A review by claudiamacpherson
Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Enemies are closing in on Ravka, and Nikolai is still not free of his demon. Zoya possesses a strange new power that she is still learning to understand. Nina is hiding in plain sight at the heart of Fjerda: the Ice Court. Ravka’s enemies are on the move. Will the too-quick fox be able to outsmart them one more time and keep his crown? Will Zoya open up enough to let in those who care for her—and use her new abilities? Will Nina forgive the wrongs done her and save those she loves?

The shining star of this book was the relationships.
I love Zoya and Nikolai—like, <i>really</i> love them; the blue ribbon made me go insane)— but Nina and Hanne might actually be my favorite fictional wlw. I love a slow burn, and the development of their relationship was excruciatingly slow through <i>King of Scars</i> and first part of <i>Rule of Wolves</i>. I was devastated when I thought that Hanne had died, and so relieved (but still worried for them) when I realized what she’d done. I’m going to need Bardugo to write another installment ASAP about the two of them ruling Fjerda.


To be honest, I wish Bardugo had come up with a new antagonist instead of bringing the Darkling back (I liked how his death in <i>Ruin and Rising</i> was very similar to Lord Voldemort’s in <i>Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows</i>: it was almost anticlimactic in that it felt like a very final, mortal end for a character that had been essentially immortal), but since we got him, I thought Bardugo did a good job with the ending.
The only thing that made up for bringing him back was how Bardugo wrote his second end. I am a sucker for sacrifice, and the Darkling’s unceasing desire for Ravka to love him—even at the cost of eternal suffering—was well done. I agree with Zoya and Genya that his sacrifice does not absolve him of his many crimes, but I also agree that he should not have to remain there forever. I hope someday Bardugo will write more on that.


Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the general vibe of the ending):
Happy, for the most part...but if Bardugo doesn’t write more in the Grishaverse, I will be very disappointed.
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