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.

Oh I was so thrilled when I heard about this booking coming out. I loved Nikolai from the Shadow and Bone series and wanted to delve more into his story. Both a Prince and a Privateer, he’s an interesting and page turning character.

Pair him up with Zoya and you have a winning team. Despite him suffering from the Darking’s Curse and turning into a monster, he still maintains his duty as King to piece Ravka back together. I’ve always loved Zoya, her cold and sarcastic manner has fascinated me and I feel that there’s a great story underneath that cold shell. They embark on a mission to uncover why miracles are happening and discover whether whispers of the Darklings return are true.

It was also a bonus to see more of the gorgeous Nina, I was heartbroken about her and Matthias! She wants to prove herself to Zoya by helping any Grisha that are in Fjerda, she stumbles upon a terrible secret about Fjerdans giving Grisha Parem and sets out to help them in any way she can.

While we have two stories running parallel to each other, it’s fast paced and easy to keep up with. If you’re already a fan of the Shadow and Bone or Six of Crows series, you can’t go wrong with this. It’s a wonderful addition to two great series.

I am SO thrilled it’s going to be a Netflix series and that Leigh is releasing another book ‘Ninth House’. I’m a massive fan.