Quest Ad: King of Scars Duology

by Gabby Styris

For Quest: Story Seeker

Book Title: King of Scars and Rule of Wolves (by Leigh Bardugo)

​Leigh Bardugo’s “King of Scars” duology follows her two popular YA series “Shadow & Bone” and the “Six of Crows” duology. These long-awaited sequels follow protagonists from both timelines as their story lines eventually merge.

My overall opinion on these books is unfortunately mediocre. Bardugo’s two plotlines feel completely detached, worsened as she introduces new point of view characters in “Rule of Wolves” to complicate the narrative. As the two timelines take place in different countries, it can be difficult to equally enjoy every perspective which makes the read less enjoyable. Additionally, the separate quests often feel directionless and long-winded.

Although character building has always been Bardugo’s strength, she doesn’t excel with every character here. Zoya – the king’s general – has an intriguing arc, but the king himself falls flat and proves generic. The third character, Nina, feels much duller and more lifeless than in previous novels. As well as this, Bardugo relies on a controversial fantasy trope – resurrection - to sustain the plot. This comes across as lazy writing and in turn undermines her previous work.

The duology does have some strengths, however. The ‘Grishaverse’ is rich and vibrant, complimented by (slightly overdone) fan-service for the original books. I’m not a huge romance reader, but the principal romances are well-written and engaging.

At this point, the series just feels endless. The duology’s ending teases a third “Six of Crows” book, prompting me to ask how much longer Bardugo will drag the series out for.

Regardless, this duology is a worthwhile read; largely for fans of the original series who just want to see more of their favourite characters. I would also highly recommend Bardugo’s original two series over this one, particularly “Six of Crows”.