King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo (Nikolai duology book 2) (Grishaverse book 6)

“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, the young king 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 Squaller, 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.” - Taken from Goodreads.com

SPOILER ALERT! Even though this book is the start of a new duology, the main and several supporting characters are introduced in previous books set in the author's Grishaverse. In actuality, the story takes place after the events of Crooked Kingdom.

Told from the viewpoints of several different characters, three main POVs are characters from Bardugo’s previous books. Readers will find themselves sucked back into the perils of Ravka since the defeat of the Darkling. A bit slow at times for me, the action quickly picks up during the last third of the book. Knowing that there was likely going to be a major cliffhanger at the end, I never could have imaged the fireworks this first installment provided. 

Book two is due to be published in 2020.

Visit Leigh Bardugo’s website.

Visit the Grishaverse.