Scan barcode
A review by pagebypaigereviews
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
4.5
The new King of Ravka is not what he seems.
"The monster is me and I am the monster."
After the Darkling's defeat, Nikolai ushers in a new era of peace and ingenuity. But he and his most trusted allies are harboring a dark secret from the masses: Nikolai has not completely recovered from the Darkling's curse, and the monster inside him constantly battles him for control. Meanwhile Nina works undercover in enemy territory, carrying precious cargo. Something dark calls to her, persistent enough to convince her not to give in to the sorrow that threatens to consume her.
King of Scars is the first of the newest series in the Grishaverse. This was a highly anticipated read, as the main character, Nikolai, is one of my all-time favorite characters. Even so, it was a bit of a slow start for me, and I actually ended up putting it down for a while before coming back to it, but I'm so glad I did!
As always, I adore Bardugo's writing style, but the plot and character development in this book were the best I've seen thus far. Her characters are so easy to get attached to. The magic in this series is on another level compared to the other Grishaverse books! I was pulled in to the story once it got going. It had me alternatively laughing and fighting tears, such was the emotional journey.
The hardest part for me was seeing Nikolai not always acting like the character I knew and loved from the other books. Since he is a main character, we get much more from him than just his witty charm, and reading about his inner turmoil was a little different than what I expected. Also, some of the content may be disturbing to younger readers, so I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading.
Overall, I gave it 4.5 / 5 stars! This is by far my favorite book in the Grishaverse series so far and I am excited to get my hands on the next book, Rule of Wolves!
"The monster is me and I am the monster."
After the Darkling's defeat, Nikolai ushers in a new era of peace and ingenuity. But he and his most trusted allies are harboring a dark secret from the masses: Nikolai has not completely recovered from the Darkling's curse, and the monster inside him constantly battles him for control. Meanwhile Nina works undercover in enemy territory, carrying precious cargo. Something dark calls to her, persistent enough to convince her not to give in to the sorrow that threatens to consume her.
King of Scars is the first of the newest series in the Grishaverse. This was a highly anticipated read, as the main character, Nikolai, is one of my all-time favorite characters. Even so, it was a bit of a slow start for me, and I actually ended up putting it down for a while before coming back to it, but I'm so glad I did!
As always, I adore Bardugo's writing style, but the plot and character development in this book were the best I've seen thus far. Her characters are so easy to get attached to. The magic in this series is on another level compared to the other Grishaverse books! I was pulled in to the story once it got going. It had me alternatively laughing and fighting tears, such was the emotional journey.
The hardest part for me was seeing Nikolai not always acting like the character I knew and loved from the other books. Since he is a main character, we get much more from him than just his witty charm, and reading about his inner turmoil was a little different than what I expected. Also, some of the content may be disturbing to younger readers, so I would highly recommend checking out the trigger warnings before reading.
Overall, I gave it 4.5 / 5 stars! This is by far my favorite book in the Grishaverse series so far and I am excited to get my hands on the next book, Rule of Wolves!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Grief, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt and Pregnancy
Minor: Adult/minor relationship and Child abuse