The future of Ravka is uncertain in King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo. Nikolai Lantsov may have inherited the throne, but the young king must rebuild a country devastated by civil war while hiding the monster that lives inside him.
With enemies gathering along Ravka’s borders and the Darkling’s influence refusing to disappear, Nikolai, Zoya Nazyalensky, and Nina Zenik face threats that could reshape the entire Grishaverse. Keep reading for a spoiler-light summary and my review of King of Scars.
Spoiler warning: This review discusses important events from the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. It avoids revealing the biggest twists from King of Scars.
What Is King of Scars About?
King of Scars is the first book in Leigh Bardugo’s King of Scars duology. Published in 2019, the novel returns readers to Ravka and follows three major characters: Nikolai Lantsov, Zoya Nazyalensky, and Nina Zenik.
The story takes place after the events of the original Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. Although it begins a new series, readers will understand the characters and political conflicts better if they read Bardugo’s earlier Grishaverse novels first.
According to Leigh Bardugo’s official Grishaverse reading order, the King of Scars duology begins one year after the conclusion of the Six of Crows duology.
King of Scars Summary
Nikolai Lantsov has inherited the throne of Ravka, but becoming king has not made his problems disappear. His country is still recovering from the civil war against the Darkling, its finances are in terrible condition, and its enemies are waiting for an opportunity to attack.
Fjerda remains openly hostile toward the Grisha, while Shu Han presents its own political and military threat. Nikolai must find new allies, strengthen Ravka’s defenses, and convince the rest of the world that his weakened country can survive.
Unfortunately, Ravka’s greatest secret may be its king.
Dark magic left behind by the Darkling continues to live inside Nikolai. At night, he transforms into a winged monster capable of escaping his restraints and attacking anything in its path. Only a small group of Nikolai’s closest allies knows the truth.
If Ravka’s enemies discover that its king is losing control of a monster, Nikolai could lose both his throne and his country.
Nikolai and Zoya Search for a Cure
Zoya Nazyalensky, a powerful Squaller and general of the Second Army, is one of the few people trusted with Nikolai’s secret. She has dedicated herself to rebuilding Ravka’s Grisha forces while helping the king conceal his increasingly dangerous transformations.
As reports of unexplained miracles spread across Ravka, Nikolai and Zoya begin to wonder whether these strange events could lead them to a cure. Their search brings them into contact with Yuri Vedenen, a monk associated with a growing religious movement that worships the Darkling as the Starless Saint.
Nikolai has little patience for a cult devoted to the man who nearly destroyed Ravka. However, Yuri’s knowledge of the miracles makes him valuable.
Nikolai, Zoya, Yuri, and members of the royal guard travel into the countryside to investigate. The mission quickly becomes more dangerous than expected, forcing Nikolai and Zoya into a confrontation with ancient forces connected to Ravka’s history, its saints, and the true nature of Grisha power.
When Nikolai and Zoya disappear, their allies must conceal the king’s absence. Ravka cannot afford to appear leaderless when hostile nations are already preparing to take advantage of its weakness.
Nina Zenik’s Mission in Fjerda
While Nikolai and Zoya fight to protect Ravka from within, Nina Zenik is conducting a dangerous mission in Fjerda.
Still grieving after the events of Crooked Kingdom, Nina works as a Ravkan spy and helps endangered Grisha escape Fjerdan persecution. Her mission becomes more complicated when she discovers evidence of a horrifying campaign against Grisha women and children.
Nina’s unusual new powers allow her to uncover secrets others cannot, but using those abilities also forces her to confront her grief. Her storyline introduces new characters and reveals how deeply Fjerda’s hatred of the Grisha has become embedded in its culture and government.
Although Nina’s plot initially feels separate from Nikolai and Zoya’s story, it expands the novel’s political conflict and establishes important developments for the second book.
Do You Need to Read Shadow and Bone First?
You should read the earlier Grishaverse books before beginning King of Scars.
The novel assumes that readers already understand the Ravkan Civil War, the Darkling, Grisha powers, Nikolai’s history, and Nina’s relationships. It also reveals major spoilers for both the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the Six of Crowsduology.
The best reading order is:
Technically, you can start with King of Scars, but doing so would remove much of the emotional weight behind Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina’s individual struggles.
King of Scars Book Review
As someone who enjoyed Bardugo’s earlier Grishaverse novels, I believe King of Scars is one of her best books yet.
Before starting the novel, I was not sure whether Ravka’s story needed to continue after the conclusion of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. Alina Starkov’s battle against the Darkling felt like the end of a major era. However, King of Scars proves that Ravka still has plenty of compelling stories left to tell.
Bardugo examines what happens after the celebrated heroes win their war. Defeating one villain does not repair a country’s finances, rebuild its military, heal its people, or erase the political divisions that made the conflict possible. Nikolai may be a charismatic king, but charm alone cannot solve Ravka’s problems.
That postwar setting makes the future of Ravka feel genuinely uncertain. Nikolai and his allies are capable, but they are trying to hold together a country surrounded by enemies and haunted by its past.
Zoya Steals the Show
Nikolai is well written and remains as clever, charming, and unpredictable as ever, but Zoya steals the show.
Bardugo turns her into a fascinating protagonist without erasing the sharp edge that made her memorable in the original trilogy. Zoya is still proud, intimidating, and frequently difficult. Instead of softening her personality, the novel explores the experiences behind her emotional defenses.
We see how seriously she takes her responsibility to the Grisha and to Ravka. Her anger is not treated as something that must be removed before she can become heroic. It is part of her strength, even when it threatens to isolate her from the people closest to her.
Her relationship with Nikolai is also one of the book’s highlights. Their conversations are filled with sharp humor, political calculation, mutual frustration, and growing trust. They understand the burden of protecting Ravka in ways few other characters can.
A More Ambitious Grishaverse Story
King of Scars combines political fantasy, mythology, espionage, and character-driven storytelling. It builds on the original trilogy while introducing new questions about Grisha power, Ravkan history, and the line between saints and monsters.
The multiple storylines give the book a much larger scope. Nikolai and Zoya’s chapters focus on Ravka’s leadership and supernatural problems, while Nina’s chapters show the human cost of Fjerda’s campaign against the Grisha.
Readers expecting another fast-moving heist like Six of Crows may find the opening slower and more politically focused. The novel also depends heavily on established Grishaverse history, making it less accessible to new readers. For longtime fans, however, those connections are part of what makes the story so rewarding.
Is King of Scars Worth Reading?
King of Scars is worth reading if you enjoyed the Shadow and Bone trilogy or the Six of Crows duology and want to see what happens next in the Grishaverse.
The novel offers political intrigue, dangerous magic, memorable character development, and several major revelations. Nikolai remains an entertaining protagonist, but Zoya’s transformation into one of the series’ most complex characters is the biggest reason to read it.
Nina’s storyline also gives the novel an emotional center as she attempts to honor her past while deciding what kind of future she wants.
This is not the best entry point for someone completely unfamiliar with Bardugo’s world. It is a continuation rather than a true standalone novel, and much of its impact depends on knowing what these characters have already survived.
What Comes After King of Scars?
King of Scars is followed by Rule of Wolves, the second and final book in the duology. The sequel continues the stories of Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina while bringing several conflicts from across the Grishaverse together.
Because King of Scars ends with a major revelation, readers will probably want to have Rule of Wolves ready before reaching the final page.
Final Thoughts
I was initially unsure about returning to Ravka after Ruin and Rising, but King of Scars convinced me that Bardugo still had important stories to tell in this world.
The novel explores a country attempting to survive after war and characters who cannot simply leave their trauma behind. Nikolai’s fight against the monster inside him works as both a supernatural conflict and a reflection of the secrets he must carry as king.
Most importantly, the book gives Zoya the space to become a fully developed protagonist. She retains everything that made her compelling in the original trilogy while emerging as the strongest character in this new series.
Bardugo’s writing and world-building have continued to improve, and King of Scars is a rewarding return to the Grishaverse. If you have finished the earlier books and want to discover what happens next to Ravka, this duology is worth reading.
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