King of Scars Ending Still Bugs Me

So I put off writing anything about this book because of the ending but now with the sequel (Rules of Wolves) coming out Tuesday I think I can talk about that ending and the fact that while I loved the whole book…

I think it might have killed it for me.

SPOILERS BELOW OBVIOUSLY!

King of Crows is the beginning of the next series in the Grishaverse which includes the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology. And I have to say it really helps if you’ve read both series as the characters are taken from both and it majorly references those events.

We follow Nikolai whose trying to get a hold of his war wounds and, with his friends, put a wounded world back on a good path again. We also follow Nina still in mourning and darn it I knew that wolf was going to show up!

But the real issue is what it all leads to…

Yes after three whole books Bardugo reincarnates the Darkling at the end of King of Scars and I just think it was a really bad idea. Why? Why did I read three (fairly average) books about getting rid of him again only to bring him back? It was almost dispiriting.

And don’t get me wrong I actually liked the character- in the first trilogy he was one of the best parts. But let’s move on.

There was some good stuff laid out in King of Scars concerning the characters and the world and that includes some relationships. And while I didn’t like the ending I did appreciate the almost cult like status he had acquired in the world after his death.

So why didn’t he STAY DEAD?

I’ve gone back and forth on reading the sequel to see if Bardugo can really justify his return and whether or not it completely destroys his character. (Whether or not you think it destroys the Shadow and Bone trilogy is a personal thing… I kind of do in all honesty.)

And whether I am even truly committed enough to want to see if she can justify it. Hell the show comes out in a couple of weeks on Netflix and and as much as I’m looking forward to it I can’t really get out of my mind that it’s a hollow ending. A very hollow ending as barely any time passed in world anyway.

But we’ll see how it goes.

I did enjoy most of King of Scars.

It was just that ending.

Recommend: 50/50