A review by beckyyreadss
King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I wanted to read this book because everyone said that this series was better than Shadow & Bone. I really struggled with the Shadow & Bone series, but I didn’t struggle with this book fortunately.  

The dashing young king, Nikolai Lantsov, has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he has endured in his country’s bloody civil war, and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, Nikolai must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, ands top 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 general, 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. 

I think I ended up enjoying this book more because the characters were already built and were traumatized with the war that it felt like the third book in the Crooked Kingdom series rather than a brand-new series. The world has already been fully developed and the characters have been developed. I love the multiple points of view and how they are all got their own storyline, but you can tell it’s building up to something so much bigger. I loved and hated the cliffhanger and was absolutely gobsmacked and it makes you want to read the next one. I loved Zoya as well and if anything happens to her, I will riot and fight everyone.  

I think the only reason that stopped it from being five star is because the middle bit was a bit slow, and I was wanting more action and wanting everyone to kick ass and sometimes it just didn’t happen. I would have loved for Hanna to been able to stand up for her father and kick his ass himself.  

This book ending on a cliffhanger with how big the book was felt cruel. I wanted more and I can see why it ended on a cliffhanger and now I'm dying to read the next book. 
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