Cindy's Reviews > King of Scars

I came into this with low expectations so I was pleasantly surprised that this book turned out to be a pretty solid spin-off. The central characters (Nikolai, Zoya, Nina) are much more compelling to read compared to how they were portrayed in the previous books - that includes Nina, whose story arc is much stronger. Bardugo continues her pattern of endearing characters and sharp dialogue. My main critique is that the book feels disconnected between Nikolai and Zoya VS Nina; it reads like two separate stories that are mashed together in one book, and therefore isn't as cohesive. I do think both stories are solid on their own though and assume that there will be more overlap in the next book. Not rating this 5 stars because it's not as addictive and charming as the Six of Crows duology and I don't find myself still thinking about it after I've finished, but I still enjoyed reading this.