I wanted to love this book! I really did, but it was so hard to focus on it. And so I rated it 3/3.5 out of 5 stars.
For starters, the demon that the Darkling inhabited in Nikolai has become a major problem. In their attempts the control the demon, the Triumvirate and Nikolai have failed, and now their kingdom, their home, is in danger. To add insult to injury, there is a new religious following dedicated to the Darkling. Zoya and Genya feel this insult more than the others, but it is Zoya who has to deal with the young man in charge.
On the other side is Nina in Fjerda. She is still trying to find the proper place to bury Matthias, but has allowed her various missions to put it off. While trying to bury her grief in "work", Nina comes across a factory. One that has a heavy influence on her drastically changed Grisha power. How in all of Grishaverse does she put a stop to the horrors she finds?
First off, I love Nina. I fell in love with her during Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. She is in part my soul sister. And, honestly, there was no disappointment in how raw Bardugo wrote this character or her feelings. However, I did think there were too many references to the fact that Nina seemed like she had a death wish. I didn't like the fact that Nina put a lot of people in danger with her choices. It was a drastic change to the Nina we knew and loved. But I guess that was the point? Death changes people, and this was a big change. I think towards the end she began to find herself again, so I will be interested in reading the next book.
Second, Nikolai and the Triumvirate. There is no progress to any of them. It was a lot book of political maneuvering, and subterfuge. If I wanted that, I would have watched Reign, or The Tudors, on Netflix. I was hoping for more. More from Genya and David's relationship. More than just the basic emotions from Nikolai about his fears and concerns. More than Zoya's anger and sarcasm. I just needed more.
The ending seems to imply just that with the next book, but I will be reading it with a lot of skepticism. I think if Bardugo brings Kaz and crew into it, then we would have the drama it needs. I mean, who else do you think could save a bankrupt country from being destroyed, or even destroying itself? Who else is gonna be able to make Ravka's debts disappear? I really, really want/need characters like that in the next book. Or else I don't know how I might feel with the next one.
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