I only read this series because I'd heard so many great things about the Six of Crows duology, and I don't like going into magic systems blind. This series is a weak point in Leigh Bardugo's writing, and it shows in just how strong it is with SoC.

I think I liked Ruin and Rising the best out of the three, and I'm glad I read the Grisha trilogy before jumping into the world with SoC, but they were a letdown. I often found myself wondering how long til I was done, and feeling like my bookmark wasn't moving no matter how many hours I spent reading.

That said, even though my disappointment was huge, my love of Nikolai Lantsov is even bigger and I am better for learning of his existence. He should be in every book, not just Bardugo's books, but all books. He is the saving grace of this trilogy and I am amazed at my ability to feel so lukewarm about an entire trilogy and yet love a single character from it above most other characters. Thank you for Nikolai.