Review: Rule of Wolves

General Information

Title: Rule of Wolves
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Nikolai #2 / Grishaverse #7
Pages: 592
Publisher: Orion (UK), Imprint (US)
ISBN: 9781510109186
My rating: ★★★★★

About: King Nikolai Lantsov and his companions, General Zoya Nazyalensky and Spy Nina Zenik, have lost too much to war. But as Fjerda prepares to invade Ravka and the Darkling prepares his return, they will have to face their demons, embrace their powers and give their everything for their country. If they fail, they will watch their nation fall.

 

I liked this soooo much more than the first book! I don't give out 5 stars often, but Rule of Wolves has totally earned them. There's dragons, pirates privateers, ancient myths and rituals, war and romance (including lgbtq rep)!

This book is masterfully constructed and written. The plot is unfolding relatively slowly, but there are always enough action and also emotional scenes to always keep things going and make you want to find out what will happen next. And it seemed as if no scene in this book is without purpose! Everything comes together so well, it's incredible!

I love Nikolai, well, everybody loves Nikolai. In this book, we get to know him so much more and find out about his motivations and his struggles, I loved it. Other chapters are again written from the pov of Zoya and Nina, with the occasional other narrator thrown in aswell. All these voices were perfect for the story.
I can't even say whose chapters I liked the most, and that's a rare thing for me. I honestly didn't particularly care for Zoya before, and Nina was never among my favorites in Six of Crows, but now I feel like I've gotten to know these two so much better and I love them so much! Their struggles felt so real and some scenes made me really emotional. 
And the ships! I usually don't care much for romance plotlines, but there was one romance in particular that I shipped from the beginning and was so happy to see become endgame!

In many aspects, this book felt like a conclusion to an entire storyline. Everything comes together in the huge climax of the war between Ravka and Fjerda, and we meet many beloved (?) characters from the earlier books again (my favorite Crow is in this. No, it's not Kaz, and yes, I shrieked and went all heart eyes). They all play an important part in the story.
This book definitely doesn't have to hide behind the Crows duology!

And it may not show in my review, but this book gave me all the feels. I even cried a little, and I marked text passages with post its which is something I don't always do.

Rule of Wolves is the perfect conclusion not only to Nikolai's duology, but to a whole saga. There's no cliffhanger, everything makes sense in the end and the final chapter left me with a warm feeling in my chest and a huge grin on my face. But at the same time, it perfectly sets up the next book in the Grishaverse.
I absolutely loved this book!! Huge recommendation!!