I have had a love-hate relationship with the Grishaverse books. I really did not enjoy the original Shadow and Bone trilogy. At times, it was like pulling teeth to get through. And by the time I had finished those books, I was so burnt out and had no desire to keep going with the Six of Crows duology. And so the books sat on my shelf for a few years, collecting dust… Until I watched the Shadow and Bone series on Netflix. Whilst I still didn't love the Shadow and Bone storyline in the series, I fell in love with the Crows. I felt lost after I finished the series, and immediately began reading Six of Crows to fill the void and enjoyed it immensely. Having ploughed through the Crows duology, it was now time for Nikolai's story.

For me, Nikolai was one of the highlights in the original trilogy. I loved his character - the sass, the swagger, the manoeuvrings. I was excited that he was back in the spotlight and we got to experience more from his point of view. However, ye readers be warned: this is not exactly the same dashing and daring Nikolai from Siege and Storm. Instead, King of Scars sees Nikolai facing threats from all sides, including within himself. In a way, this book felt darker, grittier than the other books set in this universe. It's more political and focuses on moves and counter-moves, rather than huge amounts of action. Overall, I think my rating for King of Scars sits somewhere between the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, which I really wasn't a huge fan of, and the twisty and cunning Six of Crows duology, which was a riot of a read.

As I mentioned before, in this book, Nikolai is much changed. He is desperately trying to save a war-torn country and people that he loves dearly, as well as grappling with his own inner demon. Ravka's civil war and all that he endured during it weighs heavily on his mind, and the weight of ruling a much-diminished country rests heavily on his shoulders. Whilst the swagger and sass do still make occasional appearances, King of Scars Nikolai is far more hardened and burdened than his younger counterpart in the original trilogy. Whilst I still enjoyed this version of Nikolai, and understand why he has become the way he has, I was sad to see that some of his internal fire had dimmed. I'm hoping that, by the end of this duology, some of his old spark will have returned to him. More than most, Nikolai deserves a happy ending.

Nina and her storyline were probably my least favourite part of this book. Nina's character feels the most dramatically different from her appearances in previous Grishaverse books. And, like Nikolai's character, whilst I understand why it has changed, it just made her that much less relatable to me. For much of this book, I found Nina way too headstrong (or maybe I'm just too much of a wuss?) and reckless. I wanted to shake her for so many of the decisions she made in King of Scars. I'm also really not a fan of Hanne's character, or the potential romance blooming between Hanne and Nina. And whilst there were interesting bits and pieces in Nina's storyline, such as when she first breaks into the factory, I felt like a lot of it was just her talking and scheming, with not a huge amount to show for it in the end.

Zoya was probably the most unexpected character for me in King of Scars. I'll admit that I didn't really like her all that much in the original trilogy. But in this book, I feel like Leigh Bardugo did something very similar to what Sarah J. Maas did with Nesta's character in the A Court of Thorns and Roses series. Giving us Zoya's point of view really helped me to understand her a lot more and why she is the way that she is. I came to really enjoy her storyline and watching her grow. Like Nikolai, I really hope Zoya gets a happy ending. If she doesn't end up with Nikolai in Rule of Wolves, I will riot.

I felt like the plot of King of Scars dragged a bit more than necessary. Perhaps I am being too picky, having just come out of reading the Six of Crows duology, with its twists and turns and heists. But a lot of this book was dedicated to flashbacks - about characters' pasts, what occurred in earlier books, or the rules and history of Grisha power. Also, as I mentioned before, a lot of this book is centred around manoeuvrings and setting up the big conflicts that are sure to come in the second book (hopefully!). Whilst there were a few unexpected twists in this book that I really enjoyed, others fell completely flat for me (did the Darkling's remaining ember of power scream "Horcrux" to anyone else?). For those who are reading this book expecting blossoming romance between some of the characters, your expectations will be dashed: there is not so much as one passionate kiss. In all, it feels like this book would have perhaps been better suited as a shorter introduction to a trilogy.

Overall, King of Scars didn't quite live up to my expectations. I found the characters to be a bit hit and miss, and the plot really dragged in places. Whilst it certainly was better than the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, it wasn't quite as exhilarating and entertaining as the Six of Crows duology.