Rule of Wolves: King of Scars Duology, Book 2
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this book.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Leigh Bardugo's Rule of Wolves is the final book in a duology that's part of the "Grishaverse." This includes the Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows duology. It helps to have read a few books in the Grishaverse before tackling this two-parter. Then you'll be up to speed on the warring kingdoms, the powers of the various Grisha, and the backstories of some of the main characters. Violence ramps up here as Fjerda begins bombing Ravka and Ravka responds in kind. Battles on two fronts bring many deaths, some from missiles, mines, and gunfire, but many also from electrocution in Grisha-made lightning. Some brief descriptions of violent deaths include soldiers burning from the inside out, a clawed hand bursting through a chest to squeeze someone's heart, arms torn from a body, and pilots ripped out of planes. A group of soldiers burn themselves alive on orders, and more soldiers are drugged, experimented on, and tortured. One man close to the main characters dies in a bombing and is heavily mourned. The rest of the content is fairly mild, with just a bit of swearing (nothing beyond "s--t") and some wine and brandy drinking. There's also kissing between straight and LGBTQ+ couples and strong LGBTQ+ representation in this story overall. The main characters overcome grief, tragedy, oppression, and the horrors of war to save a country and its people for the sake of the people and not political gain.
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What's the Story?
In RULE OF WOLVES: KING OF SCARS DUOLOGY, BOOK 2, King Nikolai of Ravka doesn't know if he can stop losing a war to Fjerda. Fjerda is holding all the cards: money, better battle technology, and definitive proof that Nikolai is a bastard and shouldn't be on the Ravkan throne at all. It's up to Nina, a spy in Fjerda's commander's household, to gather intelligence Nikolai needs about their next move. And it's up to Zoya, Ravka's Grisha commander, to use all the powers at her disposal, including ancient powers gained from a dragon. And it's up to an alliance with Nikolai and a Shu Han princess to bring that kingdom to Ravka's side. Only, the alliance isn't going as planned -- not when the princess's whole retinue of guards sets fire to themselves at the Shu Han queen's command.
Is It Any Good?
Lovers of complex, poignant, warring-kingdoms fare with twists of powerful magic will find it all in this finale, along with strong female characters to root for. For some readers, this finale may hold too much complexity, with too many storylines to follow. The story drags when we veer away from the main characters and toward religious zealots, shady politicians, cruel royals, and a mysterious blight covering the land. But in the last 100 pages, readers will be reminded of why Leigh Bardugo is one of the best young adult fantasy writers out there today. There's a miraculous coming together of all the seemingly disparate parts in Rule of Wolves to reward readers for their careful attention to detail. The "all is lost" moment on the battlefield is overcome in particularly high style: fire, lightning, flying escapes, demons, the works. And that's not even covering the spy Nina's storyline, where twists are aplenty.
Readers deep in the Grishaverse will be thrilled to see Nina and Zoya really commanding this story. They are both formidable female characters who finally have a chance to find a bit of happiness for themselves -- but only after enduring so much danger and heartache. It's hard to say goodbye to them. Let's hope they have some role to play in a future Grisha duology.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the war violence in Rule of Wolves. Which country is excited about all its war toys? Which would rather not develop and build bombs? Why?
Which job would you rather have in saving Ravka: Nina's job as spy, or Zoya's as military commander? Who is in more danger for most of the book? Is Nina the typical spy you read about? Is Zoya what you'd imagine a military commander to be like? How does this book celebrate women with power?
Would you read another duology from the Grishaverse? Who should have their story told next?
Book Details
- Author: Leigh Bardugo
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy, Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More, Adventures, Brothers and Sisters, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires, Pirates
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Imprint
- Publication date: March 30, 2021
- Number of pages: 608
- Available on: Nook, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: April 25, 2021
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