Review: Rule of Wolves (King of Scars #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Rule of Wolves

Series: King of Scars #2 | Grishaverse #7

Previous book in this series: King of Scars

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy

Publication date: March 2021

Published by: Imprint

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.

The Demon King. As Fjerda's massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king's gift for the impossible.

The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.

The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.

King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I still think that the Six of Crows duology is the superior series in the Grishaverse 😆, but I did enjoy the overall story in this series. Also, I love Nikolai, so it's always great when he's around. Lol.

Review: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo

Title: King of Scars

Series: King of Scars #1 | Grishaverse #6

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy

Publication date: January 2019

Published by: Imprint

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Face your demons... or feed them.

The dashing young king, 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, Nikolai 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 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.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I started off the Grishaverse by reading Six of Crows first, then I went back and read Shadow and Bone, and now this. And to be honest, after reading this book, I am convinced that Six of Crows is the superior series. That being said, I still enjoyed this, but it was no Six of Crows.

Review: Ruin and Rising (Shadow and Bone #3) by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Ruin and Rising

Series: Shadow and Bone #3 | Grishaverse #3

Previous book in this series: Shadow and Bone (#1) | Siege and Storm (#2)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy

Publication date: June 2014

Published by: Henry Holt and Co.

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Soldier. Summoner. Saint. The nation’s fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

The Darkling rules from his shadow throne while a weakened Alina Starkov recovers from their battle under the dubious protection of the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Now her hopes lie with the magic of a long-vanished ancient creature and the chance that an outlaw prince still survives.

As her allies and enemies race toward war, only Alina stands between her country and a rising tide of darkness that could destroy the world. To win this fight, she must seize a legend’s power—but claiming the firebird may be her ruin.

My rating: ★★★★☆

It’s been two months since Alina last faced off against the Darkling and she is in rough shape.

Review: Siege and Storm (Shadow and Bone #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Siege and Storm

Series: Shadow and Bone #2 | Grishaverse #2

Previous book in this series: Shadow and Bone

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy

Publication date: June 2013

Published by: Henry Holt and Co.

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Soldier. Summoner. Saint. Alina Starkov’s power has grown, but not without a price. She is the Sun Summoner—hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Shadow Fold. But she and Mal can’t outrun their enemies for long.

The Darkling is more determined than ever to claim Alina’s magic and use it to take the Ravkan throne. With nowhere else to turn, Alina enlists the help of an infamous privateer and sets out to lead the Grisha army.

But as the truth of Alina's destiny unfolds, she slips deeper into the Darkling’s deadly game of forbidden magic, and further away from her humanity. To save her country, Alina will have to choose between her power and the love she thought would always be her shelter. No victory can come without sacrifice—and only she can face the oncoming storm.

My rating: ★★★★☆

I really enjoyed this first part of the book. The ending of the last book was STRESSFUL with Alina and Mal managing to get away from the Darkling. This book picks up where that book left off, with them in hiding and being super cute together.

Review: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone

Series: Shadow and Bone #1 | Grishaverse #1

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy

Publication date: June 2012

Published by: Henry Holt and Co.

Source: Borrowed from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha... and the secrets of her heart.

My rating: ★★★★★

I’ve mentioned this many times, but I’ve never really been into high fantasy... until recently. I would read a book or two a year, but I think I have officially entered my high fantasy era and I’m honestly having a great time! I read the Six of Crows duology in January because I was wanting an action-packed high fantasy and I had heard that Six of Crows had a heist, so I obviously had to read it 😆 Well, I ended up LOVING it so much that I decided to come back and read the original series too! Going into Six of Crows, I had zero intentions of reading anything else in the Grishaverse—I just wanted the heist, to be honest. But I loved the world so much that I just needed more! And I’m glad I decided to continue on with the Grishaverse because I ended up enjoying this book too. I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t love it nearly as much as I did Six of Crows, but it was still good!

Review: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Crooked Kingdom

Series: Six of Crows #2 | Grishaverse #5

Previous book in this series: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy, adventure

Publication date: September 2016

Published by: Henry Holt and Co.

Source: Borrowed ebook from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

My rating: ★★★★★

If you couldn’t beat the odds, you changed the game.

I am so glad I had this book handy right after finishing Six of Crows, because omg that ending with Inej? BRUTAL.

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Six of Crows

Series: Six of Crows #1 | Grishaverse #4

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: YA, high fantasy, adventure

Publication date: September 2015

Published by: Henry Holt & Company

Source: Borrowed hardcover from library

Add it on Goodreads

Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books

Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

My rating: ★★★★★

Six people, but a thousand ways this insane plan could go wrong.

I’ve been in such a rare mood for high fantasy lately. For the last couple of years, I would read maybe one high fantasy book a year, and that’s it. But last year I read FOUR and I enjoyed them all!