King of Scars / Leigh Bardugo

3.5/5

With the news of the Grishaverse Netflix adaptation, I decided to reread the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, and took it as a perfect opportunity to get around to reading King of Scars. While this novel can be read without reading all of the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology first, I highly advise against that because King of Scars is more of an extension of these series rather than its own being.

While the cast of characters are each strong enough to hold his or her own, it still feels as if their main stories were already told. I felt as though Bardugo could not think of a new adversary or challenge, which is why in King of Scars the plot line is still focused on the aftermath of the previous novels. The entire novel is about Nikolai's recovery from the nichevo'ya bite. Nina's scenes felt completely unrelated from Nikolai's storyline and she was in the exact same mindset as the end of Crooked Kingdom, which made her chapters dull and static. It emphasized the feeling that this novel is more of a "Where are they now?" story than a strong tale that stands on its own.

I'd heard a lot of hype over a plot twist at the end of the King of Scars, and when I finally reached it I found it incredibly disappointing. As I stated earlier, the plot twist only reinforced Bardugo's lack of new ideas. She extends the challenges she created in earlier novels, and her move of bringing back an old adversary is a cheap trick. 

I'd recommend King of Scars to those who have read the Grisha novels (if you haven't, you should, because they are amazing stories dealing with themes of greed, power, and belonging) because you get to see your favorite characters again. Knowing their backstories makes it feel like you know a secret when you read King of Scars. But overall, this is nowhere near the strongest of Bardugo's work. 

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown / Holly Black

5/5

After reading Cruel Prince, I had major withdrawals and knew my best chance of filling the hole would be another Holly Black novel. The Coldest Girl in Coldtown did not disappoint. Every character was developed and unique; I loved how strong Tana is and how unorthodox of a male counterpart Gavriel is. I also loved the world Holly Black built. Her version of vampirism and how it infected the globe is different from any other vampire world I've read, and I found it very intriguing. The novel was dark and real (which may seem ironic given that it contains vampires), and Holly Black has no problem covering a wide variety of emotions which were expertly displayed in Tana and then felt by me.

When I reached the ending, the reveal made me see certain characters and scenes in a different light and I felt the need to turn back to the beginning and reread nearly the entire novel. It's almost similar to Yuri on Ice. The first time you watch Yuri, you see it through Yuri's perspective, but the second time you watch it, you see it through Viktor's perspective. This is similar; the first reading is Tana's perspective and the second is Gavriel's.

Overall, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown nails it in strong characterization and world building, and I definitely will be returning to it for a good read. I'd recommend it to both fantasy and science fiction lovers because Black has designed a world that blends the two. It's a gritty and interesting novel, and I highly recommend visiting it in Coldtown. 

The Cruel Prince / Holly Black

5/5

The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black is my obsession of the year. It's been months since I first read The Cruel Prince and I still can't stop thinking about it. This series has me searching up fan art, and that is rare for me. I absolutely cannot wait until the third and final book is released this November, and I highly recommend fans of The Winner's Curse, Grave Mercy, and Throne of Glass to read up on these novels just in time for the third.

There are so many things that make The Folk of the Air worthy of my time and obsession. First, Holly Black is a very experienced writer both in her prose and in her tying of various plot lines. She has created multiple well-rounded characters. The relationship (notice I didn't call it a romance) between Jude and Cardan is unlike any other main relationship I've seen in a YA novel, but the originality of all of the relationships that Jude has cannot be overlooked. I especially love the dynamic between her and her father, Madoc. Holly Black has captured so many complexities and contradictions in the relationships of her characters.

Holly Black also does an amazing job with Jude's voice. The way she phrases thoughts is so particular. I adored the slightly unreliable narration, and the way Holly Black never has to explicitly state something in order to convey her meaning. 

I could go on forever. Do yourself a favor and check out The Cruel Prince. Like the title suggests, it's a cruel and brutal book, and I love it for that.