King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Rating – 4.5 out of 5
A year after the Crooked Kingdom, life at the Ravkan court is back in full swing. Nina has been helping Nikolai with protecting Grisha in Fjerda. Fjerda is still dangerous for Grisha and Nina uses her newly found powers to find new recruits. At home in Ravka, religious fanatics are whispering about the Darkling. With Nikolai and Zoya looking for answers near the Fold, the Triumvirate has to fend for themselves. All while finding a way to convince the world to help with the battle against Jurda Pardem.
Favorite Quote
“Stop punishing yourself for being someone with a heart. You cannot protect yourself from suffering. To live is to grieve. You are not protecting yourself by shutting yourself off from the world. You are limiting yourself.” ― Leigh Bardugo, King of Scars
Why I liked King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
When I found Leigh Bardugo and read the trilogy then the duology, I fell in love. Her writing was exactly what I was looking for in an adventure series. She does a beautiful job of writing characters that keep you invested in the larger story. I have a great deal of respect for any writer who can write engaging characters that you remember months later. I was also happy to read this book since Nikolai is a favorite of mine from the Shadow and Bone Trilogy. I’m happy he got his own series in the broader world.
To be honest, though, I would have also liked to see Nina having her own book after what happened in Crooked Kingdom. She is a powerhouse in her own right, as are most of the women in the Grishaverse. In fact, now that I’m thinking of it, all the women in these books should have their own series. Genya, Inej, Nina, Zoya, and so many more are all more interesting characters than the men (sorry, Kaz and Nikolai…). More adventure books should focus on women. Idk.
Spoilers ahead!
I’m not happy with how this book ended. I was a little annoyed when the topic of the Darkling came up again but figured it might work out, like a side story to a larger story. But no. Just full-on Darkling. Again. UGH.
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