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King of Scars

King of Scars Duology, Book 1

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About this listen

Face your demons...or feed them.

Nikolai Lantsov has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country’s bloody civil war - and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, the young king must find a way to refill Ravka’s coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha Squaller, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren’t meant to stay buried - and some wounds aren’t meant to heal.

Enter the Grishaverse with this new novel from number-one New York Times best-selling author Leigh Bardugo.

"Deadly clever political intrigue, heart-stopping adventure, memorable characters, and several understated, hinted-at romances (how will we wait?!) come together in one glorious, Slavic-folklore infused package. Bardugo's star continues to rise." (Booklist, starred review)

©2019 Leigh Bardugo (P)2019 Audible, Inc. Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Magic Paranormal Heartfelt Romance Royalty

Critic reviews

"Whether listeners are coming to this universe of demons and saints for the first time or the sixth, [narraotr Lauren] Fortgang is the perfect guide through a fictional countryside full of hard-to-pronounce places in the snowy north of some alternate version of Eastern Europe. The accents range from Russian to Czech to American. Fortgang's linguistic gifts trick listeners into thinking this book has multiple narrators. As the characters unearth their inner darkness and inner light, Fortgang's narration drips with both sorrow and love. The breathtaking ending begs those who are new to the universe to start at the beginning and those who have returned to start again." (AudioFile Magazine)
All stars
Most relevant
what more can I say other than this has been a great listen. I am now fully captivated by the universe that Leigh Bardugo has created. I will definitely be following this story to the end and highly recommend that others do the same. Lauren Fortgang has done an amazing job narrating this and that always helps with the overall immersion

Really good Listen

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The characters are strong, with a storyline that keeps you guessing what will be the next twist. Superbly created World in words.

magnificent read

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Story moved along at smashing pace. could not put down. Sometimes a bit too American but hey! so she is.

A rattling good read

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Amazing writing, such a great imagination! I had actual moments when I gasped and laughed oit loud.

Loved it!

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didn't read the original Shadow and Bone trilogy, only picked up six of Crows after the 2nd TV show season came out. Enjoyed it and decided to give this spin off a shot too.

First off: I think it's really good! I enjoyed myself a lot listening to this book. Admittedly I'm a big fan of any political fantasy drama to begin with, so the set-up of this book was right up my alley. I also like a slower pacing, I've seen some other reviewers who thought it was too slow, but if you don't mind following along some good character growth for a couple of chapters it might still suit you. It's by no means a fast paced book, but I thought it kept me interested throughout the entire thing without trouble.

The one thing that bothered me a little bit was the set-up compared to the pay-off. I thought I was getting a "How to rule a country in need, with a sprinkle of fantasy" while it ended on more of a "Fantasy story about internal issues with an MC who also has a country to think about".

On the flip side, I love the characters, love the relationships they share (platonic and otherwise) and I'm a big fan of the implied future pairings.

All in all its a very solid 4/5 from me. I strongly recommend you read the Six of Crows spinnoff duology before heading into this one. :)

As someone new to the books, I enjoyed it!

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