Leigh Bardugois a #1 New York Times bestselling author best known for theGrishaverseseries. She is a critically acclaimed author whowrites young adult and adult fantasy novels. Her most popular books, theSix of Crowsduology, is part of theGrishaverse, along withShadow and BoneandKing of Scars. TheGrishaversealso has several companion books. Netflix adapted theGrishaverseinto a combined TV show, butShadow and Bonewas canceled after season 2. Leigh Bardugo’s other popular series, theAlex Stern books, currently consists ofNinth Houseand the sequelHell Bent.
Amazon has secured the rights to theAlex Sternbooks and is creating aNinth HouseTV show adaptation. Leigh Bardugo’s books all incorporate Jewish themes. The Grisha people are based on Russian culture and mythology whileNinth Housedraws inspiration from Yale secret societies.The Familiar, Bardugo’s most recent novel, explores Judaism under the Spanish Inquisition. However, all of Leigh Bardugo’s books are unique and bring something different to literature. While some are better than others,Leigh Bardugo’s bibliography is quite impressive.
How Shadow & Bone Show Combines Stories From Grisha, Six of Crows Books
The minds behind Netflix’s Shadow & Bone series explain how the characters and stories of the Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows will collide.
14The Lives Of Saints
Companion Book, Grishaverse
TheLives of Saintsis one of theGrishaversecompanion books thatdocuments various Ravkan saints and influential figures. Each saint has a backstory or short segment that portrays how the saints affect ordinary people in Ravka. AlthoughThe Lives of Saintsis a fascinating read, the best part about the book is the stunning illustrations by Daniel J. Zollinger. TheGrishaversestands on its own without this companion book, and while it provides further insight into the high fantasy world, it is not one of Leigh Bardugo’s best works.
13The Language Of Thorns
Collection Of Short Stories, Grishaverse
The Language of Thornsis anotherGrishaversecompanion novel. It is a collection of six short stories exploring variousGrishaversemythologies. Three of the short stories—The Too-Clever Fox,The Witch of Duva, andLittle Knife—were previously published as e-books, butThe Language of Thornshas three brand new short stories as well. Although the narratives are more compelling thanThe Lives Of Saints, the characters do not connect to the primary works in theGrishaverse.It is an enjoyable addition to the series, but otherwise,The Language Of Thornsdoes not have much substance other than being bonus material.
12Demon In The Wood (Illustrated By Dani Pendergast)
Graphic Novel, Grishaverse
Demon in the Woodwas initially a short story, but Leigh Bardugo turned it into a graphic novel and expanded the narrative. The story is a prequel toShadow and Boneabout the Darkling’s childhood.Demon in the Woodserves is his backstory; it provides the Darkling’s motivation for creating the Fold and what might have led him to betray his people in the trilogy.Demon in the Woodis Leigh Bardugo’s best Grishaversecompanion novel. Although it does not compare to the full-length books, it is still a compelling narrative because the Darkling is her best villain.
11Wonder Woman: Warbringer
Standalone Novel
Wonder Woman: Warbringeris Leigh Bardugo’s only novel that ventures into the DC world. It follows the iconic Princess Diana of Themyscira, who meets a girl named Alia. However, Diana quickly learns that Alia is a Warbringer—someone who causes death and destruction. Diana can kill Alia, or she can bring the Warbringer to Helen Of Troy’s burial site, where a ritual will cleanse Alia of her ailment.Wonder Woman: Warbringeris a powerful story about sisterhood, feminism, and friendship, but there are many other Wonder Woman narratives out there.Leigh Bardugo’s original fantasy novels are simply better.
10Ruin And Rising
Shadow & Bone Trilogy #3, Grishaverse
Ruin and Risingis the final book in theShadow and Bonetrilogy. It picks up after the Darkling and Alina Starkov’s confrontation, which was so disastrous that it destroyed the Little Palace and killed most of the Grisha.Ruin and Risingfeatures Alina Starkov bouncing back from that loss, taking control of her future, and preparing to defeat the Darkling once and for all. Although the book is riveting and provides an epic conclusion to the trilogy,it is highly disappointing that Alina Starkov lost her powers entirely.
Shadow and BoneTrilogy
Shadow and Bone
Siege and Storm
Ruin and Rising
June 09, 2025
Leigh Bardugo tried to highlight a theme through her quote, “What is infinite? The universe and the greed of men,” but this theme still works if Alina just lost the amplifiers instead of her powers altogether.Alina Starkov spent almost three books trying to reconcile having love and her powers, and this ending suggests she cannot have both, even though her light and her love for Mal are both integral parts of her character. Thankfully, Alina still got the peaceful life she desperately craved, but it should not be at the price of losing what made her healthy and whole.
9Rule Of Wolves
King Of Scars Duology #2, Grishaverse
TheKing of Scarsduology started strong, but the second book,Rule of Wolves, was more disappointing. Nikolai Lantsov, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nina Zenik, and Hanne Brum carried the narrative, but there is only so much they can do when the storyline is all over the place. The biggest problem withRule of Wolvesis thatthe book has too many points of view. Sometimes, multiple points of view work, but they only hurtRule of Wolves. The only necessary points of view were Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina. The rest hindered the plot and rushed the main characters' arcs.
Rule of Wolves
June 30, 2025
The Darkling was a long-awaited point of view, but after the events of theShadow and Bonetrilogy, having his chapters just to set up a redemption arc is pointless. Mayu is a fascinating character, but she is simply not compelling enough to have that many chapters. The Shu Han arc was dragged out, which rushed other storylines. Mayu’s chapters could have been condensed to give Nikolai, Zoya, Nina, and Hanne more time. However, despite the issues with the points of view,the two primary romances—Nikolai and Zoya and Hanne and Nina—were compelling, makingRule of Wolvesworth the read.
8Siege And Storm
Shadow & Bone Trilogy #2, Grishaverse
Siege and Storm, the second novel in theShadow and Bonetrilogy, introduces new characters—including the fan favorite Nikolai Lantsov—a second amplifier, and higher stakes. Alina’s conflict becomes messier as the new Grisha leader and Ravka’s saint, all while searching for the third amplifier. Despite these exciting events,Siege and Stormstill suffers from second book syndrome. The first half of the novel is compelling, but the narrative runs in circles in Os Alta because of Alina and Mal’s fighting.Siege and Stormimproves with an epic showdown at the end, but the narrative drags during Alina’s time in Os Alta.
7Hell Bent
Alex Stern #2
Hell Bentis the sequel to Leigh Bardugo’s first adult fantasy novel,Ninth House. It is the second installment in theAlex Sternseries, which will featureanotherNinth Housebooksince Leigh Bardugo confirmed it.Hell Bentcontinues Alex and Darlington’s journey with the dark magic surrounding Lethe and Yale’s secret societies. The novel introduces a new mystery, and while it is entertaining, it is not quite as compelling as the mystery inNinth House. However,Hell Bentfeatures excellent character development for Darlingtonand is still a good sequel overall.
6King Of Scars
King of Scarsisthe first book in Nikolai Lantsov’s long-awaited duology, and it does not disappoint. Taking place over three years afterRuin and Rising, the darkness that the Darkling implanted in Nikolai becomes a problem again as Ravka teeters on the edge of destruction due to its precarious position in the political landscape.King of Scarsalso features a new storyline for Nina Zenik, who has spent the last year grieving for her lost love, Matthias Helvar. She is now in Fjerda as an undercover spy, trying to save Grisha and root out the systemic oppression.
Leigh Bardugo portrays grief and love authentically, honoring Matthias and allowing Nina to find love again.
AlthoughNina Zenik’s story inKing of Scarsis controversial, it is one of the best arcs in the Grishaverse. Leigh Bardugo portrays grief and love authentically, honoring Matthias and allowing Nina to find love again.King of Scarsalso introduces Nikolai Lantsov and Zoya Nazyalensky’s dynamic, which has become a close partnership with romantic tension. The storyline also includes Ravka’s saints as present characters—a bold move that pays off. The book’s only downside is an unnecessary point of view from a new character, Isaak. Otherwise,King of Scarsis excellent andone of the better novels in the Grishaverse.
5Ninth House
Alex Stern #1
Ninth Houseis the first book in Leigh Bardugo’sAlex Sternseries, revolving around a troubled 20-year-old young woman named Alex Stern. She attends Yale and joinsLethe, the ninth house of Yale’s secret societiesbecause she can see ghosts—also known as Grays—without additional magic. The novel explores dark magic sprinkled with themes of addiction, trauma, class conflict, and Sephardic Jewish culture.Ninth Houseis Leigh Bardugo’s first adult fantasy book, presenting a riveting mystery within a world of ghosts and dark magic. Besides a slow start,Ninth Houseis excellent and worthy of being in Leigh Bardugo’s top five books.
