“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.”
What is the book about?
Ravka is surrounded by enemies, and all are stronger and richer. They have run out of time, and it doesn’t seem like there is a way out this time. Fjerda is ready with an army bigger than anything Ravka can even imagine, and they are not going to back down. Not only that but an enemy they all thought was long gone has returned and it seems that this time he is back for good. Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for making the impossible possible, but it doesn’t seem like his charm, ingenuity or even the demon within him will be able to help win this fight, but there is no way he is giving up and he will do everything and more if it means he can help his country, even if that means risking his life. Zoya Nazyalensky is also prepared to do anything to help her country. She has lost to much to war and isn’t ready to bury another friend, but it doesn’t matter what she wants and there is more loss coming unless she is able to stop it. Now she must embrace her newfound power and become the weapon her country needs to defeat their enemies, even if that means becoming something not completely human. Nina Zenik is in the perfect position to discover all of Fjerda’s secrets and give Ravka a much needed advantage in this war. However, being in the Ice Court means she is constantly risking discovery and death as she tries to break Fjerda from the inside. She may hold all the answers her country needs, but she is still grieving and revenge may cloud her judgement and ruin her chances of saving her friends. It’s all or nothing and the stakes are much higher than anything imaginable as Ravka’s fate hangs in the balance.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I was left in pure shock after finishing King of Scars and I immediately needed answers about so many things. I was literally left on a cliff-hanger about a lot of things, so I knew I needed to read this book and was so desperate to start that it was instantly in my hands. I was pretty confident that Rule of Wolves was going to be an incredible book and that I was once again going to be amazed by Leigh Bardugo’s writing, as if I hadn’t read 6 other books by the exact same author. However, there was a lot riding on the book because it was the last book of the whole Grishaverse (the universe the Shadow and Bone books, Six of Crow books and King of Scars books are all set in) and I knew that it would have to be the perfect ending in order for it to live up to the expectation I gathered along the way. I was so scared that this book wouldn’t be all that I wanted it to be and that the ending wouldn’t be as good as I wanted, but I soon forgot all my worries when I started to read and was brought back into the world that I have lived in for the past month or so. I’d like to say Rule of Wolves grabbed my attention from the very first page, but Leigh Bardugo tends to start her books with a random new person’s point of view and, though I have gotten used to it, I did find it hard to follow as I had no clue who was speaking and what relevance they had and what was going on because the first chapter always leaves me with questions. However, by the second chapter I was a goner and had been happily trapped in the book, never wanting to leave and feeling like I really belonged. Rule of Wolves was incredible from the very start and I knew my initial thoughts about how glorious it would be were right as soon as I started to read.
Who was your favourite character and why?
Trying to answer this question was a lot harder than I would have thought, but it’s all because of how many amazing characters there were and how much I liked them all. However, after much consideration I think that my favourite character has got to be Nikolai Lantsov. I knew I liked this charismatic, handsome young boy as soon as he appeared on the page in Siege and Storm because of how he brought a certain happiness to all the characters and really relaxed them all with his charm and charisma and his gift for always knowing what to say and what to do. But, reading King of Scars and Rule of Wolves made me realise that there was a lot more to this young king and that, although he may be able to fix everything around him, he himself was broken beyond repair. The ending just helped to solidify my love for this man as he sacrificed the one thing he had been fighting for since the very beginning because he knew it was the only way to help Ravka. He even tried to sacrifice himself more than once for his country when he thought there was no other way, but somehow he always found another way out of it and always had some hidden ally that appeared at the perfect moment. He really helped me see that there is always hope and nothing is impossible if you put your mind to it (though I guess impossible means something different in a world full of magical Grisha). Nikolai is a survivor and he managed to get past everything his enemies threw at him and maintain and steady smile and impeccable looks through it all. He also helped me realise that I most definitely have a thing for handsome, tortured fictional men who like to use humour as a mask for their real feelings. I loved getting to learn more about Nikolai and other characters in this book and I just know that there is more and there always will be more problems and secrets I don’t know (it is Ravka after all!).
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
I did put a lot of thoughts in this decision but my favourite part has to be without a doubt the ending of Rule of Wolves. I had been so concerned that this ending wouldn’t live up to my expectations and would ruin, not just the King of Scars duology, but all the books set in the Grishaverse. But I know better now than to doubt Leigh Bardugo who is my new favourite author. This ending was so well written and was just beautiful. I cried, laughed, screamed, squealed and threw the book across the room all throughout the book, however somehow I did all of that all over again in just the ending. The characters lost a lot of good people along the way and Leigh Bardugo did some unforgivable things, but after reading this ending I know that, despite the fact that they will never recover from the losses they have endured, the characters will get to be happy and all of them will find the ending they deserve, even if it takes longer than expected. I also love the cyclical structure of the books: Grishaverse started with people conspiring for the Ravkan throne and ended with someone new on the throne.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, reading Rule of Wolves was like living a dream and I wish I hadn’t sped through it because now that it’s ended all I want to do is read it all over again for the very first time. One thing I loved about the book was the romance. I can’t even begin to describe the frustration I had with Nikolai and Zoya but the slow burn was definitely worth it because the ending had everything I wanted for them. These two idiots had me screaming and squealing every couple of sentences and I literally started dancing around at one point. It was so obvious how they felt about each other, but as usual neither of them thought the other would feel the same way. I wanted to slap them and force them to kiss, but I loved every moment they had together, no matter how frustrating, and lived for the little tender scenes. Another thing that I loved about Rule of Wolves was the plot (and of course the world building). This book wasn’t thicker than the average book however somehow Leigh Bardugo was able to fit so much into one book and not have me feeling overwhelming. I can’t emphasise just how much happened in the book but it was a lot more than you would think. Normally in this situation I would be so overwhelmed and wouldn’t be able to follow everything that was happening, but Leigh Bardugo is so skilled that this book just felt like any other book. The plot was incredible and it made the book unable to put down. I seriously felt like if I left the book and the characters for even a second they would go off and do something without me, and I didn’t actually want to leave as the world felt realer than anything on Earth (how does Leigh Bardugo do it?!). I was constantly on the edge of my seat and I don’t think a book has ever made me feel as many emotions as I have felt reading Rule of Wolves. If I’m being honest I finished reading the book in 2 sittings (and the only reason I stopped was to sleep because it was a ridiculous hour and my eyes were burning – but it was worth it). I do wish I had taken my time, but I know that it would have felt the same and my real wish is to be able to read it again for the first time. One last thing that I really want to mention is the ending. I know I mention it above as it is my favourite part of the book, but it was so good that I have to give it another moment to shine. For the past month or so the Grishaverse has consumed my every thought and I have lived in one of the most magical worlds to ever exist on paper and I had been dreading the moment the books finished and I would no longer be able to spend my days in Ravka, or Fjerda, or Kerch, or with the amazing characters who I went on thrilling adventures with. I tried to delay finishing this book, but in the end Leigh Bardugo’s incredible writing stopped that from happening and I was soon reaching the end. However, once I started to read this ending I knew that I would have regretted not reaching it because I was one of the most heavenly things I have ever read and it even gave me hope that there would one day be more books. I cried, laughed, screamed, and more reading this ending and when I finished I cried more and hugged the book that concluded the best adventures I have ever been on. Rule of Wolves was a book I will never forget and I know that all the Grishaverse novels will always hold a very special place in my heart and I will be back again to go on these adventures again.
Which is your favourite book in the King of Scars series? (1 or 2)
I loved King of Scars and Rule of Wolves so much, but there is no doubt in my mind that Rule of Wolves was the better book. I know that sequels tend to be worse than the first book, but somehow none of Leigh Bardugo’s books had any hint of sequel syndrome and I loved them all. However, Rule of Wolves will always hold a special part of my heart and I know that I will never read a book like it again. Despite there fact that there was a ridiculous amount of death in this book and there was specifically the loss of someone who had been there since Shadow and Bone, Rule of Wolves still outshone King of Scars. The main reason for this is probably the plot and the fact that there was so much packed into one book. I literally was on edge for the whole book and couldn’t put it down as I felt like something would happen in the time I left and I didn’t want to miss a thing. Within a single book, I travelled around countries, formed treaties and found my way out of a huge amount of problems with the characters I have spent ages with. This book had so many twists and turns and I still can’t believe what happened at the end because honestly nothing worked out for these characters. But I guess the worse it is for the good guys the better because then the more tense and on edge you are and the more you feel like you are actually a part of the book. Another thing that did make Rule of Wolves better than King of Scars was the romance which I had spotted since the start of the first book in this duology and had been waiting for ever since. I swear Rule of Wolves had everything I love in a book and it was perfect, just like every other book set in this world that I can’t believe isn’t real, but at least I know that these characters and this entire fantasy world will always be there for me, as a comfort place for any moment I need an escape from reality. And that is why I read.
Would you recommend this book?
Rule of Wolves is an incredible Grishaverse book and, even though you have to read 6 other books to get to it (the Shadow and Bone trilogy, Six of Crows duology and King of Scars) it is most definitely worth it. I absolutely recommend this book and I know anyone will like it, but I think it’s specifically for over 15s who enjoy fantasy, romance, adventure and a thrill they will never recover from.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
The most thrilling and perfect ending to a duology that will have you crying, screaming, laughing and squealing all in the same chapter.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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