Books in the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo

The Grishaverse consists of two series - The Grisha Trilogy and Six of Crows. There are five books in total, and all are set in the universe of magical people called Grisha. There is another series called Nikolai Duology, which is about a character called Nikolai from the Grisha Triology. 

[ I ] The Grisha Trilogy

"Surrounded by enemies, the once-great nation of Ravka has been torn in two by the Shadow Fold, a swath of near impenetrable darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh. Now its fate may rest on the shoulders of one lonely refugee.

Alina Starkov has never been good at anything. But when her regiment is attacked on the Fold and her best friend is brutally injured, Alina reveals a dormant power that saves his life—a power that could be the key to setting her war-ravaged country free. Wrenched from everything she knows, Alina is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling.

Yet nothing in this lavish world is what it seems. With darkness looming and an entire kingdom depending on her untamed power, Alina will have to confront the secrets of the Grisha . . . and the secrets of her heart."

The first book introduces us to the main character Alina, and her friend Mal. Once Alina discovers her powers, she is taken to the court of the Darkling to train and develop her powers. Alina had never thought her life would change so drastically, and now she must learn to survive with her new identity. Her powers are one-of-a-kind and are the only thing that can rid their world from the Fold, and the beasts that live there.

However, life isn't easy for Alina. Being the only Sun Summoner, she instantly becomes the object of envy for the other Grisha. The training she has to go through is very hard and she soon starts becoming weak. She is also constantly worried about Mal, who does not reply to her letters.

Anyway, enough about the story. I think I would rate it 4 out of 5. It's good, but not oh-my-god-I'm-completely-blown-away good. But then again, hardly any books are that good. The characters are decent but not very relatable or likeable. The world-building is good too. It is supposed to be based on some ancient Russian folklore, and combines magic, armies, and some cheesy young adult drama.

The three books in this series -

1. Shadow and Bone

2. Siege and Storm

3. Ruin and Rising

[ II ] Six of Crows

"Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. 

A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first."

I love this seires a lot. It has so much of action, suspense and thriller scenes, as well as drama, magic and some romance. It follows six main characters - Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Nina Zenik, Jesper Fahey, Matthias Helvar, and Wylan Van Eck. 

Kaz and his gang are essentially a band of theives, and although they are going to be heavily rewarded for their mission, it will ultimately lead to good. They have to break into an almost-impenetable prison in the middle of a guarded castle to get out an unwilling scientist. All the characters have their own interesting backstories as well as secrets that they keep even from each other. None of them know who they can trust, but they all must stick together to complete their mission - and escape with their lives.

This book is very happening and thrilling and keeps us hooked to the story the entire time. It deserves a solid 5 out of 5. I cannot recall any part where I got bored or annoyed, and all the intelligent, mysterious characters make it an amazingly interesting book to read.

The two books in order -

1. Six of Crows

2. Crooked Kingdom

[ III ] Nikolai Duology 

"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."

Firstly, I'd like to say that I love that book cover.

I personally can't say much about this book, since I never managed to finish the series. I had really loved Nikolai when he was in the Grisha Triology, but somehow this book did not live up to my expectations. Of course, that is only my opinion (from my forgetful brain which doesn't remember reading the first book at all), and honestly, almost everybody liked it. I can't really remember why I stopped reading the first book but perhaps some day I shall read it again.

The story sounds very exciting and the main character is very entertaining. Since most of the characters are from the first series, if you like it, there are huge chances you'll like this too. There a lot of political games and court workings shown in this book too, and the ending is said to be extremely surprising and thrilling.

The two books in this series -

1. King of Scars

2. Rule of Wolves

I hope you read these books. Enjoy!