Today, I will be starting the new blog series Most Read Authors. As the name implies, it is going to a post about Leigh Bardugo, an author whose novels I have read a lot of. There isn’t a specific number of books but more so an author I seek out when choosing a book.
Leigh Bardugo
I decided to go with Leigh Bardugo as the first author because I have been reading a lot of her books in the past year. I remember first reading Six of Crows and knew that I would be reading a lot of Bardugo in the future and that has come true. So let’s dive into some of the books I have read by Bardugo.
Six of Crows Duology
17-year-old Kaz Brekker is offered a job to free Bo Yul-Bayur, the creator of the jurda parem and prevent it from becoming public. Yul-Bayur is a prisomer in the Ice Court, a military stronghold in Fjerda that is said to be impenetrable. Kaz agrees to take on the job for a large sum of cash and recruits a crew to help him do the impossible. But neither he or his crew realize what is really waiting for them at the Ice Court .
That is a brief summary without spoiling anything. In my honest opinion, that may be the best book by Bardugo. It made me a fan and curious as to what else was in store. So far, I have enjoyed the journey and will keep on reading her novels that are set in the Grishaverse.
Shadow and Bone Trilogy
Alina and, Mal for short, Oretsev are two best friends who grew up in an orphanage. They are part of an expedition that has to enter the Shadow Fold, an area covered in total darkness and home to monsters called volcra. As they venture into the Shadow Fold, they are attacked by volcra. Alina subconsciously uses the power of a sun summoner to save Mal.
After that, Alina taken to the Little Palace to master her abilities under the leadership of the Darkling. Her newfound abilities may be the key to destroying the Shadow Fold.
But not everything is as it appears. A conspiracy to use her powers as a weapon changes Alina’s fate and forces her to take measures into her own hands. Will she be able to change the course of history or will everyone live in fear because of her?
The Shadow and Bone trilogy have a wider impact than the Six of Crows. The future of Ravka and the Grisha is on the line as well as the existence of the Shadow Fold. Alina, Mal, and the Darkling have a big part to play not only in the trilogy but the whole Grishaverse.
While the first novel starts off a but slow, the trilogy does pick up. The build up for the last (not really last as you well see) battle is worth it. It is a mix of a fantasy novel and a romance novel and it fluctuates in between them a lot. That slows the novels down but it isn’t that much of a hindrance.
King of Scars Duology
Nikolai Lantsov has inherited the throne and it is up to him to rebuild his country Ravka and has to juggle Ravka’s relationship with its neighboring nations Shu Han and Fjerda as he fends off a threat that he cannot face from within.
Inside Nikolai is a demon that the Darkling infected him with during the last battle when the Darkling fell. His friends and close bodyguards try to find a way to get rid of the demon while also guarding his secret.
Miracles are happening all over the continent and it spurns the king, Zoya Nazyalensky, and the king’s royal guards to seek out the miracles in the hope of finding a cure for the demon that resides in the king. During one of these visits, things go wrong and the king and Zoya go missing.
The King’s closest friends and allies try to keep his disappearance a secret but how long before everyone finds out? And where has he gone? Nikolai and Zoya have found a way to get rid of the demon but how much can they trust their new friends?
This might easily by favorite duology/trilogy by Bardugo. As good as Six of Crows is, the buildup in these novel pays off wonderfully. I was turning the pages seeing what was going to happen next.
Conclusion
That is the end of my journey. I don’t think I will read any Bardugo novel blindly but if it takes place in the Grishaverse, then yes. It is a unique world that is still growing and I can’t wait to see where it will go from her eon out.
I loved these books, along with the short stories associated with the Grishaverse, such as “The Witch of Duva” and “The Demon in the Wood.” Leigh Bardugo is so incredibly talented at world building.
I’ve read all the books but the “King of Scars” and I’m looking forward to reading it now. Thanks for sharing your love of the books so others can read and enjoy them too.
Thank you for the lovely words. You’ll enjoy it a lot.