I’m not mad about that, but it does drag the story a bit.

Of course, there was a war happening and the losses from the war were sad and terrifying to read, but I felt like the focus was on its main characters: Zoya, Nikolai, Nina, and the Darkling. It felt like the story was more focused on the characters than the plot. They’re expertly written to make the reader feel them as much as those characters felt them. The emotions feel raw and still very fresh. You can even see how Nina’s emotions are still coping from her loss of Matthias. I can feel Genya’s anger towards the Darkling for what he’s done to her loved ones as well. I could feel Zoya’s pain for every friend she’s lost. The emotions in this book were on another level.

Seeing the Shu Han queen and the elaborate story built into it had me skipping to those page to read more. And the way the Shu Han are incorporated into the story with their own lore and backstory made me so excited. Similarly to the Shu Han, they never got enough page time and I appreciated seeing them. You know there’s characters that come from that part of the world, but you don’t know how involved they are in the story. I think that was the most surprising part of the book the appearance of the Suli. I always felt like they were some afterthought threat that never got enough time in the books, so it made me happy to see them make an appearance alongside the Fjerdans and the Suli. The first thing I immediately noticed is that there’s a much bigger presence from the Shu Han in this book. I highly recommend reading any of the books from the Grishaverse after watching the tv show because you’ll perceptions of all the characters will change. This was such a great read to pick up after finishing up the Shadow and Bone series. Together they must find a way to forge a future in the darkness. But her desire for revenge may cost her country its chance at freedom and Nina the chance to heal her grieving heart. Deep undercover, Nina Zenik risks discovery and death as she wages war on Fjerda from inside its capital. Now duty demands she embrace her powers to become the weapon her country needs. She saw her mentor die and her worst enemy resurrected, and she refuses to bury another friend. Zoya Nazyalensky has lost too much to war. But a dark threat looms that cannot be defeated by a young king’s gift for the impossible. 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. The wolves are circling and a young king will face his greatest challenge in the explosive finale of the instant #1 New York Times-bestselling King of Scars Duology.

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo