Review: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Title: King of Scars Series: Nikolai Duology #1 Written by: Leigh Bardugo Published: January 29, 2019 by Imprint (Macmillain) (Amazon / Goodreads) 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.

When I finished this book, I was still completely in shock from it. I loved The Grisha trilogy when I read it back before Ruin and Rising came out and since then I have been totally in love with this world and everything Leigh rights. So when I heard she was fighting a series about Nikolai I was so excited. And this book did not disappoint. It was a gripping and amazing read.

One of the things that excited me most about this book was the characters. In this one we are able to catch back up not only with characters from the original Grisha trilogy but also Six of Crows. I loved being able to catch back up with Genya, David, Tolya, Tamar... the list goes on and on. It felt like falling back into the original series. But the real best characters are the narrators. There are alternating perspectives between Nina from Six of Crows, Zoya from Shadow and Bone, and of course Nikolai from the original trilogy. Nina I loved in Six of Crows and being able to see her deal with what happened in that book was amazing and heartbreaking. She is one of the strongest characters both physically and emotionally. Nikolai was maybe my favorite secondary character in the original trilogy. I am also down for a lovable rogue and he fit the bill. He’s smart and charming but he’s also complex and very brooding in this book. You get to see him at his best and his worst.

But the best main character in this book, and the one who I think deserve a whole new paragraph, is Zoya. Zoya is a pretty minor character in the original trilogy. She’s sort of a foil for Alina and honestly didn’t make much of an impression. But in this book she made a huge impression and in the best possible way. She’s everything I love in a badass female character. She’s tough and ballsy, but also vulnerable and brash. Zoya is a total sass factory and her banter with Nikolai is on point. But she’s also this freaking amazing Grisha that reminded me of the perfect combination of Azula and Aang from Avatar: The Last Airbender. And not only did she have great development, but we learn a lot more about her back story in this book which made her even more sympathetic. I cannot speak highly enough about Zoya. She’s freaking amazing in this book.

The real amazing thing in this book is the plot. Leigh really knows how to tell a story. Her books have always had incredibly intricate plots and this was no exception. It really built to a thrilling conclusion with s twists and surprises that had me so shocked that when I finished I was left string at my book for fifteen minutes unable to come to terms with what had happened. It had a very mean cliffhanger too that has be wanting book two immediately. There are a lot of moving parts to this story and Leigh handles them with care and ease but I do feel a little bit like it is incomplete. The actual story of this book resolved despite the cliffhanger but it didn’t all come together. I know it’s all connected and I feel those connections falling into place but they didn’t actually do that yet. And for me, this made the book feel a little lacking. I’m tough on books with multiple perspectives though so it could just be a person preference.

What did work with the multiple perspectives was the world. What I love about this world is that after five books (six of you count Language of Thorns) it is both familiar and new at the same time. Being familiar with everything I can just dive back into it without needing an explanation about what is happening. Leigh can show us instead of tell about everything, which is something she does really well. But at the same time we are learning new things about the history and religion of the world. Not to mention all the political intrigue and plotting. It all worked together to further develop a world and magical system that I already love and am excited to learn more about.

All and all, this book was so amazing. It once again showcased what an amazing fantasy writer Leigh Bardugo is. She has crafted a thrilling story with an intriguing world and complex characters that I fell further in love with.

I give King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: BUY! It’s a must read for fans of her work and if you like fantasy and have not read Leigh Bardugo, change that immediately!

Have you read King of Scars? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Waiting on Wednesday: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

A weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine

Title: King of Scars Series: Nikolai Duology #1 Written by: Leigh Bardugo Published: January 29, 2019 by Imprint (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) 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.

 
Why I'm Waiting:

Leigh Bardugo is an autobuy author. I have loved all her books in the world of the Grisha and honestly they have been getting better. I would be super excited about any new Leigh Bardugo book and therefore I am excited about this one.

Plus, IT'S A BOOK ABOUT NIKOLAI. If you didn't love Nikolai in the original series then I don't know who you are and I don't want to be your friend. He was definitely one of the more interesting characters in that series and had great development. I am excited to learn more about him and see what everything is like for him now.

I am also really excited to find out what things are like in  Ravka. There were some vague mentions in Six of Crows but I think there is a lot more going on and I assume plenty of political intrigue. And there are more characters I am excited to check back in with. Nina Zenik has perspectives you guys!

I am very excited to read this book. I might listen to the audio depending on who narrates it but I will definitely be getting a copy. I need to read this book so badly. MORE GRISHAVERSE!!! *flails*

What about you? What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Are you waiting on King of Scars along with me? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo

Title: The Language of Thorns Series: Grishaverse #0.5, 2.5, 2.6 Written by: Leigh Bardugo Published: September 26, 2017 by Imprint (Macmillan) (Amazon / Goodreads) Synopsis: Love speaks in flowers. Truth requires thorns. Travel to a world of dark bargains struck by moonlight, of haunted towns and hungry woods, of talking beasts and gingerbread golems, where a young mermaid's voice can summon deadly storms and where a river might do a lovestruck boy's bidding but only for a terrible price. Inspired by myth, fairy tale, and folklore, #1 New York Times–bestselling author Leigh Bardugo has crafted a deliciously atmospheric collection of short stories filled with betrayals, revenge, sacrifice, and love. Perfect for new readers and dedicated fans, these tales will transport you to lands both familiar and strange—to a fully realized world of dangerous magic that millions have visited through the novels of the Grishaverse. This collection of six stories includes three brand-new tales, all of them lavishly illustrated with art that changes with each turn of the page, culminating in six stunning full-spread illustrations as rich in detail as the stories themselves.

I really enjoy the Grishaverse books from Leigh Bardugo but I have never read any of the short stories (well except the one about the Darkling in the Ruin and Rising special edition), so I was so excited to read this collection of stories. They were fantastic fairy tales retellings with that trademark Leigh Bardugo magic.

The fun thing about these stories is that they are all familiar and unique at the same time. These are stories that are inspired by classic fairy tales but with a Grisha twist. You can see the obvious familiarity in stories that are reminiscent of Hansel and Greta, The Little Mermaid, and The Nutcracker. But they all still feel like they are their own stories. They have surprising twists and are even darker then the Grimm’s Brothers versions. If you like fairy tales I would definitely recommend this one, even if you aren’t a fan of the Grishaverse.

But if you are a fan of the Grishaverse, you will love them even more. It had that Grisha magic to it. Some of the stores you can tell are attempts at maybe explaining the origins of Grisha powers or used to explain why Grisha are either good or bad depending on the culture. And I say culture because there are stories from different countries. It was really cool seeing the different locations and the different stories that the characters would have read or told their children.

Usually when it comes to short story collections there are some stories that are better than others, and while that was definitely the case with The Language of Thorns. I think my favorites were probably The Witch of Duva and When The Water Sang Fire (which has a cameo from a character that will have you so excited because of what it means for the larger series). The great thing about both these stories is that they did not go the way that I thought they would. They had interesting spins on the original stories and were dark and magical. But there were no bad stories in this collection they were all really good.

The other great thing about this book was how gorgeous it was. Each story had these amazing images. The more you read, the more the image unfolded. And then at the end of each story there was a gorgeous two page illustration that summed up the story. It is honestly one of the most beautiful books that I have read. It added something even more special to this book.

The Language of Thorns was a fantastic short story collection that fans of Leigh Bardugo and the Grishaverse definitely need in their lives. It’s beautifully written and gorgeously illustrated. But even if you don’t know the series you will enjoy this book. It’s got amazing fairy tale retellings.

I give The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo 9.5 out of 10 stars

Buy/Borrow/Bypass: Buy. Seriously, this book is gorgeous and every Grishaverse collection needs a copy. But even if you haven't read the original series this is a great way to start to ease into the world and tone of the series. If you like fairy tales or YA fantasy I definitely recommend picking this one up.

Have you read The Language of Thorns? What did you think? Leave me a comment with your thoughts. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!