A review by kimqwin
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

5 Stars

I honest to god really liked it! It was so much fun getting to see old characters again. I've always loved Nikolai, and I enjoyed his banter so much here. I love his relationship with Zoya. A bunch of reviews say that their relationship feels forced, but for me the it was really believable. They felt like an authentic slow burn, and I like the way they grew on each other. I didn't like Zoya in the Grisha trilogy, but here I got to really understand her character more, and I now like her a lot better. 

I liked the quotes about growth, grief, trauma, and healing. The writing style here was explicit. The only thing I find lacking was the connection between Nina's and Nikolai + the gang's POV. It didnt quite make sense to me as to why Nina's POVs were put in the same book? They dont even relate to each other, I couldve skipped Nina's POVs and understood Nikolai's side fine. Some people say it's a set up for Rule of Wolves, so I guess I'll give it a shot.

Speaking of Nina, I love how fruity she is here 😆 Also, I lost someone dear to me recently and her journey through her grief really resonates with me. I can't wait to see what happens next. 

I'm rating this 5 stars despite the lack of continuity between Nikolai + Nina's arcs, just because I love this world and I miss being in it :>

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