Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Imprint
Page Length: 608 pages
Format: Barnes and Noble Edition Hardback
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Mr. Darcy‘s Rating: “You have bewitched me, body and soul.”
A Chasing Mr. Darcy Review
Rule of Wolves was one of my most anticipated books of 2021. I both longed for this book and dreaded its publication because it meant the end of the Grishaverse (at least for the time being), and these books have become like family to me. Rule of Wolves did not disappoint, though! I could literally not put this book down, and I flew through the pages of this story.
Here’s a plot synopsis from Amazon: The Demon King. As Fjerda’s massive army prepares to invade, Nikolai Lantsov will summon every bit of his ingenuity and charm―and even the monster within―to win this fight. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible. The Stormwitch. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. No matter the cost. The Queen of Mourning. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart. King. General. Spy. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. Or watch a nation fall
There was literally nothing I didn't love in this book. One of the things I enjoyed most, though, was definitely the cameos by all my favorite characters from previous books. I think every major character from the Grishverse played a role in this story at some point, and I absolutely loved the way Leigh Bardugo tied everything together. This book brought everything to the table - love, lust, tragedy, a redemption arc, and ultimately, hope for a better future for Ravka.
First things first, though, thank you to Leigh Bardugo for bringing back my Darkling in this story. I loved finally having some chapters from his point of view, and he did not disappoint. The utter disdain he felt for those around him, the entitlement, the supremacy...were everything I dreamed the Darkling thought of and more. He is the epitome of the confident male, and I'm here for every freaking page of it. I would read a whole damn book with his perspective just to stay inside that pretty little head of his. And, that scene on the battlefield where he winks at Nikolai from a distance? Be still my heart. The Darkling will forever be > than Mal.
Second, the love story between Nikolai and Zoya was truly epic. I've never read a love between two characters that I yearned for quite as much as I yearned for Nikolai and Zoya to just do something about their feelings. They both held their feelings in reserve almost to their detriment, and I wanted to throttle them at times to just kiss or say anything to let the other know. When Nikolai said, "Then I will love her from my grave," I thought I would melt on the spot. My love for the Darkling was instant, but my love for Nikolai has truly been a slow burn that grew with every book. I almost didn't realize how invested I was in his character until the end of King of Scars, and by then I was sunk.
Third, this plot has dimension like I rarely see in young adult fiction. Everything, literally everything, in the book serves a purpose to get us to the ending (and the ending is fabulous, I will say). There is literally so much going on in the book it's at times hard to keep it all straight, but the quality of the writing is top notch. I personally really enjoyed the new connections and meetings among all the characters, and I thought those layers really added nice elements to the story. And again, I liked that every interaction served a purpose, and those purposes became clear as the story progressed. The story unveiled itself slowly, but in the best kind of slow reveal possible!
I was honestly speechless at the end of the book, and the last line leaves me hoping, praying, and wishing that the Grishaverse will continue!
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