Leigh Bardugo continues to paint a stirring picture of a world divided. While Ravka attempts to pick up the pieces after the events of the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the pressure mounts from the rest of the world. Our story unfolds through the perspectives of King Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina. And what a story it is. There is so much to take in and Bardugo never fails to take you for a ride in the best way possible. The characters, even the side ones, are so richly fleshed out. It’s clear with the Six of Crows duology that Bardugo has a way of voicing multiple characters at once, while still making them completely different and with their own motivations. She continues to prove how talented she is with this in “King of Scars”.
I really hate to give too much away with this particular story as it went to places that even I wouldn’t have expected (and I’m eager to get started on the prequel novel). A clear theme in this novel is the darkness we all possess within us. All three of our main characters initially shy away from or are even repulsed by the darkness they harbor. They go against the darkness. They fight it. This seems to be what is necessary. In any other story we would be told how overcoming or vanquishing the darkness is the only way to overcome it.
This story takes a different approach. Instead of overcoming their darkness, their demons, our three main protagonists embrace them. As much as we might deny it, our demons are a part of us. They come from a place of fear, of loss, of hurt. But if we learn how to feed them just a little, we may find ways for our demons to benefit us. A lesson learned by our characters. A lesson we can all consider.