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chaotic_abi's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Murder, Violence, and Gun violence
Moderate: Drug use and Torture
Minor: Child abuse, Confinement, and Sexual assault
theespressoedition's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
tense
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
3.0
Oh, Leigh, you broke my heart with this ending.
After binging Shadow and Bone on Netflix at least 10x in a row, I was so excited to pick up the last of the Grishaverse novels to fill even more of my mind with this world that I've come to adore so much.
King of Scars sent me on such an adventure and I was thrilled by the phenomenal cliffhanger. I couldn't wait to see how this picked up where that left off - but I was honestly disappointed overall.
To cohesively share my thoughts on this book, it must be jam-packed with spoilers from here on out. I enjoyed the adventure, seeing so many of the characters fully embrace themselves, and the reunions with other members of the Grishaverse that we've loved over the years. There were also some seriously sweet moments - specifically between Zoya and Nikolai - that brought such joy. I will say that I continue to hope for another book in the future. One that clears up the plot holes and the cliffhanger ending (because really, who ends a series on a cliffhanger?)
Why on earth did David have to die? And in such a cruel manner, no less. I've always been someone who appreciated a well-timed character ending to bring about emotion, but in the final book, I feel like it's really unfair to the reader (and the characters). Genya had been through far too much already and she and David were finally getting comfortable in married life and finding themselves. It shattered my heart into a million pieces.
Nikolai gave up his throne. Literally what he's been fighting for since day one. And he gave it up. I am shook by this. I realize he loves Zoya and respects her enough to sacrifice for her, but I think it could have easily been that he found a way to give her a title so she could still be his queen, rather than just fully handing the crown to her.
My heart sped up when they brought The Darkling to Alina and Mal - only to find them totally weak, easy to fool, and just nothing like themselves. I would think Alina would have seen The Darkling's motives from a mile away!
Another confusing plot line was Nina and Hanne. The first half of King of Scars showed Nina grieving Matthias and unsure how to move on. It seems totally out of character for her to so quickly jump from one person to the next. I would've loved to see her encourage Hanne exploring her identity, but not necessarily getting with them in a romantic sense. Nina is a really confident character who loves her home and wanted nothing more than to go back there, so to give all of that up in order to stay with Hanne - and not even as herself, but as Mila - just hit me wrong.
The Darkling didn't seem like himself either. He was witty and sardonic but didn't display the same level of power or finesse that we've come to expect from the character. I mean, he sacrificed himself in the end? And for what? He didn't receive any glory or praise from it.
All in all, it felt like this book wasn't even canon. I was so baffled by how different it was from the rest of the series. Like, take it out of the Grishaverse entirely and give the characters other names and I would've loved it for the story itself. However, it really did read more like fanfiction than anything else. Soooo less-than-stellar ending? That's a huge bummer but it's alright because I can just read the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology an infinite number of times for the rest of forever and be perfectly satisfied.
After binging Shadow and Bone on Netflix at least 10x in a row, I was so excited to pick up the last of the Grishaverse novels to fill even more of my mind with this world that I've come to adore so much.
King of Scars sent me on such an adventure and I was thrilled by the phenomenal cliffhanger. I couldn't wait to see how this picked up where that left off - but I was honestly disappointed overall.
To cohesively share my thoughts on this book, it must be jam-packed with spoilers from here on out. I enjoyed the adventure, seeing so many of the characters fully embrace themselves, and the reunions with other members of the Grishaverse that we've loved over the years. There were also some seriously sweet moments - specifically between Zoya and Nikolai - that brought such joy. I will say that I continue to hope for another book in the future. One that clears up the plot holes and the cliffhanger ending (because really, who ends a series on a cliffhanger?)
Nikolai gave up his throne. Literally what he's been fighting for since day one. And he gave it up. I am shook by this. I realize he loves Zoya and respects her enough to sacrifice for her, but I think it could have easily been that he found a way to give her a title so she could still be his queen, rather than just fully handing the crown to her.
My heart sped up when they brought The Darkling to Alina and Mal - only to find them totally weak, easy to fool, and just nothing like themselves. I would think Alina would have seen The Darkling's motives from a mile away!
Another confusing plot line was Nina and Hanne. The first half of King of Scars showed Nina grieving Matthias and unsure how to move on. It seems totally out of character for her to so quickly jump from one person to the next. I would've loved to see her encourage Hanne exploring her identity, but not necessarily getting with them in a romantic sense. Nina is a really confident character who loves her home and wanted nothing more than to go back there, so to give all of that up in order to stay with Hanne - and not even as herself, but as Mila - just hit me wrong.
The Darkling didn't seem like himself either. He was witty and sardonic but didn't display the same level of power or finesse that we've come to expect from the character. I mean, he sacrificed himself in the end? And for what? He didn't receive any glory or praise from it.
All in all, it felt like this book wasn't even canon. I was so baffled by how different it was from the rest of the series. Like, take it out of the Grishaverse entirely and give the characters other names and I would've loved it for the story itself. However, it really did read more like fanfiction than anything else. Soooo less-than-stellar ending? That's a huge bummer but it's alright because I can just read the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology an infinite number of times for the rest of forever and be perfectly satisfied.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Grief, and Death
daydreamermoonwalker's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Grief, Murder, Torture, and Violence
beckyyyy's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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? It's complicated
4.75
I enjoyed this book a lot like I do all of Leigh Bardugo's books. The plot was good, the characters were good (although there was one charcters chapter I didnt like but I just don't like that character but the plot line for the was still good.) The action was great and there was lots of unexpected things to keep me excited to read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Drug use, Grief, Murder, Misogyny, Racism, and Sexism
blakethebookeater's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
inspiring
mysterious
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
https://youtu.be/_dH-mSya8uY
This. Book. Is. A. Masterpiece.
WOWOOWOWOWOW. Now this is how you end a series.
I can't say too much without going into spoilers, but DAMN Leigh really played with ALL of my emotions throughout this entire book. It was action-packed, intense, emotional, and perfect. A wonderful finale to the end of this duology and also the entire Grishaverse. It's definitely worth it to read the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology before this series as it makes this book pack a huge punch, but even just being a sequel to King of Scars it is PERFECT.
Nina, Zoya, and Nikolai are all at the BEST they have EVER been in this entire universe and it's such an amazing thing to see. I need more people to read this book so I can scream about it with them
This. Book. Is. A. Masterpiece.
WOWOOWOWOWOW. Now this is how you end a series.
I can't say too much without going into spoilers, but DAMN Leigh really played with ALL of my emotions throughout this entire book. It was action-packed, intense, emotional, and perfect. A wonderful finale to the end of this duology and also the entire Grishaverse. It's definitely worth it to read the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology before this series as it makes this book pack a huge punch, but even just being a sequel to King of Scars it is PERFECT.
Nina, Zoya, and Nikolai are all at the BEST they have EVER been in this entire universe and it's such an amazing thing to see. I need more people to read this book so I can scream about it with them
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Medical trauma, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Drug abuse, Drug use, Murder, Racism, Torture, and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Rape, and Slavery
booksandcat's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Murder, and Torture
Minor: Slavery
bookcrushin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Physical abuse, Murder, and Violence
totallyshelfaware's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Drug abuse, Death, Blood, and Addiction
Moderate: Sexism, Miscarriage, Religious bigotry, Body horror, Bullying, Grief, Medical trauma, and Murder
Minor: Rape and Adult/minor relationship
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
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? It's complicated
3.5
incoming rant review:
first thing first, i love these characters SO MUCH. i would literally die for zoya, nikolai, genya, david, the gang, everyone (except the darkling, he can leave). bardugo created a bunch of characters that i root HARD for, which is rare for me these days :'(
BUT - this book was something... incoming spoilers
everything from the plot to the characters actions/dialogue/(questionable)development was flat and odd and argh, so DISAPPOINTED.
first thing: what was with zoya's inner monologue for her development? all this stuff about needing to open up and love other people, not be so cold etc etc etc. it just felt so forced and inorganic and honestly, why cant we have a strong female MC who does not apologize for being like that????? also her suli heritage? was so random and not really played a massive role in the plot, when it could have
nina: what was that? i dont like her staying at fjerda with Hanne (who i liked being trans [?] but i dont like how vague it was made and not dealt with properly, like pronouns) and kind of not grieving mathias in this book (it was a sudden shift from the first book)
nikolai: loved him giving up his crown but his relationship with zoya went from 0-100 in this book. we had the slow burn/sass in KoS, which was lovely. but in this one, it was so quick, and not much banner etc. it just felt too rushed and i wish it wasnt because i loved there relationship so much
other points: WHY DID DAVID DIE??? not really a consequence being as he wasnt there much and then didnt come back to impact the plot for long...
generally: i wish we only focused on the politics and not the magic. we had magic in the first series so it would have been cool to see the political problems of Ravaka. and since we had both, neither were done well. a third book would have helped make the ending not rushed at all. and the darkling? juris? that whole subplot was so weak and just an afterthought really. and i can't believe they are literally going to make the crows go on a heist to get the heart so they can kill the darkling, HE IS A SUCKY VILLAIN LET HIM STAY DEAD. also, why the cameo of the crows??? it felt so fan-servicy and unnecessary
in conclusion: super disappointed in this from both a weak plot point and illogical/weird character development/action. still love these characters though
first thing first, i love these characters SO MUCH. i would literally die for zoya, nikolai, genya, david, the gang, everyone (except the darkling, he can leave). bardugo created a bunch of characters that i root HARD for, which is rare for me these days :'(
BUT - this book was something... incoming spoilers
everything from the plot to the characters actions/dialogue/(questionable)development was flat and odd and argh, so DISAPPOINTED.
first thing: what was with zoya's inner monologue for her development? all this stuff about needing to open up and love other people, not be so cold etc etc etc. it just felt so forced and inorganic and honestly, why cant we have a strong female MC who does not apologize for being like that????? also her suli heritage? was so random and not really played a massive role in the plot, when it could have
nina: what was that? i dont like her staying at fjerda with Hanne (who i liked being trans [?] but i dont like how vague it was made and not dealt with properly, like pronouns) and kind of not grieving mathias in this book (it was a sudden shift from the first book)
nikolai: loved him giving up his crown but his relationship with zoya went from 0-100 in this book. we had the slow burn/sass in KoS, which was lovely. but in this one, it was so quick, and not much banner etc. it just felt too rushed and i wish it wasnt because i loved there relationship so much
other points: WHY DID DAVID DIE??? not really a consequence being as he wasnt there much and then didnt come back to impact the plot for long...
generally: i wish we only focused on the politics and not the magic. we had magic in the first series so it would have been cool to see the political problems of Ravaka. and since we had both, neither were done well. a third book would have helped make the ending not rushed at all. and the darkling? juris? that whole subplot was so weak and just an afterthought really. and i can't believe they are literally going to make the crows go on a heist to get the heart so they can kill the darkling, HE IS A SUCKY VILLAIN LET HIM STAY DEAD. also, why the cameo of the crows??? it felt so fan-servicy and unnecessary
in conclusion: super disappointed in this from both a weak plot point and illogical/weird character development/action. still love these characters though
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Gore, Grief, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, and Torture
jennalwiegand's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
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
4.5
Really loved this book! I have to say it was wayyyy better than the king of scars in my opinion. I loved the character development and general badassery of the female characters, the diverse cast and the cameos from the Dregs. My only “issue” was that a new point of view was added that I didn’t love, but I understand why it was there.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Hate crime, Gun violence, Miscarriage, Murder, Physical abuse, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Torture, and Violence