2025 & 2026 Reading Challenge discussion

*Featured Buddy Read*
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This thread is to discuss King of Scars, the first book in the King of Scars series by Leigh Bardugo.

Pages: 527 pages

Length: 1 month (July)

Participants: SarahKat, Lorraine, Jade, Parvin

Everyone reads at their own pace during a Buddy Read. Because participants can be at different parts of the book at different times, it is extremely important to mark spoilers so that the book is not ruined for someone who is not as far along as others!!!

Mark spoilers by placing {spoiler} before the text and {/spoiler} after the text but use the < and > instead of the { and }.

I picked this up from the library today!

Ready to start when you are

Hoping to start tonight. Will be this weekend at the latest

I'll start tomorrow then.

I'm curious if anyone is going to read this who hasn't read the Shadow and Bone trilogy or the Six of Crows duology? I assume it can stand on its own but you definitely wouldn't have the background on these characters.

I'm through Chapter 7: (view spoiler)[I didn't realize Nikolai still became the monster. I thought Alina healed him fully in Ruin and Rising. Now it seems it might be the actual Darkling living on through him. It can talk in his (Darkling's) voice. How horrible! I feel so bad for Nikolai. I like his and Zoya's relationship. I wonder if it will turn romantic.

I'm glad to see Nina moving on and being useful but honestly she was one of my least favorites from Six of Crows. Her magic is cool, but her character is just... meh. (hide spoiler)]

Through Chapter 12: (view spoiler)[Nina's story got more interesting. I want her to keep Matthias's wolf. Trassel? I would love to see fanart of her and him but I don't want to look it up until I finish the book in case there are spoilers. I'm glad she has another Grisha companion now too.

Nikolai's story is also picking up. They are off to find a cure for his... ailment. The fact that the monk, Yuri, is there makes it interesting. Nikolai changing in order to save Zoya is not a good sign. But maybe, like Nikolai said, it means he can start controlling it? (hide spoiler)]

I had read the Shadow and Bone trilogy and skipped the Six of Crows duology in order to find out what had happened to Nikolai. His character added very much needed lighthearted-ness to Alina's story.

Yes, King of Scars gave me spoiler-y elements about Nina & Mattias. But it didn't matter because I had no idea who they were and I wasn't emotionally vested in them.

Woman Reading wrote: "I had read the Shadow and Bone trilogy and skipped the Six of Crows duology in order to find out what had happened to Nikolai. His character added very much needed l..."

Yeah I'm glad we get Nikolai in this. I missed him in Six of Crows. I'm glad I read that first though. Bardugo does a good job telling us what certain stuff is like jurda parem, but it helps having the scenes from the duology in my head.

Through chapter 18 now: (view spoiler)[Nina has just discovered a factory where this convent is keeping Grisha women addicted to parem. Why? And how are they staying alive? A different strain? Are they all pregnant like the one girl to build a magical slave army? So many questions!

Nikolai, Zoya, and Yuri are all stuck in the unsea with a bunch of saints who aren't actually dead but aren't really alive either. Juris seems pretty cool, but I do like dragons so I may be biased. Again, so many questions! (hide spoiler)]

I have just started, still in the first few pages but liking the set of the story.

Through Chapter 23: (view spoiler)[A few chapters back, Leoni says she was saved by a Grisha who died getting the poison out of her. Would that be Jesper's mother?? Isn't that how she died?

Isaak acting like Nikolai isn't going super smoothly but it's working well-enough. I'm wondering if he will fall in love with the Shu princess and will want to tell her the truth but obviously he can't. (hide spoiler)]

Finished!

I also finished King of Scars and enjoyed it a lot. I find that her books vary in quality. For example, The Familiar was, in my opinion, just okay. But King of Scars is in the high range.

To answer your previous question, I’ve read Books 1 and 2 of the Shadow and Bone trilogy. I found Book 2 just okay, so I decided to skip Book 3. I’ve read both books of the Six of Crows series and found that series better than the Shadow and Bone trilogy.

My favorite so far is the Alex Stern series.

Looking forward to book 2.

Lorraine wrote: "I also finished King of Scars and enjoyed it a lot. I find that her books vary in quality. For example, The Familiar was, in my opinion, just okay. But King of Scars is in the high range.

To answe..."

I haven't read The Familiar yet but I agree with everything else. Alex Stern is my favorite of hers, followed by Six of Crows, then King of Scars, and then Shadow and Bone.

Hi. I won't be able to finish this book this month. My dad's girlfriend passed away yesterday. My apologies.

Jade. wrote: "Hi. I won't be able to finish this book this month. My dad's girlfriend passed away yesterday. My apologies."

I'm so sorry for yours and your dad's loss Jade!

I agree that the writing quality can vary quite a bit. And like Lorraine, I like the Alex Stern novels the best so far out of her 4 series. The pacing can be too slow so that even when I want to read the book, I can be easily distracted by other things.


My review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Woman Reading wrote: "I agree that the writing quality can vary quite a bit. And like Lorraine, I like the Alex Stern novels the best so far out of her 4 series. The pacing can be too slow so that even when I want to re..."

Nice review!

My dad passed away almost three years ago. Thank you

Jade. wrote: "My dad passed away almost three years ago. Thank you"

Oh I see. Rough few years for you :(

It is :(

My condolences Jade.

Thank you