Review: Rule of Wolves

Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Leigh Bardugo took a while to get around to giving us this, the seventh novel so far of the Grishaverse, and the second of her second duology. Two years after King of Scars and its cliffhanger ending that made me so angry that I'm still livid about it to this day. But this time, Bardugo gives us 600 pages of jam-packed fantasy action and social commentary that leads to a much more hopeful Bardugoan cliffhanger, the antithesis of its predecessor's ending - and the promise of yet more Grishaverse adventure for which I cannot wait!

But to get there, again, it's 600 pages of action and intrigue and trying to stave off another apocalypse. As not only does Ravka have threats within again - its greatest threat being back to wreak even more havoc and give the OG fans what they want - but without as well. More than ever, it's clear just how much Ravka's neighbors - particularly Fjerda and Shu Han, both of which are more than willing to weaponize the Grisha for their own ends - are willing to pincer that kingdom in the middle of the continent, invading to their heart's content and making sure the Darkling's damage never gets undone.

There's a hell of a lot for Nikolai, Nina, and even Zoya (as powerful as she is, and more than ever Bardugo's obvious author fave) to handle.

Naturally, they'll need reinforcements.

Which is why this book is, so far, Bardugo's Grishaverse equivalent of The Avengers - truly a sequel to all that came before, with the greatest stakes yet, and the greatest action set pieces too. No spoilers, but what comes along in this book has to be seen to be believed - especially when not only do all my faves return at last, but they bring all the might they have to bear, scientifically both big and small.

And that ending. Bardugo's promise of what comes next.

Oh, how I've been waiting for that for such a long damn time, and even with Shadow & Bone coming to Netflix in a week, it's that next novel that I'm looking forward to most of all.

As long as those fan faves get done justice after half a decade gone from our shelves.

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