Grishaverse Book Rankings

Jun 24, 20213 min read

Stack of books from bottom to top: Rule of Wolves, King of Scars, Crooked Kingdom, Six of Crows. Leaning on the side isa kindle showing the coverimage for Shadow and Bone.

Reading the Grishaverse this summer was probably one of the best book decisions I’ve made this year. The Grishaverse provided just the escape I needed after surviving 2020 and the first half of 2021. I wouldn’t have read this series if it wasn’t for the Netflix show that came out in April. Seeing the show advertised prompted me to give this series another chance since the second book in the original trilogy was a DNF for me a few years ago. I do recommend reading the series in order starting with Shadow and Bone and ending with Rule of Wolves. I also suggest reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy and Six of Crows duology before watching the Netflix series. It was tempting to start the show before reading Six of Crows, but I’m glad I waited since there’s an awesome crossover with the characters. Now, Bardugo gave the producers liberties to change elements of both so that there could be a crossover, but it was very well done. Reading the books prior to watching allowed me to have a better understanding of these amazing characters.

Book Ranking

I thought it would be fun to rank the books in order from my least favorite to my most favorite. So here goes!

Shadow and Bone #7 :

Kindle with cover image of Shadow and Bone

I first read this book years ago and the world-building hooked me right in. However, re-reading it a second time didn’t quite thrill me as much as the first time. I couldn’t connect with the characters, and if it wasn’t for the Netflix show, I probably would’ve given up on the series after this book.

Siege and Storm #6 :

Kindle with Siege and Storm cover image. A cup of coffee rests to the upper left of the Kindle. A plant rests above the kindle.

This book was a DNF for me years ago. I don’t remember why. I think maybe it was because I had a newborn baby and a three-year-old at the time. Life was a little crazy then, lol. However, rereading it this time around, I think it might be because the middle of the story seemed to drag on. I love Nikolai Lantsov and his character is introduced in this story. The story ends with a major cliffhanger and made me want to dive right into the Ruin and Rising.

Ruin and Rising # 5:

Kindle with image cover for Ruin and Rising. To the left is a coffee cup with coffee.

This book made the Shadow and Bone series worth it. I finished this book a lot faster than the first two and I was completely satisfied by the ending. I am glad that I waited so long to finish this trilogy because I didn’t have to wait for the rest of the books in the Grishaverse. This book totally hooked me in and made me want to read the rest of the Grishaverse. I wanted to jump right into King of Scars since I knew who that was going to be about after finishing this book, but I’m glad I read the Six of Crows duology first.

King of Scars #4:

Paper back version of King of Scars. It rests on top of Rule of Wolves, but only part of that cover can beseen. To the right is a cup of coffee.

I just said I waited to read this book, but I’m ranking and this book is in 4th place. I loved it and it was definitely 5 stars, but it was a bit slower-paced than the rest of the remaining books. Nikolai is one of my favorite characters and I’m so glad Bardugo further developed his story.

Six of Crows #3:

Paperback of Six of Crows. To the right is a hand of cards and die.

I was so excited to start reading this book. I had heard this book is amazing and I can say that it lived up to all its hype. I never thought I would enjoy a book about a heist, but pair that with fantasy and it’s mind-blowing. I connected with all of the characters almost immediately and the plot kept me on the edge of my seat until the end.

Rule of Wolves #2:

Hardback of Rule of Wolves. Leaning to the right is the spine of King of Scars.

It took me some time to finish this book because it’s the last in the series. There were parts of this book that totally broke me, but the end was glorious. Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina’s character arcs came together beautifully. Bardugo left an ending that teased the possibility of more Grisha stories. I certainly hope there’s more.

Crooked Kingdom #1:

The paper back version of Crooked Kingdom rests on the top of Six of Crows. Above and below are hands of playing cards. To the right is a pair of black gloves. Readers will understand why, lol.

It’s definitely hard to pick a favorite in the Grishaverse, but here’s my number one pick. There are a few reasons why. One reason is because the book was so fast-paced that it took me two days to complete it. Another reason is that I adore these characters and their chemistry together. I don’t know if Leigh has a pattern for breaking her readers’ hearts with the second book in a duology, but this book broke me as much as Rule of Wolves. The ending was also left wide open for more stories and I hope Bardugo comes through. There are awesome crossovers with King of Scars. I don’t want to give anything away, but Six of Crows fans will enjoy their character appearances in the King of Scars Duology.

Now I have to deal with this book hangover and attempt to read another book on my TBR. Happy reading!