King of Scars (Leigh Bardugo)

I'm back and better than ever with more Leigh Bardugo!

After finishing Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, I literally could not wait to get my hands on more of her writing. King of Scars is about 400 pages long and I finished it in 3 sittings so I think that alone gives a pretty clear view of my opinion on it!

The book takes place in the rival kingdoms of Ravka and Fjerda, and tells 3 separate stories that all manage to intertwine. King Nikolai of Ravka is desperately trying to keep his kingdom from falling apart at the seams yet again, even as his own life begins to unravel. The monster that takes over Nikolai every night is getting stronger and stronger against his will, and soon not even the most powerful Grisha soldier in Ravka will be able to stop him. Meanwhile, in the frostbitten north, Nina Zenik (woohoo!) is operating abroad, trying to ferry Grisha families to safety, away from the brutal Fjerdan witchunters and rogue slave ships. Nikolai goes on a journey to find the roots of his affliction and possibly cure it, Nina discovers even more sinister workings in the Fjerdan army, and a loyal servant attemps to pull off a deadly scheme. As their stories grow closer and closer, things get more and more complex, until one secret is discovered-one that could end their entire world.

Wow did I love this book! It was weird and fascinating and exhilarating to read. I checked out Shadow and Bone and King of Scars expecting to enjoy both of them, but King of Scars ended up emerging the clear winner. I didn't even end up reading Shadow and Bone. That connects to one thing this book has garnered criticism for, which is the complexity of the lore behind it. While there were parts I found confusing, overall I was able to grasp pretty much everything in the story. Many people say you need to read Shadow and Bone to understand King of Scars, but I didn't and it turned out fine for me. So if you're a fan of Six of Crows, I would highly recommend this book!