Reviews

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

iarinas's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful sad 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

5.0

This was such a great wrap-up of the Grishaverse. 

There was a lot of tension and high stakes throughout the book so that it never got boring - I will admit now that at some points there were TOO many turns and things were a little too unbelievable but I had such a fun time with this book. 

I loved Nina and Hanne so much, I was giggling and kicking my feet. Also appreciates the five pages of Wesper content lol. 

Zoya is such an amazing character, and while she didn’t NEED a romance plot point I loved the way it was done, Nikolai is just so supportive and I appreciate how there wasn’t an attempt to “soften up” Zoya for this relationship. 

I’m not a massive fan of the original Darkling plot but I think that even his character arc was wrapped up nicely. I appreciated how he was shown to be capable of a deep act if sacrifice but how this didn’t erase his past actions and suddenly make him into the hero; and how even at the end he did things due to his own vanity. 

I am now in desperate need of more Leigh Bardugo to binge.

xcrissy67x'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

4.0

After finishing the King Of Scars, I was so excited to read this book and I was not disappointed at all. I do think I prefer the first book, however, this does not mean that this book is far behind. 

Following the sequences of the last book, the Darkling has returned and war is being brought to the kingdom. Now they must find a way to prevent Ravka being destroyed and the king overthrown as well as keep the Darkling from causing destruction. 

I have many thoughts on this but the main one was WHY ARE THERE SO MANY POVS. Being thrown around from one POV to the other was rather disorientating at times and when I was getting into the flow of a storyline, I'm suddenly in a whole different kingdom. I did get frustrated because I actually quite like multiple POVs but this was a little excessive. 

Despite this, I did love pretty much all of the characters. The banter always made me smile and I felt so connected with most of the main characters. I was absolutely thrilled at the appearance of the characters from Six of Crows. 

I also loved the development of some characters. However, a theme I started to notice was how rushed some things were. My main example being Hanne and Nina. Literally had me rolling my eyes. Doesn't mean the development wasn't there, but it was just so sudden. 

The plot had me hooked for the most part. The politics were simplistic enough for a slightly slow person like myself to follow, and trust me. I really hate politics. There were some sections where I felt it added nothing to the story or it dragged a little, so I do admit that this book took longer than I wanted. However, by the end I was bouncing in my bed and internally screaming. 

One criticism I have is that there was just so much going on that I was getting a little muddled. I mentioned the excessive amount of POVs, some of which I think we're unnecessary. But there were many plot points that got lost in the middle of the rest of the plot points. Some things just completely disappeared altogether, while some things made an appearance, disappeared and then suddenly came back at the most random time. I completely forgot who the Apparat was by the end of the book. 

Though I had to flick back a few times to wrap my head around what was going on, I did enjoy this book a lot. The characters had my heart aching and the plot was intriguing, though a little confusing at times. It felt as though there was going to be more coming in this book universe and I look forward to reading more from Bardugo. 

c_humo's review against another edition

adventurous emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

signeskov's review against another edition

adventurous funny

• 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

jwoolley's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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

4.5

remmslupin's review against another edition

adventurous 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

4.25

moonvers3's review against another edition

5.0

I—


I have no words.
I’m also screaming. Kahsksjskdkkdkd.

gmbrooks02's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful 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

5.0

charlotte_louisee_'s review against another edition

emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

infinite_helix's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional 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? It's complicated

5.0

Look, I will admit to skepticism once

the Saints became, like, real and living in some pocket dimension wtf

but I held on and boy howdy did it pay off. I was very scared that Nicolai

would lose his demon (unfortunate end to angst and the Kanej parallels) or actually die (which would've probably killed me)

but I was so satisfied with how it turned out. The hair ribbon?!?!?!

DRAGON QUEEN ZOYA?!?!

I'm deceased. And so is

David

and I was crying at my desk at work from that and the reveal about

Joran

, thanks a lot LB, I'm a wreck forever now.

Nina's part of the story in KoS felt very disconnected from the main conflict, but the two main plots come together very well in RoW. I connected perhaps a lil too close to home with Hanne (are we calling him/them(?) Hanne? I need answers). Oh Nina Zenick, my love, your wiles literally changed the course of the world and stopped a genocidal maniac from taking power, saints you're incredible.
I did expect Nina's power to come in more handedly in the Big Finale, given she was

flying on Dragon!Zoya's back over a field full of dead bodies

but I get why it didn't.

I was so so so jazzed with the way everything came together, it was supremely satisfying and I am once again championing the Good Old Fashioned Lover Boy/Killer Queen dynamic, especially when it includes them both having a soft side for each other, being each others' safety and peace. Omg the loving nagging disguised as You're An Idiot was gonna be the death of me, yall are TOO CUTE!!!


I was sold this duology as the two main Grishaverse serieses coming together, which they did, but there was not nearly so much of the Crows as I was led to believe—though they did steal the show every scene they were in. 

The ending is open enough for more, and I really really really really want more please please please!!!