Rule of wolves (king of scars book 2)

This is a review I’ve been waiting a long time to write. I preordered this book and got it on launch day, but haven’t gotten to reading it until now. And boy have I missed Leigh Bardugo’s writing. This is the sequel to King of Scars, which followes king Nikolai, Zoya and Nina on their journey to basically save their country Ravka. As usual, Leigh Bardugo has a way with weaving multiple characters into a story in a compelling and interesting way. The plot is perhaps not anything groundbreaking and new, but it’s a solid story that leads our characters from one point to the other. But the brilliant thing about this book is its characters. They are well developed and lovable, and we get a few bonus appearances from old favorites. The main romance in this book is one of the best I’ve read in a long time. It’s done well and for the first time in a long time I actually wanted and hoped that things would work out for the couple in question. I’m not going to spoil anything, so I won’t give away what I thought of the end result, but nevertheless, the journey towards the end was very well written. I’m happy to see that the author has made an effort to diversify and be more inclusive. And there’s representation of LGBTQIA+ in this book. Especially where one of the characters seems to be trans, or at least Hanne expresses that she’s uncomfortable with her femininity and seems to identify as male. I adore Hanne as a character, and I really wish we’d gotten to know her a little better. This whole thing feels a little shallow, as if her gender identity was an afterthought that wasn’t fully developed. There were just the tiniest of hints to what the character was feeling, and by the end everything felt a little flat. In turn, it made Nina seem a little blind to what Hanne was going through, and I don’t think it felt quite right. I would have loved more time developing their relationship and the trust between them. I think it all felt a bit rushed, and the ending too fell a bit flat for me because of how underdeveloped it was. And there would have been room to develop the important stuff, because the book is, in I guess true Bargudo style, a big jampacked with everything and a little more. This book is attempting to pack a lot in a small box. A lot of the things in the book isn’t necessary, and it bogs down the reading experience and makes it hard to keep track and to focus. At the same time, a lot of things that seem important are just glazed over, like Nina and Hannes relationship. There was this whole side quest with a random character that didn’t have anything to do with anything really, and then the Darklings few chapters and his journey, well, that didn’t do much either. The highlight of the story is as always Nikolai and Zoya. They are great. And unlike King of Scars, this time Nina’s chapters actually seemed relevant to the story that was being told. So, what can I say. It’s a great book, a lot happens, it’s interesting, the plot works, but there’s a lot of unnecessary stuff here, and a lot of scenes that feel like they are just put in there for please fans with a glimpse of old favorites. Like a whole plotline where Nikolai travels to Ketterdam to meet Kaz and do a heist. All these little spin-offs feel rushed and flat instead of immersive and interesting. I think Leigh wanted a little too much with this book, which with all that’s in here could (and should?) have been several separate stories instead. I’m still giving this book five stars because it’s great and I love Nikolai and for the most part I found the ending satisfying.

Maybe the gift of being human is that we do not give up- even when all hope is lost. How do I start this review? Of course warning you, this review is full of spoilers from the Grishaverse, Shadow and Bone, Six of Crows and King of Scars. So, where are our beloved heroes at the beginning of Rule of Wolves? Remember what happened at the end of King of Scars? Well, we are there. A wedding needs to happen, some alliances must be completed, a war is coming and someone has returned home. Ravka is facing one of the most difficult moments, Fjerda wants war, and puts another King on the throne and, Nikolai is trying to save all of them, with the help of a hell of crew, Zoya, Genya, David, Tolya and Tamar. In the meantime, Nina is in the Ice Court trying to spy on one of the most dangerous drüskelle. So, some faces from the past are back in action. New plots with some friends with love for gambling, war strategies, experiments and intrigues are the perfect recipe for the doom of Ravka, the Lantsov dynasty and for one of my favorite characters ever, Nikolai, the King of Scars, half man, half monster and full of love for science and with an special talent for chaos. I've been waiting to read this book since 2019, when I read King of Scars, so I had quite expectations after reading that masterpiece, and did Rule of Wolves fill them? The answer is more complex than just saying yes or no. On one hand we have the whole plot of the war, the claim for the throne of Ravka and the ice court intrigue. On the other hand, we have the starless one. So, I will try to talk about these two storylines avoiding spoilers. First, Nikolai and Zoya’s story was amazing. I loved it, it was full of action and the battle scenes were epic. Zoya is a powerful and strong General and Nikolai is a King who is ready to give his life for his country. He is the monster and the monster is him, this never felt so real until this book. Everything was awesome, almost perfect. But c’mon Leigh, have you enjoyed your tea with Satan after writing chapter 20?. The only thing I can say about this was why? Are you happy now when my dark heart is broken? Maybe yes, and I get it, war means horrors, pain and suffering, and you did an incredible job writing about that. But there were two things that I particularly didn’t enjoy as much as Nikolai’s storyline. First, the starless one, I wanted more of him, more of the villain I met, more darkness and less existential crisis, I wanted to see the world burn in chaos made by the one and only *spoiler*, so I think this part of the story needed more. Deserved better? Definitely yes, which brings me to the next thing that I didn't enjoy as much as the rest of the book; the last two chapters, I was happy and angry, and lowkey a little disappointed. I don’t like open endings, I wanted a close, especially when this is officially the last book of the Grishaverse. But secretly I’m praying to the saints for another book about the Crows. Last line of the book gives me hope and light. In other happy moments, I love Nina, she is amazing and deserves the world, waffles for the rest of her life, she needs happiness, love and to be free to be herself. This review is longer than I expected, so in conclusion, this book is very good, epic, full of action and with a very interesting character development, but I really wanted more about some little secondary plots. This is everything in the grishaverse for now, but I’ll be one of the happiest readers if Leigh Bardugo writes more about this world. 4.5 of five because I love Nikolai and Zoya :D

I didn’t want to read this. Not because I thought it would be bad, but because I didn’t want it to end. Rule of Wolves is the official last book in the Grishaverse (crying), and I kept delaying it like maybe, somehow, I could pause the inevitable. I wasn’t ready to say goodbye. Also? I was lowkey terrified. Leigh had to wrap up three major stories, balance all the beloved characters, and meet impossible expectations. That’s a tall order. We’ve got: Nikolai dealing with demons (literally), questioning his identity and right to rule. The Darkling (yes, he’s back), and I'm like—how do we even begin to handle that? Zoya the wet paper towel. The one no one likes except Nikolai, for reasons I will never understand. Nina trying to survive Fjerda and save Ravka. That girl has earned peace. And of course, since this is the finale, we want the Crows. We want Alina. We want everything. And in many ways, Rule of Wolves delivers. My golden boy Nikolai: Perfection. A king with a clever tongue and a broken heart who still shows up for his people. He can do no wrong (except… loving Zoya. Seriously, Nikolai. Be for real). I loved Nina’s arc. The trans rep 🏳️‍⚧️ was thoughtful and respectful, and Hanne was so clever. The Crows cameo was perfect, delicious. We didn't deserve it. I ate it up anyway. One of the best parts is how every character felt like a main character. Whether they were there for ten pages or a hundred, they got to shine. We had banter, impossible plans, found family, and all the political chaos my Grisha-loving heart crave. With that said, yes, there are flaws. The pacing felt rushed, like it was trying to cram two books into one. I didn't care for the Shu storyline. The death we had to deal with was unnecessary. Giving Zoya the magical the center stage? No thank you. I still don’t like her. And my Darkling… Leigh, please. He could’ve been such a powerful villain with complexity and tragedy and you just—threw him away. Again. ⸻ Final thoughts: This book had so much to love and a few things that made me scream into the void. But as an ending to a world I’ve loved since book one, it was bittersweet, chaotic, emotional, and absolutely unforgettable. 🖤 4 stars for the King of chaos, and the Crows.

This review is spoiler-free for your enjoyment. I had checked back periodically to find out when the author would release this title, but it'd been a while, so when I finally went to see if there was an update and it was already out, I immediately bought it. If you haven't read King of Scars, go and read that book. While the author explains things as you go, you're not going to be able to properly enjoy this book without having read KoS. On the other hand, you do not necessarily need to have read the other Grishaverse books to enjoy the Nikolai Duology, but they will generally enhance your enjoyment and understanding of the setting and its characters, as well as fill in some small but enjoyable details. I really enjoyed this book. In fact, these are my two favorite books by Leigh Bardugo now. King of Scars is a little odd out of context, but very compelling because of its characters and the dynamic between them. Rule of Wolves delivers on that same enjoyment. If you enjoyed King of Scars, you will enjoy Rule of Wolves. For me, Nikolai was the highlight of the Grisha trilogy, though this duology follows him in a different phase of his life. His interactions with Zoya are a pleasure to read, but the supporting cast and their stories are very enjoyable, too. There is a nice focus on the plot and character development, which is its strongest point. To whom would I recommend this book? You are character-focused; you want to get to know the thoughts and feelings of many people in the story. You'd enjoy a decent focus on plot; slice of life is not enough for you and you want things to change quickly. You like a little romance in your books, but you don't need it to be centric or steamy; you want believable interactions that may or may not lead to more, because that's just as romantic to you as something less subtle. You enjoy humor in your narration and dialogue; you love it when a character (or the author) just can't pass up the opportunity to have a giggle, because you laugh with them. To whom would I not recommend this book? You like a focus on plot, but don't like reading about people's inner thoughts or feelings; you're looking for a challenge and to go fast, but detours to backstory make you feel slowed down. Contrastingly, you want slice-of-life, and a focus on just a couple people and what's going on between them; you would feel grumpy if you had to skip a hefty portion of the book because you were solely interested in one or two characters. You're looking for heavy, front-and-center romance; if your ship doesn't sail early enough on, or to a mature rating, you tend to get frustrated. You enjoy serious stories, but it breaks your concentration if someone makes an ill-timed pun. tl;dr: Buy this book after or with King of Scars if you like character-focused fantasy with a decent amount of plot. Nikolai is best boy and his BS delights at every turn. I expect to periodically reread this book for enjoyment.

i'm not usually this excited about books, but i was willing to forgo multiple nights of sleep for this one. as i am curently doing now,writing this review. i would say i prefer the KOS duology much more than the shadow and bone one! this was definitely such a joy to read. (there will be mild spoilers in this review, but i'll include a disclaimer beforehand). one thing i loved was how he book just jumps right back into the grishaverse. it feels like you've never left. ive read some reviews where they say there are too many plot twists, cliffhangers, etc, but i didnt really think that this affected my reading experience much becuse i would not have put down the book either way. and the WORLD BUILDING. OH MY GOD IS IT PHENOMENAL. i love the glimpse weve gotten into fjerda and the look into ketterdam from zoya and nikolai's perspective! since most of us here have probably read six of crows its really fascinating to see the different reactions ravkans have to ketterdam, where "greed is a virtue". righteous ravka could never i also really enjoyed the darkling in this one. i wouldnt necessarily say that his povs were more interesting than the rest, but i think they were crucial to helping the readers understand his feelings. personally , i like the guy. hes a little confused but he got the spirit. character development overall was flawless. the slow burn made me want to scream. ive grown to love these characters and i get stressed when they do lol one issue i had with the book though was the blight. i know how (minor spoiler) this gave the darkling a redemption arc and all, but i dont see why it wasz necessary. i could remove it and the story would have progressed about the same. but overall, really loved the book. leigh tackled some pretty heavy topics and the ending tied everyting together very well. the prospect of more is very enticing (also, can i mention that alina has become such a savage? we stan character development!). will reread this in the future. parting note: leigh, youre such a sneaky devil with that easter egg. when the darkling referred to himself as kirigan i couldnt stop smiling. (if you dont get the reference, the darkling will be renamed to general kirigan in the netflix adaptation of SOB. i am so excited send help)

This is my new favorite series. It's so good. I love all the characters that grow on you and that not every romance is straight. It's so clever and im bummed Netflix dropped the ball.

This series already started growing on me as I read more about characters’ POVs and getting more connected with them, being wooed by the mesmerizing world building and more action packed, riveting storyline, multiethnic, crowded, varied characterization with LGBTQ representation, the epic journey and mind blowing cliffhanger which makes you bang your head against the wall a few times because you need to wait for the next book to learn what’s gonna happen next and you keep praying the author determines good faiths to your favorite characters! The story takes off where the things left off at the first book with blazing, whirlwind start. Nikolai’s dealing with the bastard rumors which threatens his reign and focuses on complicated trade relationships, his soon to be bride is gone thanks to his sister’s big plan to get rid both of them at the wedding day. And poor Zoya is dealing with the burden of more dangerous assignments which forces her to face with Darkling as Nina works as a spy, living a double life, around Fjerda to find proof to silence the bastardy rumors and learn more about their secret war tactics to be used as leverage, confused with her feelings about Hanne. But a mysterious blight’s sudden appearance changes the game. The blight starts destroying everything at its path which forces Nikolai does something imminent to save Ravka before things are getting out of control. As we may imagine the story ends with another cliffhanger which makes us bite our nails harshly . It’s impossible not to awe of author’s powerful, detailed writing style I am truly jealous of and I can trade my husband’s one kidney to be nearly as talented as her and teaming with the amazing characters ( especially Nikolai and Zoya are my favorites) you feel closer at the ongoing chapters. I enjoyed this second book of the series more than the first one! I highly recommend you to be part of this journey! This is extraordinary!

I'm a complete mess! I'm not sure if I should continue to cry or dance with glee! So much happened in this beautiful book! We saw some favorites return (which made my heart overjoyed) and we said some tragic goodbyes. I believe that I can truthfully state that I cried my way through this glorious book. And that ending... those last few chapters!! I'm both devastated and hopeful. May we see more books yet to come in the Grishaverse!? I'm truly not ready to say goodbye and re-reading isn't quite going to bring me the same joy. This unputdownable conclusion was filled with twists and surprises and jaw dropping things both terrible and awe inspiring. When I first met these characters all those books ago, I never dreamed that I'd come to love and cheer some of the more brusque characters on. I clearly had favorites in Shadow and Bone and somehow, through careful plotting and sheer strokes of storyteller magic, I found even more unforgettable characters to love and dream with and to hope for a better Ravka for. Leigh Bardugo is simply ah-mazing. I know a lot of readers praise her and indeed they should! She is on a level which she alone rules. Her attention to detail and just her dedication to craft so many layers to just reach an unforgettable ending is truly a gift. She's a gift. Her writing is a gift. Her words leaving a lasting impression upon your heart and soul. And I'm so very thankful that I picked up that very first book because I've absolutely fallen in love again and again.