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A review by chaptersonapage
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
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
Please note: while this is spoiler free for King of Scars, it takes place after the Shadow and Bone Trilogy and Six of Crows duology and will have some spoilers for those books.
King of Scars takes place several years after the Shadow and Bone trilogy and shortly after the Six of Crows duology. It primarily follows Nikolai and Zoya from the original trilogy, and Nina from the Six of Crows books.
Nikolai has been struggling since his last appearance in the books. Though the monster had receded for a while after Alina took down the Darkling, It’s been coming back some nights and he doesn’t have much control over it. He is new king he needs to work hard to cure himself or risk the whole kingdom. Though he is struggling with his demons, he still is the same witty and charming Nikolai we knew in the original trilogy. As a King, he has a lot more responsibility, but he works hard for his country. He’s dedicated and does what he needs to do to make his kingdom as successful as it can be.
Zoya is his commander and a trusted confidant. She’s grown since the start of the series, and it’s refreshing getting to see her progress as a character. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about her and her backstory, and her quick tongue is always good for a laugh.
Nina returns to us from the Six of Crows books, having come back to Ravka to work with the Grisha again. she’s with a small crew who has gone up to Fjerda on a mission, with her own side mission of finding a resting place for Matthias. I found her very interesting to read about because I love learning about her powers. She’s finally learning how to use it and how to handle her new life in general. She misses Matthias and it’s a struggle, but she’s tough and has a big heart.
Many other characters return from the other two book series. It’s great to get to see who Adrik grows into as he gets older, as well as getting to see what the twins and Genya are up to. Everyone seems to have really grown up and I enjoyed seeing where life has taken them after a few years.
Overall, while it took me a while to read this book, I did really enjoy it. I considered giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5, but I think that’s because it’s hard to live up to my love for the Six of Crows duology. Those books aside, I really enjoyed reading this and am interested to see how the next book progresses.
King of Scars takes place several years after the Shadow and Bone trilogy and shortly after the Six of Crows duology. It primarily follows Nikolai and Zoya from the original trilogy, and Nina from the Six of Crows books.
Nikolai has been struggling since his last appearance in the books. Though the monster had receded for a while after Alina took down the Darkling, It’s been coming back some nights and he doesn’t have much control over it. He is new king he needs to work hard to cure himself or risk the whole kingdom. Though he is struggling with his demons, he still is the same witty and charming Nikolai we knew in the original trilogy. As a King, he has a lot more responsibility, but he works hard for his country. He’s dedicated and does what he needs to do to make his kingdom as successful as it can be.
Zoya is his commander and a trusted confidant. She’s grown since the start of the series, and it’s refreshing getting to see her progress as a character. I really enjoyed getting to learn more about her and her backstory, and her quick tongue is always good for a laugh.
Nina returns to us from the Six of Crows books, having come back to Ravka to work with the Grisha again. she’s with a small crew who has gone up to Fjerda on a mission, with her own side mission of finding a resting place for Matthias. I found her very interesting to read about because I love learning about her powers. She’s finally learning how to use it and how to handle her new life in general. She misses Matthias and it’s a struggle, but she’s tough and has a big heart.
Many other characters return from the other two book series. It’s great to get to see who Adrik grows into as he gets older, as well as getting to see what the twins and Genya are up to. Everyone seems to have really grown up and I enjoyed seeing where life has taken them after a few years.
Overall, while it took me a while to read this book, I did really enjoy it. I considered giving it 4.5 stars instead of 5, but I think that’s because it’s hard to live up to my love for the Six of Crows duology. Those books aside, I really enjoyed reading this and am interested to see how the next book progresses.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug abuse and Grief