King of Scars (King of Scars, #1) by Leigh Bardugo Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of other publications from Leigh Bardugo here: The Grisha Trilogy, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, Little Knife, The Tailor, The Witch of Duva, The Too-Clever Fox, and Ninth House.

After binging the entire season two of Shadow and Bone on the day it released, I knew that I had to read King of Scars as soon as I could. It has been years since I read the Six of Crows duology and Shadow and Bone trilogy, so I was a little rusty on some of the events that took place, and with the show straying a little from the books, I was not too sure what I was remembering was book accurate. But alas, I am a sucker for a blonde male lead, even more so when he has got a demon inside him.

This book had so much potential, and I was hoping to like it just as much as I enjoyed the Six of Crows duology -- I was expecting action and lots of demon Nikolai, and what I got... was not that. I am always a fan of world building, but throughout the entire book, it felt like we were given the same information over and over again, along with constant reminders of how Ruin and Rising ended. I was surprised to see how heavily Nina was involved in this book -- I did not expect to see her at all, and when she is basically the first character of importance we encounter, it threw me off and had me imagining that I picked up Six of Crows again by mistake.

For the sixth book in the Grishaverse, it just felt like there was actually too much backstory to have it drag on through the whole book, especially when the pacing was less than ideal. The first day I began to read this book, my eyes were drooping and I was barely on page seventy. The pacing is honestly the hardest thing to deal with while reading, because the lack of major battles or really any major conflicts besides Nikolai and the demon, are not present. In all honestly, it felt as if this entire book was just being used as a set up for Rule of Wolves instead of developing the plot and characters in the moment.

I wish Nikolai was more heavily involved in this book. I understand that it is an ensemble cast, and while I did enjoy reading some of the other perspectives, it was Nikolai's chapters that had me the most invested in finishing the book. His perspective was so interesting to read, whether he was confronting his life with this demon inside of him, or thinking about how his life has been affected by Alina, Zoya, and so many others. Nikolai had so many funny moments and serious ones as well, but I felt like we barely got to explore his personality or really dive deep into his feelings and how he was handling the demon within him.

The main thing getting me through this book was Nikolai. I won't even lie about it. He is hot and kept getting hotter each chapter... what's a girl to do? Half of the time things were moving so slow I had convinced myself that I was reading the same page over and over again, but it was just repetitive writing. I basically forced myself to speed read the end of the book because I did not know how much longer I could take it, which was so surprising to me because I really enjoy Bardugo's books and writing. 

Isaak's chapters were also a personal favorite, providing a lot of comedic relief in between Nina and Zoya's -- to be honest -- solemn chapters. Both girls were going through a lot after the events of Crooked Kingdom and Ruin and Rising, but their perspectives were at times so sad or lacking good pacing that it felt like more of a chore to read than actually enjoying it.

After finishing the book, I really hope that Rule of Wolves picks up the pace -- and the action -- by at least 50% and makes the characters have more exciting journeys than what took place in this first installment.

You can add King of Scars and the rest of the Grishaverse books on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Ninth House (Alex Stern, #1) by Leigh Bardugo Review

This review contains some mild spoilers for Ninth House - no major plot or character spoilers are included. A list of trigger warnings can be found here.

You can read my reviews of other publications from Leigh Bardugo here: The Grisha Trilogy, Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom, Little Knife, The Tailor, The Witch of Duva, and The Too-Clever Fox.

When I first started reading this book, I was constantly confusing who the main characters were, since they have nicknames or go by their last names. Once I was able to orient myself into the plot after a few chapters, it was a lot easier to follow. Ninth House is very content heavy, so I found myself reading at a slower pace than I am usually reading it -- there is a lot going on all of the time, so I definitely suggest to take your time.

Reading about the trauma that Alex has gone through and comes to encounter, especially the bathroom flashback early on in the book, was heartbreaking. She constantly is trying to tell people what she is going through and what she sees, and it seems that no one will listen and those who do only use it against her or spread it like gossip. I could never imagine sending a child to one of those wilderness rehab programs for "troubled youth" like Alex's mother tried to do.

Darlington and Alex's relationship definitely starts off pretty rocky -- he expects her to do everything perfectly, and she has only been exposed to proper magic for a few weeks. He does not quite understand what she has been through and how she has lived her entire life seeing the Grays and basically being tortured by them for as long as she can remember. Alex is still discovering so much of the world that Darlington has been involved in for so long, but I appreciated the way that Bardugo is able to show the evolution of their relationship as they learn more about one another through flashbacks.

Dawes really is a mystery to Alex in a sense -- she is friendly, then turns cold, then agrees to help Alex but does a poor job of it. One third of the way into the book and I was still on the edge of deciding if I liked Dawes and if she was actually looking out for Alex. She did not let Alex know when Turner showed up at the medical examiner's office, even when Alex explicitly stated that she needed to give her a warning. She definitely grew on me as the book moves forward, and provides a lot of great back and forth with Alex.

I really enjoy seeing Darlington's past before coming to Yale and being a part of Lethe House -- watching him grow up and see his complicated relationship with his parents and his love for his grandfather put it in perspective to me of why he is the way he is. The way we see his development in flashbacks allows us to truly understand his character despite him not being actively present at Yale.

Alex may be spontaneous and make rapid decisions regarding dying and going to the underworld, but she is first and foremost a protector. We see her constantly trying to save and protect others throughout the book, whether they be dead or alive -- she fully embodies "girls protect girls" when it comes into play. Yes, she definitely does some questionable and perhaps unethical things, but she gets the job done at the end of the day. Her development as a character was fantastic, and we see her grow and expand into someone with so much more confidence than she started out with when she came to Yale.

The Bridegroom reminds me of Dorian Gray's portrait for some reason -- every time he shows up in a chapter, it has this haunting energy around him, from the way that he speaks to the way that he insists on particular things. He pops up in the most inconvenient times for Alex, yet also has a way of showing up in just the right moment.

Ninth House deals with a ton of world building and understanding the societies at Yale and what they specifically specialize in. Bardugo does an excellent job with character development and is able to clearly depict each character and the flaws they encompass. I definitely recommend this book to fans of An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, The Wicker King by K. Ancrum, and Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor.

You can add Ninth House and Hell Bent on Goodreads now, as well as follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog, my Twitter, and my Instagram in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Little Knife (Grishaverse, #2.6) by Leigh Bardugo Review

 

This review does not contain spoilers for Little Knife. This is an additional short story in the Grishaverse, accompanying The Demon in the Wood, The Witch of Duva, The Tailor, and The Too-Clever Fox.

You can read my reviews for The Grisha Trilogy, The Tailor, The Witch of Duva, The Too-Clever Fox, Six of Crows, and Crooked Kingdom on my blog and my Goodreads now!

I definitely recommend reading the novellas and short stories for the Grishaverse, as they add so much to the story in such a limited number of pages. You learn so much about the characters and the world through these tales, and Bardugo continues to raise the bar when it comes to plot and character development.

This short story follows Yeva, a girl born so beautiful she must be kept locked away so that men will stop fighting each other over her hand or trying to steal her away from her family. Her father has noticed the attention she receives, and tells the men who stand outside their home that he has a number of tasks for them - for whoever wins, will have his daughter's hand.

Seymon, a poor man with no job or money, sets his eyes on Yeva, and finds an interesting ally in the game to win her hand -- Little Knife. But things are not always as they seem in Ravka, and Seymon soon finds out that he too may not be as genuine as he believes.

I always enjoy Bardugo's additional short stories, and Little Knife does not disappoint. What seems to draw loosely on a reverse Cinderella-esque tale, Bardugo is able to convey the Grishaverse's history through short yet intriguing tales. A quick read that will leave the reader with more understanding of the Grishaverse and yearning for more.

You can add Little Knife and the rest of the Grishaverse series on Goodreads now, as well as follow the author to stay to up to date on publications and releases.

You can catch up with me and my current reads by friending me on Goodreads and following this blog in order to stay up-to-date with any reviews, blog tours, and more!

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardguo Review

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

This. Was. Amazing. There was action and adventure, with just a twinge of romance that didn’t take over the entire plot line, which was refreshing to see. The characters were each their entirely own person and proceeded throughout the story as individuals who were joined together in this miraculous group of thieves. As usual, Leigh Bardugo’s writing was flawless, and captured the image of the story so beautifully through words and the vocabulary from the world of the Grisha. The story moved with such rhythm that it was so easy to read large portions in a single sitting, and with the world being so captivating, it was easy to get lost into the story. There were only a few times that I felt that the story began to slow down and that I had to make myself continue on, but they picked up after a few pages and carried on with the fantastic tale that our thieves were living. I highly recommend reading the Grisha Trilogy before reading Six of Crows, for that way the reader will have background in the world and understand what events took place before Six of Crows begins, however, it is not necessary to read the trilogy in order to understand the world of this novel. These characters are lovable, even though at sometimes you don’t understand why they do the things they do, they just always bring humor and sass into the storyline. The twists and turns throughout the novel made it even more intriguing than it is made out to be. I can’t wait until Crooked Kingdom, the final installment in this series, comes out!

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.” 

― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo Review

The Grisha Trilogy by Leigh Bardugo

This is one of my favorite trilogies that I’ve read! The characters are amazing and the world that they live in truly is magical. I really loved the way Alina, the main character, dealt with her problems and evolved as a character. Our villain was fantastic, and I can’t even begin to describe how much I loved to hate him; he was one of a kind. The writing flowed smoothly, however at some points there were small sections that I felt stalled the plot. The first book, Shadow and Bone did an extremely well job in establishing the world and how the characters formed their relationships with one another. The magical aspect of the novel made it very enjoyable to read and made it a quick read as well. The second installment, Siege and Storm, was even better than the first and held the plot together nicely. It transitioned from the first book very well and established a clear goal for our protagonist. The final book, Ruin and Rising, ending thins on a very good note and wrapped up the series in a way that answered all the questions and resolved all the problems. The only problem I had with this book was that one of my ships didn’t get together, but that’s totally okay! I respect the outcome and very much enjoyed the conclusion of this tale. This series would be great for fans of The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige, and The Host by Stephanie Meyer. I can’t wait to read Six of Crows, the first installment of Leigh Bardugo’s new series, set in the same world as the Grisha Trilogy!

Overall Rating: 9.6/10

“The problem with wanting," he whispered, his mouth trailing along my jaw until it hovered over my lips, "is that it makes us weak.” 
― Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone