No one knows what he endured in his country's bloody civil war-and he intends to keep it that way. In the last few chapters there are so many crazy twists that it will be nearly impossible for readers to wait for Book 2.Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. But it does push the story forward in the end. It's hard to tell what deeper truth they learned on their quest or even what the nature of the spiritual world they encounter is. The lostness of Zoya and Nikolai goes on too long, and the payoff is not there in the end. The only time King of Scars flags is when it reaches for a mystical center. He stays confidently steps ahead of his enemies most of the time with a snarky comment for anyone who stands in the way of his plans. Nikolai doesn't fret over attempts on his life or how hard it is to keep his country together - he strategizes. Zoya and Nina tap into their Grisha powers in new and thrilling ways. It's this wit and the characters' talents that pull them out of dire situations with flair. Each tale could have been more tragic - especially as the dead start chatting up Nina - but there's a cleverly dark wit throughout to lighten things up. Like Six of Crows, all are running from difficult pasts and (sometimes literal) personal demons. There are fewer main characters for author Leigh Bardugo to juggle here, three instead of six: Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina. Not as all-out exciting as the Six of Crows duology, this new Grishaverse tale still delivers the goods, edgy and engaging characters, bloody kingdom politics, and cool magic. Main characters are put through many trials in this book and always choose loyalty to their country and their king and causes greater than themselves over their own safety. While there's plenty of innuendo and a mention of brothels, there's little sexual content otherwise. The king is barely of modern drinking age and often mentions that he craves wine to help him relax and soothe his nerves. Other mature content includes drinking at gatherings. A mother and child are doused with fish guts and picked at by birds, and there's lots of fighting with wind, water, and fire. There are also deaths from burning, stabbing, murder-suicide with dagger, poisoning, and explosions. Women are imprisoned and drugged, and repeated rape is implied. While this story is a little tamer than Six of Crows, there's still some unsettling violence. Then you'll be up to speed on the warring kingdoms, the powers of the various Grisha, and the backstories of some of the main characters. It helps to have read a few books in the Grishaverse before tackling King of Scars. Parents need to know that Leigh Bardugo's King of Scars, is the first book in a duology that's part of the "Grishaverse." This includes the Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows duology.
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