Review: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Title: King of Scars

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: Nikolai Duology #1

Genre: Fantasy/YA

Publisher: Imprint

Publication Date: January 29th, 2019

Edition: Hardcover, 514 pages

Source: Purchased

Purchase: Amazon US | Barnes & Noble | Book Depository | BAM | iBooks

Synopsis:

   Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war—and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

   Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried—and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

  I did it, finally, after three months, I finished this book. Mild spoilers for KoS and don't read this if you haven't read any of the other Grisha books.  

I have, along with the rest of the world who've read the Grisha Trilogy, wanted a Nikolai book since his character was introduced. He was hands down my favorite thing in Seige and Storm, and his role in Ruin and Rising was fantastic. I actually slammed my book shut and slammed it against my desk when I got to the part when I thought he was going to die as a Monster.

I wasn't expecting to get POV chapters of Nina again, but I am glad that I did. She's a great character, and it seems the only morally gray character in this series. But in war and when dealing with the things she has to be morally gray at times. Interesting that she's the morally gray one when in the Crow's series she was one of the more soft-hearted of the group.

With other chapters narrated by Nikolai and Zoya, along with a handful of side characters, this had a well-rounded perspective.

I think Zoya is a new favorite character from the Grishaverse. I wasn't expecting to like her. I don't remember feeling one way or another about her when I read the Grisha trilogy. But after learning more about her past, I love her character. And I am shipping her and Nikolai.

The latter half of this book took a strange turn, and I became slightly less invested in parts of the plot. Things seemed less connected, and I wasn't sure what the endpoint was going to be.

But then the ending happened, and I am not sure how I feel about it. On one hand, it was unexpected and I like being surprised, but I'm not really sure what more can be said/done with his character. We'll see I guess.

The length of time it took me to finish this book has nothing to do with how good it is. I've just been in a bit of a reading slump.