You know those book series that you just never want to end? You want to keep reading so you can finish the story, but you don’t want to finish the story because it will be over then. That how I felt when I started the King of Scars duology. It’s the last in the overall Grishaverse series, and it was well worth the wait.

King of Scars

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.

Rule of Wolves

The wolves are circling. And Ravka’s time is running out.

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 Thoughts

What a finale. I still fully believe that Nina was 75% useless throughout the series, but still. I came to LOVE Zoya. Seriously. Love her. Plus, semi spoiler: They brought the whole band back together. This duology didn’t just wrap up itself. It honestly wrapped up the entire series, which is a feat.

I will concede that the series was arduous at times. 7 books was a lot, with a lot of characters, and each book had at least three different storylines. Worth it, but it was a bit of a struggle.

One thing I didn’t love was the “transition” into this duology. The last we really heard about Nickolai was in Ruin & Rising, and then we just jumped into his story. I had forgotten about his bite/scratch, and then he was just this demon pretty early on in King of Scars.

This is one of those series that I wish I could read for the first time again, and I only just finished. I seriously considered starting it back over, but I watched Shadow & Bone on Netflix instead. Totally worth it.

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