King of Scars - Leigh Bardugo

King of Scars

By Leigh Bardugo

  • Release Date: 2019-01-29
  • Genre: Fantasy for Young Adults
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 821 Ratings

Description

A 2020 LOCUS AWARD FINALIST!

See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now!

Discover what comes next for daring rogue Nikolai in King of Scars, the start of this captivating new duology from #1 bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.

"[Bardugo] touches on religion, class, family, love — all organically, all effortlessly, all cloaked in the weight of a post-war reckoning with the cost (literal and figurative) of surviving the events that shape both people and nations." —NPR

"The story exists at an intersection of past and future selves, and in the dawning understanding that what you most fear may be what you most need." —Washington Post

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.

Read all the books in the Grishaverse!

The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising

The Six of Crows Duology
Six of Crows
Crooked Kingdom

The King of Scars Duology
King of Scars
Rule of Wolves


The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
The Lives of Saints
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel


Praise for the Grishaverse

“A master of fantasy.” —The Huffington Post
“Utterly, extremely bewitching.” —The Guardian
“This is what fantasy is for.” —The New York Times Book Review
“A world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp.” —NPR
“The darker it gets for the good guys, the better.” —Entertainment Weekly
“Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down.” —USA Today
“There’s a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo’s original epic fantasy that sets it apart.” —Vanity Fair
“Unlike anything I’ve ever read.” —Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent
“Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!” —Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series

Reviews

  • Perfect next installment

    5
    By maureenocal
    I loved every minute. It’s the perfect follow-up to the Crows duology with tons of references to old characters and previous action. I waited to read this until I also had the sequel (Rule of Wolves) in my hands because once I realized Leigh wasn’t writing it as a standalone, I knew the end would leave me screaming. And it did, oh it did it suuure did.
  • Love it but...

    4
    By Rkstar2208
    I really like it but I didn’t like hanne at all I’m so to all the people who like her but I found her obnoxious and childish and wimpy so she is the only character I really didn’t like but other that her I really love this book it’s an amazing book and I love the surprise at the end it gave me chills.
  • Yes 👍🏻

    5
    By ✨Etta✨
    Freaking love Nikolai. I freaking LOVE him. He’s perfect. How is he so perfect???? How is he so flawless and wonderful and amazing??? Where do I find one? If the show ruins him, I am going to go absolutely feral. He got more attractive with every chapter. If you read this for no other reason (although the girl power is also well worth it) read it for Nikki.
  • Fantastic

    5
    By DallasC137
    I absolutely loved this book. A thrilling adventure!!!🙂
  • Interesting

    3
    By Curly’s Ramblings
    King of Scars is an interesting story but it has a very slow start for the length of the book. The first 40% is character back ground and current events. Then things get a bit interesting and entertaining though I am still unclear how the king figures everything out at the end, pertaining to the guard unless he went around examining all female guards of the Shu. Oh well.
  • The Continuation I Didn’t Know I Needed

    5
    By bkgh249
    I had moderate hopes for this book. Not that I doubted I would enjoy it, but because I love the original two series so much. This was not at all what I expected and it was such a satisfying story. The cliffhanger made my heart stop. SO GOOD.