[2] The story takes place several weeks after the end of King of Scars and follows the third-person perspectives of Nikolai Lantsov, Zoya Nazyalensky, Nina Zenik, Mayu Kir-Kaat, and the Darkling (referred to as 'The Monk').

Nina aids the Ravkan war effort by turning the Fjerdans to worship the Grisha saints, creating divide in the ranks of the drüskelle.

He has developed a control over his demon but depends on doing another obisbaya to rid himself of the darkness inside of him, kill the Darkling, and prevent another Shadow Fold from being formed.

He uses a branch of the wood to pierce both Alina and Mal, giving him control of the darkness again before he escapes under the guise of Yuri Vedenen to assemble supporters of the Starless Saint.

Nikolai and Zoya travel to Ketterdam under the cover of Sturmhond and employ the aid of Kaz Brekker to steal a cache of titanium from a military base on Kerch.

Zoya rescues Nina and escapes by accepting her love for Nikolai and becoming a dragon, but Hanne is left seemingly dead by the hands of Rasmus.

Hanne is revealed to have tailored her body to look like Rasmus's and she and Nina become engaged while Jarl is exiled for his embarrassment as leader of the drüskelle while the Apparat is imprisoned.

"[4] Linda H. Codega from Tor took note of the novel's political intrigue but took fault with the "skeleton of an ending, with all the hallmarks of Bardugo’s...writing but without the charm of the last dilogy.

[10] However, Rule of Wolves will serve as an ending to Nikolai, Zoya, and Alina's storyline with Bardugo commenting: “I want to let the Grishaverse be at the crossroads...for me, there’s a great sense of peace knowing that a lot of the story has already been told.”[11]