Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo Book Review
“‘Ulfleden,’ Vylva said. ‘Do you know what that means?’
‘Is it Hedjut?’ Nina asked. She’d never learned the dialect.
Ylva nodded. ‘It means ‘wolf-blooded.’ It’s a compliment among the Hedjut, but not so much here. When a child is odd or behaves strangely, they say ‘her place is with the wolves.’ It’s a kind of way of saying she doesn’t belong.'”
(pg. 95)
About
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult Dystopian Fantasy
Series: King of Scars Duology book 2
Click to read more book reviews
King of Scars Duology Book Review
King of Scars
Shadow and Bone Book Reviews
Six of Crows Book Reviews
Synopsis
The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm—and even the monster within—to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible.
The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost.
The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart.
King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall.
Review
Spoilers Contained Below
To those who want a better Ravka,
You know that moment when you close a book after finishing the book in all its completion, the room is quiet, your heart is thumping slowly, softly, hollowly, your gaze roaming around you as your eyes adjust to the real world, and your mind begins to wonder, “What do I do now?” The moment of when you finish a book you know that will stay with you long after you put the book down or slot the book back in a hug between friends on your shelf.
I had a moment like this when I finished Rule of Wolves.
There’s always this bittersweet, nostalgic feeling when finishing the last (hopefully, not) book in a series that you grew up reading—like the closing of a door. To know that you grew up with these characters, grew up in this setting, and lived within the words of these pages for so many years and to finally have some sort of peace knowing your characters are at peace. It’s such an odd feeling when the characters and the world is not real, but they were such pivotal pieces of you and the feelings associated with them were real. An end of an era, but the start of an age.
And yes, I did quote Taylor freaking Swift.
But finishing the last book in the Grisha verse felt like an end of an era and the start of a new age of whatever comes next for Leigh Bardugo and for these fictional characters.
There’s truly nothing more beautiful than a last hurrah of everything that had been building from the beginning, and Rule of Wolves was the final triumph ♥️.
Similar to the King of Scars book review, I will be writing a review of the main five character’s storylines and then an overall storyline review. The overall storyline review will be more broad as compared to the character review storylines because I want to focus on the details of each character and their journey, but some of the information might overlap in the overall review. So that’s why the overall review might not be as specific on the details, but will still emphasize my heartfelt emotions for Rule of Wolves.
But before I get into the review, I would just like to say to Leigh Bardugo is she’s reading this, which chances are she’s not but one can hope, thank you for writing a series that has stuck with me since I was a teenager and has made me feel less alone in the darkness of my mind and life when I was going through the hardships life threw at me. Thank you for showing me that there is life, hope, love, and fight left in me even at the moments I feel my weakest. Thank you for crafting such a brilliant and bold world where I found more safety and comfort than my own, especially—i.e. ironically, Ketterdam where I fell absolutely in love with the Crows. Thank you for writing stories that bring adventure, kinship, and every ounce of love and passion to the real world as it did in the words of your making. I will miss being in the Grisha verse—especially in Ketterdam (haha, this is just my way of saying I’m obsessed with the Crows)–but I will always cherish what your words have meant and gave me ♥️.
Onto my last Grisha-verse review 🥺.
💮🔪⛩ Mayu and the Monster Queen⛩🔪💮
If I’m being quite honest, I wasn’t really a fan of Mayu’s perspective 🙈.
Sorry. Not sorry.
But I understood why we had her perspective given that this book takes place in Fjerda, Shu, and Ravka–the gang split up all across the nation, which I felt was really cool and a nice touch if this is the last book in the Grisha-verse; it’s nice to be in all these countries if we wanted true closure due to all the fighting.
I just didn’t like Mayu all that much because she murdered Isaak. Side note, I’m still waiting for an Isaak burial 👏🏼 to honor the king he was, no pun intended. I understood that she was just serving her Queen and that she was in a complicated situation where she was promised that she would see her brother, Reyem again or that he be set free. Tolya and Tamar emphasized the kebben or twin bond, which is the powerful bond twins share, so I get it. I didn’t agree with Mayu, but I get it.
What I didn’t get much of in King of Scars was the whole assassination plot.
I got it now 😂.
If there’s one consistent thing I have come to enjoy about Leigh Bardugo’s books is how every book begins with a different person’s perspective that we don’t read from again. We got Queen Makhi’s perspective of the Isaak and Ehri assassination, which put in perspective her motives. Queen Mahki was jealous that people loved Princess Ehri, her sister, and that Princess Ehri would one day be the queen. When their mother passed away, their mother chose Ehri to succeed the throne, just as Mahki feared. However, Mahki didn’t tell anyone that her mother chose Ehri to be Queen, instead naming herself as Queen.
“She might have a sister’s envy, but she did not have a sister’s love.”
(pg. 271)
Makhi was always jealous of the love that people gave Ehri so easily, that Mahki acted out of a place of anger. And we all know what happens when you act out of a place of anger? Absolute undeserved chaos that hurts more people in the process 🙃.
I understood Makhi though in the sense that when you are the sibling to seemingly amazing, intelligent, all around perfect siblings, it’s hard to feel like you are enough or people will look at you because all you are is a shadow—a lesser version. Even though I sympathized with Mahki, that didn’t excuse her awful actions. She wanted to kill her sister 😳. I’m sorry. I don’t care how jealous she was, but that’s immoral and you need to get some mental health counseling or something to manage your envy.
Makhi sent Mayu as Princess Ehri to assassinate Nikolai and in the process, she hoped her sister would have been taken down with the Tavgharad, thus doing Mahki’s dirty work for her. I could not. JAIL. TREASON. DUNGEON 🤪.
Oooooh, don’t even get me STARTED with how this lunatic had her whole Tavgharad set themselves on freaking fire in the hopes that Ehri would burn with them 😳.
That’s Darkling level of morbid.
I’m still at a loss for words.
I literally SCREAMED when Ehri started to burn and had charred skin! She did not deserve to be burned like a marshmallow in a campfire!!!!!
Just the fact that she sent a freaking poem and the Tavgharad knew to sacrifice themselves like that, was flabbergastingly appalling. I would not. I don’t care if you are my Queen, that’s not worth it. Heck, especially if the Tavgharad knew that the Queen wanted to kill Ehri, that’s awful that they would just go along with that. You would think at least one of them would have, I don’t know, a sense of morals to see how wrong it was to not only burn themselves but hope, hope, they burned the Princess too. I also felt for Ehri because she trusted her Tavgharad, and they betrayed her and had no scruples about wanting her to burn with them.
And DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ON HOW THIS MONSTER had the AUDACITY to start the khergud program that ensalved Grisha and made them addicted to parem, and altered their bodies to be war weapons 😳.
APPALLED.
I would love to slap some common sense into that right hand man of Mahki’s because I don’t care who you serve, but to know all the atrocities she has done and still stand by her side???? Oooooh, I bet his mother wouldn’t be proud of him. Dishonor. I just didn’t understand how people let Mahki do such gosh-awful things without speaking out. I know she was the Queen, but didn’t mean she was invincible or honorable.
Knowing all this about Mahki made me despise her almost as much as the Darkling—almost, maybe a tad bit less, but close enough.
Both monsters. I guess, sometimes power makes you the monster or you become the monster with power.
There’s this internal battle in Mayu throughout her perspectives in her still wanting to be loyal to the principles of the Tavgharad, but also knowing first-hand how wrong the leader of her country was. I could feel how much Mayu wanted to be honorable to the oaths she took as a warrior, but honor her hear and morals. Honestly, it was refreshing to know that Mayu was human to feel the wrongness of what Mahki was doing, and that Mayu felt remorseful for killing Isaak. I don’t see Mayu closing her eyes and not living with the regret of what she did for a long time because she hurt an innocent man she began to like. And was Isaak really worth it to be a prisoner in Ravka and to go against her country now?
I just hoped Mayu did Isaak right by wanting change and being that change. It started with her needing to let go of the idea that the Tavgharad were some noble force to be reckon with, when really they were disposable weapons of the Queen. I felt when Mayu let go of her past and everything she stood for would she find liberation.
I liked how we follow Mayu, Princess Ehri, and Tamar to Shu to confront Mahki for treason for attempting to kill the Princess, find Reyem, and take down the khergud bases.
They found Reyem in a barn in a box-like container that enclosed his body where they could wake him and the other khergud up using a button/device. I felt sorry for Mayu finding her brother in such a state, knowing how much love she still had for her brother. I loved the backstory about how she was always in her brother’s shadows, but he would always downplay his success for her because he didn’t want his kebben to feel like her success wasn’t good enough. I also loved how when Mayu got chosen for the Tavgharad, he was incredibly proud of her like this was his sister’s shining moment. We love a supportive brother. It broke my heart that her brother was this addicted solider who didn’t recognize her, and I wondered for her sake how we could get him back to her. I don’t know who Bergin was in a past life or how he had a chokehold on Reyem in what he said, but Begin (one of the
They found Reyem in a barn in a box-like container that enclosed his body where they could wake him and the other khergud up using a button/device. I felt sorry for Mayu finding her brother in such a state, knowing how much love she still had for her brother. I loved the backstory about how she was always in her brother’s shadows, but he would always downplay his success for her because he didn’t want his kebben to feel like her success wasn’t good enough. I also loved how when Mayu got chosen for the Tavgharad, he was incredibly proud of her like this was his sister’s shining moment. We love a supportive brother. It broke my heart that her brother was this addicted solider who didn’t recognize her, and I wondered for her sake how we could get him back to her. I don’t know who Bergin was in a past life or how he had a chokehold on Reyem in what he said, but Begin (one of the khergud soldiers) said something that snapped Reyem out of his stupor to not fight his sister! Thank you Bergin! But I love how there was a moment that Reyem protected Mayu—how she fought so hard for the hope that she would see him again and that he would be okay, and now here he was.
I couldn’t imagine how Reyem must have felt like to suddenly wake up from this trance-like state of being experimented on and having wings—to feel so violated in his own body. I hurt for Reyem becuase he didn’t ask to be made a monster, but I was glad that he was no longer under the influence of parem and part of the khergud, so that he could begin to figure out this new path of who he was. But that’s hard also knowing that many khergud are seen as monster soldiers, and that many people wouldn’t accept them in hatred or fear. The book hinted that the khergud might be exiled from Shu Han because in Shu Han, the didn’t really exist. However, that sucks to not really have a place/home when the very project took away every freedom you had or right over your body. I hope the best for those who were made khergud and that over time the world won’t see them as monsters, but as something that was done monstrous things too. I had hope for Reyem because he seemed like a good guy. Also, Bergin and the other khergud who had such cool khergud names, if we’re being quite honest 😅. Like Batman who?
Can I just laugh my a** off about how dethroning Mahki was the equivalent of telling a parent that her sister took the last cookie from the cookie jar and broke it 😂?
I’m sorry, that’s how it felt like and I was cracking up. I mean, Ehri literally said, “Let me tell Grandma every vile thing you have done in your reign.” And Grandma said, “I’m going to DETHRONE your a** 👏🏼.”
The whole scene where Mahki makes a surprise appearance in her khergud barn facility and was like, “I won,” was a joke when her Grandma stepped into the room as if she was breaking up a sibling squabble. But the moment almost felt so mundane in being what it felt like—a sibling squabble of jealousy.
She probably sighed to herself thinking, “Gosh, I have to deal with these foolish children. Can’t leave them to run a nation.” 😂 Grandma Leyti just wanted to garden in peace 👏🏼👏🏼!!
I genuinely could feel the disdain and irritation coming from Leyti Kir-Taban; she was sooo over it.
What sucked though was how Shu Han wasn’t going to be allies with Ravka when Ravka needed them most. I understood that Shu Han just wanted peace as much as the rest of them, but how could their be peace when there were nations at war on the very same land they were on. I also don’t know how “neutral” it is that the Shu Han said they would stay out of the war when Shu Han accepted a bribe from Fjerda to be “neutral.” That’s like saying Mahki was neutral. Neutral like the hand that accepted said bribe. Neutral my sarcastic a**.
And tell me why Mahki wasn’t put in the dungeon?!?! A step down from the throne isn’t enough, I want his girl in the DUNGEON. I know how Mahki in the dungeon would look like in the eyes of the Shu, but still, Mahki tried to kill her sister and violated innocent people to use as weapons in some screwed up biotic army. Dungeon isn’t even enough for her crimes. I don’t agree with Mahki sitting pretty on the ground next to the very sister she tried to murder 🙃. It’s sad how Reyem and Bergin were right and how Mahki wouldn’t face any consequences because of her status.
I loved how in the end, Mayu went back to go serve Princess Ehri because Mayu had so much more respect for Princess Ehri and the person she was becoming—a bit more confident and brave.
Let’s just hope Mayu doesn’t pull an Isaak on her 🤪.
JAIL.
❄️♥️🐺 Nina Zenik/ Mila Jandersdat and the Wolf Espionage ❄️♥️🐺
“It was like looking at a stranger–except for the stubborn glint in her eyes. That was pure Zenik”
(pg. 492)
Ah, Nina, my little Crow set free into this world.
I loved following Nina’s journey in Rule of Wolves to see her heart defrost from the bitter cold of losing someone into finding purpose and love with someone who felt like her new home. I could sense the ice around Nina’s grieving heart into healing, and having some of her Nina spunk again, which I loved loved loved. After everything she had been through, I really hoped for a happy ending for Nina—that she would make it out on the other side with something more than her pain.
I’m so happy Leigh Bardguo gave Nina the peace and joy she needed and then some.
The last time we saw Nina in King of Scars, she opted to stay in Fjerda with the Burn family and Hanne. If you read my King of Scars book review (I highly recommend as the review is a fun time), you would know my hopes for Nina’s storyline would be that we took down Brum and the Ice Court in someway because her journey with the crows started with Brum and the Ice Court and her storyline would be wholesome if she had closure with both. When we last saw Nina she was also trying to change Fjerdan’s perspectives of Grisha from fear to worship as Saints because she knew that Fjerdan’s would always fear Grisha, but maybe she could make the people see them as heroes to be worshipped. Therefore, that fear would turn into devotion and that devotion into acceptance of her people. I liked how we hear Nina staging miracles all over Fjerda and how slowly people were starting to believe in the miracles of Grisha because Nina tied these miracles to Djel, the Fjerdan God. I mean, clever of Nina to ensure the miracles related to Djel because Djel already had roots (no pun intended) with the Fjerdan’s. It was only a matter of adding to those roots.
I thought Nina was clever to also use the Queen’s religious beliefs to garner grace for Grisha.
While staying with the Brum family, Hanne decided to enter the Jerjanik Heartwood festival, which was a festival similar to courting where young Fjerdan women were presented to court and Djel and at the end of the festival, someone would propose and the woman would have to accept the proposal. Hanne agreeing to such a festival was so that Nina could become closer to Vadik Lanstov who the Fjerdan’s were going to use against Ravka to hopefully get Nikolai kicked off the throne. If Nina could get close to Vadik, she could uncover if he was really a lost Lanstov and change his mind about being influenced by Fjerda if he were to take the throne.
When Hanne was being presented to court, there was a moment where Prince Rasmus of Fjerda had a whole coughing fit where he was weak. Many people spoke about how Prince Rasmus barely went to social events because he was weak, and many people didn’t take him seriously because they didn’t see him as powerful when Fjerdan’s exuded power; Brum, Redfin, and other drüskelle thought Rasmus as a joke. I had a feeling that Brum didn’t want Rasmus to take the throne and was rooting for him to pass young. If Rasmus passed away young, then Djel would choose someone like him–someone strong—to lead. Brum may have had vitality and power, but he had no honor and I could see no good from him ruling Fjerda for his own anger-hate fest. Hanne used her Heartrender powers to aid Prince Rasumus back to decent health in the moment, and I love Nina’s swift mind in going to Hanne and praying as a cover that instead of Grisha power at work, they used religious power.
Because Hanne and Nina saved Rasmus life, he took an interest in Hanne, which felt like he was trying to court her. With the new sudden interest, Nina did get closer to Vadik, but I didn’t feel like Vadik’s character was all that important—no offense to him. He just felt like a figure walking on the outside of the story or a looming storm cloud who didn’t really understand the full repercussions of why he was there. I don’t think the point was Vadik in particular, but what he stood for.
Rasmus now looked healthier than he did before, which made his mother question what happened. Nina played into her Grisha undead power to really strike Agathe, the Fjerdan Queen where it mattered. I kind of loved that Nina played with Agathe’s feelings because Nina was just trying to change Agathe’s perspective of Grisha, so really no harm done 😅. I mean, compared to the harm done to all the Grisha they imprisoned and killed in the Ice Court, no harm done in playing to Nina’s strengths. I will say I felt almost bad that we were toying with Agathe’s feelings because there was a humanity in Agathe that was concerned about her son as most mothers would be. She just wanted her son to be healthy and safe, but she probably felt wrong or guilty that she used Grisha healers when trying to get pregnant. Agathe experienced many miscarriages and was having a difficult time getting pregnant, so she secretly used a Grisha healer, and she believed that doing so made her son cursed. I could understand why she thought Resmus was cursed, but I hope she knew that none of it was because of the healer or her fault. Sometimes the cards are heavy.
Nina gave Agathe something to believe in—faith. Hanne and Nina kept Resmus vital whenever there were good days, which made Agathe believe that if she kept praying to Djel, her son would be healthy. When there were bad days, Agathe believed Resmus’s health would slip because of the way Hanne played with Resmus health when Fjerda was successful with the bombing. Nina played Resmus’s fall in health to Djel being angry at the war, and I loved how Agathe listened to Nina in how Nina was like, “Who is the Queen?” talk. There’s nothing like feeing someone an idea that they think is theirs. But with Nina boosting Grisha morale with Agathe, I loved to see the change in how Agathe asserted herself more in her beliefs without fear. Brum was not the boss of you, sis.
My first impression of Rasmus was how I felt for him because did not have the best health. It wasn’t fair that people saw him as weak when he needed to take care of himself first; that he couldn’t go out or participate in more physically taxing things. I also felt like he was just a Prince who wanted companionship given how he spent a lot of time alone in bed with no one who saw him more than weak. So I thought Rasmus liking Hanne was innocent because Rasmsu seemed innocent and not like a monster.
Gosh, was I unfortunately wrong 🙃.
What a sadistic cow with no heart. I would like to take an acorn and wack some sense into his callous little excuse of a heart ☹️.
I was just disappointed and surprised that Rasmus’s true character came out. He had to sit with his mother when the other Fjerdan men went hunting, and that made Rasmus feel weak. I understand, he put on his riding clothes and he felt healthy enough to go hunting, but then had to go sit with all the women like he was some fragile person. I would feel embarrassed. But never, ever, ever would I ever hurt someone to reduce them to nothing just so I can make myself feel “strong.” Never. That’s a cowards and a loser’s way of reacting.
Rasmus taunted his guard, Joran, who truly showed no emotion ever, and still didn’t. And then Rasmus whacked him across the cheek with some acorn thing or whatever, and when Rasmus had a sick, twisted grin on his face, I was appalled. He was enjoying trying to provoke the bear. He wanted a fight, but knew Joran wouldn’t give him a fight. I wanted to fight 😡. How dare Rasmus treat someone that way? The way Rasmus kept hitting Joran? Sickening. I could just feel Joran wanting to hit back but knowing he couldn’t touch a hair on the princes head. Take one for the team, dude 😂. There’s no doubt in my mind that a slap with Joran’s pinkie would have knocked Rasmus out faster than Rasmus trying to hit Joran once. Also, only a sick, twisted weird gets glee from someone’s pain. I could not. I loathed Rasmus; absolutely an awful human being. What is up with some of these Fjerdan men 😂? Not even men, more like unforgiving beasts.
Fjerdan men: Looks good on the outside, but is trash on the inside 🙃 (excluding Matthias Helvar and Joran)
Yea, I would have lost hope in trying to sway Rasmus to not go to war after that heartless act.
Joran, Joran, Joran.
The loyal, unwavering, immovable Drüskelle solider.
I liked Joran. . . for minute 😂.
I felt awful that he served someone so callous and undeserving. Joran just seemed like a good solider who did not emote—typical Fjerdan man who was loyal to his country. However, there was a moment where I grew to like him a lot more. As Nina was leaving Brum’s office after searching for Tatiana’s love letters, she bumped into Joran who was praying to the Saints in secret. Praying to the Saints is the most un-Fjerdan like thing a person could do, especially being Drüskelle because their only God was Djel. Joran also worshipped Alina, a Grisha, which could be even more sacrilegious. Even so, I liked how Joran was a believer in other Saints and that he worshipped Alina because he admired Alina’s bravery and goodness. He wanted to be more than just a solider, but a good person worthy of redemption. In that moment, I could see a bit of Matthias in Joran because here was a young man who grew up believing that Grisha were monsters, but wanting to believe in more and opening his mind. If there were people like Joran and Matthias, maybe there were more people who were trying to find faith in something greater than what they grew up knowing/believing. I liked how Joran also helped Nina escape the Drüskelle offices and protected her secrets even if he might have been suspicious of her “reason” she was there. I just felt like he was trying to do right because he didn’t know what that meant yet.
Thinking Joran was similar to Matthias was what made the next revelation a pain, utterly GRUESOME. GUTTING, even.
Joran was thanking Nina for keeping his secret, and Nina told him there was nothing to be ashamed of with practicing his beliefs. Then Nina said something along the lines of “What if Brum is wrong about the Grisha, Djel, and war,” and Joran said, “Then there’s no hope for me.” I was like, why would he think there was no hope for him? Joran said he killed a man in cold-blood, one of his brothers. An UNARMED MAN 😭. In a foreign city.
MATTHIAS 😭😭😭.
I was seeing red. I was seeing blue. I was seeing Matthias’s body in that boat. I was seeing that moment when Matthias tried to reason with a young boy to not shoot him, but understanding that this boy had been conditioned by his nation.
I mean, Joran would make the absolute most sense because Nina said he looked around seventeen, and the guy who shot Matthias was around fourteen at the time, and this book happened years later and I’m a mess 😭.
I legit had to stop and go find the exact page in Crooked Kingdom to see if there were any descriptions or names spoken. There wasn’t, but the fourteen-year-old-boy part was right. JORAN!!!!!!
After I got past my shock, there was RAGE 😡.
Seething hot rage. Like I will melt down Fjerda with my burning rage 🤪.
Honestly, I was ready to throw down with Nina 👏🏼!
No forgiveness for you, indeed Joran!!!!!
Instead of gettin punished for killing Matthias, he was made Resmus’s guard as probably a reward for killing the traitor. But my gosh, I genuinely do not know how Nina kept it together with this revelation. I was not. I was unwell. Someone call me a Heartrender.
I understood Joran was a kid, though, and he was only acting in fear and loyalty to his county; Joran din’t know better because he wasn’t conditioned to be better. I loved how throughout the series, Matthias’s voice grounded Nina in all her moments of anger towards the Fjerdan’s.
Swear to me you’ll at least try to help them.
There has to be a Fjerda worth saving. Promise me.
Have mercy on my people.
It is so easy to succumb to rage and let that drive everything we do. We know from the entire Grisha universe what rage can drive people to do. But Matthias’s voice of reason is a great reminder of what they were fighting for—a better world. People do or say things that are unforgivable or unredeemable, and we do not need to forgive someone or something if they do not deserve it, but we can have understanding and compassion to move forward. It is in that understanding where we can hope for something more, and I loved how even in those last moments that Matthias knew the faults of his country and wasn’t asking Nina to avenge him, right the wrongs, or burn down his country. He wanted her to have mercy. He wanted her to save his country from falling down even further on this wrongful path they have been treading for years. Matthias knew that there were good people in their country who had the power to be good if they were taught more or given a chance to be more than cold-hearted soldiers or believers. So I just think about how we can be angry all we want with someone or something, but we should try to see the good or the redemption in that person or thing–to have mercy.
The whole book was about the idea of mercy.
Nina was a modern day 007 but 006 for six of crows 😅. She really was doing the mostest as a spy for Ravka while being the most unappreciated actress. I mean, sis missed her calling because the way she feigned her trembles and fear around Brum deserved an Oscar 👏🏼. She said, “I will play the skittish, bumbling girl if it meant getting answers and gaining trust.” She played the role well. I just couldn’t stand when Nina would act all docile and foolish around Brum because he ate that shiz up; he probably felt all high and mighty that a young woman coward at him. That’s not something to be proud of, bro. Also, the moment where Nina found Joran secretly praying, she played it off as though she was waiting for Brum as his “other lady,” which I would have felt absolutely discussed saying—would have gagged 😂. But Joran was nice about being appalled at the prospect of what Brum was doing with Nina, and I liked how he respected woman to help Nina escape even if he didn’t know the honest reason.
I loved how she freaking worked her way into the most heavily guarded place in Fjerda–the Drüskelle offices–so she could find the secret love letters of Tatiana. Nina was tasked by Nikolai to find the letters and get rid of the proof that he wasn’t the rightful heir to the throne. When Nina found those letters, she also found Magnus Omjar, Nikolai’s father. The fact that Fjerdan’s kept Nikolai’s father in a cage???? Excuse me???? For how long 😧??? Gosh. I was looking forward to when Nina snuck back in to rescue Omjar, but when she did, he had escaped, which I guess is on-brand as he was Nikolai’s dad. Omjar used one of Nina’s bone knives she misplaced to probably pick the lock and let himself free. How he got past the heavily guarded Ice Court? Who knows 😅 to be quite honest.
But yet there was still war.
In her spy work, Nina was able to send word to Nikolai about the tanks coming through for that first attack. So Nikolai and his team could stage the attack and put mines under the land the Fjerdan’s traversed upon, which would buy them time. I was honestly like good for Fjerda for losing 👏🏼! Aww man, but the next attack with the rockets truly broke my heart—shattered it, splattered it, tattered it. Nina saw the maps when she was in Brum’s office, but she didn’t know what any of the maps meant, which no one should have expected her to. But the maps were places that the Fjerdan’s were going to attack. And attack they did.
People who celebrate the victory of such destructive, inhuman lost, fathoms me.
Brum is the worst type of monster—being what constituted as a human, but not.
I wanted to hug Nina because not knowing what the maps meant was not her fault and she couldn’t have prevented what was going to happen. She also couldn’t dwell on how much she could have helped because she couldn’t change what happened. It made me sick seeing Nina so sick and pallid because she hurt for Ravka. I mean, she was in the country that was celebrating their demise.
The final battle felt like this grand moment we’ve been building up for, and one that Fjerda seemed overly confident about. Brum brought Hanne, Nina, and his family to some safeguard facility that was all imposing and metal. I could just imagine a big metal circular fortress. If Brum thought that his family needed to move because he expected utter destruction, things didn’t look too good. I could understand how Nina and Hanne felt like all hope or redemption was off when they entered the fortress. The whole freaking place was guarded–the fortress felt like a prison and a safe-haven.
I screamed when Nina got whacked on the head when she was separated from Hanne.
Who was trying to attack her?
The freaking Apparat can suck my toes. He wasn’t even the main event in this book, but was still the leech he was—sucky and irritating 😂. This man needs to get a life. He truly has no loyalty but to his bald head 🤪. I’m sorry, I’m feeling feisty. But we’re in the middle of a war and he wanted to kidnap Nina to get Zoya to come just so he could forge a deal with Zoya to betray Nikolai. How about we smack your ideals up your brain? I could not when he put Nina and Zoya in a complicated situation with them being in a enclosed tower and with parem gas in the vents. If the Apparat should have learned anything in all his years, is that women kick a**! He truly was asking for a butt-kicking–maybe he’s masochistic 😅?
But I loved the whole moment when Zoya saved Nina and they fought in tandem. Sometimes I forget that they knew each other and were close. I freaking loved how freaked out Nina was when Zoya turned into a dragon, but how Nina was also unsurprised Zoya was a dragon. I loved how Nina was just along for the ride at that point.
One of my favorite moments of the book was when Nina was holding onto Zoya, looking down at all the destruction, hate, and pain going on on the battlefield. When Zoya flew in on her dragon form, I love the sense of fear, wonder, and astonishment Leigh Bardugo wraps up into one profound emotion. Fjerdan’s didn’t have a dragon on their side, and knew they would lose at that point. But they were also astonished at the sight of a mythically dangerous, but beautiful creature.
I think that was the whole point of a dragon.
Two sides of the same going—being dangerous but hopeful. How Fjerdan people were dangerous in their anger and rigid in their beliefs, but there was an undercurrent of hope among the people for change and something greater, something good. And in that moment when Nina saw the fear and wonder in their eyes, she heard Matthias’s voice about mercy and saving his people. I got chills.
War is a slippery slope.
Once one person does something, it is natural to retaliate to defend and protect your home base. But that only leads to the other person retaliating with something even worse, and so on until there truly is nothing left to fight for. I think about the real world and how we have wars that lead to nothing but the destruction of innocent people put in the middle of so much anger and hate that could be discussed civilly. I also think about how, again, it is so easy as people to feed into that anger and hate because you want someone to hurt the way you hurt, or to hurt worse. But when does that pain or hurt end? Is the destruction and pain really worth it if you end up becoming the monster you feared?
Sure, in the moment, I was like, “Yea, Zoya, burn them down,” because I was so caught up in the feeling of knowing that these people hurt so many others. But as people we need to show mercy, have mercy in knowing that there is more to life than anger and destruction. That there is something to hope for and to have peace for. Because once we show mercy, we show peace, we show understanding, we show compassion.
Mercy is laying down the weapon and saying I don’t want to be the monster you made me.
And that take so much more strength and power than any weapon.
So I loved loved loved when Nina tells Zoya to not light the people up—to have mercy.
In this situation, Nina had bolstered the hope of Fjerdan’s in Grisha miracles and Saints, and if Zoya scorched them, the Fjerdan’s would use the destruction to garner even more hate and fear of Grisha.
Retaliation is saying let them fear me and hate me to fight back more.
I loved when Zoya didn’t obliterate the people.
Even if Matthias wasn’t a full-fledged character in this book, his heart was and he guided everything that led to such a pivotal moment ♥️.
Nina kept her word to Matthias.
Going with the theme of mercy, I liked how Nina didn’t retaliate against Joran because she understood him and she knew he probably didn’t mean it back then. The only way she could go was forward. I wonder if she would ever have a talk with him in the future about Matthias because she mentioned his name to Joran. I wonder if Joran would find closure and would do better. I liked how he was trying through.
You know after everything Nina had been through, I was freaking PEEZED for her when she went back to Fjerda and saw Hanne’s bleeding body on the ground ☹️!!! Apparently, freaking Resmus and Hanne had a fight from the balcony they were watching the war from, and Hanne “fell” off the balcony.
Can we cut Nina a break???
She already lost Matthias 😭.
I could not.
I enjoyed Hanne and Nina’s slow burn because their romance was such a gentle, sacred secret. I loved how in knowing looks or touches, they hoped that they liked each other. I liked whenever Nina saw Hanne do Heartwood festival things, he heart would pang because she didn’t want Hanne to be tied to some guy and some life Hanne didn’t want. Deep down we knew Nina didn’t want Hanne to live a life she didn’t want because she wanted to be the one Hanne lived life with. The moment they kissed was a win and a beautiful moment. I laughed when Ylva walked in on Hanne and Nina kissing and Ylva didn’t even bat an eye, but told Nina to cover up her love bite 😂. Honestly, I’m a big fan of Ylva and how she just wanted the best for her daughter, whatever or whoever that may be.
You could literally feel the life sucked so thoroughly, so harrowingly out of Nina.
I was ready to write a strongly worded letter to Leigh Bardugo about Nina getting a happy ending 😩!
But then, I got it 😉.
Clever Leigh. I see you.
I was thinking to myself when Nina and Ylva were crying over Hanne’s body–can I just add how disgusted I was that Brum had no emotion to knowing his daughter was pushed off a balcony and died–that maybe Hanne didn’t die???
I noticed it the first time Resmus came around and felt different. Even before the more obvious hints given. Hanne could tailor herself well, and her power had only grown. Hanne had tailored herself as a solider before, so I was thinking if Hanne’s power was sharper, maybe she tailored herself to be Resmus and Resmus was actually the one who “fell” off the balcony.
I freaking LOVED that Hanne played the prince 👏🏼!!
I loved when Hanne blatantly exiled her own father 😂. Let’s forking go. Banishment. Hanne said “bye bi***. ” She said “no mourners.”
I loved when Nina had a moment alone with Hanne as Resmus and the first thing Nine asked was, “When did we meet?” When Hanne answered, SOBS 😭.
I loved loved loved how Leigh Bardugo interwove Hanne’s plot with Hanne becoming who she felt happiest—looking like a man. The writing was so seamless in feeling like I knew Hanne was meant to be someone else because looking like a man made her feel confident and happy and that’s how we all should feel about ourselves.
“‘You aren’t Rasmus. You’re someone new, someone I can’t wait to know.'”
(pg. 560)
I loved when Nina accepted Hanne for who she was—sorry, is Hanne still using her/she pronouns or was she switching to he/him? I just want to be respectful. But I feel like that had to be a bit odd to be Rasmus now when that’s not exactly the person I feel like Hanne wanted to be. She did get into a fight with Rasmus on the balcony where he slapped her and she used her Heartrender powers unintentionally hurting him. So she tailored his face and made him look like he fell off the balcony.
But gosh, she was to be king one day!! That’s wild. What a fairytale: Princess Nina and King Hanne.
That’s so weird too how they weren’t who they were to the public, but they knew each other in private. I mean, what a secret.
“‘Two Grisha living in secret, ruling Fjerda, guiding them toward peace with Ravka? It’s too beautiful a dream.’
. . .What would Matthias think of all this? Nina wondered. A Grisha king. A Grisha queen. She hopes he would be glad to see her happy, that he would want her heart to heal.”
(pg. 560-1)
I feel like Matthias would cackle along with me. Only Nina could accomplish such a feat. I loved that though, a nation that repulsed Grisha, actually going to be ruled by two Grisha who could change the entire narrative of Grisha in Fjerda. I loved the idea that they could guide peace because they were secretly Grisha, ensuring peace for hopefully a long time. But what a perfect future to hope for.
I love the last thought of Nina thinking how Matthias would feel because he was her Djel ♥️. I think he would be happy and proud of her as well.
I just have so many questions though about how long they will keep up the ruse of being secret Grisha or different people. I also wonder if Hanne will ever alter her features later on to look less like Rasmus and more like the man she wants to be because I hope that for her. I also wonder if Joran will find out their secret or they will let him into the ruse because he kind of knows Hanne’s a Heartrender and Nina isn’t who she says she is.
I don’t know, but there’s s a lot of hope and possibility for Nina and Hanne, and I’m so happy for their happy beginning.
I’m also excited to actually see change in Fjerda because they will be the change. It’s exciting to think about all the little Matthias’s or Joran’s who don’t have to grow up with such a confining and hateful doctrine, but can be free to believe in the good.
the end twist with Hanne
⚡️🐲👑 Zoya Nazyalensky and the Dark Monsters ⚡️🐲👑
“‘True,’ said Nikolai. ‘But they know what you are too, Santka Zoya.’
‘Do not call me that.’
‘It has a nice ring to it,’ said Tamar.
‘Our Lady of Dragonfire?’ suggested Nadia.
‘Sweet scaly vengeance?’ said Genya.
Zoya turned her back on all of them and strode toward the tents. ‘I’m going to go live in a cave.'”
(pg. 502)
I said this multiple times in my King of Scars book review, but one of the best things about this duology was getting to know Zoya more. Even more so with Rule of Wolves I loved seeing less of a general, and more of a human. I loved how Leigh Bardugo balanced Zoya’s strength with her anger, loss, and confusion.
Anger.
Zoya had multitudes of it. Mostly directed at herself.
She harbored a lot of anger because she followed the Darkling for many years, which caused the loss of her loved ones. I understand that, but it was not her fault for believing a conniving, powerful man. So when the Darkling returned, it was natural that Zoya’s anger also came back. I mean, she was staring down at the man who took the lives of all her loved ones, who manipulated her. I would be furious. I would also feel a pang of sorrow to know that I trusted this person once and he turned out to be someone I didn’t really know. Because as much as we can villainize the Darkling, I do feel like there had to be a sense of hurt from the trust that he formed with multiple people. When someone breaks that trust, it’s more than a betrayal, it feels personal.
I liked how Zoya was the one who traveled with the Darkling because she was the one who knew him best; the Darkling wanted to see Mal and Alina in exchange for telling them how to stop the Blight. There was also this sense that Zoya wanted redemption in protecting her loved ones from the monster who took a lot from her.
Gosh, can I say, I LOVED seeing Alina and Mal 🥺♥️. I loved the homeliness of them growing older together and looking after each other. I loved that little moment when Alina got out of the carriage and Mal helped her down and gave her a coat. What a nice man, a good man—as she deserves.
I loved how the Darkling and Alina fell back into their hate banter, to be quite honest, as if time had never passed. They had a lot of history for people who didn’t really 😅. It still boggles my mind how the Darkling still believed that he was righteous in what he did because he felt like he was the only person to unite Ravka and be the savior. Many people had said this before, but the Darkling is one of the most interesting villains because he had good reason that was monstrously carried out. Those reasons surely blurred over time and he truly could not see the error of his wars.
I never quite trusted the Darkling seeing Alina again as this righteous forgiveness act, but purely selfish. He had a motive or something up his sleeve. So when Yuri popped out of the Darkling’s conscious for a moment, I was like, DANG. We shouldn’t have trusted this lying piece of filth. A man of his word, my butt!
Gosh.
I couldn’t even imagine how Zoya must have felt knowing that he escaped her clutches as if the whole situation was her fault—like she failed again. Zoya’s biggest fear and regret: failure. I loved how Alina reassured Zoya, and was so chill about it too, that the Darkling escaping wasn’t her fault and that she would be okay. I loved how confident and assured Alina has grown into to not fear the Darkling. I mean, he had some of his powers, but there really wasn’t a reason for him to go after Alina when part of him always loved her even if those feelings were unrequited. I think the Darkling not going after Alina at all in the book was a mercy within itself to how he shared a bond with her in the final moments fo Ruin and Rising, a bond that didn’t make him the monster. I would have liked to see Alina and Mal more, but I’m happy to know that they are doing well in Keramzin. I hope they meet in the meadow often to hold hands or what not 😅.
Zoya also knew loss like a prayer.
I loved when Nikolai followed her that one night and Zoya led him to her garden of grief.
The fact that Zoya even had a garden of grief, broke my heart for many reasons 🥺♥️.
First, the fact that Zoya did something as mundane as garden was beyond me.
Second, was how Zoya had this sacred place where she got away from life to reflect on every person she loved or cared about and lost.
Third, was the personalized thought Zoya put into every flower she planted. I loved loved loved that. I loved how she thought about how if that person were a flower, what flower they would be. Her planting flowers with so much thought was her way of remembering and honoring these people. so that someone in the world didn’t forget their sacrifices or being.
I choked back a sob with the way Zoya said her garden was running out of room. I could just imagine the ache in her heart knowing that there kept being all these losses and flowers she had to plant like a good thing and a hard thing—someone lost, something gained. I never thought I would see Zoya so vulnerable and so human.
The metaphor of the thorn wood and the flowers.
“‘A thorn wood. . . . There is nothing in it worth loving.’
‘How wrong you are. . . Look at the way it grows, protecting everything within these walls, stronger than anything else in the garden, weathering every season. No matter the winter it endures, it blows again and again.'”
(pg. 316)
Zoya always saw herself as the monster, the thorn wood—something unworthy of love.
But I loved how Nikolai saw her as blooming and strong, how he saw her the way everyone saw her and then some. Zoya might have been a thorn wood–rough around the edges and sharp—but there was so much beauty to the angles and the way Zoya persisted in the darkest times.
“This is what love does.
Love was the destroyer. It made mourners, widows, left misery in its wake. Grief and love were one and the same. Grief was the shadow love left when it was gone.”
(pg. 281)
Zoya’s mom made her believe that love was loss, that love was pain.
Love is loss and pain because there was so much love to be had.
Love is such a complex emotion that has two sides of loving so hard you can barely breathe and losing that love and feeling you cannot take your next breathe—you cannot have love without loses as you cannot have something beautiful without knowing something painful.
Growing up viewing love one way was hard for Zoya to reconcile love as anything else than pain.
It’s why she kept Nikolai at a distance even if what she felt for him was real. I enjoyed all the stolen glances and the ways Zoya and Nikolai showed they loved or cared about each other without telling each other. Before the final battle with Fjerda, Nikolai laid his heart out to Zoya. I was SCREAMING 🥺♥️!!! Finally, someone acknowledging their feelings! They could have played this ignore-the-elephant-in-the-room game forever, but I loved how Nikolai took a chance because he didn’t know if he would get the chance to tell her how he really felt, which amen 👏🏼!
When he said he would have her as his queen, EEEEEEKKKK! That’s right 👏🏼! You go Nikolai!!!
“‘I would give you a crown if I could . . . I would show you the world from the prow of a ship. I would choose you, Zoya. As my general, as my friend, as my bride. I would give you a sapphire the size of an acorn.’ He reached into his pocket. ‘And all I would ask in return is that you wear this damnable ribbon in your hair on our wedding day.”
(pg. 422-23)
NOT THE RIBBON 💙.
I wanted to scream at Zoya to tell Nikolai she loved him too!!!!! I was disappointed when she didn’t 🥺! He just bared his heart out to you and you made him think that you weren’t worthy of being a queen, so then he played his speech off as nothing. That speech meant everything to him! Later on, Zoya thought about how she would have told him how she felt but feeling like she couldn’t just yet.
On the other side of anger and pain was love.
Love love love, complicated love.
“This is what love does. In the stories, love healed your wounds, fixed what was broken, allowed you to go on. But love wasn’t a spell. It was some kind of benediction to be whispered, a balm or a cure-all. It was a single, fragile thread, which grew stronger and stronger through connection, through shared hardship and honored trust. Zoya’s mother had been wrong. It wasn’t love that ruined her, it was the death of it.”
(pg. 496)
Zoya finding acceptance and love for who she was one of the greatest moments in the book ♥️.
Zoya was never a believer in love or being close to anyone for the pain loving them would cause. Zoya having this realization of how love meant connection, fighting for people you love, healing, strength, was so beautiful; such a contrast to the girl we knew. Because love brought her all these adventures and connections to people she never knew she would love like Genya, David, Alina, and Nikolai—people she absolutely repulsed working with but who she grew to enjoy their company and jokes. I loved how Zoya’s mind slowly shifted to realizing how much better life was with people in it than closing herself off to be alone because it was easier or better. But this was what love did. Love brought more love, connection, and Zoya closing herself off to love was what made her feel unloveable—what hurt her.
Closing yourself off to love because we’re scared of the pain, is what hurts us.
We need to choose to love.
Because there are so many wonderful things that come from being loved and loving.
There was also this sense of acceptance within Zoya of being proud of who she was because she chose to let love in—to not fear it. Zoya was part Suli and she never proudly wore her Suli name or acknowledged her Suli heritage. I liked how we got to know more about Zoya’s father and how his family once went to Zoya and Sabina, but Sabina said Zoya wasn’t going to take his last name. I felt like that sucked to feel like she had to hide part of who she was to not feel like people thought less of her. It just makes me think about how sometimes as people we hide parts of ourselves that we think others might find embarrassing or shameful, when if someone really loves you, they would accept you for you. And also, who cares about everyone’s opinion, truly? I mean, why would we spend so much time trying to hide ourselves when we should spend our life living.
When Nina was kidnapped, I loved how Zoya felt like it was her duty to save Nina because Nina had always been under Zoya’s care and watch—Zoya took a personal responsibility to Nina’s safety. And Nina was someone Zoya felt like she failed with how Nina was on a mission and then got captured by Drüskelle, and well we know the rest. I forgot that Nina was under Zoya at the time because I always thought of Nina as her own, off doing her own thing. I loved how Zoya thought of Nina like a daughter in —that if she could save anyone, she would look after family. When they were trapped in this tower, Zoya had to tap into her power to escape, and gosh was it glorious.
All this time, Zoya had the dragon power from Juris inside of her, but we never saw Zoya tapping into that power. So I loved when she finally opened the door to love and to her inner dragon.
As Anna from Arendelle would say, “Love is an open door.”
I sort of mentioned this earlier in Nina’s perspective, but Zoya turning into her dragon and tapping into her power felt like coming into herself in the way that people viewed her as fierce but majestic in her beauty, dangerous but wondrous. A dragon was exactly that, but powerful and regal like a queen. I loved how Zoya was the most her–haha even if she was a dragon—and that she accepted that something can be both fierce and beautiful.
When Nina told her to have mercy for her people, I wondered what went through Zoya’s mind because we saw this moment from Nina’s perspective. I wondered if there truly was a moment where she wanted to scorch all these Fjerdan’s in anger. However, I felt like when she caught Nikolai’s eyes and read what he was feeling—the hope that there had to be more—her decision to show mercy was what cemented her decision.
“Zoya had bought fealty with mercy.”
(pg. 515)
What a win in my eyes.
To have mercy when mercy did not need to be given.
“I should have killed the Fjerdan’s. I should have given them a wound from which they’d never recover. But that was an old voice, the voice of a hurt child who had no one to trust, who feared there would always be someone more powerful and more cruel than her. She would forever be a bloodthirsty, furious girl, but she might allow herself to be something else too. If she had helped earn peace for Ravka, then maybe she could grant her own heart a bit of peace as well.”
(pg. 517)
What a moment for Zoya too to now the woman we met would have easily scorched these Fjerdan’s without thought, but Zoya choosing to give them grace emphasized how much she grew as a person to know that destruction, anger, hurt was not the point. Maybe the point was to act out of love for the things and people you loved and hope that people could see that and would finally let go of their anger as well. Because I believe at the end of the day, we all want our loved ones safe and we want to live a loving life with them–something more. I also was happy that Zoya wanted to find peace in the sense that she held onto her guilt for not being everyone’s savior, but she found peace with knowing she couldn’t save everyone, but she could create a better world for everyone and have those lives not be in vain.
We love a woman learning to forgive herself.
What a shocking, but pivotal moment when the Fjerdan’s praised Zoya as a Saint 🙏🏼! I loved that for her.
I loved how those like Brum were enraged at all the Fjerdans and other Drüskelle who were suddenly showing faith towards a Grisha. Hahahaha Fjerda lost in so many ways.
I did not expect Nikolai to cede his throne to Zoya. At all.
But I loved that he did 🥺♥️.
No one loved Ravka a much as Nikolai, but no one could lead with more determination and loyalty than Zoya. I was just incredibly happy for Zoya because she grew up as someone who was supposed to be sold off, not a lot of choice in her life, she was made a solider, she lost many friends, and yet she was here, standing, breathing, a dragon and queen in one. What a feat. Zoya deserved every bit of her moment when she got coronated to the throne. I loved how everyone was there to watch her take her reign–like a true passing of the torch. Can I also just say how much I laughed when Kirigan hyped up and jauntily agreed with Zoya being queen 😂! He’s so funny like Zoya’s number fan.
I loved when Inej made a cameo in the coronation and how Inej was portably the most wanted privateer who was hunting for slavers. I loved how Inej and Zoya shared a moment of lineage from both being Suli ♥️. Oh gosh, the thing I loved most about Zoya agreeing to be queen was to acknowledge the Suli part of her because she didn’t want to be ashamed of her culture or people–she wanted to claim that part of her. I loved that for Zoya.
Can I take a moment though to appreciate how much I loved that this country was going to be ruled and untied by three powerful women 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼!!!
We love women in power!
I loved when Zoya also gave Nina the plant Zoya grew for Nina because she thought Nina didn’t make it when she was captured. But Zoya giving Nina the plant felt like such a proud mother moment in the sense that Zoya was saying she loved and cared about Nina and wanted her to remember to always take care of herself. I also thought that the plant was a sweet gesture that Nina would always remember and think about this strong women who inspired her and allowed her to choose her own fate in Fjerda.
I can only see good things coming for Ravka with Zoya stepping up to be the queen she was always meant to be. I truly see her bringing Ravka into a new light—a light that Alina always wanted Ravka to be in but never knew how. I also hope that overtime Nikolai gets the hint that Zoya wants him to propose to her 😂 because they would be immensely cute together.
A queen and her general.
A dragon and her demon.
An extraordinary woman I have grown to love and a selfless man I have grown to admire.
🏴☠️🪖💥Nikolai Lanstov and the Ravkan Heart 🏴☠️🪖💥
“‘Don’t underestimate King Nikolai,’ Tamar replied. ‘He’ll fight until there is no fight left in him. And so will I.”
(pg. 502)
Nikolai is always going to be my favorite almost king and privateer ♥️.
He’s just going on the list of one of my all time favorite male fictional characters.
The heart, courage, bravery, and loyalty of this man is incomparable.
Also, Nikolai is if anything, clever.
I had no idea as to Nikolai’s war plans in the last book with him giving the Kerch the blueprints to the invisible submarine things when Ravka was in a pickle about who they needed as an ally. But gosh, was I flabbergasted in the best way. When Nina sent a letter to him about Fjerdan tanks coming to the border, I loved how he secretly set up mines on the field and broke down the dam or something that was there to make Fjerdan’s think they were attacking them stealthily. Little did they know. But what got me was how the blueprints Nikolai gave to Kerch were accurate, but he also gave a tip to Novyi Zem about how Kerch was going to build this submarine ships that were going to attack their dock. So the Zemeni’s created false ships of nothing that the Kerch blew up, but the Kerch thought they absolutely decimated Noyvi Zem’s chances of shipping things. However, Nikolai also gave Noyvi Zem blueprints of how to create flying transport so they could have sky transport instead of sea like the Kerch feared. I mean, how freaking clever to appease both countries and hoping to not ruin relations with either completely. I agreed how Kerch probably wasn’t going to ally with Ravka because they are very money hungry, but I loved the surprise of Novyi Zem flying overhead to blast the khugard soldiers with the cure as they flew overhead. I loved how Novyi Zem came through in the end and Nikolai had jurda to cure all the khugard when the time came.
Nikolai was just full of surprises. He was a clever fox 😅.
The whole time, the Triumvirate kept hinting at the royal wedding because Nikolai was engaged to Ehri due to the deal they had at the end of the last book. So I thought the whole freaking time that we were gearing up for Nikolai and Ehri’s wedding, and that the dress Genya designed was her Ehri.
The royal wedding was for David and Genya 🥺♥️!!
I LOVED THAT!
They got married in secret, but never had a whole wedding spectacle and I loved how Nikolai set the wedding up as theirs with all their friends. I loved how the dress Genya designed was her own, and she even added the dramatically long train. I was tearing up 🥺! I was also tearing up in laughter because Nikolai drew Mahki out of Shu with the idea that Ehri was getting married to him for the royal wedding, but I loved how Nikolai said, “the invitation just said royal wedding, not whose.” HAHAHA, fooled me! Nikolai told Mahki all about how Ehri, Mayu, and Tamar were on their way to Shu to speak of her crimes and that he wanted a peace deal with Shu and rights of Grisha.
Of course, she repulsed the idea and walked away. I loved how Tolya use poetry to scare her off. Oh, Tolya and his poems. After a while, I felt bad that people kept turning down his poetry 😂. I mean, the dude just wants to share his prose with the world 😂. Where’s Tolya’s love interest 😅?
Can I just say my absolute least favorite part of this whole freaking book that had me reeling in utter disbelief and had me walking around my living room still not believing what I was reading was when they couldn’t find David’s body 😭!!!!
What do you mean, you couldn’t find David’s body!!!!
Leigh Bardugo you did not! Not after Genya and David just got married!!
I would have rather had another Dark War than this travesty 😩!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m still not over Leigh Bardugo killing off DAVID!!!!!
I even wrote in my book notes how much David was a truly under-appreciated character with his quick witted jokes that he didn’t even realize were funny but was. Or how significant he was with his big, beautiful brain in helping them whenever they needed something. He was just such a great guy who was quiet in nature, but big in heart. After everything David and Genya had been through, they deserved a happily ever after. Not this 😩. Don’t even get me started with how I just wanted to hold Genya tightly because of the utter loss she experienced. Just the way she couldn’t bring herself to say anything at his funeral, broke me to pieces for her. The tears were a torrent when Genya held David’s notebook of all the notes David took of how to make Genya happy or things he noticed that she liked. David’s notebook of Genya was so David in the way that he wasn’t the most affectionate person or aware person, but he would learn everything someone loves and be aware of them if they meant something to him. Genya was his everything and vice versa.
I could not.
Still not over it.
I could not get past Nikolai’s speech about David and how David was his friend above all else. Zoya’s speech was touching for Zoya given her disposition. I would have liked to see Genya more throughout the book and how losing the love of her life affected her and if she was okay. I knew Genya threw herself into her work and the war, which I understood, but I would have liked an intimate conversation or something where we really talked to her to check in on her.
If everyone got their happily ever after, Genya of all people also deserved one 😢.
The war did sit heavily on Nikolai’s shoulders all throughout this book, but I loved the grace he handled everything with. I can’t imagine what that must have felt like to have a whole nation to look after and having to make the hard decisions.
After the surprised bombing in Ravka, Nikolai’s only move he could think of was to make the bombs David designed. I agreed with David about how going down this path of utter destruction was like water rushing down a hill—where did the destruction end? I know this wasn’t a choice Nikolai accepted lightly, but, it’s true that if they struck back with something awful, I did see the Fjerdan’s going back even stronger.
If Nikolai was going to have the weapon built, he needed a lighter metal so the weapon could fly easily.
My absolute favorite part of the book was the titanium Ketterdam heist ♥️!!!!!
I LOVED LOVED LOVED seeing my Crows!!!!!
I could read about them doing absolutely nothing and it will still be the best thing and my most favorite thing to read. No joke.
I freaking loved knowing Kaz was doing better than ever before with all his riches and his status.
“‘I’m not susceptible to flattery, only stacks of cash.'”
(pg. 379)
I freaking laughed when Kaz said this. Spoken like a true man who said you are an investment.
I also loved loved loved seeing my Wesper living like Larry—large an in-charge. Not them with a nice big house where Wylan could play his music and work with his beakers and Jesper could do his Durast, sharp-shooter work. I loved how Leigh Bardugo described Wesper’s house as so Wesper—“it felt as it if had been taken over by a combination of circus performers, street hooligans, and mad scientists” (pg. 371). I loved how we got glimpses of Wylan’s mom painting and how she was staying with them. I’m happy Jesper never lost his charm and humor; we love to see it.
“‘I’m not supposed to let you in,’ Jesper said.
Brekker seemed unperturbed. ‘Why not?’
‘Because every time I do, you ask me to break the law.’
A voice from behind Jesper said, ‘The problem isn’t that he asks, it’s that you always say yes.'”
(pg. 379)
HAHAHA, we love Wesper 🥰.
I just loved having part of the gang back together even if it was for a brief moment because of how much I genuinely missed them. I was happy Inej was doing well doing her own thing, but I missed our Wraith.
Kaz Brekker never lost his thieving touch. Not for a second. I loved how Nikolai and Zoya sort of had to trust him again to steal the titanium from this gated facility and that Jesper and Wylan helped with the plane to get them out of there. There was a moment where Nikolai had to disengage some anchor line because it wasn’t working. He didn’t want the Kerch to know that Ravka was there and they stole something, however, Nikolai didn’t have a lot of time so he changed into his monster form, exposing himself to Kaz and the other Grisha on the mission. I had no doubt that Kaz had seen worse things, I think he felt surprised that Nikolai had that darkness in him, but I knew Kaz would keep Nikolai’s secret.
Nikolai did still have part of this monster in him. I don’t feel like the monster plot was as big as it was in King of Scars because I felt like Nickolai found peace with him being the monster and the monster is him. I think he found solace in knowing that there was always going to be this darkness in him, but that he was not truly a feral monster. I liked when he did use the monster as a weapon to protect those he loved because he could control the monster within him. I don’t know if I forgot, but at the end, did the darkness leave Nikolai’s body or did the Blight just stop because the Darkling sacrificed himself?
I felt like Rule of Wolves focused on the sort of man Nikolai was: honorable.
There was a moment where Nikolai met his father after all these years. I kind of loved the moment Magnus Opjer found Nikolai and asked to speak with him, and only Nikolai knew who Opjer was. I loved how Opjer gave a picture to Nikolai and they talked about his half-sister, Linnea in Ketterdam, which what? I never heard of her. But I also understood how harrowing seeing his father must have been because they didn’t have a true connection.
“Maybe I miss something I never had.”
(pg. 453)
He never grew up with a father, but he could have imagined all the things that he would have done or would have become if he did. It’s almost like missing the memory of something or missing what could have been, which I feel about certain situations and people too. It’s hard when you miss something you never really knew you had, but could have had. But I liked this brief closure with his father. I hope Nikolai will find Opjer again one day and maybe they can get to know each other because that would be nice for Nikolai.
Nikolai also tapped into his feelings in this book. I loved how he just let his emotions for Zoya be known because he didn’t know if this would be the last moments with her. I give him so much credit for putting his heart out there on the line. I liked that sweet-intimate moment where they joked about how if there wasn’t a war, they would just want to nap. I mean, they were so young, they should be taking naps. But the moment was so sweet in how they were so close, but yet so far a part emotionally but both wanting to cross that bridge to something more. I liked how they could be young and honest with each other about how they would do this or that in another life—that if Nikolai weren’t becoming King, he would want the freedom Sturhomd gave him and marrying who he wanted. That’s so hard having to put your needs before your wants, especially for him.
There were many favorite moments in this book, but one of the moments that gave me this sense of utter helplessness and defeat was when Nikolai was fighting for Ravka in that final Fjerdan battle.
Nikolai really was the best in how he would have went down with his country. Dude literally fought on the front lines with his country, which I have so much admiration for. When things turned bleak, he had to make the difficult decision to turn into his monster because his monster would have a surprising upper hand. But doing so would mean people would know his secret and would be hesitant about him being on the throne. Nikolai was willing to sacrifice it all for Ravka, and if that’s not a true king, I don’t know what was. Also, not me praising the one thing the Darkling did right—helping Nikolai when Nikolai’s monster form wasn’t strong. Because Nikolai was so battered and bruised and the war was bleak, his monster form wasn’t fairing well. But the Darkling helped strengthen Nikolai’s monster form and carry the wings of the monster, which I loved. I mean, the Darkling helped Nikolai for selfish reasons so people could see him as the hero, but still, the one thing the Darkling did right.
Oh gosh, don’t even get me started on the Soundbird gong thing and how the Fjerdan’s played this awful bell sound that ruptured everyone’s ears. The Fjerdan’s had this helmet that protected them from the sound, but my gosh, how awful.
I loved when the khugard soldiers came with Reyem’s brother to help support Ravka! I love a loophole moment—the khugard didn’t “exist” in Shu, so technically their support wasn’t Shu support. There was this moment where everything felt bleak and lost when the Fjerdan’s released their own khugard weapons. Even the Darkling had this sense of finality to the battle. I could not though with how the Darkling decided to save Nikolai once but was like, ehh, let him go this time. LOSER 🤪. That’s more like the Darkling. I just felt like Nikolai was ready to die for his country and I could not. We already took David, we’re not taking Nikolai too!!!!! But I loved how much Tolya, Tamar, Nikolai, all these people fought with so much courage and sacrifice for Ravka. Not Tolya reciting poetry and Tamar finally joining in at the end because they didn’t know if they would make it. And not Tolya foreboding that Nikolai would die a king. NOPE, NO MOURNERS, NO FUNERALS 😩!!!
That was when Zoya the dragon came to slay the day 👏🏼!
But that moment before Zoya came felt like being knocked to the bottom of the well with no way out. What a moment, what a feeling. As much as I was screaming that Nikolai not die a king, I loved how the bleakness made the hope so much more powerful.
I never expected Nikolai to give up his crown to Zoya.
Everyone postulated Nikolai being a bastard king and not worthy of the throne, so I loved when Nikolai just said, “Yea, I am a bastard.” 😂 He had this moment where he realized his destiny was never about being a king or fixing a nation, but being the change the nation needed—someone who had the bravery to change the narrative. I loved when he gave his whole speech about the Lanstov line and how Ravka came from rulers of a failed Lanstov lined and how it was time for a change in power.
“Let the Nazyalensky dynasty begin. All hail the Dragon Queen.”
(pg. 540)
We love a strong man supporting a strong woman!!!
What a king, indeed 👏🏼!!!
Don’t get me wrong, I think Nikolai would have made the best king Ravka would have had as a “Lanstov,” but being king was never his choice and it was never in his birthright. And so that moment when he had his epiphany and owned up to who he was, was pivotal in him choosing his destiny, but also choosing Ravka to have better,—a Solider, Summoner, and Saint—someone all in one.
“Then I would gladly be your prince, your censor, your demon fool.”
(pg. 551)
I loved loved loved them ♥️.
The way Nikolai’s storyline wraps up was satisfying and hopeful. I hope he proposes to Zoya at one point and she wears that blue ribbon that is Nikolai’s kryptonite. I also hope that Nikolai gets a taste of freedom again maybe as Strumhond in exploring the world or maybe taking up tinkering for fun and not war anymore. I also hope he stays around the palace because he still makes a great leader. I just see so much hope for Nikolai and his life now, and so much love.
Maybe he can even take that nap 😂.
🖤🌳🌘 The Darkling Monk 🖤🌳🌘
I’m going to keep this perspective relatively shorter since I kind of mentioned the Darkling in different parts of this review already.
The return of the Darkling was an interesting choice but I loved it.
I loved the Darkling’s return in the sense where we got to see him be more human than he has ever been in all the times people had killed him and he came back to life. I think being in Yuri’s body also gave him a different feeling than other people probably did—a belief of someone better. Yuri and the Starless cult because that’s what they were 😅 all believed in the Darkling for having his reasons for doing what he did and they worshipped the Darkling for it. But I don’t think the Darkling was ready or prepared for what it meant to be worshipped because no one had ever admired him like that before. I feel like in a sense the devotion to him was daunting as it was a bit irksome because they didn’t really know the Darkling but saw him as good when he wasn’t really good. I think part of the Darkling liked having this villain narrative because people would feel bad for him–sympathize with him. But being relished as a “hero” was different, unnatural even. I kept laughing at how the Darkling was truly Daddy Shadow to the Starless Cult in how he guided their decisions and felt irritated by their foolishness or weakness.
But what I also felt was how much he wanted to protect them or like he owed the Starless Cult protection because they believed so strongly in him that he didn’t want to let them down. I don’t even feel like the Darkling felt protection over the Second Army, but this cult that saw the good in him, made him think differently about his role. I think he liked being worshipped and feeling like people believed in him because all he ever wanted was the world to recognize his “greatness,” to love him. And now he had a whole cult who did. These people taught him what it meant to be human and to believe strongly in the good of people–that there could be more. That darkness didn’t have to mean being the darkness, but using that darkness for good.
A cult that guided him towards making the ultimate sacrifice in the end.
To stop the Blight, they did go find the thorn tree, but someone had to hold the tear in the tree to hold up the doorway between worlds. The Darkling offered to hold up the tree because they needed someone who could hold the tree up forever and the Darkling was eternal. I always thought that the final time we would see the Darkling, it would be in anger and driven with a sword, but I liked that in this way, we also showed mercy to the Darkling. The Darkling didn’t meet a fatal end, but a sacrifice where he would achieve wha the always wanted to achieve—greatness and recognition. Not that he deserved any, but I liked this not really a redemption arc, but again, a mercy. He wanted an alter where people can still worship and remember him, even if no one should. He got the taste of that worship, which was all he ever wanted and still wanted.
Who would have thought the person who destroyed the world would be the one to save it?
I liked how Genya had her moment to speak her truth to the Darkling even if he didn’t deserve it. She granted him forgiveness for the scars on her face but not for everything else he did or took from her, which is absolutely fair.
I had a good laugh when the Darkling was ready to go into the tree and he had his whole dramatic goodbye speech of saying his name and how he wasn’t sorry for his crimes. He truly said until his last breath:
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
I just had to.
But the Darkling’s monologue felt fitting in how I never felt like he regretted what he did because he felt like he had to do everything to be the savior or his sick-twisted version of a hero. He never saw himself as a truly malicious person, but someone with purpose who had to make decisions that led to sacrifice, which led him to this ultimate sacrifice.
I did like how in the end, Zoya showed mercy to the Darkling again by saying they should look for the Santka Feliks heart to put in place of where the Darkling stood because she could feel all his pain and she didn’t want anyone to feel that much pain. I mean, wow. Truly mercy.
💔🐺🐲👑Rule of Wolves Storyline 💔🐺🐲👑
“‘A king with a demon inside of him. A monk with the Darkling inside him. A general with a dragon inside her. We’re all monsters now, Nikolai.”
(pg. 136)
Overall, Rule of Wolves was the closure the perfect action-packed, heart-aching, and merciful Grisha verse ending that I am grateful for. I am happy that most of our characters had a wholesome arc and hopeful futures **cough cough let’s bring David back to life for Genya cough cough **. The main takeaway that stuck with me when I finished this book was the power of mercy. We can hold onto all our anger and hurt, but that will lead us on a path of destruction, but having mercy brings us closer to peace when we choose to move froward or to move on for ourselves. Having mercy might be the hard choice, but mercy is understanding that we are all imperfect and sometimes we do irredeemable things, but we must forgive ourselves and forgive others (if they deserve it) to create something more for ourselves than the old feelings we harbor. We must not become the monster that others want us to become, but to choose to be in control of our monsters. We need to let love in even if it hurts to love because love doesn’t come without pain. At all times we must follow our own path even if that’s a path most people wouldn’t agree with or they think your weird or different for it. But imagine if we all walked the same path, how crowded and boring that journey would be.
I’m looking forward to a Six of Crows 3 if Leigh is working on one.
But also, I’m terrified because I don’t to mourn and I don’t want funerals 😂.
Anyway, what was your favorite part of the book? Least favorite part? What did you think of the book?
What is a flower that best describes you?
I would like to think I’m a peony because they are delicate.
Let me know below in the comments as I love hearing from you all 💕
I hope you have a beautiful day whenever and wherever you might be reading this 😊.
And as always, with love,
Rating
5 Full Bloom Flowers
Characters: I loved diving deeper into these characters we know and love and finding acceptance and happiness for them. I also loved loved loved the cameos of old characters; this truly felt like a cumulation of closure.
Plot: An action-packed, heart-felt, nostalgic triumph of a final book in a universe I am proud to know ♥️
Writing: Leigh Bardugo really hit a home run, a slam dunk, a strike, whatever sports metaphor you like, with Rule of Wolves. Rule of Wolves felt like a cumulation of all the best feelings.
Romance: Thank gosh Nikolai and Zoya be burning now 😂. I’m also happy that Nina got a happy ending. I wish I could say the same for Genya 🤧 #Genyawasdonedirty
Action: The battles were gruesome and very detailed, but even if I don’t know much about fighting, I know that Leigh Bardugo wrote great fights with powerful emotions.