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A review by nightfell
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
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