King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo
Series: Nikolai Duology #1
Rating: 4.5 stars
Published: January 29th 2019
Goodreads Synopsis:
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, the young king 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 Squaller, 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.
The monster is me and I am the monster. - p. 89
What a pleasure it was to jump back into the Grishaverse again!
This time we're back in Ravka (and also in Fjerda, a new change of pace), with three POVs: Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina. Nikolai has to fight to contain the monster that's within him from the time he was captured by the Darkling's creatures in the original trilogy. Zoya, General of the Grisha Army, is there to protect him. Nikolai's got to consolidate his rule by finding a consort, and eventually have an heir. Meanwhile, Nina is off in Fjerda saving missing Grisha and trying to lay Matthias to rest. But while this is all happening, a young priest, Yuri, wishes to expand his worship of the Darkling to the rest of Ravka.
