Jun 18

Jun 18 Rule of Wolves (King of Scars, #2)

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Imprint
Goodreads | The StoryGraph

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Note: Content and trigger warnings are provided for those who need them at the bottom of this page. If you don’t need them and don’t want to risk spoilers, don’t scroll past the full review.

Cover Description

***Description is spoiler for King of Scars***

The wolves are circling. And Ravka's time is running out.

The Demon King. As Fjerda's massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king's gift for the impossible.

The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.

The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.

King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.

TL;DR Review

It’s not easy to wrap up a whole universe, and it wasn’t perfect, but I loved Rule of Wolves as the Grishaverse series conclusion. It made me laugh and cry (!) and shake my fists and cheer.

For you if: You have read the other Grishaverse books!

Full Review

“This is what love does. In the stories, love healed your wounds, fixed what was broken, allowed you to go on. But love wasn’t a spell, some kind of benediction to be whispered, a balm or a cure-all. It was a single, fragile thread, which grew stronger through connection, through shared hardship and trust.”

It’s not going to be easy to review this book without spoilers for other books in the universe, but I am going to try! (If you’ve read it, DM me on Instagram because I have a lot of thoughts I can’t say here, lol.)

Basically, Leigh Bardugo had a tall order on her hands here. How do you write a conclusion to a universe and all its conflicts — one with a massive, very dedicated fan base (with very strong opinions)? Well, I think she pulled it off well. This book had me IN MY EMOTIONS. I laughed, I cried (!!!), I shook my fists, I cheered. There are a few choices that I’m not quite sure how I feel about — and obviously parts that made me VERY SAD, LEIGH, but okay fine, I recognize the necessity — but overall, I’m a happy reader.

One of Leigh’s greatest strengths has always been her characters, and that talent really shines in Rule of Wolves. The growth for our main characters is incredible — from all the way back in Shadow and Bone, yes, but even just going back to the start of King of Scars. I love them all. PROTECT EVERYONE.

If you’re making your way through the Grishaverse books, keep going! You have a good one to look forward to.