The Grishaverse is a shared universe that includes several series. All of them are interconnected to each other. It’s an exciting, fast-paced, and very character-driven series, and in this article, we have given a spoiler-free review for the Grishaverse series.
About The Grishaverse Series
Title: Grishaverse
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Type: Series
No. of Books in the Series: 3 Series (7 books in total)
Books in the Grishaverse: 1. Shadow and Bone Trilogy (#1 Shadow and Bone, #2 Siege and Storm, #3 Ruin and Rising), 2. Six of Crows Series (#4 Six of Crows, #5 Crooked Kingdom), 3. King of Scars Series (#6 King of Scars, #7 Rule of Wolves)
Ravka is a powerful country consisting of Grisha’s who practice the small science and who are revered by everyone. Or it used to be. Now war-ravaged, Ravka struggles to exist as the nation is torn apart by Shadow Fold, never-ending darkness that gives birth to monsters. While Alina, an ordinary girl with extraordinary powers, struggles with her newfound magic. The Shadow Fold and Ravka’s enemy nations continue to terrorize the kingdom, surrounded by conspiracies, love, friendship, and betrayal. The Grishaverse tells the stories of people living in a ruined country, some trying to live with hope, some giving up on their beliefs, and some others going as far as to forge their way to survive.
The primary plot revolves around Ravka and some of its populace. But the sequel series also follows the characters as they venture out of their kingdom. Highly proclaimed, Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse is adapted as a Netflix Original Series.
Review Of The Grishaverse
Honestly, the Grishaverse books were a personal favorite long before the Netflix series came into the picture. I loved every moment of it—the highs, the lows, and everything in between. That’s actually why it took me a while to even start the show; I just didn’t want to ruin the magic. Surprisingly, the show turned out to be great, but that’s beside the point. The Grishaverse remains one of the best-crafted fantasy series around, and Leigh Bardugo? She’s a true mastermind.
Leigh Bardugo does something rare with her writing. Each series within the Grishaverse has a totally unique style, giving each set of characters plenty of time to grow, change, and mess up—all while the world around them feels so real and alive. Now, sure, some parts of her books can be a tad heavy on the descriptions (they do get better as you go on!), but even that adds to the immersive experience.
The heroes and villains of this series? Absolute fire. They’ve got depth, they’ve got layers, and their schemes are smart and bold. Bardugo nails the relationships and dynamics so well that, honestly, the Grishaverse has carved out a permanent spot in my heart.
Here’s a breakdown of each series, because each one brings something amazing to the Grishaverse.
Grishaverse: 1. Shadow and Bone Triology
About the Book
Title: Shadow and Bone
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Books in it: #1 Shadow and Bone, #2 Siege and Storm, #3 Ruin and Rising
Goodreads rating: 3.9/5
Alina Starkov is a normal girl. Extremely ordinary. But Alina’s country isn’t, and neither are her powers. So on an excursion to pass through Shadow Fold- the never-ending darkness that swallows anything and everything leads to a tragic disaster, Alina is forced to unleash her dormant powers. And things start to go only downhill from there. Ravka’s enemies are closing in on them, the mysterious-charming leader of the second army is obsessing over her powers, and Alina isn’t able to differentiate foes from friends. Shadow and Bone’s series is the story of Alina as she learns to control her powers and the growing darkness within her, all the while trying to save her country from disappearing.
Mini-Review:
Let’s start with the Shadow and Bone series, the one that introduced us to the infamous Darkling. (Yes, the Darkling! A character so compelling, he practically owns this trilogy). And Alina? Her transformation from a quiet girl to a fierce fighter is epic—though, let’s be real, the Darkling is the one who steals the spotlight. The world-building here is rich, complex, and magical. Just don’t get too attached to Mal. Yeah, let’s say he’s not exactly the fan favorite, and leave it at that.
Rating: 4 / 5; Our Rating Guide
Recommendation: Absolutely! If only memory wipes were possible so we could relive it for the first time again.
Grishaverse: 2. Six of Crows Series
About the Book
Title: Six of Crows
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Books in it: #1 Six of Crows, #2 Crooked Kingdom
Goodreads Rating: 4.5/5
Kaz Brekker is on a mission to save the world with a group of misfits, but all he cares about is the cash. The world can end for all he cares, except he does care, or how else would he get his revenge? These six people, who couldn’t be any more different from each other, and each with their demons to deal with, are about to carry out the biggest heist that Ravka has ever seen. In style.
Mini-Review:
Moving on to the Six of Crows series, and wow, just wow. This is peak Grishaverse. Every character here is memorable, diverse, and complex in the best way. Plus, it features one of the best couples in the Grishaverse, and their romance? Flawless. Subtle, beautiful, and heart-wrenching. And that line—“I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker, or I will not have you at all.” Pure poetry. Oh, and there’s an incredible LGBT romance, which just adds to this series’ charm. It’s so perfectly crafted that there’s literally nothing to complain about.
Rating: 5 / 5, Our Rating Guide
Recommendation: A thousand times yes! Yes, yes!!
Grishaverse: 3. King of Scars Series
About the Book
Title: King of Scars
Publisher: Imprint
Books in it: #1 King of Scars, #2 Rule of Wolves
Goodreads Rating: 4.2/5
The Ravkan War is over, and the Grisha army has won. But their victory comes with a price, one that their new king has to struggle with constantly. The country hasn’t stabilized yet, and the growing unrest at the borders isn’t allowing Nicolas to breathe. And neither is the darkness living in him. The King of Scars series follows the journey of Nicolas as he strives to protect his people from the enemies of his country and himself.
Mini-Review:
And then there’s King of Scars, where we finally get more of Nikolai (swoon-worthy as ever). This series digs deep into themes of grief, trauma, and facing inner demons, making it darker and more introspective. But don’t think for a second that it’s light on action—when the stakes rise, they really rise, and the plot twists are wild. This series needs to be read after Shadow and Bone, though, to fully appreciate how far these characters have come.
Rating: 4 / 5, Our Rating Guide
Recommendation: Definitely worth diving into—but make sure you’ve read Shadow and Bone first!
Conclusion
Rating: 5 / 5, Our Rating Guide
Recommendation: YES, 100% worth the hype!
The Grishaverse has it all—adventure, romance, intrigue, and characters who stick with you long after you’ve closed the book. Plus, Bardugo has hinted at a third Six of Crows book on the horizon, so yeah, it’s fair to say fans are slightly excited. Until then, this series is more than worth a re-read (or two, or three).
About the Author
Leigh Bardugo is an Israeli-American fantasy novelist best known for her young adult Grishaverse novels, which have now been adapted as Netflix Original Series – Shadow and Bone (2021). She has also received acclaim for her paranormal fantasy novel Ninth House (2019). In addition, she received ‘The best International Novel award for her book Six of Crows in German Fantasy awards (2018) and ‘Inkpot Award’ in 2019. Born in 1975 in Jerusalem, Israel, and raised by her grandparents in Los Angeles, California, US, Leigh Bardugo graduated from Yale University with an English degree in 1997. She used to work as a copywriter, journalist, and make-up and special effects artist before she turned to write novels and is currently the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels.
Buy The Shadow and Bone Triology (box-set) now:
Buy The Six of Crows Series (box-set) now:
Buy The Six King of Scars (box-set) now:
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Disclosure: Review of The Grishaverse Series is honest. Also, some links in this post may be affiliate links, which means we receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something that we recommend.
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Thanks a lot for the blog article.Much thanks again. Fantastic.