19 books we can’t wait to get our hands on in 2019

King of Scars – Leigh Bardugo

Though she released Wonder Woman: Warbringer in 2017 and will publish Ninth House next year, Leigh Bardugo is known best for her stories set in the Grisha universe, a fantastical, Russian-inspired world first introduced to readers during Shadow and Bone. The Grisha Trilogy has been met with praise from fantasy lovers, and that praise only escalated when the Six of Crows duology, set in the same world, was released.

Given the excitement surrounding what fans refer to as the “Grishaverse,” it’s only natural that readers have been anticipating King of Scars since Bardugo’s announcement that she’d be continuing the story of a fan favorite from her original trilogy.

King of Scars will follow Nikolai Lantsov, originally introduced during Siege and Storm, as he comes to terms with the events of The Grisha Trilogy. Given that the kingdom of Ravka is now in his hands, that won’t be an easy feat. His heritage is already questionable for a king, and the Ravkan civil war has left the country vulnerable.

On top of his political problems, Nikolai must also contend with the dark magic bestowed upon him by the Darkling—a magic that is showing no signs of going away. In fact, his episodes are becoming worse, and he’ll need to find a way to destroy his curse before it destroys his country.

Zoya Nazyalensky from The Grisha Trilogy will also be a main character throughout King of Scars, and the previews that have been released suggest that she might be Nikolai’s love interest during the duology. Nina Zenik from Six of Crows will also be a POV character, though it’s not entirely clear how her journey to Fjerda will connect to Nikolai and Zoya’s stories.

One thing is clear, though: King of Scars is a must-read for Grishaverse fans. It comes out on Jan. 29, so there’s still time to refresh your knowledge of the previous books before diving in.