good enough conclusion by the end..but it definitely feels like the author left a BIG door..more like a gate...>..>...to come back and add more books...and I don't know if they're necessary:(
As I said...in the first 200pages the pacing was rough...I kept reading this one due to the chapter /perspective carusel: I constantly found myself wanting to know more about what character was doing. After that...things started to pick up..we have a war on our hands and Hanne and Nina's story started to take shape into something a FINALLY began to enjoy...loved how Hanne managed to achieve a form she felt comfortable in at last.^^
I also enjoyed Mayu's development even though she wasn't necessary the main focus. But despite these praises...I FIRMLY BELIEVE CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT WAS LACKING , especially for the lesser known POVs :(
We have 2 sad/ shocking moments in the book..one in Ravka and one with the Fjerdans and i must say...that these 2 cannot hold the whole book....-_-
We also have a small part with some beloved characters and a deeply enjoyed them.
Zoya's insecurities were really good and explored as were Nikolai's but...still...not enough to justify the why they had such a struggle in regards to their relationship until the end....>..>
I also hoped for more Darkling..and I understand what the author tried to do with him...but yeah...not sure if I like the ending.
Overall, I expected a little bit more character work..the action scenes were nicely done and mostly landed well for me. I enjoyed that Fjerda's people were presented as more than frightened monsters towards Grisha(but I wanted more complexity from Prince Rasmus, the Queen and Hanne's family..especially her family..>..>); Mayu's side of things were explored well enough although I felt potential in regards to the Shu Han story that wasn't realised; the religion bit was nice and the crossover with other important characters in this universe was great! ^^
I recommend this book if you've read the first book and want to be up-to-date, but be aware you'll finish this book and feel not completely satisfied.
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Racial slurs, Murder, Religious bigotry, Hate crime, Grief, Drug use, Gaslighting, Addiction, War, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Racism, Infertility, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Slavery
trintrin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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
5.0
Something can be imperfect and still be loved.
Do I know this book is mostly just a fan service? Yes. Do I still love every bit of it shamelessly? Absolutely.
Oh. My. God. I loved the way the different POVs didn't really align with each other but made sense in the grand scheme of things. And obviously, I loved the characters so much. That's where Leigh Bardugo's at her strongest. Genuinely had to hold myself back from squealing at some of the turn of events and I'm still thirsty for more Grishaverse content.
The plot was so much better than King of Scars. Like there's actually something going on in every chapter and I could feel the tenseness of the war.The whole Saints thing that I wasn't too fond of in KoS made a little bit more sense here but I still don't like it. I wanted to see more of Nikolai's charm and his ruling skills and we got it. I wanted to see how Alina and Mal were doing and we got it. I wanted to see more of Hanne and Nina and goshhh we got it. I wanted to see more of my current otp Zoyalai and we got it. I wanted to see more of the Crows and whatever shenanigans they were up to and we got that as well. I couldn't be any more happier. But-
There he comes, the man who can't let anyone be happy for once, the Darkling. Why in the name of all Saints and their mothers was he brought back? Really, it only seems like he was resurrected to give something to the Darkling stans and also to conveniently stash an immortal in a tree for world peace. This book could've done away with his plotand the rest of the Saints thing too, for that matter and still have been gripping. He was a good villain, and he should've been allowed to rest as all good villains should be once their story is over. Resurrection is pointless. And I'm not sure how I'm supposed to be feeling towards him too? Like are you trying to reinforce my point that he is a bad guy and cannot be redeemed for his sins or are you trying to portray him as a victim and that everything he did was for the love of Ravka all along?
Anyways, forget about the Starless One, let's talk about my Crow babies. A cheap party trick to pull in more readers, I know. I love it. Literally the whole Titanium subplot and the mini heist weren't needed for any reason other than to give the Crows some screen time. I missed them. Honestly, a needed refreshment after the very sad scene before all this *cough* David *cough*. Man I forgot just how much I loved and missed Kaz. The Jesper/Wylan dynamic was sooo adorable but I really don't know what purpose they served to the plot. I wish we got more of Inej Ghafa, my queen, my wife and the love of my life, but that ending points towards another Crows book so we'll see. Fingers crossed it won't just be another fan service.
Zoya Nazyalensky, you've successfully occupied the place in my heart that was reserved only for Nikolai Lantsov, how do you feel? Was Zoya terribly overpoweredand borderline breaking the laws of Small Science with the thunderstorms and stuff? I'm gonna overlook that because I freaking adore this woman. Hanne Brum, you've occupied the vacancy left by Matthias Helvar both in my heart and Nina's and there could be no one better suited for the job. Genya Safin, I will always keep wanting more and more from you, I can't help it you're so cool. And Alina... idk she felt a little out of character in this one, but I missed her and love her nonetheless. And Tamar and Nadia, and even Mayu and Ehri as well. All in all, GRISHAVERSE WOMEN>>>>>>>>
I loved the way war didn't just mean destroying the enemy until they are powerless and then sign a peace treaty. The moral dilemma of what is right and what is taking it too far, the constant where does it end? question raised throughout the book, and wondering who the actual monster is here. I know I'm contradicting saying the Darkling was included as a fan service and yet loving the Crows for the same reason, saying the Darkling's crimes cannot be forgiven and yet not minding the countless innocent lives taken away by the "good side" using the missiles. But that man was fine with a child being raped over and over I cannot vouch for him ever
TDLR; amazing book if you're a mega fan of the Grishaverse, else probably best to skip it.
Do I know this book is mostly just a fan service? Yes. Do I still love every bit of it shamelessly? Absolutely.
Oh. My. God. I loved the way the different POVs didn't really align with each other but made sense in the grand scheme of things. And obviously, I loved the characters so much. That's where Leigh Bardugo's at her strongest. Genuinely had to hold myself back from squealing at some of the turn of events and I'm still thirsty for more Grishaverse content.
The plot was so much better than King of Scars. Like there's actually something going on in every chapter and I could feel the tenseness of the war.
There he comes, the man who can't let anyone be happy for once, the Darkling. Why in the name of all Saints and their mothers was he brought back? Really, it only seems like he was resurrected to give something to the Darkling stans and also to conveniently stash an immortal in a tree for world peace. This book could've done away with his plot
Anyways, forget about the Starless One, let's talk about my Crow babies. A cheap party trick to pull in more readers, I know. I love it. Literally the whole Titanium subplot and the mini heist weren't needed for any reason other than to give the Crows some screen time. I missed them. Honestly, a needed refreshment after the very sad scene before all this *cough* David *cough*. Man I forgot just how much I loved and missed Kaz. The Jesper/Wylan dynamic was sooo adorable but I really don't know what purpose they served to the plot. I wish we got more of Inej Ghafa, my queen, my wife and the love of my life, but that ending points towards another Crows book so we'll see. Fingers crossed it won't just be another fan service.
Zoya Nazyalensky, you've successfully occupied the place in my heart that was reserved only for Nikolai Lantsov, how do you feel? Was Zoya terribly overpowered
I loved the way war didn't just mean destroying the enemy until they are powerless and then sign a peace treaty. The moral dilemma of what is right and what is taking it too far, the constant where does it end? question raised throughout the book, and wondering who the actual monster is here. I know I'm contradicting saying the Darkling was included as a fan service and yet loving the Crows for the same reason, saying the Darkling's crimes cannot be forgiven and yet not minding the countless innocent lives taken away by the "good side" using the missiles. But that man was fine with a child being raped over and over I cannot vouch for him ever
TDLR; amazing book if you're a mega fan of the Grishaverse, else probably best to skip it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Violence, Grief, Murder, and War
Moderate: Addiction, Religious bigotry, Drug use, Genocide, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Misogyny, Racism, Sexism, Slavery, Hate crime, and Xenophobia
Minor: Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Forced institutionalization, Child abuse, Sexual assault, Confinement, and Physical abuse
dark_221b's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, War, and Addiction
overbooked207's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
📖 Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo Book Review 📖
7th book of January 2023 and 7th of the year:
I’m proud of myself because I read multiple books that were very long this month, and in a short amount of time if I may add, and I hope that I continue on with this trend throughout the year!
It was so nice to be back in this world as I wait for Shadow and Bone season 2! It had strong and lovable complex characters, great writing and world-building, beautiful relationships and friendships, witty dialogue, and well-written and engaging fight scenes. Six of Crows is still my favorite series in this world, but I still enjoyed this a lot and recommend the Grishaverse as a whole! Also, the sounds I let out when the crows were mentioned were alarming😂(and that’s not a spoiler because one of the point of view narrators is a crow). TW for ableism, abuse, addiction, blood, bullying, child abuse, chronic illness, classism, confinement, death, drug use/forced drug use, dysphoria, genocide, grief, gun violence and weapons use, forced institutionalization, kidnapping, medical content/trauma, misogyny, murder, panic attacks, rape, religious bigotry, sexism, slavery, slurs, suicidal thoughts, torture, trafficking, violence, war, and xenophobia📚🫀👑🐉
7th book of January 2023 and 7th of the year:
I’m proud of myself because I read multiple books that were very long this month, and in a short amount of time if I may add, and I hope that I continue on with this trend throughout the year!
It was so nice to be back in this world as I wait for Shadow and Bone season 2! It had strong and lovable complex characters, great writing and world-building, beautiful relationships and friendships, witty dialogue, and well-written and engaging fight scenes. Six of Crows is still my favorite series in this world, but I still enjoyed this a lot and recommend the Grishaverse as a whole! Also, the sounds I let out when the crows were mentioned were alarming😂(and that’s not a spoiler because one of the point of view narrators is a crow). TW for ableism, abuse, addiction, blood, bullying, child abuse, chronic illness, classism, confinement, death, drug use/forced drug use, dysphoria, genocide, grief, gun violence and weapons use, forced institutionalization, kidnapping, medical content/trauma, misogyny, murder, panic attacks, rape, religious bigotry, sexism, slavery, slurs, suicidal thoughts, torture, trafficking, violence, war, and xenophobia📚🫀👑🐉
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Medical trauma, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Dysphoria, Grief, Gun violence, Mental illness, Murder, War, Xenophobia, Ableism, Blood, Confinement, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Medical content, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Torture
krows_ink's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
fast-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
4.25
Ughhh man did this book redeem itself from its predecessor or what??!
Hanne is actually enjoyable now that I got to learn his actual personality and he wasn’t JUST a character foil. I really like the name Ilya for him! Nina is gonna be a Queen and I wish her nothing but the best. Love our dragon queen and her whore of a prince💜💜 really good ending. Only criticism I have for the book was the rushed ending of the thorn wood. I would have gladly read another 100 pages to slow that down a little. Excited and NERVOUS about another heist. Someone will die and I’m not ready for that.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Grief, and War
jackiepreston's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Grief, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, and War
Moderate: Kidnapping, Addiction, and Misogyny
Minor: Biphobia, Drug use, Misogyny, Sexual violence, and Homophobia
paili's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Grief, Drug use, Addiction, Blood, War, Violence, Misogyny, and Gun violence
Moderate: Trafficking, Sexual assault, and Torture
Minor: Child abuse
nightfell's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
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? No
3.0
This book was too long and too plot heavy for me. King of Scars intertwined plot and character in a way that told the story in an enjoyable way whilst building character arcs and telling their backstories. Rule of Wolves was mostly building plot, which was ok, but there were many storylines that I didn't feel had to be included. These storylines limited the amount of time spent fleshing out the main characters even more, which I wanted since this book is the last book (I think) with these characters. Overall, this book was ok, I did want more character focus and more scenes between Nikoli and Zoya.
Why did Leigh Bardugo kill David? What was the reason? I've thought about it, and I genuinely don't know. I'm not even that attached to the man but why?
I loved Nikolai, Zoya and Nina throughout the duology. I love Leigh for including a trans character in the Grishaverse (Hanne/Ilya?) - sidenote, I love him but his name is NOT ILYA WTF NOOO. Wasn't the darkling's ancestor named ilya???
I did like the darkling's character arc, they didn't forgive him out of obligation, and it seemed like they healed from the trauma he inflicted. In the end he did the right thing, and now we can all finally stop talking about him.
I LOVE that in the end Zoya became the Queen, and Nikolai gave up his crown for her. No other male love interest can ascend to his level of simp (apart from cardan). However, I wish that she gained her title through her own maneuvering and power and not as a result of a man giving it to her.
I loved Nikolai and Zoya's relationship throughout the duology, I just wish they had more scenes or an arc that showed progression in their relationship. Form the beginning, I got a sense that they could have gotten together if Leigh wanted them to at any point, basically: they both seemed to want each other from the beginning, and the conflicts preventing them from being together were obviously not going to pose a serious threat to their relationship.
Why did Leigh Bardugo kill David? What was the reason? I've thought about it, and I genuinely don't know. I'm not even that attached to the man but why?
I loved Nikolai, Zoya and Nina throughout the duology. I love Leigh for including a trans character in the Grishaverse (Hanne/Ilya?) - sidenote, I love him but his name is NOT ILYA WTF NOOO. Wasn't the darkling's ancestor named ilya???
I did like the darkling's character arc, they didn't forgive him out of obligation, and it seemed like they healed from the trauma he inflicted. In the end he did the right thing, and now we can all finally stop talking about him.
I LOVE that in the end Zoya became the Queen, and Nikolai gave up his crown for her. No other male love interest can ascend to his level of simp (apart from cardan). However, I wish that she gained her title through her own maneuvering and power and not as a result of a man giving it to her.
I loved Nikolai and Zoya's relationship throughout the duology, I just wish they had more scenes or an arc that showed progression in their relationship. Form the beginning, I got a sense that they could have gotten together if Leigh wanted them to at any point, basically: they both seemed to want each other from the beginning, and the conflicts preventing them from being together were obviously not going to pose a serious threat to their relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War
Moderate: Dysphoria, Addiction, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Minor: Death, Confinement, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Rape