Title: King of Scars
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Type: Fiction
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Publisher: Imprint (Macmillan)
Published: January 29, 2019

A physical copy of this book was kindly provided by Indigo Books & Music Inc., in exchange for an honest review.

Face your demons…or feed them.

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

Enter the Grishaverse with this new novel from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Leigh Bardugo.

I have read every single Leigh Bardugo book (with the exception of The Language of Thorns), and I have to say that King of Scars has been my favourite so far! Yes, I hear a lot of cries from big Six of Crows fans, but I’m sorry! I really just personally liked King of Scars better. And there could have been a number of factors that affected this. Firstly, I have noticed that Bardugo’s writing improves with each book that she publishes. Secondly, I was very very happy to be returning to Ravka! Don’t get me wrong. Kerch is amazing in its own way, but Ravka just holds a special place in my heart (which may or may not be tied to my obsession with the movie Anastasia as a child).

Thirdly, I love Nikolai and Zoya, and I got to see a lot of both of them in this book. And a nice bonus was also that I got to see them interact with each other, as well as some other characters from the Six of Crows and The Shadow and Bone series. I didn’t enjoy Nina’s storyline as much, and she made me cry quite a few times, but I was happy to see more of her since she was one of my favourites from the Six of Crows series. And overall, I was happy to see Grisha world’s story develop (especially considering where Crooked Kingdom left us)! And lastly, I wanted to note that I audiobooked some of the chapters from the book in the car and that the narrator, Lauren Fortgang, is one of my favourite narrators of all time (and that she was a perfect choice for King of Scars)!

Leigh Bardugo is a #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels and the creator of the Grishaverse. With over two million copies sold, her Grishaverse spans the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, the Six of Crows Duology, and The Language of Thorns—with more to come. (To hear about new releases, tour dates, and giveaways first, sign up for Leigh’s newsletter here.) Her short stories can be found in multiple anthologies, including The Best of Tor.com and the Best American Science Fiction & Fantasy. Her other works include Wonder Woman: Warbringer and the forthcoming Ninth House. Leigh was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Southern California, graduated from Yale University, and has worked in advertising, journalism, and even makeup and special effects. These days, she lives and writes in Los Angeles, where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band. She would be delighted if you followed her on Twitter, elated if you visited her website, and fairly giddy if you liked her selfies on Instagram.

Click here or the image below in order to be redirected to this book’s Indigo page.

THANK YOU FOR READING MY REVIEW! HAVE YOU READ THIS BOOK? WHAT DID YOU THINK? AND IF YOU HAVEN’T READ IT YET, DO YOU WANT TO, OR NOT? HOW COME? LET ME KNOW YOUR THOUGHTS IN THE COMMENTS!