King of Scars
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.
- Spice
- 1/5
- Burn
- Slow
- Pages
- ~528
- Ending
- Cliffy
Cliffy means it ends on a cliffhanger, mid-story.
Cliffhanger, but Book 2 is already out.
How spicy is King of Scars?
King of Scars is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
- Steam: Glimpses and kisses
- Burn: Slow burn
- Pairing: One man, one woman
- POV: Multiple POVs
- Ending: Cliffhanger
Content warnings
Some readers like to go in blind, so these stay hidden until you tap.
Show 7 content warnings
- Bullying
- Death of a loved one
- Sexual assault
- Child abuse (past or present)
- Addiction / substance abuse
- Torture
- War
Our editorial notes, which may be incomplete. If something is a hard limit for you, check the author's own content notes too.
What readers say
Loading reader votes…
Read it? How spicy was it?
Tap a level to vote. Tap it again to take your vote back.
Spot a content warning we missed?
Tick anything the book has. Once a few readers report the same thing, it is added to this book's content warnings (still behind a tap) and to the hard-no filters.
Reader reviews
- Loading reviews…
Reviews and votes are from readers, not us. Community rules.
Tropes & tags
Love interest
Heroine
Tropes
Subgenre
Your next read
If you liked King of Scars
More by Leigh Bardugo
King of Scars: quick answers
How spicy is King of Scars?
King of Scars is a 1 out of 5 on our spice scale: sweet (kisses only). Kissing, longing looks, maybe a fade-to-black. Nothing on the page.
Is King of Scars a standalone?
No. King of Scars is book 1 of 2 in King of Scars. It is the place to start. The series is complete.
What tropes are in King of Scars?
King of Scars features royalty, morally grey mmc, badass heroine, enemies to lovers. It is a slow burn M/F romance that ends with a cliffhanger.
Does King of Scars have content warnings?
Our notes for King of Scars include: bullying, death of a loved one, sexual assault, child abuse (past or present), addiction / substance abuse, torture, war. This list may not be complete; check the author's own content notes if anything is a hard limit for you.
What should I read after King of Scars?
If you loved King of Scars, try The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, The Shadows Between Us by Tricia Levenseller, Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. They share its royalty and morally grey mmc energy at a similar spice level.