I really hate to say it but i didn't love this book. Final books in a series are difficult with so many expectations upon them. Theres no way to meet them all. But the things that disappointed me were basic.
Like Crooked Kingdom and King of Scars, this book plods along. I hedged from saying it for both of those books but by now I have no problem admitting I’m disappointed. Its better plodding than most, spending time diving into the characters. But its not always characters i care about. And there’s just no getting around that some parts, especially the latter part of the second act, are a slog to get through.
And she repeats herself, in a couple of different ways. The bit from Six of Crows where Kaz asks a question and everyone answers is repeated in Crooked Kingdom (I think twice) and in King of Scars and in Rule of Wolves. By then its an old bit. And the character’s repeat themselves in their internal musing. Its clever repetition and phrased slightly differently, but repetitive nonetheless.
One of the things that made the Grisha trilogy so compelling was the pace, the action, the propulsive feel of the story. These books have lost that since Six of Crows. They could have been shorter. They could have been sharper. (show spoiler)[Zoya could have been smarter and embraced the dragon waaaaay earlier. But when she finally does it’s well explained. I just wish the reason for her resistance had been clearer earlier. Nina could have done several things differently like not running out on a prisoner with a message or not recognizing cruelty. Nikolai I think was pretty much exactly who he needed to be. Except it felt like the whole story from King of Scars with him wanting to be free got trampled by the war and mostly forgotten. I guess I mean to say it wasn't the story I expected. I expected the khargud though I didn't figure out Hanne until just after the summit. But David didn't have to die just for the sake of someone dying. ]
I like that it both completes the story and leaves it open for more in a fun way. But after being disappointed by the last few books I won’t eagerly dive into another one.