King of Scars

Book Title: King of Scars

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Series: Nikolai Duology #1

Date Started: May 4th 2019

Date Completed: July 15th 2019

Genres: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance

Quality Rating: Three Stars

Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

Final Rating: Three Stars

Review:

Oh boy. So I was hoping this rating would shift by the time I came to write up my review. Unfortunately, it's still a three-star read for me. I don't know whether it was bad timing (I was finishing my degree) or just the book, but King of Scars took me forever to read because I only really read a few pages at a time. I did enjoy it, but the fact it felt like a snail's pace to get through it didn't help.

King of Scars follows three stories, essentially: you have the foray into the Fold, from Nikolai and Zoya's perspective, the drama back at Os Alta from Izaak's, and then hundreds of miles away there's Nina infiltrating Fjerda. Each is good individually, but they don't necessarily fit together. There were times when it felt a little bit like there were three different novellas being cross-cut between, but they didn't connect at all in some cases. I'm sure it's probably something that will become clear in the second book, but if you know me you'll know I think every story should be able to stand on its own, whether it's part of a bigger narrative or not.

And, even though there's technically three stories going on at the same time, not a lot happens. It's enjoyable to read if you know and love the other books because you get all these little peaks into their backstory and personal lives. But it's also self-indulgent in the way that Six of Crows so wonderfully avoided; it gives us so much information that just isn't necessary to the story - and maybe it will be at one point but it's just filler in an already sparse narrative. Weirdly, the ending feels rushed my comparison because all the exposition gets dropped and it's just the events. Which is fine, but it's not what I was expecting or what I feel like the story totally deserved.

Leigh Bardugo's characters are an absolute gift; that's where her talents really shine through. They're diverse, both relatable and fantastically eccentric, and have a real way of surprising you. My personal favourite is, of course, Nina thanks to Six of Crows, but it was really nice to see some old faces mixed in with them. It's like a little game of mix and match. Entertaining. But not necessarily the best use of their potential.

It's a shame you kind of need to know the original trilogy to understand a lot of what's going on in King of Scars. It's also a shame I can't really remember much of it myself. But, regardless, I'm sure the next book will be the one packed with action and the knots to tie loose ends.