This book was good, but a let down when compared to the rest of the Grisha series. The focus on Nikolai is a great choice - he was my favorite character in previous books and loved seeing more from him. However, his character is much more surface level in this story. Zoya becomes the "chosen one" trope I dislike so much, and her back story doesn't justify her actions. It felt like Bardugo was pushing for us to love Zoya by making her flawless. So many plot points seemed to come out of nowhere; fights that should have been heroic were trivial. Too many things felt forced. That being said, I still enjoyed King of Scars. Many great characters make their return. But I can't say I'm not slightly disappointed.