King of Scars

See the Grishaverse come to life on screen with the Netflix series, Shadow and Bone -- Season 2 streaming now!

Discover what comes next for daring rogue Nikolai in King of Scars, the start of this captivating new duology from #1 bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo.

"[Bardugo] touches on religion, class, family, love -- all organically, all effortlessly, all cloaked in the weight of a post-war reckoning with the cost (literal and figurative) of surviving the events that shape both people and nations." --NPR

"The story exists at an intersection of past and future selves, and in the dawning understanding that what you most fear may be what you most need." --Washington Post

Face your demons...or feed them. The dashing young king, Nikolai Lantsov, has always had a gift for the impossible. No one knows what he endured in his country's bloody civil war--and he intends to keep it that way. Now, as enemies gather at his weakened borders, Nikolai must find a way to refill Ravka's coffers, forge new alliances, and stop a rising threat to the once-great Grisha Army.

Yet with every day a dark magic within him grows stronger, threatening to destroy all he has built. With the help of a young monk and a legendary Grisha general, Nikolai will journey to the places in Ravka where the deepest magic survives to vanquish the terrible legacy inside him. He will risk everything to save his country and himself. But some secrets aren't meant to stay buried--and some wounds aren't meant to heal.

Read all the books in the Grishaverse!

The Shadow and Bone Trilogy
(previously published as The Grisha Trilogy)
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising

The Six of Crows Duology
Six of Crows
Crooked Kingdom

The King of Scars Duology
King of Scars
Rule of Wolves

The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic
The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic
The Lives of Saints
Demon in the Wood Graphic Novel

“"[Bardugo] touches on religion, class, family, love -- all organically, all effortlessly, all cloaked in the weight of a post-war reckoning with the cost (literal and figurative) of surviving the events that shape both people and nations." -- NPR "Dark, beautifully written, and full of characters who instantly get inside of your head, the first book in this new duology is an instant classic." -- PopSugar "Why You'll Love It: ... Leigh Bardugo continues to breathe new life into her lush fantasy world, and it's impossible to resist reading every single one. For Fans of: Fantasy authors like Susan Dennard and Sabaa Tahir." -- Paste "A richly detailed and refreshingly diverse world inhabited by individuals who, for all their magical talents, are resonantly human." -- The Washington Post "Deadly clever political intrigue, heart-stopping adventure, memorable characters, and several understated, hinted-at romances (how will we wait?!) come together in one glorious, Slavic-folklore infused package. Bardugo's star continues to rise." -- Booklist , starred review "The sharp dialogue and lovable characters continue to enthrall and bewitch long past the final chapter. With twists and revelations cleverly dispersed up until the very last page, this novel is a must-have for any book shelf." -- School Library Journal , starred review Praise for the Grishaverse "A master of fantasy." -- The Huffington Post "Utterly, extremely bewitching." -- The Guardian "The best magic universe since Harry Potter." -- Bustle "This is what fantasy is for." -- The New York Times Book Review "[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." --NPR "The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." -- Entertainment Weekly "Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down." -- USA Today "There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." -- Vanity Fair "Unlike anything I've ever read." --Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent "Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!" --Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series "This is a great choice for teenage fans of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien." -- RT Book Reviews”

"[Bardugo] touches on religion, class, family, love -- all organically, all effortlessly, all cloaked in the weight of a post-war reckoning with the cost (literal and figurative) of surviving the events that shape both people and nations." --NPR

"Dark, beautifully written, and full of characters who instantly get inside of your head, the first book in this new duology is an instant classic." --PopSugar

"Why You'll Love It: ... Leigh Bardugo continues to breathe new life into her lush fantasy world, and it's impossible to resist reading every single one.
For Fans of: Fantasy authors like Susan Dennard and Sabaa Tahir." --Paste

"A richly detailed and refreshingly diverse world inhabited by individuals who, for all their magical talents, are resonantly human." --The Washington Post

"Deadly clever political intrigue, heart-stopping adventure, memorable characters, and several understated, hinted-at romances (how will we wait?!) come together in one glorious, Slavic-folklore infused package. Bardugo's star continues to rise." --Booklist, starred review

"The sharp dialogue and lovable characters continue to enthrall and bewitch long past the final chapter. With twists and revelations cleverly dispersed up until the very last page, this novel is a must-have for any book shelf." --School Library Journal, starred review

Praise for the Grishaverse

"A master of fantasy." -- The Huffington Post
"Utterly, extremely bewitching." --The Guardian
"The best magic universe since Harry Potter." --Bustle
"This is what fantasy is for." --The New York Times Book Review
"[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." --NPR
"The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." --Entertainment Weekly
"Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down." --USA Today
"There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." --Vanity Fair
"Unlike anything I've ever read." --Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent
"Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!" --Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series
"This is a great choice for teenage fans of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien." --RT Book Reviews

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of the Ninth House series and the creator of the Grishaverse, which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy (now a Netflix series), the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology--and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies, including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University.

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