Crooked Kingdom: A Sequel to Six of Crows

This item was perfect and was exactly what i was expecting. The item came in no time and was very well packaged and in a great shape. I'm very happy and pleased with the item i received and want to thank the seller for a terrific product. The description of this item was very accurate and had all correct information. I would also like to include that I received this product for free to review.

I read all of the Grisha books by this author back to back, and absolutely loved them all. Action-packed with characters who all leapt to life from the pages. I was sad to finish this book because I will miss being in this world. Even now, days later, I think of the characters and miss them like dear friends.

Words can not express how much I love this book and series as a whole. For me to love 6 characters in one story equally and so whole heartedly is unheard of. I want more. #LeighIsLife #ShippingInejandKaz

i'm going to be extremely blunt about this because it's a truth, universally acknowledged, that a single reader of leigh bardugo's words must be in want of pain.
(did i do that correctly? i hope i did)
anyway: someone dies in this book. okay, maybe a lot of people, but someone important. a dreg. this is not a spoiler, not even if you haven't yet read the first book, because it was expected and leigh bardugo has practically been shouting that at us.
if you somehow DID find that a spoiler, then hoo boy, better close your eyes, and either (blindly) close out of the tab, hit the back button on your browser, or go to another website. whichever fits your fancy.
i'm not the kind of person that rereads books to go back into the world. i reread because i forgot what happens in the previous book(s). most of the time, it's always falling toward the latter. of course there have been exceptions, like the night circus and the steel & stone series and rebel of the sands, etc., but mostly, it's so i can refresh my memory.
when i reread SoC a little over a week ago, it was because i missed the characters. i missed the way they talked, the way they acted, the way they got themselves into trouble. i missed the flirting and teasing and everything else they did together. and now that i've finished this, i'm missing them all over again and it hurts. i say i love a lot of books and series freely, but it just feels different with this one.
this is the kind of sequel that'll make you laugh and sit on the edge of your seat and cry and then spark that little spark of hope everyone seems to think will fix everything (i'm a pessimist, borderline a realist, so i don't believe any of the hope shenanigans supergirl is always talking about). this is the kind of sequel that's equally, if not a bit more, as wild as its predecessor.
though, truth be told, since i am always fond of being truthful in my reviews, i found this to be a little less high-stakes? maybe because after the impossible heist at the ice court, this didn't feel as high stakes-y, just rather more dangerous, in a sort of cautious manner. if that makes sense.
in any case, this is was perfection. the six of crows duology reminds me of mid-season finales, except almost every chapter if like that. you know nothing at all until it is revealed to you. likelihood is that you're going to be as surprised as the rest of the characters because it's likely they had no idea what was going to happen either. and in the end, when you're shocked and in panic, wondering how the HELL the dregs are gonna get out of this mess, you realise that, holy s***, this was the plan all along??
and i love how bardugo made that work. i knew this, i knew to expect it, yet at the end of a chapter with an especially brutal scene, my hand still went to my mouth, my heart still skipped a beat, and i still worried out of my mind.
there are books that sometimes focus on just world building; some just on the language; some on friendship; some strictly plot. while i wouldn't necessarily call each and every person in the dregs friendship goals, this had a mix of all of them. in CK, you get to explore of of ketterdem, you find out more of each character's past, and how it twines with the present, and manages to move the story along.
and as the story moves at a wonderful pace, so does the romance. i do admit, i was very worried about the romance, since there was a minimal amount of it in SoC, but i thought bardugo handled this extremely well. it's nothing too fast, nothing too crazy (because let's face it, we know what some couples do in the midst of their world going straight to hell). don't expect anything too hot and heavy. what she does give us, i think, it's perfect and enough to make me happy. for the most part. (like i said, someone d i e s)
i'd love to post some of my favourite quotes here, but i feel that i spammed you guys a LOT while reading, so i'll refrain. i hope you all enjoyed this series as much as i did because it's absolutely wonderful and unique and a breath of fresh air--each and every character and their relationship with one another.
overall rating: all the stars
[i am still sad, by the way. i will never not be sad. because after reading that, i just remember what happens and it feels like my chest is caving in all over and it's hard to keep from not crying. again.]

I am so sad to say I didn't like it at all. I had such high expectations and well this book wasn't what I thought it would be. In the beginning I read it really fast but then in the middle it slowed down and I had to force myself to finish it. Some people may like it but I did not. AT ALL. I'm sorry Leigh Bardugo but this wasn't what I was expecting.

Would love to give this a 5 Star review as I love the book. This review has nothing to do with the story, it has to do with how it arrived and the condition it arrived in. The jacket was completely ripped! Anyone who is a book lover knows that a ripped jacket is just sad.

I am reading and thoroughly enjoying this book. My son is anxiously awaiting me to finish so that he can get his hands on it and lo and behold it is missing over 30 pages!!!! It is so frustrating to get this far in the book and not be able to finish it!

I enjoyed the first book in this duology, Six of Crows. It had action, a little romance, a big heist and some unforgettable characters with witty banter t'boot. Unfortunately, Crooked Kingdom didn't match up.

Not even close.

Slow, Scattered Pacing and Lack of Direction
I am in the vast minority with my feelings. So many people loved this book so I was surprised at how much I struggled to stay with it. It has the same group of characters (who continue to have some great lines) but it was loooong with barely any plot direction and poor pacing. You'd have moments where the story plodded along and then Bardugo would throw in an amazing, tension filled scene and I'd think "OK, this is where things pick up!!" ... only for the pace to drop back down to snail level for another bout of overly descriptive telling. This 'up and down' momentum continued for the entire book which was the exact opposite of Six of Crows with its plot and awesome suspense scenes.

This book should have been whittled down considerably because the plot got lost in the unnecessary details. I had to push myself to finish it. It felt scattered, with no direction, or more precisely too many directions because the plot kept jumping around to various smaller plots which, in the end, really didn't get much closure anyway! These smaller plot ideas are barely tethered together, have rough transitions between them and Bardugo didn't give her readers enough time to be invested in any of them.

Weak Character Development
In Six of Crows we're introduced to a strong, varied cast of characters but their unique issues are lost in this book. First, Kaz was a perpetual jerk and he had only one weakness: his relationship with Inej. He was too good to be true since almost everything he did worked out, always keeping him a few steps ahead of his nemesis' plans. That's hard to believe and boring to read.

I enjoyed the tension and 'star-crossed lovers' vibe between Nina and Matthias in Six of Crows but in this book, that tension is non-existent. Their relationship was a huge let down and one scene in particular felt like Bardugo added it merely to shock her readers and jump start their interest in her dwindling plot.

I think the characters deserved a better ending. They were so strong and unique in the first book but the lack of character development and definitive plot in Crooked Kingdom killed this book for me. This book can be summed up in the following words: underwhelming, scattered, unresolved.

I loved this book. I picked this up immediately after finishing Six of Crows because I had to know what happened. I definitely enjoyed the first book more, but this book built the characters more and I enjoyed really getting to know them during the aftermath of the previous book. Our group of misfits finds themselves in one disaster after the other and I feel myself rooting for them as they try to find ways around it and crying for them when things take a turn for the worst. I was absolutely not ready for this book to be over because I just wanted more of them. I recommend these two books to anyone that is looking for a fabulously written fantasy.

AS ODD AS this may sound, I tend to save books that I know I’ll enjoy. Crooked Kingdom, the conclusion of the Six of Crows duology, is a delayed gratification that was immensely satisfying. Leigh Bardugo proves that she is a master at pacing and world-building. She spins a clever plot full of emotional depth, character fortitude, and laser-sharp twists.

Criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker—Dirtyhand—returns with a vengeance after being double-crossed and left vulnerable by the kidnapping of one of his team members. But, Kaz still has one important leverage—the prize he extracted from the impenetrable Ice Court, and along with it, the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem. He will have to pull the greatest heist of his life to seek revenge and redemption, and to save the fate of the Grisha world.

Crooked Kingdom pulled me in initially with its fast-pace and high-stake plot, but what kept me engage were the vital and unique characters: Inej, the Wraith; Jesper, a sharpshooter; Nina, a Heartrender; Matthias, a stoic convict; and Wylan, an explosives expert. I love the luminous portrayal of each character’s demons and what they clung to for salvation, especially through the introduction of characters from their past.

Romances abound. Nina and Mathias are irresistibly adorable. Though, I really enjoyed the denied, yet sizzling electricity between Kaz and Inej. It was a slow-burn romance that demonstrates the reparative power of trust, acceptance, and most of all--touch--leading to a furious build of tension until its soul-searing reward.

Whether you're someone like me who saves a book to enjoy at a later day or prefer to devour a book hot off the press, I think you’ll find that
Leigh Bardugo’s unique brand of magic is rather timeless. Crooked Kingdom is an addictive and propulsive read, where the characters are wondrously unique, the twists are sharp, and the consequences are just as deadly.

What an amazing ride! Crooked Kingdom was everything I hoped it would be and so much more! Even though I loved every minute, finishing this duology is also bittersweet, because I'm really not ready to say good bye to Ketterdam, Kaz, and the Dregs. Crooked Kingdom is not a stand alone and should be read after Six of Crows.

This book had so many twists, turns, double crosses, and backroom deals that I got whiplash. Just when I thought I was finally figuring out what the plan was, a bomb would drop, and everything I thought I knew went out the window. This book is so incredibly detailed and well written that you will feel like you are walking the streets of Ketterdam yourself. Leigh Bardugo is a freaking genius! She can convey more emotion and feeling in a few sentences than others who write paragraph after paragraph.

"We can endure all kinds of pain. It's shame that eats men whole."

Crooked Kingdom really had it all - action, suspense, angst, romance, heartbreak, and hope. Did certain parts gut me? Yeah, I may have shed a few tears as my heart shattered into a million pieces. Just as quickly though, hope would rise and that tightening in my chest would ease. This is not just a book about a heist or a long con. It also touches on issues like human trafficking, forced labor, and discrimination. It breaks the typical stereotypes and tropes. Have you ever met such an amazing anti-hero who also happens to limp and use a cane? I absolutely loved the diversity of the characters as well. All different shapes, sizes, colors, and orientations are represented proudly and prominently. Another fun addition was the appearance of some of my favorites from the Grishaverse (I have missed my privateer!)

The ending was both fulfilling and satisfying, but also left the door open to other adventures for our motley crew. I will continue to pray to Ghezen, Djel, or whoever else I can, that this is not good bye.

"I would come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together - knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting."

Six of Crows fans will be stoked to return to the mean streets of Ketterdam, where greed and power are the engine that drive its unsavory residents. The second in a planned duology, Crooked Kingdom picks up not long after the events of Crows, with Kaz Brekker and his crew reeling from a nasty blindside by their merchant benefactor Jan Van Eck. Inej has been taken captive as leverage against Kaz. Battered and bruised, the raggedy band aligns once more to retrieve their precious Wraith and secure their freedom. To achieve victory they’ll need to orchestrate an ingenious reprisal to discredit one of Kerch’s most powerful businessmen. However, complications arise when news of jurda parem’s existence reaches other nations and powerful forces descend on Ketterdam in hopes of seizing Kuwei Yul-Bo, the drug’s sole surviving architect. With so much to gain and only their lives to lose, the team must up their level of cunning in order to survive.

Darker and grittier than the Grisha series, Crooked Kingdom is rife with tension and surprise revelations. The intensity and intricacy of the plot is heightened by the rotating perspectives that allow author Leigh Bardugo to conceal secrets and twists until just the right moment. Crooked Kingdom foregoes the impossible heist plot of the first book in favor of a revenge-fueled scheme that ultimately becomes a heroic effort to stave off a cataclysmic shift in global economics. Scores are settled. Family histories are unearthed. Relationships deepen. What’s even better, the novel is packed with cameos that Grisha Trilogy fans will appreciate, including—spoiler alert!—the much beloved Nikolai Strumhond with his unique brand of debonair and arrogant swagger.

It’s a safe bet that many of Bardugo’s readers adore her books for their shipper qualities. And yet, there’s far more happening in these pages than raucous adventure and burgeoning romance. Bardugo piles on layer upon layer of character depth, creating a fantastic bond between novel and reader. Every scene is highlighted by the snarking banter between a charismatic cast that is ceaselessly trying to figure out how to relate to one another. Although never quite convincing as teenagers, this multicultural melting pot of grifters and thieves will steal everything you own, including your heart. Bardugo never lets us forget that they are misbegotten youths, and as such they share yearnings for happiness, beauty, meaning, and all that is endemic to the human condition.

With characters so likeable and beautifully developed, there’s a fan favorite here for everyone. But one player, Inej Ghafa, stands out amongst the rest. A sterling example of resolute purpose and badassery, her acrobatic prowess and assassin-like precision enable her to slip past any line of defense. Inej is easily the strongest of Brekker’s bunch and when factoring in her backstory as an indentured sex slave, even more so. Inej doesn’t let the horrors and humiliations of her past define her. Her resiliency is admirable and her quiet camaraderie with Jesper tugs at the heartstrings. Following her psychological torture at the hands of Van Eck, readers would’ve loved to see her give the Dickensian villain his just desserts. Inej doesn’t quite make good on her promise—at least not in the way readers would hope—but therein lies the beauty of her character: her unfailing adherence to her saints even in the darkest of times.

By all outward appearances, the gimlet-eyed Kaz rules the roost with his deadly crow’s-head cane and fierce personality to match. Impeccably unpredictable, Kaz has contingency plans for contingency plans, and a curveball thrown in for safe measure. Despite his characteristic limp and debilitating PTSD, Kaz has managed to survive the criminal underworld by fashioning a fearsome persona out of his disabilities. With all the intensity of his character Kaz has wound his life around one thing: retribution. So consumed with avenging his brother’s death that he deprives himself of any semblance of happiness, and the cost of revenge could spell the loss of everyone around him. In spite of Kaz’s ruthless self-sufficiency and the vengeful factors driving him, Bardugo leavens the permafrost with glimmers of humanity, none more evident than through Kaz’s interactions with Inej. Complicated by mistrust and trauma, Kaz and Inej’s relationship proves so achingly compelling and nuanced in intimate moments as to make even the hardest of readers moist-eyed. Bardugo negotiates the yawning chasms of tragedy and shows us, in all her books, the journey of heroes.

Bardugo’ fresh, diverse world-building draws on myriad cultural and sexual identities. So varied and life-like are this team of young misfits—Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias, Wylan, and Kuwei—that they make for an unputdownable story. Bardugo deftly handles the rich character constellations and racial dynamics of these multi-hued leads that are clearly intended to represent marginalized and oppressed groups. Not only are the debauched alleys of Ketterdam fraught with crime and corruption, but the social and racial injustices pervading these characters’ lives are what really propel the story forward. Take Kaz and Wylan, for instance, whose perceived disabilities—Kaz’s limp, Wylan’s inability to read—actually prove vital to their success against venal merchants and coldblooded mercenaries. Each character is incredibly complex and the story is all the more compelling by that fact. When Bardugo slows the narrative enough to allow her characters to bond, it is quite a ride to see their contrasting personalities mesh together. From Jesper’s and Wylan’s homoerotic flirtation, to the cultural clash between Nina and Mathias, to the interracial romance between the pale-faced Kaz and brown-skinned Inej; Bardugo challenges readers to reconsider notions of race, gender, and sexuality. Her use of diverse representation deepens the potential of this universe she has conceived, ergo allowing the opportunity for a greater understanding of our own world. And what literature teaches us of our own reality can encourage us to positively reshape the narrative of the world around us.

As a fateful reckoning befalls one of these flawed and uniquely damaged characters, the others find themselves on a healing path as the story reaches its poignant conclusion, and there’s at least some indication that hope of redemption isn’t merely a desperate delusion. Leigh Bardugo delivers in every conceivable way: a well-realized world with a sympathetic cast of characters pitted in complex action and political intrigue. Lush, multi-threaded, and brimming with dialogue that runs the gamut from heart-wrenching to raucously funny, this Saintsforsaken book guts you with all the feels and leaves you yearning for a follow-up.

I have this weird thing about writing reviews for series finales: it always takes me some time, because in a sense, it feels like saying goodbye to the series, and I am not ready to say goodbye to this one. I actually made a joke while reading this, that I thought I loved the idea of duologies for how short and compact they are, but when I started this book, I realized I needed at least seven more novels to fall in love with Kaz’s passion, Inej’s grace, Nina’s vivacity, Matthias’ stoicism, Jesper’s laugh, and Wylan’s innocence. (UPDATE: After writing this review, Leigh announced there WILL be a third book! Yessssss!)

“Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.”

I haven’t loved a set of characters this much in a long, long time; I thought I could pick clear favorites, but by the end of it all, I just cherished each and every one of these little heist-runners so much that the lines in my favoritism were beginning to blur. I laughed, I cried, I gasped, I cringed, and most of all, I mourned the end of their story, because there are books that take you in for a few hours, a few days, a few weeks, and then there are books that you know you will always carry in your heart, and this duology is most assuredly the latter.

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together—knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”

→ Kaz Brekker / Inej Ghafa ←
I’d heard countless people tell me Kaz and Inej were their #1 OTP of all time, and I felt like I could empathize pretty well with that after the first book, but this one takes it above and beyond in the most subtle, tense, incredible ways. Watching the relationship between the two of them further is constantly riding the line between swoon-worthy and heartbreaking, especially as Kaz comes to terms with how desperately he wants to see Inej safe, above all else. Without spoiling anything, I’ll just say that their final scene together is now one of my favorite chapters that has ever been written in the history of literature, and I can’t imagine it having been any more perfect. ♥

“You aren’t a flower, you’re every blossom in the wood blooming at once. You are a tidal wave. You’re a stampede. You are overwhelming.”

→ Nina Zenik / Matthias Helvar ←
Nina and Matthias were a couple that took a little warming up to for me, with Matthias’ past, but he progresses so tremendously throughout the duology. In the first book, we saw him start to overcome the brainwashing and blind prejudices of his upbringing, and in this one, that furthers still as he realizes that the Grisha are not demons, but miracles. While Nina is fairly “what you see is what you get”, and we don’t see as much development from her, I still loved her character tremendously and am so beyond ecstatic that we’ll be spending more time with her in the King of Scars serious beginning in 2019. I would also like to go on the record that, of all of the characters that Leigh has written, Matthias probably has my favorite romantic lines, and he made me cry a million times.

“Jes, I’ve thought about this—”
“Thought of me? Late at night? What was I wearing?”

→ Wylan Van Eck / Jesper Fahey ←
Wylan and Jesper were still, to be honest, probably my third favorite couple by the end (I refuse to say “least favorite” because that implies that I didn’t love them almost as much as I loved the others!), but their flirty banter towards the end was absolutely adorable. Jesper progresses so much as a person while he faces his gambling addiction and reunites with his father, and we learn so much about Wylan that is utterly heartbreaking and just makes me want to protect him at all costs. They’re so lovable together, and frankly, much like Kaz and Inej, if I don’t get at least a few brief cameos or references to them in King of Scars, I’m going to riot/cry/set things on fire.

“This action will have no echo.”

Altogether, this was an absolutely wondrous conclusion to one of the singular best series I have ever read in my life. Leigh Bardugo has a way of crafting these worlds and characters that you can’t help but connect with on a practically cellular level, and saying goodbye to their adventures together was more bitter than sweet, as I genuinely never wanted this book to end. I can only hope that the next series will at least bring us some small comforts that they are as happy and healthy as can be expected, and I positively cannot wait to see what Leigh has in store for us all next in the world of the Grisha.

Welcome to a world with Grisha, "Masters of the Small Science", what the Marvel universe would call mutants. They have varying abilities, from corporalki, both healers and heart renders (which is just as awful as it sounds); materialki, fabricators extraordinaire, sort of engineers with magic; and etherealki, summoners, of the tides, of the storms, and of the dead.

What you wouldn't expect is that instead of Grisha ruling the world, they are usually slaves, partly due to a synthetic drug called parem, highly addictive and the grandfather of all amphetamines. In the city of Ketterdam, a seaport in the island nation of Kerch, it is bad to be a Grisha. They are mistrusted and even despised. And they've been disappearing off the streets.

Enter our heroes, or anti-heroes, if you're picky, currently hiding out among the mausoleums on Black Veil Island. Hiding out for good reason. They are part of the seamier side of Ketterdam, generally the thieving and con man side. But they have their own code, and right now that includes hiding Kuwei, a golden-eyed Grisha who wants to get off Kerch to join a group of renegades developing an antidote to parem. This is going to cause them all kinds of trouble. And take everything they've got.

"Crooked Kingdom" is the 2nd of a duology, a two-book series. In the first, "Six of Crows", we're introduced to the main characters and their first adventures together. Both books are good as stand-alones, but they really round each other out as a series.

I enjoyed both books. The world created is detailed, imaginative, and full of the good and bad of the real universe. Better yet, the plot moves quickly, with lots of tension and suspense. The characters are well-drawn, though there's so many of them not all can get a lot of attention. The writing is good, too:
"What does that mean?" Matthias asked. "Goedmedbridge?"
"Good maidenbridge."
"Why is it called that?"
Nina leaned against the doorway and said, "Well, the story is that when a woman found out her husband had fallen in love with a girl from West Stave [ie., the red light district] and planned to leave her, she came to the bridge and, rather than live without him, hurled herself into the canal."
"Over a man with so little honor?"
"You'd never be tempted? All the fruits and flesh of West Stave before you?"
"I wouldn't throw myself off a bridge for the king of Ravka."
"It's a terrible story, " said Matthias.
"I doubt it's true. It's just what happens when you let men name the bridges."

Recommended young adult reading – or, as in my case, for an adult who enjoys good story-telling!

Happy Reader

The reason it is so rare for sequels to exceed its predecessors is that it's basically a paradox. To creating something original out of an already "original" idea, and at the same time trying to make it different and still original, can you imagine how difficult, if not impossible that is?

Six of Crows had such a success both financially and reception wise because there are so few YA books out there that are a heist book taking place in a high fantasy setting. In fact, Six of Crows is the first book I've ever seen that fit these criteria. So this book could've just been another rip-off version of the first, resulting it to have a less positive reception than Six of Crows but still enjoyable.

Leigh Bardugo overcame this almost impossible-to-avoid syndrome by making this book still very heist like (what SoC is known for), but it's not the classic "heist-movie-style" storyline we see in the first book. In other words, Crooked Kingdom is officially one of the rare cases that actually created a paradox. It remained similar and satisfy "more" of this series for its fans, but it is still something different. To give you a better what I meant, if the first book's most satisfying moment is the succeeding of the heist, this book's most satisfying moment is when the "scheme" for revenge falls into place. It's so satisfying and amazing. You notice how they're all so similar but different enough to be its own individual unique ideas? That is exactly what I meant.

Kaz is still Kaz, but we see a lot more vulnerability moments in this book than the first. Which is good, it reflects good character arcs. His relationship with Inej also is corresponding with his arc, because it's Inej that is bringing his old self back in a way. We also saw Inej going up against someone that is better than her, so watching her overcome that also challenged her to grow as a character as well.

Speaking of Kaz and Inej, everyone grew in this. None of it was out of nowhere at all, it had all been mentioned and hinted from the first book, they're growth already began there. Bardugo picked up right from that, and continued their evolution.

Inej and Kaz's romance is AMAZING. I'M SO GLAD THAT LEIGH IS WRITING A 3RD BOOK I LITERALLY GRIEVED FOR DAYS BECAUSE I THOUGHT THAT WAS TEEH END OF THEM. THEY TOTAlLY HAD LOOSE THREADS IN THEIR ROMANCE. Thank god.

Many people praised Bardugo for making it a duology, saying how by doing so, "she's not overstretching the story". I'm sorry, I respect your opinion, but I completely cannot disagree with it more. Becuase this book was supposed to be a duology, this ending was terribly rushed with so many loose ends, ESPECIALLY WITH INEJ AND KAZ THAT IS ONE THING I WAS SO MAD ABOUT I CANNOT STAND FOR THAT. If the ending with this book was stretched to the third, it would've matched so match better with the 2 books' story pace. Thank you so much Leigh, YOU SAVED MY LIFE.

Even with this little flump with the ending, I'm still giving this book 5 stars because any book that successfully created a good paradox deserves five stars, hands down. Great job Leigh!

I wish that there were enough words to express my complete and udder obsession with this series. There are literally so many twists and turns you never see them coming! There were times I was getting ready to through my book across the room but then I read on and everything had changed again. When I was done reading I couldn't move on! I wanted to go back and I wanted everything to be perfect!! I have never been so thoroughly gripped by a book like this! Yes, I know! ACOTAR was amazing but there is just something about these books that I can't even explain.

Even at their most selfish (Kaz) and horrible moments you can't help but want the team of misfits and criminals to pull through. I don't know if there will be any more books in this series or not but I say we all get together and start a petition because I NEED MORE!! I want to know where our beloved six end up. The writing was amazing, the characters are unmatchable, and the story is one that I want to read over and over again.

5 million stars for this book and the author Leigh Bardugo! If I could go back and read these books for the first time again I would! Have you read it? What did you think?! If you haven't read Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom what in the world are you waiting for?!

Not only did Jan Van Eck cheat Kaz and the crew of their money after they successfully pulled off the ice court heist, but now he has kidnapped Inej and gave Kaz only a week to give up Kuwei before he kills her. Now Kaz, Jesper, Nina, Matthias, Wylan, and Kuwei must race against the clock to save Inej’s life.

Meanwhile, Kaz hasn’t forgotten about his money, or about his revenge against Pekka Rollins. Kaz has outwitted the people of the Barrel before, but what will he do when the entire city is out to get him? Can he and the crew outsmart the entirety of the Barrel? With so many lives on the line and plans to carry out, things are bound to go wrong. So the only question is, will what truly matters most go right in the end?
~
I loved Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy because of the intricate world, the dark plot, and the sophisticated flow of her writing. But what it lacked for me was the characters. I didn’t feel like I knew the characters, and I enjoyed them but didn’t love them. But Six of Crows took all of the aspects I loved about the Grisha Trilogy and added the most wondrous and lovable six characters I’ve ever met.

Somehow Leigh Bardugo was able to balance six leading characters in a way that wasn’t confusing or overwhelming, and made you love every one of them for their own unique traits, weaknesses, strengths, and stories.

Their stories are integrated into the storyline smoothly, and we weren’t bombarded with a bunch of backstory about a character all at once — since Six of Crows we’ve been slowly getting snippets of pasts and memories that led me to feel like I knew these characters personally.

Each character is so distinct that I could read a page of just pieces of dialogue and know exactly who is speaking because of their unique tone and mannerisms.

If you love witty banter and dry humor, then you will definitely love this duology. I literally have 30+ sticky notes in Crooked Kingdom just bookmarking scenes that I thought were funny.

And yet, among all this bickering and banter, there are just as many heartwarming conversations and scenes that makes you want to reach through the book and hug the characters.

These are the main situations in the book: Inej’s rescue, Kuwei safety, money from Van Jeck, Kaz’s revenge on Pekka Rollins. I genuinely cared about all of these problems. My love for the characters made these situations somehow personal to me, and for the first time in a while, a book was equally plot driven as it was character driven for me.

Kaz’s schemes are incredible and I was literally in awe watching them unfold. Every time the characters are carrying out a plan it’s so intricate and fast paced, and the entire time you’re just like “No! Yes! Go go go! Noo wait- yes! Wait, oh my god!”

Lastly, Bardugo’s writing is incredible. The last few chapters were written so perfectly, I had TOO many emotions while reading. I was literally at work but the last chapters completely absorbed me that the point that I forgot where I was for like 10 minutes.

The story didn’t wrap up neatly and perfectly — but I wasn’t expecting it to. Each character had a realistic end. And it was beautiful and solemn and bittersweet.

There was about the same amount of romance in Crooked Kingdom that there was in Six of Crows, which was not a lot. However, the scenes that did involve romance were so beautiful and lovely it made up for the minimal romance.

Overall, this series was such an adventure. I grew to love and understand these characters in such a short period of time, and got the chance to live in a world full of witty banter, supernatural beings, and devious schemes.

Crooked Kingdom gets a very quick start as Kaz and his crew come up with a plan to save Inej, who at the end of Six of Crows was taken hostage by Wylans father Van Eck. There is a clear cut line of good and evil in Crooked Kingdom with Kaz, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan and Inej all cast on the side of good, even though they are the best of the worst part of Ketterdam. Van Eck is an easy villain in comparison with Wylan who is the angel among thieves, and the easiest to identify with in the crew. Kaz, as the mastermind behind all of their plans plays puppeteer to all of their marionettes. Even as I tried to figure out the plans direction and guess as to the outcome it would change on a dime and I would try to read faster to play catch up. Crooked Kingdom had a beginning, middle and end I just didn’t end up where I thought the path was leading and it was wonderful!

Crooked Kingdom showed an advancement in the relationship of all of the players. Kaz and Inej, Wylan and Jesper, Nina and Matthias all grew as individuals but also as couples. There wasn’t any time for more than a kiss here and there but the emotions behind those kisses were long drawn out and well thought. I was not disappointed in the final outcome to any of these players parts, although I did have a couple of teary moments. We got to know each of them and their reasons behind their actions so that even if I didn’t agree morally with what I thought they were doing I did understand why. Bardugo did a great job of making a band of miscreants honorable and likable. I rooted for them to outsmart their opponents and enjoyed the exchange of wits.

I know that I have not said anything about the plot of this book. I really feel that whatever I have to say can not do the intricacies of this plot any justice. All I can say is that I loved getting to know all of these characters and enjoyed reading their story.

One last thought on the city of Ketterdam. I am glad that it is a fictional destination. I would fear for any tourist who docked their ship in the bay where a sign reading Enter Ye At Your own Risk No Mourners, No Funerals greets their gaze.

Crooked Kingdom is one of those rare sequels that 100% lives up to the hype of the first book. This book was everything I wanted and so much more. It somehow managed to both rip my heart out and fill me with so much love and feels for these characters and this world.

One of the main reasons I loved SoC was its incredible character development, and there was plenty more where that came from in Crooked Kingdom. Jesper's and Wylan's backstories are further explained. Kaz is finally forced to confront what he has become in his quest for revenge, and Inej struggles to reconcile her past with the terrible things she’s done to survive. Matthias continues to grow and become more accepting, and Nina learns to come to terms with the changes that her decision to take parem have wrought on her strength and abilities. Basically my favs have all come so far and I feel like a proud parent, I love them even more than I thought was possible.

Once again, the plot was ALL OVER THE PLACE in the best way. I kind of pride myself on having a talent for seeing most plot twists way before they happen, but this story was one hell of a ride and I wouldn’t have wanted it any other way. It’s so dark and twisty and wild; I was genuinely stressing over how all my loves were going to get themselves out of all the stuff that went down.

ALSO: These characters honestly have the best chemistry out of any other series I’ve read. They all fit together so amazingly as a group, and each of the friendships and romantic relationships was so well-developed. Once again, there was very little conventional romance, but somehow Bardugo managed to get me so insanely invested in these ships that I might as well have all of their initials tattooed on my heart.

The Princess and the Barbarian banter scene?? I was DYING of laughter, I loved it.

The shoulder scene???????? I felt like I was actually dying, this scene is basically a horcrux because I feel like a piece of my soul is still attached to it.

Also……the scene with Kuwei……you know the one. I died a little of secondhand embarrassment but I also laughed until I cried.

As in the first book, the diversity and representation are on point. There are LGBTQ+ and POC main characters, as well as so many important, real issues (including but not limited to: addiction, learning disabilities, human trafficking, physical disabilities, PTSD, body positivity, racism) linked to the characters’ development and characterization in this series. Their stories and growth surrounding these subjects are incredibly powerful, but one of the greatest strengths of this book is how it shows that people are not their disabilities/traumas/appearances. Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan are all such full humans, it’s hard to believe that they don’t exist in real life. They are complex and flawed and deserving of love, and although they may have been broken they are also capable of healing—also: recovery takes time, and that’s okay.

I quite enjoyed Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but it took me a while to get into and get through. Knowing this, I was prepared for book two of the series, keeping in mind that me and book two hardly ever get along. But I was really entranced by Kaz and have been excited to pick this story back up again for some time, so my hopes were slightly high.

This book is basically one scheming plan after another, all coming together to avenge the events from the previous book. I’m not complaining, I love the scheming plans and what Bardugo does so well keeps the suspense building. She weaves in moments of action and movement so we don’t spend the entire book talking about what is going to happen in the third, which is pretty much my biggest issue with most second books.

As far as characters go, there is such a hardness to Kaz that is a lot more obvious this time around. It makes him a good leader, he makes the difficult decisions and hard choices, but it was really apparent in this and he often came off as a bit of a jerk. A jerk with good intentions and heart, perhaps, but still a jerk. It didn’t make me like him any less, however. I admired his determination and his soft spots. He is a great complex character and I think he really holds this book together, complimented of course by the other characters, who are just as lively and spirited in this book as the last.

The lingering love and relationship arcs from the first book are also a bit more apparent here. It was all alluded to before, but now you’re seeing them blossom much more in the open, complete with mushy dialogue and fawning looks. Sometimes it feels a little overdone, but that could also just be me not wanting to focus too much on that aspect and get back to the thieving. 

Oh how I love that satisfied feeling when things all come together, and Bardugo does this so perfectly every time. Every little bit is so well thought and planned out that the last half of the book ends up being action packed and immensely satisfying. 

This was a great second book and I’m loving this series more every time I revisit it. Can’t wait to continue the adventure!

Originally posted on citygirlscapes.com

Gosh, this series. I almost didn’t start it, and it’s one of my favorites. I’ve waited for YEARS to love characters this much. As in, I’ve waited since Harry Potter. Since The Book Thief. And I will always love this series for the joy it gives me. It is a definite reread series; I need to get over my fear of damaging the covers and just reread it already, because reviewing it is bringing back all the warm fuzzies. ^_^

Okay, so, here’s the thing: I’m not sure how coherent this review will be. It’s kind of difficult for me to give you adequate context on this book and my feelings about it without spoiling either Six of Crows or Crooked Kingdom. I’ll try, though, and that means I might end up being vague. So sorry in advance.

I loved Six of Crows more than Crooked Kingdom, but that doesn’t mean Crooked Kingdom isn’t absolutely fantastic. It doesn’t mean Crooked Kingdom majorly disappointed me. (It didn’t; I’ll elaborate later.) I don’t want to say I didn’t like it as much as the first novel, because I feel that implies I didn’t enjoy reading it. And I did. Because, again, I love this series.

So I’ll try to explain that, too, I guess. But first, a story.

After I’d first read Six of Crows, I went to a book signing for Illuminae. And I was sitting with my mom and a bunch of college-aged young women, and they were discussing ACOMAF, which I hadn’t read yet, and Crooked Kingdom, which I also hadn’t read yet. But the girl next to me was talking about it with a bashful grin on her face (I think her name was Emily), so I asked her what she thought about it.

She’d loved it, she told me, without providing spoilers. She also said it was different from Six of Crows. I asked her to elaborate. She did: “Six of Crows is a heist novel,” she told me. “Crooked Kindgom is more of a con novel.”

I asked for more elaboration, and, once again, she gave it to me: She said there were a lot of seeming dead-ends, moments in the novel where you where absolutely sure a scene would end in a fight, and then the showdown you thought was going to happen actually didn’t. And the stakes would keep rising, and the characters would inch closer and closer to that epic fight you’ll spend the whole novel waiting for, but you will have to wait for that payoff.

I still believe her distinctions (heist vs. con) were the best descriptions of these books I’ve ever heard. Because she’s so right: Just like Six of Crows was an attempt to pull of the ultimate heist, Crooked Kingdom is an attempt to pull off the ultimate con. But this is Leigh Bardugo, and this is Ketterdam, and these are the Dregs. So obviously it’s much more than that.

In Six of Crows, we met the characters as they were before learning about who they used to be, in true criminal fashion. In Crooked Kingdom, our characters’ pasts resurface–sometimes in the form of people, sometimes in the form of mistakes. But everyone in this novel is coming to terms with some part of their pasts. Jesper as a boy sent away to be a student who took up gambling and sharpshooting instead. Wylan as a shunned and illiterate, but still brilliant heir. Nina as a Grisha whose powers are…different, now, thanks to jurda parem. Matthias as a soldier fiercely loyal to his country while becoming still loyaler to his reluctant friends. Inej as a victim of human trafficking, who, while she might be free of the brothel, is still not free of her memories, and is struggling to grasp her identity as who she is instead of what happened to her. Kaz as a broken boy who wants to be more for the people he loves, even though he doesn’t know how to do that.

These are issues of identity and self-perception and saving the world, and somehow Leigh Bardugo weaves so much emotion and so many different stories and struggles into one long, beautifully-printed novel and makes me love all of it to pieces. Because there’s so much going on, there’s never time to be bored. But that’s not why this is engaging; Leigh Bardugo makes you care about her characters. She makes you care about what happens to them.

Which brings me to my first point. (Hopefully that point will carry over into the rest of the review.)

I knew somebody was going to die. The stakes are incredibly high, and it’s a YA fantasy finale. You can’t not kill somebody. I didn’t know who it was going to be, though, so I was in anguish most of the book. No spoilers here!

I would have been disappointed if anyone would have died. My issue is I felt the death was resolved too quickly; this person dies, and then all the sudden their significant other leaves the picture. I get that it’s to take care of the dead character and have some space, but it just seemed to sudden, I wanted more closure.

And that’s really my only complaint about this novel; I felt everything ended too quickly. All that stress, all those too-close moments, all the betting and the sass-mouthing and the banter and the threats and the explosions and the moments that left me breathless, and then it…ends. There were certain threads I wanted resolved more delicately, certain relationships I wanted more of.

Which brings me to my next point: I’m unsure if I felt things ended suddenly because 1) Leigh Bardugo did end things too suddenly, or 2) I could never get enough of this world, so any ending she’d give it would feel too sudden for me. Maybe it’s both.

So I guess that’s the reason why Crooked Kindgom is rated lower for me than Six of Crows; I didn’t have that light, happy feeling of resolve and completion this time around. (Six of Crows hardly ended smoothly, but I think you know what I mean.) And I think that’s okay; I read this a while ago, so I’ve had time to think about the ending more–enough to know I wasn’t let down, just shunned out of my happy place too soon.

TL;DR: I’ll always love this series, and I love BOTH of these books. But I’m basing my rating off of how I felt after first finishing the book: at the time, I’d wanted more.

And maybe I was dissatisfied. But maybe only the best books are capable of making you feel that way.

“Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don’t forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.”

What an amazing storyteller Leigh Bardugo is!

From the first moment I grabbed Six of Crows, I knew it was going to be one of my favorite series. Crooked Kingdom is most definitely at par.

By now, you know these six characters are trying to stay alive while Kaz devises a plan to achieve it. Also, they are counting on Kaz to help them get their money back. For someone who's not supposed to be likable, the other five are solely counting on him (and his conniving ways) to get them away in one piece.

For his part, Kaz wants revenge. Revenge on Pekka Rollins and Jan Van Eck. Kaz has wanted revenge on Pekka for some time.

"Brick by Brick"

Kaz won't forget what he did to him and his brother Jordie, but now more important is to retrieve Inej and then, once she is safe, making sure Van Eck pays too. He will learn that no one crosses Kaz without expecting trouble.

Crooked Kingdom had so many funny moments involving all six characters:

“Have any of you wondered what I did with all the cash Pekka Rollins gave us?"
"Guns?" asked Jesper.
"Ships?" queried Inej.
"Bombs?" suggested Wylan.
"Political bribes?" offered Nina.
They all looked at Matthias.
"This is where you tell us how awful we are," she whispered.”

It also had sad ones too. My poor heart was broken. Broken in little tiny pieces.... but is it wrong for me to hope for a phoenix?

“They were twin souls, soldiers destined to fight for different sides, to find each other and lose each other too quickly. She would not keep him here. Not like this.”

Leigh Bardugo made me love all six characters. They all had great personalities and she made them so real. I was definitely Team Barrell. They deserved to win and to find happiness. I was rooting for all of them to survive it. If anyone could accomplish that, Kaz could. I adored him.

I had a soft spot for Inej and Kaz. They made so much sense together.

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”

Nina and Matthias had some very sweet moments. Matthias was unwilling to leave Nina's side. He was confident he could keep her safe. He would give his life for her. Nina, for her part, loved to flirt with him. She made me laugh every time she did.

"You're better that waffles, Matthias Helvar."

Jesper and Wyland were a good team too. Wyland helped Jesper realized his gift was there for a reason. Using it helped him keep grounded.

“This action will have no echo.”

It saddens me to know there are no more books in the Six of Crows series. A duology is not enough for me. I felt like some of my questions were not answered. Some subplots needed a resolution. What happens with Kuwei and the antidote? Why mention the druskella wolf without getting him back safe? What of Nina and the Ice? And I'm not going to even touch the elephant in the room, right?
You see my point? Am I crazy for wanting Mrs. Bardugo to write more books in the Grisha world? I sure hope we can get at least one more.

“No mourners, no funerals."

4.5/5 Fangs

Picking up shortly after "Six of Crows", "Crooked Kingdom" follows Kaz and his gang as they plan their revenge after being double-crossed. Kaz wants his money and he wants his Wraith back. This is both personal and business. But while Kaz and the team are trying to stay alive, avoid the police and save Inej, Ketterdam is overrun with foreigners hoping to cash in on jurda parem in some way. There is also a new threat to Grishas (because when it rains, it pours) everywhere- a new type of being hunting the Grisha.
I felt like this book had a slower pace than "Six of Crows" but I enjoyed how this book showed that even the great Kaz Brekker makes mistakes and can be caught in his own traps. After finishing this book, I was left heart-broken and desperately needed more. After binge-reading this series it was impossible to think that I would no longer wake up and go to work while listening to this story. I needed to know more about these characters and their lives. What were their childhoods like? When would I see them again? What were they doing at this exact moment? Are they okay? I developed a very unhealthy attachment to this world and I love it. This was a compelling read and I loved the many plot twists and turns. I can't wait to read the other books set in the Grishaverse.
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“When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.”

Stars (Out of 10): 1000/10 Stars

Overall Thoughts: Ah Bardugo you’ve done it again. Another great series with another greater ending. Few series get me as invested and hooked as this one did (and the Grisha did), and I enjoyed every letter of every sentence in this finale. We learned more about the world, with things finally coming together to make sense. We saw characters outsmart and be outsmarted, and deal with flaws and self-doubt. The plot was also extremely realistic, as the characters only have so much luck, and sometimes they do run out. Overall, a great end to a great series that everyone needs to read!

SPOILERS BEGIN HERE

The Good: I love how Bardugo writes, and how she makes what could be the most boring of scenes interesting. I love how she ends her books as well, with enough closure to end the series, but enough openness to leave speculation. In a world where things change by the second, most things are never final, and the ending shouldn’t have been either. I also loved the plot, and how it kept me hooked through every up and down this group of thieves faced. Actually, I just loved everything.

The Bad: There’s no promise of more at the end ;(

The Characters: I didn’t think it was possible, but I love everyone even more now! And I loved the cameos we had of some of our loved Grisha (Nikolai!!!!). And while it killed me, I love that Inej and Kaz can’t just kiss and everything broken in them is fixed. Their wounds run so deep, that being together wouldn’t fix that, and maybe nothing ever will fix that. But maybe they’ll find something in each other anyways, and can find some comfort in knowing they aren’t alone anymore.

The Plot: This was perfect. We not only get to see our wonderful crew of thieves and murderers outsmart just about everyone, but see them get outsmarted too. A perfect plan that comes off without a hitch is too unrealistic, even for our crew, so I’m we got to see them fail a few (or many) times throughout the book, and always changing their plans to adjust. And that ending, where every single detail had been meticulously planned to reveal what Van Eck truly was, while also giving the thieves the money they had worked so hard for.

The Favorite Character: Inej and Nina and Wylan and Jesper and Kaz and Matthias and just about everyone else

Buy it, Borrow it, or Bin it: If you enjoy reading, read this. If you don’t enjoy reading, read this.

"I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together—knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting."

There is little I can say about this one that the rest of the world hasn't already said, and that speaks to how great it was. It absolutely lived up to the expectations set by Six of Crows, which was a tall order! Even though I knew twists and turns in the plot were coming, I never could have predicted what they would be. It kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing the entire time. That ending!!! And ugh, my heart! SO, so good.

The thing I loved best about Six of Crows was the characters, and I was not disappointed in their development in Crooked Kingdom. Bardugo's skill is absolutely undeniable, and the chemistry between couples is off the charts. There are very few outright romantic scenes—you might call them almost romantic—but it is so much better that way. She gives us just enough to understand the depth of these characters' emotions, the desperation of their hearts. And that's all we need. Hands down, Jesper and Wylan were my absolute favorite, and I found myself thinking about their scenes even when I put the book down. And that scene with Inej's shoulder?? Bardugo. is. brilliant.

I may or may not have bought a weekend-long ticket to BookCon in NYC in June just because she's going to be there.

I just finished. And I feel broken. I’ll get to that at the end, but just know that it colors everything I think and feel about this book, and this series.

Everything I loved about the first book is here, and more. The characters are absolutely amazing, they are who they are and they make no apologies for it. Impossibly, I grew to love them even more than I had. Kaz, Inej, Matthias, Nina….and now I added Jesper and Wylan to the mix as we got to know them even better. These six mean so much to me. I celebrated with them, I planned with them, and I suffered with them. And boy did they (and I) suffer.

__“Zoya used to say that fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.”

One of the things that I appreciated most is that these characters deal with incredibly hard realities – things that aren’t easily resolved, like gambling addiction, drug withdrawals, and the after-effects of sexual abuse, not to mention Kaz’s trauma that drives him. None of these are things that should be miraculously fixed. Trust me when I say they’re not. My heart broke more than once as I saw these beloved characters struggle, push, work, and fight to find a way to healing. It’s a long road, and the fact that they are even able to start down it is a triumph.

__“I am grateful you’re alive,” he said. “I am grateful you’re beside me. I am grateful that you’re eating.”

__She rested her head on his shoulder. “You’re better than waffles, Matthias Helvar.”

__A small smile curled the Fjerdan’s lips. “Let’s not say things we don’t mean, my love.”

I really felt it. Life isn’t always easy, and I appreciated that their problems were handled in a more realistic manner, with struggle and strife, and showing that determination was needed to make it through. These are hard things to face and triumph over, and they don’t go away with the wave of a magic wand, or by the power of true-love. This is a big part of what makes this book so dark. It’s hard to read this and remember that none of these characters have yet reached the age of twenty.

__“You’ve been in the red too long. We all have. This is the night we start paying our debts.”

You know where we left off in Six of Crows, and I’m not going to spoil that even here, the story picks up right there. We’re in the middle of everything, trying to recover that which has been taken. From the first page to nearly the last the pace moves at a breakneck speed. We’re flying from one action to the next, one con to another. And I was thoroughly enjoying myself, loving every moment of intrigue and planning and the possibilities – despite the fact that I never knew if Kaz and Co. were going to be quite quick enough to stay ahead of the trouble, to come out the other side in one piece. The tension was shocking and pulled at my worry-strings more than once. I was on the edge of my seat.

__“I would come for you,” he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again. “I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together…Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”

Leigh Bardugo’s writing is brilliant. The dialogue between characters, the expert painting of scenes and emotions. Not to mention the use of chapter-ending cliff-hangers, which was masterful. I hated leaving each character and was anxious to get back to them to ensure their safety, but I was also engrossed in all the other characters. There wasn’t a single one that I didn’t want to be with, and the drama was so intense that I had to be sure of all their safety – a hope that felt gossamer-thin at times.

__“Is that–?” asked Wylan.

__“Scheming face?” said Jesper.

__Matthias nodded. “Definitely.”

And then….it all came crashing down. Something so shocking and heart-breaking that I’m not sure I’ll ever forgive Leigh Bardugo. I’m quite sure I’ll never trust her again. Because I had trust, I believed. And now I have only a broken heart that bleeds all over all the good and happy feelings I had while reading this book. Despite the tension, despite the worry, and the difficulties, I was having fun watching these six characters struggle and remain determined, and persevere over nearly impossible odds. And suddenly it wasn’t quite so much fun anymore.

__“Do you know the Suli have no words to say ‘I’m sorry’? …When someone does wrong, when we make mistakes, we don’t say we’re sorry. We promise to make amends….Mati en sheva yelu. This action will have no echo. It means we won’t repeat the same mistakes, that we won’t continue to do harm.”

You see, I read fiction to escape the real world for a little bit. I know, all too well, the misery and heart-break that permeate every-day life here. It hurts me on a daily basis. I read to get away from that. And even when characters are going through hell I can be there right beside them, struggling and worrying, and hurting with them. Because I believe that they’re going to come out the other side, whole and better.

__“No mourners, no funerals? Why not just say good luck or be safe?”

__“We like to keep our expectations low.”

Call me naive or optimistic or romantic. I don’t know. I don’t care. But I need that in my escapes. I don’t need to read about how awful things can go. How horrible they can end. I don’t need more of that. I need to know that triumph can happen, that “good” (and I know how ironic it is for me to call any of these characters “good”) can win.

But that sense of accomplishment was taken from me with one – completely unnecessary – moment in the book. That triumphant moment was overshadowed by a moment that felt like it was there simply for the shock it would offer. And it did shock. I didn’t expect it. In fact, after it happened I kept waiting to see how it, too, would be overcome – like so many other shocking and horrible moments in this series. But beyond that shock? It added nothing to the story. It felt anticlimactic. It was such a waste. It took everything and gave nothing back.

I loved every moment of this book up, hard as some of them were, until that one small scene – which broke me. It left me feeling both sad and angry. And maybe that’s fitting in a series such as this, set in this unforgiving world. But it’s not fitting for me.

The ending left much to be desired. There were some good moments and even some great moments. Bardugo writes great dialogue. But at the end it didn't feel right. Some of the character arcs left off without any resolution or even mention, I can only imagine this is a set up for another spin off series, but it didn't feel like it did justice to the world building and characters that were so highly developed. I was frustrated at the end when I realized this was how she wanted to end it. I didn't enjoy the final chapter of the story and can tell she tried to mirror the first book, but... it didn't work for me. I don't think she should have ended on that character. The only character arcs truly finished up were Kaz and Inej, so instead of turning out to be a story about six separate characters, it really ended up just being about those two. That was just... so frustrating.

Kaz Brekker and his ragtag group is back in action. After pulling of an impossible feat, Kaz Brekker was expecting payment as promised. But the merchant had other plans. Book 1, Six of Crows, ends with a huge surprise and book 2 picks up things shortly after.

Kaz Brekker had hoped quite a few things to happen once he received his payment. But what he did not expect was to live out his days as a criminal who is hunted everywhere. On top of that he is worried about Inej. Then there is Nina, who has been fighting the after effects of zurda parem and Mattias is not making things easy for her. With a whole new war on their hands, will Kazz Brekker be able to come out on top or has he bitten off more than he can chew?

This book was amazing. I loved how the author has taken the plot a level higher from the first installment. If the first one was interesting then, this one was mesmerizing. As a reader, we have a basic idea of what to expect – the good guys (Kaz Brekker & his team in this case) win. But how does it happen? What ploys are in motion? Who will play what role? Will they get Inej back? Will they all survive? What tricks that Kaz have up his sleeve? And will there be a closure Kaz and Pekka Rollin’s relationship? The book deals with all these questions and more. The characters seem to grow over the series. We learn a bit more about each of them.

Good plot and great characters were amplified by prodigious storytelling. It takes a few pages for the action to begin, but once it does, there is no turning back. It was easy to get into the story and the pages practically turned themselves. We get all our questions answered in the end. There were a few surprises along the way and I can say that I am completely satisfied with the way the book took turns even though in certain cases I was expecting something very different.

This duology was fantastic. If you are a Young Adult Fantasy lover, you must read this. NOW.

Well, Bardugo has done it again! This book is imaginative, captivating and downright thrilling. There are funny parts that had me chuckling, sad - heart clenching parts, and lots of suspense. At the conclusion of every chapter, I was left hanging, wondering what was going to happen, and how the character would overcome yet another road block.

The intricacy of the "plans" and then the many revisions to the "plans" gave me a since of awe. I never knew what was coming next. The unexpected twists created a real page turner of a book. I am often pretty good at piecing things together and tend to figure out plots or outcomes before the author intended to revel them. That being said, there was one fairly major plot twist that she alluded to in the first book that I did figure out well before it was brought to light and "confirmed". I want to keep this review free of spoilers so I won't elaborate on that. Aside from that particular instance, there where many other unexpected twists I didn't figure out that kept me interested and the storyline juicy.

As I said with the first book, the thing that makes this story so intriguing and captivating are the characters. I've said it before, and I'll say it again, the most important part of any story is the characters. If the characters are flat, uninteresting and unrealistic, then the story just won't work, even if you have the most amazing plot. The characters are what the readers most identify with. Though the characters in this book are a mismatched team of criminals from the bottom of the "barrel", there is something about them that is completely lovable. Each in their own way, they draw you in and keep you intrigued and frankly rooting for them throughout the entire story. The complexity of the characters is stunning!

My favorite character is probably Inej (although it is hard to choose). She is small and gentle but at the same time somehow menacing and deadly. Her back story is raw, and heart-wrenching making her easy to fall in love with. The fact that she came from such horror but can still have optimism is what makes her character so wonderful.

Kaz's character is one I found the hardest to relate with. He is very withdraw and shows little emotion. Even when reading from his perspective, he is very reserved. His back story truly explains why he is the way he is and he just can't seem to overcome his past. Having said that, I LOVE this about his character. It makes him real. He wants to change and takes small steps to do that but it's not easy for him and he struggles with it every day.

Wylan - ah, Wylan... I loved his character too! Of all the characters he is the most innocent and seemingly uncorrupt. Surprisingly though, he has overcome more personal abuse than most of the other characters but still remains soft at heart. His back story is appalling and makes me truly angry about what he had to go through. Best of all, we finally get to read from his perspective!

Jesper is the perfect "comic relief" character. He is witty and sarcastic, which I absolutely LOVE. He has made several mistakes that not only impacted him, but also his family. It's easy to find yourself loving his character because who among us hasn't made mistakes and had to live with the consequences?

Nina and Matthias were two characters I was really drawn to in the first book but found them lacking in this book. In Six of Crows, the development of their relationship and the challenges of overcoming the hatred for one and other that was drilled into their heads was captivating. But in this book, they seemed like an old (boring) married couple. I found them quite forgettable compared to the other characters, whom I felt really shinned in this book.

One thing that I feel I should mention is that this book does not have a happy "fairytale" ending. I've noticed that some people like books to end on a good note with everything tied up in a neat little bow. This book does not do that. For me, I like that about this book. Life - real life, is not a fairytale and to expect the scum from the "barrel" to get a happy ending (as much as we may want it) is not very realistic.

Over all, this book was very well written with loveable characters and several plot twists. I would recommend this book, especially if you enjoyed the first one.

Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are a truly epic heist story, and my new all-time favourite YA. I had such a hard time putting these books down at any point that I spent two weeks in a sleep-deprived state. The cast of characters is diverse, each with their own fully realized backstory and their own essential role to play in the outcome. If I were being a bit cheesy, I would say that these books are Hunger Games meets Oceans 11. This group of teenagers are trying to escape their pasts and rise out of the slums of crime, prostitution, and cons in the city of Ketterdam. Their leader, Kaz, is a ruthless anti-hero, seemingly only out for himself. When their big score goes south, they must scramble for their lives, but are never certain that they can truly trust one another. The fantastical Grisha give this story an element of magic, but its brutal world is entirely too real. Human trafficking and sex-slavery, gambling, and gang wars are part of the lives these teens lead. When you dive into this story, be sure to buckle up for the roller coaster ride of action, plotting, and fear. I cannot recommend this enough to fans of YA, Fantasy, or Heist.

As much as I liked the fantasy heist novel Six of Crows, I was a little put off when the ending seemed to wrap up its main plot and then throw a curveball cliffhanger out of nowhere, because I didn't relish the idea of a sequel that was just about undoing the sudden sidelining of a central character. Luckily, it turns out that author Leigh Bardugo had much bigger plans in mind for that sequel, and Crooked Kingdom ultimately ends up being an even stronger novel than its predecessor. The kidnapping plot is resolved before the book is a quarter through (with active help from the kidnappee), and the rest of the story is devoted to exploring the ramifications of the events of Six of Crows through an epic plot with personal emotional stakes for every character.

Kaz and his gang are at their best when their backs are against a wall, and it's a joy to watch them here as they try scheming their way out of an increasingly tight situation. But it's the character dynamics that truly raise this book above Six of Crows, deepening certain connections that felt more lightly sketched before. There's an interracial gay romance that never feels reduced to tokenism and another budding relationship, also interracial, between two people whose PTSD makes physical contact a constant struggle. As with Kaz's physical disability, these are facets of the characters that don't solely define them, but Bardugo's world is a lot richer for their inclusion. Every character feels like an individual with their own plot arc, and while it wouldn't be a Leigh Bardugo book if everyone got a happy ending, they all get moments of triumph and satisfying resolutions to their stories. Go read Six of Crows if you haven't already, but don't let that book be the last you see of this crew.

Crooked Kingdom is the epitome of a perfect book. This heart racing sequel to Six of Crows will have you you the edge of your seat. Praise is well deserved for this action packed adventure!

The Plot: In the aftermath of "the impossible heist" things continue to turn dangerous for Kaz and his crew. The deadly group of misfits must overcome more obstacles to re-unite and escape the world of hell that is raining down on them from all corners of the kingdom...

Oh, the feels!! I never thought I would be calling a sequel my new favorite book, but...Crooked Kingdom is my new favorite book! Leigh Bardugo has delivered perfection. Yes, it is a sequel, but it honestly reads well enough that you don't necessarily have to read Six of Crows (though I HIGHLY recommend reading it, as they are a pair and Six of Crows was fantastic). The author has done an incredible job with catching you up in the beginning of the story so, no matter how long its been since you finished book 1, you don't feel like you need to re-read it to be kept up to date. This story holds laughter, sadness, pity, admiration, fear, action, adventure, justice, revenge, and death.

The book quickly jumps in to action, as there is never a dull moment. We learn more about the characters through flashbacks that are both relevant to the current story and a perfect length as to not digress too much in to the past but still help us learn exactly who they are. The characters are further developed with astounding backstory and we grow even closer to each one of them. There is so much emotion in the heartbreaking stories of each character that drives them to be the exceptional criminals that they are.

The plot twists of the story are amazing. Bardugo does an exceptional job with keeping us guessing at every turn. Just when you think Kaz has been out-schemed, he pulls another scheme out of his sleeve! Each situation has a surprising, unexpected outcome that still fits and makes sense in hind sight.

This duology has ensured the fact that I will read every book by Leigh Bardugo that I can get my hands on, no questions asked. Crooked Kingdom gets all the stars and moves to my number 1 read for 2017! Don't miss out on this amazing adventure!

WARNING: There are some SPOILERS for Six of Crows in this review.
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Where to actually begin is the question now. Let’s talk about the world (as that’s the easiest one). The world that Leigh Bardugo has created in these books is simply wonderful, fascinating and one of my all time favourites. This is the 5th book in her Grisha universe, so I don’t think I need to go much into the world building and magic system. Just know that I adore everything about it! (And yes, that’s going to be a common theme throughout this review, as you will notice.)

My favourite aspect of this book are the characters. I simply ADORE all six of our main characters. They are all wonderful, unique and very different from each other (and I do have a weakness for characters that are thieves and criminals – so there is that). I honestly can’t say who I love the most, all of them are amazing and I love all of them for different reasons. They were a delight to read about. And we FINALLY had chapters from all their points of view. (This made me extremely happy!)

A few characters from the Grisha trilogy showed up in this book as well. (Not going to mention who though, as that would be spoilers.) The first book had references to the Grisha trilogy, which was amazing and it made me very happy. After all, it was the Grisha trilogy that made me fall in love with this amazing world and Leigh Bardugo’s writing. Soooo you can only imagine how delighted I was when the actual characters from the previous books showed up in this one. (Especially one of them!)

I LOVE the relationships in this book. Just wow. They were all wonderful. And I’m not only talking about the romance, but the FRIENDSHIP. I loved how everyone interacted with each other, how they bantered and cared about each other. They all became such amazing friends throughout their journey. Definitely one of my favourite aspects about this book. (But let’s be real, I loved everything about it.) The romance and pairings in this book are amazing as well. I just loved reading about all of them!

As you probably already know – this book is very diverse. From race, disability to sexuality. Just in case you didn’t know, I thought I would mention it here.

Now about the actual story. It continues basically where the last book left of. (Or rather some short time later, after they collected themselves.) When it starts it doesn’t stop! It was VERY fast paced, many things were happening all the time and there were SOOO many twists and turns, they blew my mind. I LOVED the direction the story went and I’m quiet satisfied with the ending. But I want MORE as well – I just love everything about it and I want more!

OVERALL:

Crooked Kingdom was an amazing sequel. It reached all my high expectations and it even surpassed them. I couldn’t be happier (or I could, if something didn’t happen). Leigh Bardugo has done it once again and created a book I simply adored. I would definitely recommend everyone to check this duology out!

I will never forget how this book made me feel. For a moment, I was a member of this band of merry schemers and thieves, and I loved every second of it. I got to know Kaz, Nina, Inej, Jesper, Matthias, and Wylan. I cared about them and their quest became my quest.

Exceptional world building, complex characters, and enough twists and turns to keep you guessing, Crooked Kingdom stands out among most other adventure stories. Ketterdam is a fully realized world, with its inner workings of trade, government, and the sights and smells. Each character is fully fleshed out. You understand their motivations even if you don't agree with them (I didn't agree with some of Kaz's ideas, but I understood why they had to be done). I smiled and I cried (oh God, how I cried!) and by the end of the book, I was a wreck. But I'd go back and relive the adventures all over again.

Sometimes a character's motivations made me queasy with worry. Also, the dialogue sounded a little too "modern" for the setting of the book. These are all minor quibbles for Crooked Kingdom though. It's hard not to love this story.

Reader thoughts:
The characters definitely grew on me, and I could see their honorable (mostly) intentions the more I read.

Yet, I still didn't like the world. Ketterdam is such a vile, dirty, disreputable place. I like that Inej and Kaz want to save it, but I just want them to flee (like Gotham City? Does that make me Ra's al Ghul?). The slavery, the gambling, the cheating, the corruption, the stealing, the backstabbing, the prostitution, the piracy, the orphans, the drugs, the swindling . . . . It seemed like there was no part of that island/city that served good purposes.

I knew an MC was going to die at the end, and so it didn't catch me by surprise. Still upsetting, though.

I liked all the twists and how much Kaz thought ahead and tried to outmaneuver his enemies. He has layers and layers of plots and plans all going at once (the changed will? The fake council? The boy buried alive?). That part was cool. Kaz is like Thrawn the way he guesses what his enemies are doing (except without the art). I love that he has a crippled leg, but I don't understand why he won't let anyone heal it.

Should I do a Listener thoughts? Well, I'm pretty sure the narrator said "pinged" at one point, but rhymed it with "singed" (past tense of singe) rather than a silent g. Ha, but I'm not sure.

Writer thoughts:
I think the only way LB kept these two books from seeming overwhelmingly dark was because A, there were only two books (as opposed to GRRM's epic story) and B, each book started darker and ended lighter. So, comparatively, by the end of the book, it doesn't seem so bad. Kaz shows more cruelty at the beginning of both books, but you see his soft side at the end.

4.5 tricksy, devilishly shattering stars for this clever little book.

If you're looking for an in-depth review, I'll let someone else lead that charge, because I just want to fangirl all over this. However, I will say that, despite what I've heard many people say, I HIGHLY recommend reading the Grisha trilogy before reading this duology. There's quite a few spoilers for it, particularly Ruin & Rising, some of which are pretty small but a few definitely not. If you're determined to read Six of Crows first, by all means, go for it, but be warned.

ANYWAY. THE GOOD STUFF. [Beware of light spoiling] Leigh Bardugo's quick and quippy dark sense of humor continues to shine on every page, including the gruesome ones. I smiled, giggled, and even laughed aloud in passages that would ordinarily have me cringing in empathetic pain, which, coming from a squeamish reader, is a huge compliment. While we're handing out compliments, shoutout to Rotty and Specht for being the unsung heroes of this entire damn book, not a single heist would have been pulled off without them and I honestly gave a little mental cheer whenever they popped up because SOMEONE had to give them props. Now, the Dregs: I want to be Inej but also simultaneously be Nina. I take back everything I ever said about Matthias being my loveable but still least favourite member of the Dregs. Wylan and Jesper's flirting gave me actual life. Kaz is possibly the most terrifying hero/antihero I have ever read (view spoiler)

I adore how every heist unfolds in this book, layering itself over layers and layers and more layers of delicately laid, wickedly clever planning that makes complete sense even when it totally twists in on itself. I am in genuine awe of the masterful way Leigh Bardugo continuously changes her game throughout the story without ever making it feel cheap or unwarranted. I wish I had the words to praise how amazingly well thought out this book and all of its twists is, but all I can say is read it, read it soon, and come back here to fangirl with me once you do. IT'S WORTH IT.

I have finally read this book. And my heart is all kinds of broken. I'm unsure where to begin. Unsure what to share and what not to. I'm giving it five stars, though, despite my broken heart. Gah. I knew I would love this one, yet I was worried about one part. But even so. I ended up loving this book so much. Yess. So thrilled.

I'm not going to talk about the heartbreaking part until the end of my review. Where I might spoil a tiny bit, but no names, and no spoilers before that. I just. I loved Crooked Kingdom a whole lot. It took me some time to read it, because I was treasuring every page. Gosh, how much I love how good these books are written.

I loved that Crooked Kingdom had all the point of views that I wanted. From all the main characters. Sigh. I love reading about them all the most. The story in this duology is beyond amazing. I'm not sure how to describe it well enough. Loved reading about these teenagers doing bad. I loved that they are all criminals. I loved reading about how they care about each other, even Kaz, though he would never say it. And I loved reading about this place. Ketterdam seems like the most awful town in the world. I would have loved to visit it, lol. This place was all kinds of awful. Yet they all live there. And I loved reading about their life. Gosh. Reading about Kaz and Inej and Matthias and Nina and Jesper and Wylan has been the most amazing. I'll miss them.

I'm not sure what to say about this precious thing. There is so much happening. All these characters gets hurt so much. They are always in pain, it seems like. And I loved every moment of it all. Despite my hurt heart. I'm just out of words. I loved this book way too much. I loved reading about how they went about rescuing Inej. How she was doing. And how they planned their revenge on Van Eck. And Pekka too. And oh god. It was all beyond interesting to read about. So much planning. So much action. All so amazing.

When it comes to the characters, my favorite of them all is Matthias. He is the cutest and he has the most interesting back story. Okay, fine, they all have amazing pasts. But I love Matthias the most. I love how brave and strong he is. And loving too. And I love how much he cares for Nina. Sigh. Matthias is the best. Second favorite might be Kaz. I adore him oh so much. Despite how rude he is all the time. He is just awesome. And beyond brutal. And his past is still so interesting and hurtful and I love reading about it all.

I felt like this book was mostly the story about Jesper and Wylan. And I didn't mind it one bit. They are adorable. And I ship them a whole bunch. Eee. They are too cute together. I can't tell you how much I loved reading about their past. So many secrets. It was so interesting to get to know it all. While they aren't my favorite characters, I still love them both beyond words, and I loved reading about them so much. They have a bunch of chapters in this one. Then there was also the Shu boy. I liked him a bunch.

Then there was Inej and Nina. Sigh. These two girls are so amazing. And I love reading about them way too much. Nina is a bit different in this book, yet even more awesome, and gosh, I love her. Inej is so, so amazing too. And I can't help but love these girls so much. Learning more about them was so exciting too. Though the past of Inej makes me so, so upset. I'm not okay with it. Sniffs. I just adore this girl. She's so strong and sweet and a bit brutal too. I love it. I loved all the characters so much. More than I can say.

I'm not saying much about the plot. Just that I loved it oh so much. There are too many things happening in this book. Yet never enough. I wish it had been even longer. I wish there would be another book. Sigh. I just wanted more. Though this book was enough too, but yeah. I wanted even more. There are also some amazing characters in this book from Leigh's first trilogy, and ahh. I loved it. So much. Though my favorite character was not included. Hmph. How rude, lol. Maybe in another book. Fingers crossed for the future.

I can't help it. I need to share a bit of spoilers about the ending of this book. I won't mention names. But I will mention what happens. Because I simply can't not mention it. There is a main character death near the end of this one. And it was a huge favorite of mine. I would rather any of the others had died, but this one. Sigh. I actually did love reading about the scene. But. It also made no sense. That death was the most random thing. And random things don't happen in these books. I'm disappointed. And the most sad.

Disappointed because I loved this one character the most. My favorite one. The character that deserved the most happiness at the end. And this person did not get that. I'm upset. More than upset. This death should not have happened. And I want it undone. I have seen some say that this character might be brought back to life. But I didn't read it like that. It didn't seem like that could happen. I mean, I want it more than I want anything, but it did not seem likely at all. And I'm so hurt and angry and disappointed.

I need Leigh to write more about this world. I need her to bring this character back to life. One thing that will haunt me forever, is that I saw someone say that the person this death left behind, will end up with another character in these books. And I would not be okay with that. It would kill me. Gosh. Please don't happen. Ahh. I'm nervous. I'm not sure what else to say. It hurts my heart too much. Yet I'm still giving this book five stars. Because I loved every moment. I wish the ending had been much, much longer, though.

But yes. I loved the ending of this book. I hated that heartbreak, because it made no sense, but I loved the rest of the ending. It was done so amazingly. It was all kinds of exciting and fun and awful and I loved reading every moment of it. These characters means so much to me. I love these two books so much. Sigh. Leigh is also a huge favorite of mine. I adore her. And cannot wait to read all her upcoming books. Eee. Crooked Kingdom was a masterpiece. Full of hurt and fun. I loved every moment of it. Go read it.

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This review was first posted on my blog, Carina's Books.

** No spoilers for CROOKED KINGDOM but there will be spoilers for book one, SIX OF CROWS so if you haven’t read SIX OF CROWS yet, avert your eyes! **

CROOKED KINGDOM was one of my most-anticipated reads of the year because naturally, anything Leigh Bardugo has me jumping up and down with anticipation! I actually really enjoyed this book more than SIX OF CROWS and I think part of that was because I was already so immersed in this world after being able to read SIX OF CROWS twice and then let all the characters settle in and my love for them grew as I waited for CROOKED KINGDOM!

I felt like CROOKED KINGDOM had a little more of that heist aspect which was definitely established in SIX OF CROWS, but the job in CROOKED KINGDOM really did have a different feel! The overall tone felt a little lighter and had a little more fun snark whereas SIX OF CROWS felt a little bit more serious. I also absolutely looooved the addition of the extra crossover to the original Grisha Trilogy. I won’t say exactly how it does crossover so anyone who hasn’t read CROOKED KINGDOM can still be surprised and excited, but I will say that I was just delighted by the connections made to the Grisha Trilogy in this book and how it played into the plot of CROOKED KINGDOM. It was so much fun and involved some of my favorite things from the original trilogy. It’s not something that people will miss out on if they haven’t read the Grisha Trilogy yet but it does make it more fun to see that connection!

I really just connected to this more than I did with SIX OF CROWS. I mean, I loved them both, but I think reading, and then re-reading, and then letting those characters sit with me over time really had my love grow even more and so I felt so much more of a connection. And of course, reading the second book in a series also allowed me to sink into the work and think about it for months and months before the book’s release. I just felt like I got to know everyone and everywhere just a little bit more and now that the group was established, it really felt so much more cohesive too. To be fair, they were always pretty cohesive but I loved the way the group settled and they all just belonged together.

Leigh Bardugo is just a master. From plot to romance to action, she can write any aspect of a book and totally nail it. The Grishaverse is one of my favorite places and I’m so happy to have been able to read these stories. I’m actually really glad that this was a duology and not more of a series because it closed out so well (which amazing job, Leigh!) and it didn’t need to be dragged out into one or two or more books. I would always love to read more but I like that it was wrapped up so quickly and neatly! It felt perfect.

AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS

I actually didn’t like the audio narrators as much this time around. I was really bothered by the fact that they didn’t pronounce things all the same and some were just straight up pronounced wrong. With a cast of 6 audio narrations, that’s kind of (aka really) important.
Anyway! I thought that CROOKED KINGDOM had more heists AND more humor AND more cross-over than SIX OF CROWS and I looooved it. The crossover was simply fantastic and I actually wish I had read it instead of listening because of one of the characters who appeared and the narrator didn’t to them justice.

My Rating: 4.5 Stars

This book continued the whirlwind that was Six of Crows and I loved jumping back into the crew and seeing all that Kaz Brekker had planned and how it worked out. A fantastic sequel to the series! PLEASE NOTE: There will be spoilers for book one and slight spoilers for book 2 in this review so if you haven't read it or want a refresher you can read my review here.

The Good:

I really loved this book. I loved delving back into the story and being a part of the crew again. Inej, Kaz, Nina, Matthias, Jesper and Wylan are such great characters to adventure beside and this book kept me enthralled from page one.

The story begins right where Six of Crows left off, Inej being taken, Kaz being his usual self and everyone else trying to figure out what is going on. So much happens in this book and it never goes the way you expect, which I think is exactly how the characters feel. Kaz appears to be the only one who expects these things and even then, they don't always go according to plan.

One of the things I love most about this series is how human it feels. I mean, it's fantasy and has all those elements but the reactions of characters in the book are just so accurate. You have Inej who is confident and charming but also achingly realistic. You have Nina who is struggling with who she is and her changing power but focuses on getting things done (and eating waffles). You have Matthias who has forsaken everything he has known but working for a common purpose, to educate his people. We have Jesper, who's past catches up with him and crack under pressure but wants to help. We have Wylan who made a decision that he might be stuck with but focuses on bringing his father down. AND THEN WE HAVE KAZ. Kaz, who could kill you with one look but is determined to win at any cost. And the dangerous thing is no one knows what that cost may be.

These characters ache and pain just like we do and I keep thinking of all these examples but I don't want to give it away so go read it! Read it and then come back!

The plot is super well paced, it doesn't drag and it isn't unnecessarily fast. This all happens within a week or two but doesn't race past. Having six characters keeps the story going. I love the ending and I love seeing all the bits and pieces tie together as we see characters from the Grisha Trilogy come back and assist. The writing is also beautiful and amazing and perfect.

I loved the kick ass moments of tension where Kaz is fighting Jesper or Kaz fighting for the Dregs or ... Well, Kaz fighting anyone really. I also adore Nina and Inej and could see complete spin off series of them to be honest. Inej, there are no words.

The romance is apparent in this book and I love all the couples. It's not over the top, not the main story device but helps the story along. I'm a sucker for romance so I loved those scenes.

There is too much to say about the good in this book. Just talking about it makes me want to read it again.

The Bad:

There were a couple of things I didn't like in this book but I think that it is more a personal opinion. This is the story that Leigh Bardugo wanted and I respect that. That being said, I was devastated for the ending with Matthias. Couldn't believe it. My heart broke.

I also thought that Kaz didn't seem to have as much character progression as the other characters. He appeared to still be very much the stoick, rough character he was when we first met him but when I think about it more the fact that he opened up to the others and to Inej was pretty amazing. I could read another bunch of books to see more of him and see what he is like. However, these two things do not change my opinion of this being a pretty fantastic book!

Recommended for: Fantasy lovers, people who love adventure books, anyone! Go for the adventure!

Quotes:

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”

“Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?"
"So?" said Kaz.
"Well, usually it's just half the city.”

“How many times have you told me you're a monster? So be a monster. Be the thing they all fear when they close their eyes at night.”

“Don’t worry, Da. People point guns at each other all the time in Ketterdam. It’s basically a handshake.”

I was first introduced to author Leigh Bardugo when I read the Grisha Trilogy. That series was just spectacular (imagine fireworks and sparkles after this word), so when I read about the first book in this duology, Six of Crows, which is set in the same world as the Grisha books, I had to read it! I adored the first book and this book was even better! How could I even love it more? It is unfathomable! I had to wait a bit of time before writing this review because the ending of this book was such a bittersweet ending. My feelings ranged from angry to sad to elated to sobs. Ugh, even thinking about the ending compels me to get on an emotional roller-coaster.

Crooked Kingdom picks up shortly after the end of Six of Crows and the Dregs have not had time to heal from their battle at the Ice Court and things have gone from bad to worse. They are working on a time line to try and save their beloved Wraith. Things do not go as planned and it seems for the first time that Kaz may not be in control of the situation. The plot is so full of twists and turns that it just sucks you in until the end.

Every character in this book have their demons that they grapple with and the crew is such an odd assortment of characters but they work well together because of Kaz Brekker. Who happens to be one of my favorite characters ever. He is a mastermind beyond compare and he is also suffering from one of the worst cases of PTSD I have ever seen in a character. His is one mission with many objectives in this book and that is to save Inej, destroy Wylan’s Father (the man responsible for Inej’s capture), and to get his crew to safety in whatever sense that applies.

Leigh Bardugo’s writing is so utterly amazing! All the characters in this story are layered and developed. You will come to care about each and every character. They are so alive to me that the conclusion of this duology was a knife to my heart because I want more. More of the characters, more of this world, more of the Grisha, I want it all.

While this book was definitely different than the first, I loved it just as much. Somehow it managed to be just as amazing.

Brief Summary from Goodreads:

“Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.”

The book is a great continuation into the awesomeness that started in book 1. There were plenty of plots started in Six of Crows that are continued in this book. There is more back story for both Wylan and Jesper, whose story was more absent than others in the last book. There are also new plots to keep the ball rolling. Van Eck and Pekka Rollins take on much larger roles in the plot, and there are these mechanical angel creatures that are near invincible and kidnapping Grisha.

I was impressed by how enthralling the story managed to be. I knew the first book would be a tough act to follow, but the author managed to provide more depth to the characters, continue with all the sub plots from the previous book, and still cast doubt about the character's success to come in the predicaments they end up in. Even after their invincible feat in the last book, there were still plenty of instances where it seemed like they couldn't accomplish or win at everything.

Because there are multiple character stories going on, there are multiple endings. Often with multiple endings, they can't all be good. Well, in Crooked Kingdom they were ALL good. I was so emotional by the end of the book for two endings in particular. They were glorious. It makes me want to start the series again. It also has me super hyped for any further series in this universe. I'd love to read about Nina's further adventures, for example, with cameos from other characters in this book.

Rating

Overall, this book earns a 5 out of 5. It managed to be both great and different than the first, and the endings easily made the rating a no brainer. I would highly recommend it to those who enjoyed Six of Crows.

I don't even know where to start. My heart is broken. This wasn't the ending I hoped for, but it's the ending that fit. Not everything can be sunshine and rainbows. It almost never is in The Barrel.

If you haven't read Six of Crows yet- start with that. This is not a stand alone novel. These are two of the best books I think I've read in years. The world building is rich. The writing is superb. The characters are full of life and grow over the course of the two books. Not a single card board cut out to be found. Not a single one of them.

There is something delightful about Kaz Brekker and his evil schemes. He's not really a bad guy. But he's not really a good guy either. He's morally neutral but more good than bad? He's only bad to the baddies? I don't know. But his scheming face will keep you reading. He's not so perfect that he can't fail. Not so sly that he can't be duped. The only question you can really ask is: what will he do next?

I know there are only supposed to be two books. Is it wrong of me for wanting a third? After finishing Crooked Kingdom, there are at least two characters in this gang whose stories don't quite feel complete. Only four of them feel truly completed. I won't spoil it because that should be a crime.

Crooked Kingdom was right behind The Raven King (The Raven Cycle, Book 4) for my most anticipated book of the year. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Am I utterly desolate that it's over? Oh my word, yes. Has it taken me awhile to process my emotions and be able to write about them somewhat coherently? Why yes, yes it has. Thanks for asking. A duology is a rare and beautiful thing. It is also a perilous thing. For there's no coming back from that second book, no third book to potentially wrap things up just right. All your money on that one book to make it well. In this case, it ended so perfectly I could only sit there in amazement at how right it was. For everyone. Which is not to say that things were not sacrificed (they were) and that it did not hurt (it did). But it was right. And so very full.

Beyond this point there be potential spoilers for Six of Crows.

There was simply no time. No time for Kaz and the gang to rest and lick their wounds. No time even to celebrate the heist of the century. The Wraith was taken, and there would be rest for no one (least of all Kaz) until she was rescued from Van Eck and revenge (on several levels) was exacted. Of course, everything in Ketterdam runs on Kaz Brekker's clock, which is not nearly fast enough for a few of the crows, who each have their own set of troubles that will not wait for revenge plots or rescue missions. To say nothing of the myriad interested parties intent on their stake of the jurda parem profits and the potential that people like Kuwei possess. No plan is foolproof, though. And this one is even less than most, given that along the way the Barrel and its denizens cease to follow established rules and Kaz is beset by a whole other set of obstacles. It's a fight for the underworld, for the city, for the world itself and even Kaz may not have a firm grasp on all the players. But he didn't rise to be leader of the Dregs without fully enough ruthlessness and intelligence to power an entire city. And, as always, his motley crew are with him to the end.

***

Though Kaz's tone was easy, Matthias heard the dark anticipation in his words. He had often wondered how people survived this city, but it was possible Ketterdam would not survive Kaz Brekker.

***

It was possible I would not survive this book. But, like the other crows, it was always Kaz that held us together. Even when he didn't want us there. And it's worth mentioning that for the first good third of this book, I was not at all sure what sort of beast I was dealing with. Everything felt ever so off kilter from the first book. Not in a wrong way, just in a we might possibly not be in Ketterdam anymore way. Even though we are clearly in Ketterdam for the entirety of the book. But the repercussions of the wildly exciting adventure of the first book ripple ruthlessly through this, its sequel, through each of the players. And no one is meant to feel precisely comfortable, I don't think. Incredibly relieved and happy to be in one another's company once more, utterly charmed by each of the impossibly charming pairings within the group, but not precisely comfortable with the spaces each are forced to occupy now. Nor are we to be allowed to forget or even gloss over just how dark Kaz Brekker's world is. However. Once the action does get going (once Kaz has sufficiently schemed his way to a proper lather), it does not let up. And from start to finish, the dialogue is something to behold. Every exchange either put a smile on my face (Nina & Matthias, Wylan & Jesper) or tightened my heartstrings to the breaking point (Kaz & Inej). An example of the latter:

***

When she turned to him, her eyes were bright with anger.

"He was going to break my legs," she said, her chin held high, the barest quiver in her voice. "Would you have come for me then, Kaz? When I couldn't scale a wall or walk a tightrope? When I wasn't the Wraith anymore?"

Dirtyhands would not. The boy who could get them through this, get their money, keep them alive, would do her the courtesy of putting her out of her misery, then cut his losses and move on.

"I would come for you," he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again, "I would come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together—knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting."

***

Kaz and Inej. They're sort of it for me. And that is saying something in a novel that gave me so many more reasons than I ever needed to love each of these crazy criminals without reserve. I may have wished for more time together, more scenes exchanging looks and working out possible futures, more with each pairing. But loving them was locked in long ago. Which, of course, makes reading it that much more dangerous, when those fragile beings live and fight and breathe and bleed in a world that has little love for them, in a world of no mourners and no funerals. Which brings me to how brave I thought this novel was, to how marvelous a conclusion Ms. Bardugo wrought. It fairly blew me away with its perfection. Even with all of my accumulated, dogged hope, I didn't envision an outcome as satisfying as this one. And I say that holding the pieces of my heart in my hands. To say it is perfect is not to say it is without the highest of stakes and the purest of sacrifices. Everything about it hurt. Even as I was laughing at Jesper's quips, Nina's bravado, and Wylan's blushes, I had to remember to hold the pieces of my heart together. That is precisely what made it worth it. It mattered. So much. They fought together. They each stayed entirely true to themselves and true to their unwavering love and loyalty to each other. And that ending—that fiercely beautiful ending. My, what storytelling.

I have so many mixed feelings about this book, I mean I loved it because of course I did buuuuut there were some things that I didn’t quite liked and I can’t talk about them because SPOILERS! But if you’ve read this book you know what I’m talking about, I was so very disappointed but at the same time it made some sense for it to happen.

The writing was as superb as the first book and from page one I found myself completely immerse in the story and the characters. It seemed like there was always something going on, each chapter ended on a cliff hanger and it was impossible to not turn the page and keep reading even if it was really late and I needed to go to sleep.

The character development for Kaz in particular was very well done, his progression was very slow and you can tell he still has some work cut out for him but I’m glad for him at the end of the book.

This world was one that was easy to get lost in and I’m now wondering if I should have read the Grisha Trilogy first because I’m afraid this book does spoil some things from those book and I’m not sure if getting lost in the story is going to be easy knowing what I think I know, so please let me know if I should give the trilogy a chance.

Crooked Kingdoms by Leigh Bardugo is the sequel to Six of Crows and it only got better. Kaz has new problems to face while also confronting old enemies. There is more at stakes than ever before. I learned more about the characters and my love for them grew. I could not figure out how Kaz was going to get out of this situation and I just loved the surprises of all of his tricks again and again. Even when reading from his perspective I could never really be sure what he was going to do. I also really loved how little romance there was in this set of books. There was none in the first book and in the second book it only picked up a little but mostly related to the character development (which made them even better). I loved reading this book (and series), I wanted to start reading them as soon as I finished it which is not a common occurrence for me. I would recommend this duology to everyone.

My goodness, this book was amazing. Let’s hear it for the sequels that are better than the originals in the series! I wanted to just pick up this book and read it all over again as soon as I finished.

This is the amazingly well-written sequel to Six of Crows, a YA fantasy series. I usually don’t like sequels as well as originals, but I have to say, the story just gets better and better. So sad there are only two books in the series! The gang, Matthias, Nina, Kaz, Jesper, Inej, and Wylan continue their quest for ultimate freedom and prosperity in this follow-up heist novel, except this time it is literally the six of them against the world. It seems that every territory and group of people wants a piece of them, and Kaz Brekker can’t let that happen.

As I was reading this book, a couple of things came to mind. 1) Wow, it must be so hard to be Leigh Bardugo right now because she has to end this amazing world. There is literally so much pressure on her because she’s created such a successful moving story that thousands if not millions of people feel like they have a stake in. Wow. 2) It’s usually very annoying when all the main characters in books are romantically involved with one another, but it really works for this story and I’m glad that Bardugo went with it. All seven main characters are teamed up against the world, and they’ve been through so much together it makes sense that they would end up being all romantically involved. That tends to happen with such tight-knit groups of people, in my experience.

The cover, pages, layout, and everything was so beautiful on this book. I love reading books that are pretty to look at, and admit that I am often attracted to books for their outward appearance more than anything else about them. However, I was originally drawn to this book because it was the sequel of the much-hyped Six of Crows that somewhat disappointed me. Not that it wasn’t good, just that I didn’t feel like I couldn’t live without it, as many readers were raving on and on about. I mostly picked up this book because I couldn’t leave Inej hanging as she is one of my favorite characters.

I’m really pleased with the depth of each of the six main characters. Bardugo gives them each a traumatic and fascinating history that builds slowly over time, revealing more and more of their individual ticks. And leaves so much room for character development! I love the intricacy with which Bardugo tends to each of their blossoming and ever-changing friendships as well, how many dynamics there are between the different pairs and groups within the greater team. I truly feel like the story would not be complete without every single character, a feeling I do not always experience when reading books, especially with such a grand cast of characters.

Of course this book will tug on your heartstrings. How can it not when their is such grief and such danger around every bend? I found it so easy to love each character and feel their pain as they struggle to love and fight for each other, even as they brazenly lunge into dangerous situations. All I can say is, I hope they all find the hope they are looking for in the future.

Bardugo writes each chapter from a different character’s perspective, almost always from one of the six. I was still fascinated by the fact that she opened from Retvenko’s perspective and closed from Pekka Rollins. I can’t remember if she did something similar in Six of Crows, but stylistically it was an interesting move. It opens and ends with a kind of fear that is not really present for any of the other six characters, yet at the same time it doesn’t give an unfair advantage to any one of the six to open and close out this fantastical story.

Anyways, I recommend this book so strongly. You will have to Six of Crows first, and the story is so amazing between the both books. Happy reading to you all!

*Crooked Kingdom is the conclusion to Bardugo's Six of Crows duology. It contains major spoilers for book one. If you're new to the series, start at the beginning with Six of Crows*

"But what about the rest of us? What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we have crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway."

----

"Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too."

In a city where trade is sacred, Kaz Brekker knows the ins and outs of negotiation better than most. But even Kaz's knack for staying ten steps ahead of his enemies and rivals can't help him when he is double-crossed in the wake of what should have been the greatest heist of his nefarious career.

Now Kaz and his crew are scrambling to evade their enemies and regroup before moving against some of the most powerful figures in Ketterdam. Kaz may have lost a member of his crew. He may be branded as a traitor. But Kaz is also one of the only people who understands the true dangers of the drug jurda parem. And Kaz, along with his crew, is the only one who can hope to make things right.

Kaz and his crew are alone in a dangerous game that could change the face of Ketterdam and the rest of the world forever. As the odds turn against him, Kaz will have to use every trick he's learned to change the game and get justice once and for all in Crooked Kingdom (2016) by Leigh Bardugo.

Crooked Kingdom is the conclusion to Bardugo's Six of Crows duology. It contains major spoilers for book one. If you're new to the series, start at the beginning with Six of Crows.

As a sequel, Crooked Crows had a lot of promise and high expectations to meet. Like Six of Crows it is written with alternating close third person viewpoints for each member of the crew (Kaz, Inej, Nina, Metthias, Jesper, Wylan) as well as some other key figures. The multiple plot threads and overlapping narratives play against each other and build tension as the novel moves to a conclusion appropriately filled with surprises.

At her launch event for Crooked Kingdom, Bardugo mentioned that this series was inspired by her love of heist movies. Unfortunately, the plot devices in heist films rely heavily on visual cues or sleight of hand, neither of which translates well into a novel. Bardugo makes her inclusion of clues and hints to make the payoff for various cons and twists in this book seem effortless.

Bardugo's prose is intelligent, deliberate, and thoughtful. Any author can give a character a redemption arc but the truly impressive thing here is that Kaz is exactly what he says he is from the beginning. He is a monster. He is a villain. He is ruthless. And yet by the end of this series he also has depth and nuance and is so much more than even he can fathom. The level of development and growth for the entire cast of characters was fascinating and incredibly satisfying.

This novel is an amazing reference for the mechanics of how a novel comes together and how a series should culminate. Every single thing that is hinted at either in Six of Crows or in the beginning of this book eventually comes together and is resolved. Surprises perfectly balance expected outcomes and characters shock as much as they impress. Crooked Kingdom is an excellent story with a tightly wound plot and characters who are flawed and grasping even as they learn and grow. A perfect conclusion to an exceptional duology.

Possible Pairings: White Cat by Holly Black, Vengeance Road by Erin Bowman, StarCrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce, Heist Society by Ally Carter, Truthwitch by Susan Dennard, Incarceron by Catherine Fisher, Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen, The Winner's Curse by Marie Rutkoski, Daughter of Deep Silence by Carrie Ryan, Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt, Never Never by Brianna Shrum

I originally rated this book 4.5, but then I was thinking about exactly what it was that deducted half a star and I honestly couldn't come up with a single thing I didn't like about it. It was even better than the first one, I just loved it!

So our friends have just finished with the Ice Court and have been betrayed. Inej has been taken, and they need to get her back. So begins an exciting tale of mystery, intrigue, romance, laughter and the classic twists and turns that have made this series so entertaining and unique.

So sad that this is the last one, and it is EXTREMELY RARE for me to say that about a series because I much prefer stand alone books usually! However, two is a very readable number, and I highly suggest you check this series out!

Again I listened to the audio version, and this time it got straight into it. I didn't need to be introduced to the characters one by one like the first book, and it was WHAM BAM! The audio version was great, yet again. But this time it didn't feel slow at all. The story was already set up, the characters already known and loved. So it was just my job to sit back and enjoy the ride.

It had more action, more intrigue, more betrayal, and more excitement than the first one. I actually couldn't stop listening to this book. Ended up stayed up extremely late for a few nights even though I had things on in the morning! I was UPSET THAT AN 18HOUR AUDIOBOOK ENDED!!! UNHEARD OF!

Although I did pretend the characters were older like I did in the first book. It just made it much more enjoyable to me than imaging a bunch of 15 and 16 year olds doing all of that. Seriously!

Anyway, absolutely one of the best reads of the year!

Would I recommend Crooked Kingdom?

YES YES YES YES!!! If you enjoy fantasy and don't mind YA (or can just be like me and pretend its not YA because it DOESN'T WORK) then you will LOVE this series. Its so unique, has a surprising depth to it and I will be absolutely checking out her other work set in this universe!

I purchased the audio version of Crooked Kingdom on audible.com at my own expense.

No Spoilers

I own the physical and the audible copy

Holy Crap. *mind blown* *speechless*

Bardugo has completely outdone herself with this one. It made me laugh, it very nearly made me cry, it wrapped me up in an all-consuming blanket of words and didn’t let me go until it was over with, and just left me… Speechless. This is by far my favorite book out of Six of Crows and the Grisha Trilogy.

So firstly, can I just say Kaz Brekker “Dirtyhands” is a serious genius? The way that he manipulated everyone and you just never knew or expected what was going to happen next. Piece by piece, a puzzle was laid out and things that happened earlier in the book, you need to remember for later in the book, and it is like an explosion in your brain going “Oh now that makes sense!” Any questions I might have had, they were all answered. She did not leave me wanting, except that I want to know more about Kaz and Inej after the fact, like what adventures they have, what their life is like and so on. This book is a serious roller coaster of emotions. But maybe not just a roller coaster. Maybe an entire amusement park would be a more apt description.

She did an amazing job with the different POVs and it wasn’t just 2 or 3 but 6 or 7. And the flow that she kept them in was just beyond words. She juggled them flawlessly and built on the already complex nature of them and just added more layers without missing a beat. There was so many emotions, so many feels that this emotional roller-coaster/amusement park/carnival has left me just like “Wow.” No matter what happens things just crescendo, between the relationships, the dark nature of some of their backgrounds, love found and ultimately lost, and dark, and almost a sexy erotic without making outright sex scenes, but keeping it entertaining with the many many personalities. The violence and the gritty nature just made this book so dark and compelling and a read like I have not had before other than A Court of Mist and Fury but with a completely different tone. It is soul crushing and mind blowing. I just cant get over it yet.

I absolutely love all the action and the mischievous nature of our beloved little gang whom was fully developed and when one of them was outraged and crying it pulled on those heart strings and made you want to cry also. (Actually a friend of mine did cry) but I have to say out of my favorite characters Inej is the top of the list along with Nina, Matthias, and of course Kaz. I absolutely loved the dialogue, with all the bantering and the rapport between the characters.

But at the end of the day, if you want to know if you should pick up this book. Then the answer is Yes. Dont wait, don’t keep looking through reviews you have to experience this masterpiece of amusement park/roller coaster ride for yourself. It might have finished in the perfect spot, in just the perfect way but Leigh Bardugo… I hope you read this cause How Dare You. You are evil. A brilliantly minded evil genius and I absolutely can’t wait to read yet another series/standalone book written by you.

“No Mourners. No Funnerals.”

I only hauled this book this week, as my order arrived on the 4th of November. I did really want to read this, but I didn’t think I’d pick it up so soon after buying it. I had been able to avoid spoilers of any kind, so I figured I shouldn’t push my luck and just read it now. I’m so glad I did.

I’m both happy and sad this is a duology. I’m sad because I can’t say goodbye to these characters just yet. They’re all so precious, and I want to keep reading about their adventures. Yet I’m happy too. Happy that the story didn’t get stretched out to make a third book. Happy that the characters’ actions felt truly like them. This feels like the best and realistic way to end this story.

I have an endless amount of love for these characters. I love how unapologetic they are about who they are. They accept and love each other like family, accepting everyone’s dark side. They don’t pretend in front of each other. They respect and admire the entire person, not just the good side. These friendships are real, their connections beautiful.

That’s really all I’ll say about this book. I loved it. It was the perfect, and most realistic, way to end their story. I was captivated from the first page. I adore the characters, the friendships, and the romance. I adore the portrayal of disability, of trauma and how to help others. How to accept them. I’ll just leave you with a few of my favorite quotes. Don’t worry, they won’t spoil anything for you.

“I’ve been nothing but kind to you. I’m not some sort of monster.”
“No, you’re the man who sits idly by, congratulating yourself on your decency, while the monster eats his fill. At least a monster has teeth and a spine.”

“But I am grateful every day for that disaster. I needed a cataclysm to shake me from the life I knew. You were an earthquake, a landslide.”
“I,” she said, planting a hand on her hip, “am a delicate flower.”

“Come on,” she said. “We’ll get Colm to order us something decadent. (Inej)
“That’s your answer for everything.” (Nina)
“You’re complaining?” Inej asked.
“I’m stating one of the reasons I adore you.”

It's taken me a long time to write my review for Crooked Kingdom, probably because even though it's been over a month since I finished reading it I still can't quite decide whether I loved it or hated it. This was one of my most anticipated books of the year, I reread Six of Crows in anticipation and I dropped absolutely everything the second that the store delivered my copy so that I could dive back into this world. I know putting such incredibly high expectations on a novel isn't necessarily fair to an author but I loved Six of Crows so much that I just couldn't help myself and if you'd asked me at any point in the first 90% of Crooked Kingdom what I thought of it I'd have told you it was an absolutely phenomenal 10 star read. Up until that point it was everything I could possibly have hoped for and then some and I was utterly convinced it would be my favourite book of the year.

The plot was as twisted as you'd expect it to be, Kaz has plan inside plan inside plan until you have no idea what to expect next or how they're going to get out of their latest fix. The pace of the story is fast, everything that could go wrong did go wrong and half the time I was on the edge of my seat desperate to see how things would turn out. The character development was wonderful, we get to know Jesper and Wylan better which made me fall completely in love with both of them and there are some brilliant scenes between Kaz and Inej but it was Nina and Matthias who totally stole the show. I ship those two so hard and I just adored seeing how much Matthias has changed since the beginning of the first book. I had so many expectations about where their story was going and could almost write the spin off myself because I knew exactly where I wanted it to go.

Then it happened. I can't go into details because of spoilers but I'm pretty sure anyone who has read the book will know exactly what I'm talking about. You might say it's just one thing but it's a MAJOR thing, one that felt like a complete and utter betrayal based on everything that had happened up until that point and it destroyed me. Actually, I tell a lie because the first time I read it I was so utterly convinced it was one of Kaz's tricks that would end up being resolved over the remaining few chapters that I felt absolutely no fear and had no emotional reaction to it at all. It wasn't until several chapters later when other events confirmed things that it all became horribly real and at that point I had to skip back and start rereading. That was when the tears came and they took a long time to stop. I'm still heartbroken and that one thing has coloured my memories of both books in the duology. I don't think I'll ever want to go back and reread Six of Crows because I'll always know what is coming and that just ruins everything.

I can still picture that spin off but now it doesn't go anywhere I'm interested in following. I just don't see how Leigh Bardugo can make certain things work after that major event that I can't talk about. She could find a way to backtrack on what happened and if she did then I'd probably love her for it but it would also make me feel like the ending of Crooked Kingdom was just a very nasty trick she played on her readers to get an emotional reaction out of them. Admittedly that option is better than if she leaves things as they stand but either way I'm not impressed. Whatever happens I'm going to be wary of her books in the future because she's started to erode the trust I had in her and that's heartbreaking because I've always been a superfan of hers (I have multiple copies of all of her books - even this one!). The first 90% of Crooked Kingdom was a 10 star read but that last 10% makes me want to give it minus figures so I'm really lost about how to rate this book. I guess since Goodreads and the store work on 5 stars I'm going to go straight down the middle and call it a 3 but you could say that to get such a strong reaction it deserves much higher, especially considering how much I loved the majority of it. I'm just so sad that it ended like this.

I read and enjoyed Leigh Bardugo's "Grisha Trilogy," even if the final book in that series was a disappointment. Likewise, I read and LOVED "Six of Crows" by the same author, a book set in the same world as the Grisha books but set in another country and following an entirely different cast of characters. My only complaint about "Six of Crows" was that it ended very abruptly on a massive cliffhanger... and I had to sit and wait for the sequel to see if and how said cliffhanger was resolved. I had grown to love the plucky band of thieves, assassins, and criminals from "Six," and I just hoped Bardugo could give their adventures a satisfactory, if maybe not happy, end. Though I admit to still having a bad taste in my mouth from the last Grisha book, "Ruin and Rising," and so approached "Crooked Kingdom" warily.

Thankfully, my fears were unfounded. "Crooked Kingdom" is a fantastic continuation of "Six of Crows," one that raises the stakes for our intrepid anti-heroes and provides plenty of excitement, humor, and character development in the process.

"Six of Crows" ended with one of the Crows abducted by an unscrupulous businessman, one with plans to use a terrible drug called parem jurda to grow fabulously wealthy at the expense of the world's Grisha (think the alchemists from "Full Metal Alchemist" rather than wizards or magicians...). Kaz, the ruthless leader of the Crows, is not about to let his team be double-crossed, however, and with the help of the remaining crows -- sharpshooter Jesper, runaway rich boy Wylan, escaped convict Matthius, and de-powered and sickly Grisha Nina -- he plots to rescue Inej even as she plots her own escape. As the Crows fight to recover one of their own, stop a plot that could destroy the Grisha and possibly entire nations, and exact revenge against the businessman who betrayed them, they find themselves confronting the demons of their own pasts, and some will find redemption in the most unlikely of places... but Ketterdam is a dangerous city, and it's not guaranteed that all of them will make it out of this heist alive...

I fell in love with the eclectic cast of the first novel, and I'm happy to say that they're just as flawed and believable but nonetheless enjoyable here -- perhaps more so, as each character is forced to confront their shortcomings and the demons of their pasts in order to progress. Characters who were a little flat in the last book (such as Jesper and Wylan) get more focus here, fleshing them out more and giving deeper insight into what makes them who they are; meanwhile, characters who were explored in greater depth in the last novel (Kaz, Inej, and Nina) see further development, and while their journeys are heartbreaking at times, they're rewarding as well. Matthius doesn't see as much development, but then, he saw his character arc in the last book.

We also explore both Ketterdam and the world of this series a little more, seeing corners of the city we didn't see last time and appreciating just what a "wretched hive of scum and villainy" it can be. Even the minor characters, such as Pekka Rollins and members of the Dregs, are memorable and unique, though a few minor characters that pop up are a little flat (such as the assassin that shows up to trouble Inej halfway through). And just like the last book, this book has excellent writing, with gripping action scenes, thrilling twists and turns, delightful description that doesn't bog the book down, and some fantastic one-liners peppered throughout.

Bonus for people who have read the author's other works -- a handful of characters from the "Grisha Trilogy" make an appearance here. To say who, though, would spoil the surprise, so read and find out.

A satisfying conclusion to the "Six of Crows" duology, if a bit bittersweet -- I've grown to love these characters, and it's a shame to see them go. Bardugo has given us a grand fantasy-heist novel, one that will appeal to both YA readers and adults, and I dearly hope we see these characters again someday.

There are two things I really love: fantasy settings and heist stories. So when it comes to fantasy heist stories, I’m obviously primed to enjoy them. And wow, has this series been great.

Crooked Kingdom is the sequel to Six of Crows, which you absolutely must read first. There’s really no way for me to avoid spoilers for the first book if I’m going to talk about the plot of this one, so be forewarned. If you aren’t familiar with the series, but a YA fantasy heist story sounds like it’d be your thing, go read Six of Crows.

After being double-crossed by their sponsor, Kaz Brekker’s crew is out to get what’s owed to them and to rescue a kidnapped crew member. They are outmanned and outgunned and there’s dangerous new enemy roaming the city, hunting grisha. It will take all of their daring and skills to come out on top.

Crooked Kingdom took me forever to read. I’ve been having some anxiety issues, which did not do well with such a twisty, high stakes plot. While I really loved the book, I had to keep putting it down and waiting until I felt calmer to come back to it because I was getting so stressed out! I think it’s a testament to how deeply I was invested in the characters.

Crooked Kingdom has such a strong cast of characters. I really loved each of the six members of the core team, and I never once got them confused or forgot who they were. They’re all distinct individuals who have such great chemistry together. It even managed to get me to care about the romantic relationships, which is not usually something that interests me much.

I didn’t realize until after I finished Crooked Kingdom that this was the last book in the series and that there wouldn’t be a third. While it does wrap everything up, I love this world and these characters enough that I really hope Leigh Bardugo decides to come back to them someday. I feel like there are plenty of strands that could be picked up for future books. In sum, this book and this series have just been so much fun. It’s the kind of book I’d like to read more of.

There are not enough stars. Not enough stars for how much I loved this book. I really, truly, deeply adored SIX OF CROWS. Its sequel takes the story to a whole new level, putting my favourite band of thugs and crooks into an even more dire situation, filling me with tidal waves of emotion, making me smile and cry, keeping me from concentrating on reality, telling a stellar story that I could hardly put down. The stakes were quadrupled in this tale of revenge and retribution, and no one got away unscarred. The characters grew and matured more than I thought possible. They soared to various highs and sank to some dismal lows. I was biting my nails for every single one of them, especially Inej (that poor girl!). Equally as liberating was Jesper and Wylan's stories. I could go on and on about these characters who've earned their way into my heart––Nina and Matthias's romance was heart-wrenching and beautiful, and Kaz is on par with the Joker in terms of master-minding––but the truth is that you need to experience this book and this series. I went in not knowing much, and came out with an ultimate reader high. This duology is spectacular and one of my favourites ever. I can't stop thinking about it. Do not miss out on it!

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

Wow, I think I finally bring thoughts together and right a coherent review. Maybe.

Oh my stars, guys, where do I even begin?

I fell in love with Six of Crows when I read it back in July. Yes, I waited a bit to read it but I'd heard nothing but amazing things. It was a hyped book and it was brilliant. Unlike any book I've read before, taking me back into the familiar world I left in the Grisha trilogy.

Crooked Kingdom was one of my most anticipated books for September. Knowing SoC was only a duology was hard to swallow but Bardugo's writing matured greatly from the Grisha trilogy and I was pleased see that.

But this review isn't about the Grisha trilogy or SoC, it's about CK and the fact that I cried. Seriously. Not many books make me cry but this one did. What am I going to do with my life now? *cries* This book was fantastic. Absolutely fantastic! If you thought you loved Kaz and his crew in SoC, you'll love them even more in CK!

“You don’t look like a monster.”
“I’ll tell you a secret... The really bad monsters never look like monsters.”

There is so much going on in this book. I love the multiple PoVs, the new characters, the familiar old characters (including one of our favorites from the Grisha trilogy), and most of all the heists! Someone got the better of Kaz and his crew and they're all ready to get back and save Ketterdam and the Grisha from jurda parem. I did find it interesting that this book--this series really--has been about saving the Grisha.

Some of the reasons I didn't give this book a full 5 stars was: 1) Kaz and 2) no closure. I get it, Kaz is brilliant, but I wanted to see him vulnerable. Truthfully, we didn't get that in SoC and we barely get it in CK. There's a smidgen but that's just what it was: so small. I also didn't think here was much closure. We get it with some characters but not with all and I'm all about the closure. The ending, to me, left it open for something more... Whether it be novellas or just another series in this amazing world, I'd be for all of that. XD

Bardugo brings life and heart to her characters and she does it through backstory. Sure, we know about the Dregs in SoC but we know and come to love them all the more in CK. Also, the world building continues to be incredible. Yes, if you've read the Grisha trilogy, you already know some things but Bardugo reintroduces and deepens out knowledge of the entire universe together, especially Ketterdam. (I mean, have you seen those maps?! <3)

This story was also heartbreaking. Incredibly heartbreaking. If you know who my two favorite characters are, THIS BOOK DESTROYED ME. I'm still trying to understand the point of it but... Alas, I don't think I want to admit that it almost had to happen in order to push certain characters towards in their development.

“I would have come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”

NINA AND MATTHIAS FEELS. ALSO KAZ AND INEJ FEELS. ESPECIALLY THE ENDING.

This installment in the Six of Crows series is so, so, so good.

We get to revisit all of these wonderful characters. Kaz and his crew of bandits :). My favorite bandits ever.

In their scheme to get the money they are owed, Kaz comes up with another plan that ends up being dangerous (of course), and has lots of moving parts that could go wrong. Which is when this book gets really, really intense.

I was on the edge of my seat the whole time listening to this book. It took me longer than planned to finish, but that was because I had some books that "had" to be read. I would listen to this in my car, when I was getting ready in the morning, and at night when every one was asleep. I took every opportunity between my "must" reads to listen to this book.

There is so much action in this books, and I grew to love Kaz's crew even more with this book. They may have their issues, but they always have each others backs. True loyalty, which makes their band so much better.

There is dancing on rooftops....okay more like fighting, but dancing sounds better ;). Fighting, blackmail, kidnapping, and non stop action. You will really enjoy this series!!! It was fan freaking tastic. Awesome.

Source: I bought this book for myself. I was not compensated in any way for this review. These are my own PERSONAL thoughts on the book.

Title: Crooked Kingdom

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Age Group: Teen/Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Six of Crows, book two

Star Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars

I borrowed this book from my local library and reviewed it.

What can I say? This book is one that I've been looking forward to all year, and waiting for impatiently ever since I put a hold on it at the library. I've been religiously avoidiing most social media outlets, because I hate spoilers and I definitely didn't want this spoiled for me. Any of it. And I succeeded! This book--it is one of my favorite books of the fall, if not the year. Holy crap. You all know that sequels make me terribly leery, because they have so much potential and sometimes they can just fizzle out. But I had nothing to worry about with Crooked Kingdom--it was everything I wanted and more.

In other words, there better be a sequel, or I'm going to cry until I'm dead. (Seriously, Leigh! Don't do this to me, I can't take it!)

Crooked Kingdom picks up where Six of Crows ended, with our ragtag gang of adorable misfits just barely able to pull off the job in the Ice Court. Bloodied and bruised and reeling from the aftermath, Kaz and the others take on an even more precarious job--one that could tip the scales forever in their favor, should they play their cards right. But some things can't be foresaw, and some of their beloved crew might not make it out of this one alive...

This sequel was wonderful, it really had everything. I'm going to be vague on purpose, just in case there are some people that haven't yet read it. The bottom line: There was action, romance, all the hilarious banter I could've hoped for, magic and mayhem and twists and thrills with every page. There was also lots of character growth and backstory--this sequel was honestly nothing less than perfect! I loved it so much--the only flaw I can truly think of was that it was too short. I hope that there is more to the world of the Dregs, because I don't want it to be over! Next on deck: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan!

I love Leigh Bardugo's writing. It's simply mesmerizing. While I found flaws in the book I cannot help but be glad I got to meet these characters. There were moments where I wanted more interaction between certain characters, moments where I wanted things to move quicker and even though I expected more heartbreak, I found this book utterly addictive.
Kaz is a genious and probably one of the best heroes out there. He didn't read like a seventeen year old boy to me. He was so much more than a teenager and I am so glad that all the characters were written as mature people who haven't had it easy, instead as overconfident children.
Amazing universe, great settings and beautiful storylines. I recommend this book. This author deserves all the hype her books are getting!
I hope we get to see more of these characters in the future. They certainly have the potential!

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for – probably one of the top THREE most anticipated books of the year has finally hit the shelve and I am beside myself drowning in the feels that Crooked Kingdom has given me. If you were like me and heavily sought out the ARC of its predecessor, Six of Crows, then I’m sure you know why this is one of the most coveted books of the season.

This is the moment we’ve been waiting for – probably one of the top THREE most anticipated books of the year has finally hit the shelve and I am beside myself drowning in the feels that Crooked Kingdom has given me. If you were like me and heavily sought out the ARC of its predecessor, Six of Crows, then I’m sure you know why this is one of the most coveted books of the season.

Was it worth the wait? Absolutely. Was I underwhelmed? Yes. Why? Well, I was underwhelmed in the best way. I think if an author can write a story and give it the ending that it should have, then their readers will feel this overall feeling of absolute satisfaction. This is how I felt after a few hours of processing that the end of the duology had already happened. Sure, I had my misgivings and freaked out over some things, but now that (a few days later), I absolutely think that it got the ending it deserved and Leigh Bardugo, once again (!), did a phenomenal writing another story in one of the most fantastically created worlds I’ve ever read.

So where do I start? The characters? My gosh. I have never loved such a ‘large’ group of characters as much as I loved my beloved crows. So beautifully written and I find it so rare when an author possesses a true talent for giving her ensemble of characters distinct identities. With a duology like this where you have SIX main protagonists who get their own chapters, you begin to realize that is a lot of time to dedicate to characters you might not love. BUT HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE ALL OF THEM? They all had those true qualities that I remembered so fondly from book one and again, their distinct identities came out.

I loved Kaz. Kaz is one of my true loves. I swear it. I was always so frustrated with him and his inability to shed ARMOR, but I was so taken by the very slight gestures that revealed the vulnerabilities that he had about himself and his past. They were subtle, but so heartbreaking to me (especially when it concerned Jordie and Inej). Nonetheless, I found myself so smug at his wittiness and his ability to have so many plans – SMART PLANS. I just want to shout at Leigh Bardugo, “HOW DO YOU COME UP WITH THE PLANS THAT KAZ COMES UP WITH?! IT’S LIKE SORCERY!”

And how can I not favor Inej? Oh, this young woman has been through so much and if you read book one, then you know at the end, she’s taken by Pekka Rollins. There is a scene in Crooked Kingdom where Pekka and Inej exchange some words, words that Inej finds startling truth in that she doesn’t want to believe. I seriously ached for her during this exchange and throughout the book, she doubts so much because of this one thing. But regardless, she brilliantly rises and becomes such a wicked heroine that I will probably measure every heroine against in the future. I just want to gush over how freakin’ awesome Inej is.

Then there’s Nina. And Matthias. Oh my gosh. In the wake of Nina’s jurda parem dose in Six of Crows, she’s still suffering the effects, but she becomes a different Grisha than any that I’ve witnessed in all of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha stories. I was so interested in how her powers started developing, while never losing who she truly was as a character. And Matthias. Oh, sweet Matthias and your ever unyielding devotion. Though, this never stopped your unintentional dead panned humor. And by the end of Crooked Kingdom, I am hurting so much because of him.

What I think Leigh Bardugo is so phenomenal at doing is writing her characters in the present and allowing them to explore the repercussions of their histories. She does stunningly with all of them, but particularly Jesper (who if you recall, comes out to be a Grisha at the end of book one). I love that Bardugo gives us this character whose father was not a supporter of him learning to control and strengthen his Grisha powers – that it was more dangerous than it was an advantage. Jesper is one of the only characters that you experience a real, protective, and loving relationship with his father. This is obviously such a juxtaposition with Wylan and his relationship with Jan Van Eck. I don’t know how it’s possible to think about a character that is so adorable, so pitiful, so strong, and so smart and say, I LOVE HIM TO PIECES! But I do. Wylan surprised me. He came up behind me and surprised me and became so much more than what I remembered him to be. He’s one of those characters, despite being in a league with these characters, is so HONEST and so PURE. He’s like that cat who doesn’t want to cuddle, but then he sees you cuddling with something else and then comes to cuddle you instead.

I will say that I did want some more of that Kuwei. I don’t know why. I just do.

BUT THE REAL STAR? Oh, the real star for me was a Alys. She was one of the most delightful surprises and most memorable minor characters to ever pop up in a book. If you remember her, then there’s a reason you did. BECAUSE SHE WAS PERFECT.

OH. OH. AND HOW CAN I FORGET? Leigh Bardugo mentions that her character from Shadow and Bone return and OH MY GOD, THEY DO. I was a literally shouting and flailing in my bed when a few of those characters pop up. I had no idea how much I missed them until they appeared in the story. I obviously wish there was more of them in it, but I know it’s not their story anymore (obviously, it’s not Alina or Mal, but definitely some favorite characters). Nonetheless, I was curled up into a mess of feels whenever they made an appearance.

That all being said, Leigh Bardugo writes another amazing story. I don’t know how in the world she is so good at it, but whatever writing gods that she sacrifices to, I need to practice that same religion. I have no idea how someone does that kind of world-building, character-building, and plot-building without having a huge flaw or gap somewhere in the story. I want to go to one of her events and ask her, “How do you even?” Because I think that’s the perfect question to pose to her.

The ending of the story was surprising and so freaking frustrating to me. Not the very last chapter (which was obviously phenomenal), but the one before the last that had me biting my lip because all I wanted to scream was, “JUST KISS ALREADY!” But then something happens that makes me openly weep (with no tears) because it really is such a great ending for some of these beloved characters. Some might claim that it ended a little too perfect for them, BUT NO WAY IN HECK DO I AGREE. I think it was a the perfect, ideal ending that could have happened.

And now I find myself in a book hangover that only Leigh Bardugo can cure. I realized that there was only a year gap between her two series, so I hope that she’s got something up her sleeve. There are some others that really milk the worlds they build that I’ve already gotten tired of seeing (mostly from the same characters that they create in each series), but Leigh Bardugo is an expert at creating new and refreshing characters and story arcs. I’m so so excited to see what she has in story. I just don’t know if I can make it until then. No mourners, no funerals.

This is how young adult fantasy is done! One of the most intriguing plots I have ever read. All 6 main characters were so unique and complex in their own way. Of course both females in this book were badass which I loved. But I connected with all 6 characters! Every time I think I figured out this story, it went in another direction. It was constant action and you had to appreciate how cleverly this story was written.

Let me just say THAT ENDING! My heart was broken... the unfairness, the injustice of it all... when you thought there was going to be a HEA... Well most characters will get their HEA but not all. I'll leave it at that.

This book had a little bit of everything. There is only bits and pieces of a romance story and when you do get glimpses its very innocent and YA but I loved it!

This book was amazing! Everyone needs to read this series!

5++ Stars
Young Adult Fantasy
POV: Multiple
Series: Book 2 of 2 (Must be read in order)

Rating: 4/5 stars

"There are no good men in Ketterdam. The climate simply doesn't agree with them."

"He had often wondered how people survived this city, but it was possible Ketterdam would not survive Kaz Brekker."

Review:

As soon as I finished Six of Crows, I had to get my hands on this book as soon as I could. So I downloaded it to my kindle instead of waiting patiently for the free copy I could borrow from my library. Oh well, haha.

The book picks up where the action left off in Book of Crows, and you're immediately thrown into the midst of the story. The plot was engaging and definitely page-turning, but there were segments where I felt bogged down by all the details in Kaz' scheming, if that makes any sense. I just feel like it was a little difficult to follow, but in the end, it all came together. As Kaz tells Wylan, "I control the game . . . or I don't play."

As in Six of Crows, this book's real strength is in the character development. In Crooked Kingdom, each character's personal demons and struggles bring them to a breaking point where they must decide. Will they choose the harder, better path? I loved watching each of the six (Kaz, Inej, Wylan, Jesper, Matthias, and Nina) go through that process of realization and self-sacrifice in order to ultimately reach redemption and reconciliation, both with themselves and with others. You have to learn to accept and embrace yourself, before you can love someone else.

Leigh Bardugo artfully crafts the tension between Inej and Kaz throughout the story, and though it's so frustrating as a reader, it's done so well that as a writer, I can't help but admire her. I'm not going to give any spoilers, but I loved watching the relationship between these two characters shift and develop. Relationships are messy, because people are messy, and I thought this could really be seen with these two.

Kaz and Inej are my favorite characters in this duology because their characters offer such interesting insight into working through loss, tragedy, and fear. Do you let it make you cold and callous? Do you become paralyzed? Or do you let it make you better, more human? And what does it mean to be human? I love so many quotes from their chapters, but here are just a few:

"I'll tell you a secret . . . The really bad monsters never look like monsters." –Kaz

"We meet fear . . . we great the unexpected visitor and listen to what he has to tell us. When fear arrives something is about to happen." –Inej's father

"No matter the height of the mountain, the climbing is the same." –Inej

"We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary." –Inej

"You can only sharpen a blade so far . . . in the end, it comes down to the quality of the metal." –Kaz

I highly recommend the Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom duology. The characters are so dynamic and fresh (not overused cliche characters that sadly overpopulate much of YA literature), and watching them develop from the beginning of the series is so enjoyable. And the ending, though bittersweet, is just perfect. I won't say anything more about it, but I wasn't disappointed.

Thank you, Leigh, for giving me a series to rave about in YA lit again!

This was a BRILLIANT conclusion to the Six of Crows Duology – I am absolutely devastated with how it ended as well! 
And there was nothing could have changed or done to have made it even a bit better!

Wait. No. there is ONE THING I want to change; and I don’t think I will ever be in any way be able to forgive her for this atrocity she committed against her readers. 

 so maybe, MAYBE there is hope for my shattered heart in the future – and that is the only way I know my future would be in any way brighter!

I am also so freaking glad that Jasper and Wylan got the time they deserved in this book – and they are adorable and delectable! They are brilliant and pretty loyal even with their past actions!

I think it’s time I read the Grishaverse Trilogy! Hopefully I will be getting to them soon! :D

I am really hesitant to write this review. Not only to make myself believe that this series has ended, but also to praise the mangificent way Leigh Bardugo writes. I'll consider giving my firstborn in order to have a spin-off series of this spin-off series! Of course I'll re-read the book. I have the audiobook waving at me from my Ipod.

Kaz and gang will have more problems to deal with than just taking their money. Van Eck and Pekka Rollins are the masteminds behind everything and the city of Ketterdam will become a battlefield between factions, allies and enemies.

Every character also has its own demons to fight. Kaz with his aversion to touching, Inej with her nightmares from her time in the Menagerie, Nina with her withdrawal from panem, Matthias with his choices of from the first book, Jesper with his gambling issues, but most of all Wylan with his identity crisis.

I liked how every character seemed to grow more and more with each chapter. As they had to move from one problem to the next and from every fight to the other, they grew closer and more tight as a group with the occasional snark and unforgettable dialogues.

At the same time, the world of this series expanded as all the clans and countries made their appearance in this book with some very, very funny cameo appearances. I was delighted to see a beloved privateer appearing too!

On the other hand, the romance developed with every couple and each scene was very sweet and heart-pounding. Especially between Kaz and Inej. Actually, I really adore all the characters but I also have a secret spot in my heart for those two. Some parts of the book had me crying, some othrs had me laugh hard.

The ending was bittersweet. Maybe the best bittersweet ending for a series in 2016 (I still haven't finished Empire of Storms but that series has not ended yet). I hope Leigh Bardugo will give us more of her characters adventures after this series. Be it novellas or the chance for a graphic novel, I would delightly read it.

Two things are certain for me after reading Crooked Kingdom:

I really want to read "The Princess and the Barbarian" series.

I'll never see waffles the same way again...

Holy Smokes Batman!

When I finished Crooked Kingdom, I just couldn’t gather my thoughts to actually have thoughts on this book. I mean where did I just go? What did I just read? If you haven’t picked up this series yet, then boy, do I feel sorry for you. This series is basically a piece of art. We must save it, stare at it in awe, and hang it in the most prestigious museums for all to see, because it would be a shame if we didn’t treasure it.

I loved and raved about the first book and couldn’t wait for the next book (which was one of the toughest times in my life). I had high expectation going into Crooked Kingdom, but oh Lord, did Leigh Bardugo exceed them. She didn’t surpass my expectations, she blasted them to smithereens. The story is so exceptionally written that I wonder if Leigh Bardugo is just pseudonym for the accumulation of all the great writers in the world.

You will fall in love with these beautifully-flawed and complex characters while the suspense will keep you enthralled (no, really, I actually forgot to eat lunch. I even grumbled something about inconvenient human necessities, because who needs food when Kaz has enough substance to keep you full). There are so many twists and reveals that I honestly did not which direction the story would go. It certainly keeps you on your toes.

I love everything about this series and I can’t say enough good things about Crooked Kingdom. You haven’t read a good fantasy series until you’ve read the Six of Crows series. I know I’m gushing, but that’s to be expected, but don’t let the fan-girl babble and extravagant admiration fool you. I don’t care who you are, because whoever you are, you will love this series.

I felt like this was better than the first and wrapped up the duology very, very well.

It was hard to keep track at first of who each character was. Even though I read <i>Six of Crows</i> recently, I forgot them. But everything came back, for both Grisha subseries.

We learn more of how much of a brute Van Eck is.

Jesper's dad, Colm, really makes me remember how young they all are. The story also helps me remember how much can change in one year, especially as Nina lays out her story to Zoya. I love Nina.

I loved seeing Wylan and Kuwei come into themselves. Wylan's familial past unravels and adds a lot to the story - and to his growth.

Kaz has some seriously good advice on how to approach the world. It is particularly telling to his character that he places much more value in the things a person CAN do rather than punish them for what they CAN'T do.

Spiked metal stars against Inej was nauseating to read.

Kaz and Inej are wounded, broken souls that sear the flesh and burrow pain into the mind. But they can help each other. I love reading them together.

The name "Sturmhond" was so familiar and I'm glad Kaz explained who he was - and more of the history came flooding back. That especially put into perspective (a bit late IMO; I'd have preferred to know the time with regards to the original trilogy in <i>Six of Crows</i>) when the duology takes place compared to the first trilogy.

Before everything was revealed, I knew Kaz either knew of or set up almost everything. Yet having the story unfold was very enjoyable, and satisfying to read.

Once again, Leigh Bardugo's characters are what make this book shine, despite its dark grittiness. The depth and the anguish and their individual flaws and hidden pains all mix together to create characters that feel alive on the page and almost so real you can believe they are not. I thought that most of them had already gone through their character growth arcs in Six of Crows, but of course that is wrong because they all still had so much more to overcome. And in this book they blossomed and grew, revealing even more about themselves and discovering more too.

The story itself felt like it moved in fits and starts, with action happening one moment followed by planning or preparing for the next move, and for some reason this felt very up and down in terms of the pace and movement of the book to me, like someone constantly hitting the accelerator in a car and then letting go of it, only to hit it again a second later, and just keep repeating. There were some excellent moments of course, and I still enjoyed the complexity of all the schemes that appeared throughout the book, but for some reason I did not feel as excited as with Six of Crows, perhaps because it was one thing right after another.

Overall, though, this was an excellent sequel to Six of Crows, it rounded everything up wonderfully (although I am still not sure how I feel about Matthias at the moment), and just cemented into my heart how much I love the complexity of these characters.

“Vengeance and retribution require a long time; it is the rule.”

----Charles Dickens

Leigh Bardugo, the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author, is back with the exciting new sequel to her YA fantasy Six of Crows series, called, Crooked Kingdom and this time the group of teenage rebels are up against a politically corrupted city that is constantly scheming with their twisted minds to bring down the leader as well as the whole group of rebels.

Synopsis:

Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and left crippled by the kidnapping of a valuable team member, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of magic in the Grisha world.

Kaz Brekker, the teenage mastermind and leader of a group of powerful teenage rebels in the city of Ketterdam in the Grisha universe and that is defined for its notorious criminals and violent crimes, is back from his mission of breaking the scientist free from the prison who made the drug called jurda parem, that can make the already magic-induced criminals more lethal, but unfortunately, he and his group of friends has been hoodwinked by a powerful and highly corrupted merchant prince and Kaz's new enemy, Van Eck, and that led to the kidnapping of Inej, the brave Suli acrobat. So can Kaz along with Wylan, Jesper, Nina, Matthias and Kuwei, save Inej as well as take the revenge that they are planning for so desperately?

Crooked Kingdom is a powerful sequel and it has completely lived up to my expectations that I had after reading the first book, Six of Crows, so fans of this series must be beware as in this book there is no place for soft actions, everything is hardcore and the rebels clash against the tide with a loud bang, more twists, more scandals, more bloodshed, in short, its a powerhouse of energy, drama, friendship, loyalty, and love. So I literally screamed with joy and excitement when I got my hands on the copy of this book. Just like the previous book, this book too pushed me to the very edge of my limit of myriad emotions and kept me glued to the pages of this book until the very end.

The writing style of the author is brilliant and extremely flawless. The narrative is exceptionally engaging and kept me turning the pages till the very end. Told in a third person POV, that will give the readers an opportunty to look at the story with their own perspectives. The progress of the story is quite fast paced that will give the readers a rush of the actions happening in the plot, the scheming and the mind games going on in the plot and also the characters' evolution. Reading Kaz's new mission will feel like riding high a roller-coaster ride filled with adrenaline-rushing action scenes, drama and romance.

Yet once again, this Geisha universe of Ketterdam outshines the characters and other contributing factors of this story. The author has already developed this world of criminals with depth in her previous book, but this time, the author has portrayed a rather dark version of Ketterdam filled with kidnappings, thievery, killings, threatening, bashing up in the dark alley ways, devious mind games and ploys to deceive one another, the divided ruler-ship, the corruption and the scandals. The world building is strong and done skillfully. The details of this world is explained with depth and strikingly that will let the readers visually imagine each and every scene.

The characters excel with their diverse and multi ethnic traits and personalities, that are blend with realism and fantasy to make them look believable in the eyes of the readers. From the main character to the supporting cast, each and every one is crafted out with depth and backstory that will help the readers contemplate with the mindset of the characters who constantly evolve through out the plot. The main character, Kaz, is a dynamic teenager whose hurtful past not only makes him a sad character, but also gives him strength to fight for the most challenging battles of his life. The characters are some fatal flaws as well as some unique skills that set them apart from one another, despite of their origin from the various races of the world. The readers are bound to root for each and every character from the group of teenage rebels till the very end. And the characters are so good in their own skins that they will exit the story with a lasting impression into the minds of the readers.

Many mysteries are unraveled and many questions are answered, as the author puts a satisfying end to this compelling, thoroughly enchanting and highly absorbing fantasy book, that is rich with magic, violence and romance. So read it only if you can handle raw violence among teenagers.

Oceans Eleven meets mystical powers, meets Oliver. What a wild ride this short series was. Two books, who just writes two book series anymore ? It's be great if the books sucked but they were funtabulous and I wanted more. I took a whole day off from work, family, drank a whole pot of coffee and nearly stopped eating to finish this one up. The characters were so well developed, each had their own chapters, their own stories told through their eyes. Usually this style doesn't work for me, it breaks the story, but this author did it so well it flowed naturally. The ups the downs, the plotting, the edge of my seat intense action, the search for a life worth living, oh so good.
You betcha I'll be reading more from her, already ordered some. She just happens to have a series that has ties to this world. Woot Woot !

As mentioned in the Six of Crows review, I was glad that I had Crooked Kingdom waiting for immediate pick up. The story picks up immediately where Six of Crows left off and the flow of the story was not interrupted even with a year between original release.

The storyline continued to move forward, without having an awkward rebuilding. As expected, Crooked Kingdom followed the same format, revealing more about each character, their thoughts and desires, as well as making them more realistic, by revealing so much more about their pasts.

Independently, the book is great on its own merits, and it is difficult for me to talk about it without how it progressed the Six of Crows story. I wouldn’t recommend reading the books out of order as there are very important plot pieces in Six of Crows that relate to Crooked Kingdom.

As much as I hated to have the series end, I enjoyed every line. Read all of my reviews here <a href="http://the-pink-moose.com/">the-pink-moose.com</a>

"What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was how you survived when you weren't chosen, when there was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway."

Crooked Kingdom is going straight to the top of my 2016 favorites list! I love how different the story-lines are, all the impossible situations, the heists, the cons, the perfectly imperfect characters. Bardugo is a genius!

There are no chosen ones, no royal blood lines. Each character is flawed, battling their own personal demons. They have all done things they are ashamed of, suffer from self doubt, carry scars from the past, both internal and external, and because of all that, they are real and beautiful.

I don't want to talk too much about the story because it is so easy to accidentally spoil this book, but I will say that Bardugo knows exactly how to rip your heart out and put it back together. That ending surprised me in many ways.

I don't know what I enjoyed more, the ending or the mentions and fun appearances of some of my favorite characters from the Grisha trilogy. I was probably far more excited than I should have been! I loved seeing old friends again and the humor was perfection.

After the way Six of Crows ended there was no way in hell I could move on without reading Crooked Kingdom right away. I loved getting more of these characters and finding out what they were going to do with their situation.

Back is all the action packed fights and trickery that only Kaz Brekker can pull off. I found myself just as captivated in this story as I was the first and I think this one was actually even more crazy. Seriously, these books are not for the faint of heart and this author definitely knows how to drive a reader crazy. From the very beginning my heart was pounding and I was trying to figure out just what was going to happen to finish it all.

This series is an unforgettable one and I think I will even be doing a re-read sometime in the future. But with all that being said I only gave this book three starts because it kind of lost me at the end. There was still a lot going on in the novel but it felt a little anti-climatic to me and I was expecting more to come from this crazy journey.

I'm still and will always be a fan of this author and I can't wait to see what else she'll come up with. I'll probably even go back and read her Grisha series and see if that has the same flare this series had.

4.5 stars. I was so disappointed when I didn't experience whatever magic Six of Crows seems to have over everyone. I wasn't anxious to read Crooked Kingdom but it came in at the library, and there I was. I was pleasantly surprised; however, to like it so much more than SOC. I think part of it was that I knew the characters and their backgrounds, their strengths and powers, this time around. But I also just liked the pace of this story, like a clock it was constantly ticking.

I really liked the characters a lot more in this book, especially Kaz & Jesper. I think Jesper is my fave.

So why not 5 stars if I enjoyed it so much more? Eh, I'm just not crazy about Bardugo's writing style. Though I like what she did and how it all played out, how all the things connected, I was bored with the style. I barely finished SOC because of it but CK was a bit better. I just didn't have that pressing urge to finish, aside from the fact that I know a co-worker is anxiously awaiting for me to return it.

So good! This one felt more young-adultish than the first, but still was pretty brutal, would caution with younger teens. It had two sticking points for me (more below the spoiler warning), but redeemed itself at the end with a most excellent conclusion. It was seriously the most satisfying conclusion I've read in a LONG time. Major props to the author.

Light spoilers below!

As mentioned before, it did almost lose me twice. I had to take a break to rail at the world for a bit, both of these points:

First was a, "how did the bad guys know EVERYTHING?!" moment at the 60% mark. The nemesis wasn't just one step ahead, it was like someone had handed them a frickin blueprint. I could understand them knowing most of it, but all, with unerring accuracy was a bit much.

Second was worse. One of my cardinal sins of author-hood: Leigh lied to me! The first book was masterful with using perspective to play tricks. But this chapter, during the auction, was straight up lies. Broke my trust just as the nemesis broke the captive perspective's face. Careful wording to edge around the truth in close third cannot make up for perspective deseption.

But, as my rating suggests, Leigh made up for it in the end. Super worth the read!

3.5 stars

The comradery between the gang is one of my favorite parts of this series. All of them have their own dreams and goals, and Bardugo does a phenomenal job of balancing each character. I enjoyed seeing more character development for all of them.

I also enjoyed seeing how far each person was willing to go in order to accomplish their goals. I appreciated how the characters weren't viewed as fully good or fully bad, because that's not how real life is. I was glad that the characters recognized that they had flaws. The difference between them and the villains was that the gang realized their faults while the villains were only looking out for their best interests.
Finally, I thought that the ending wrapped up beautifully. Although I know that some of the characters will be in King of Scars, each of their story arcs had closure. I can imagine each of them in the lives that they lead now, and I'm excited to see more of them in the future.

However, I felt that several things fell short. First, there didn't seem to be as much of a "heist" as there was in the previous book. There was a little bit of action and a goal that Kaz and the gang were going to achieve, but I felt like there wasn't enough tension in the book. I wasn't scared for the characters or nervous that things would go wrong. I would have liked a few more things to go wrong so that I would have wondered if the gang was going to succeed.
Also, I found that I was struggling to understand the workings behind Kaz's plan. I knew that he wanted Van Eck and Rollins and Haskel to suffer, but the little details confused me. There were so many pieces to the puzzle and everyone was doing something different that I wasn't sure how all the parts fit together. This might be my own fault, but it did affect my enjoyment of the book.

Overall, this isn't a bad book. I'm glad that I've read this series, and I think the characters are the best part. But I do wish their had been more action, more magic, and more clarity in how the story goal was to be completed. I would definitely recommend this book to fantasy lovers and readers who enjoy well-written anti-heroes.

Leigh Bardugo is without doubt one of my favorite authors. Brilliant prose, excellent worldbuilding and character development, a lot of action, not too many romance scenes… It’s basically what I’m always looking for in a good story. Six Of Crows is without doubt my absolute favorite of her work, and its characters are on my all time favorite list as well. And while Crooked Kingdom wasn’t as good as the first book, I loved every single minute of it anyway. Well, except for the rushed ending and a plot twist I couldn’t understand in the end. I can’t go into details, but those who read it will understand. My heart literally almost stopped when I read those pages… If you haven’t read this duology yet, I can definitely recommend it! You won’t regret it.

“Maybe there were people who lived those lives. Maybe
this girl was one of them. But what about the rest of us?
What about the nobodies and the nothings, the invisible
girls? We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns.
We learn to wring magic from the ordinary. That was
how you survived when you weren’t chosen, when there
was no royal blood in your veins. When the world owed
you nothing, you demanded something of it anyway.”

Thank goodness this is a duology because I couldn't wait a year for a third book. Other than one glaring tragedy, Bardugo wrapped up things nicely with Crooked Kingdom, and maybe it's best to leave well enough alone. However, a spinoff with Nina would be welcome! Crooked Kingdom lived up to its predecessor and I couldn't put it down until I knew how things played out with the crew from Ketterdam. Bardugo was fantastic at keeping me on my toes, and just when I thought all hope was lost she'd turn things around. The complexity of this story, this world, and these characters comes together to make a fantastic whirlwind of a ride for the reader.

Okay... So I have honestly no words right now for how incredibly good this was, but I'll try my best. I won't give away any spoilers for this book, so no need to worry about that. What I will say, though, is that this book TORE MY HEART OUT. Leigh Bardugo is a genius in every sense of the word. The way she is able to come up with these convoluted plans and twists is admirable to say the very least. I can't imagine how she was able to create this entire story out of nothing. It reads like reality, as if everything that happened in this book actually happened somewhere in some alternate universe. What Leigh Bardugo did with this story isn't unbelievable. It's incredible and fascinating and triumphant. With any other fantasy series, I'm aware that the story is manufactured in the author's imagination. I can get lost in a fantasy novel, but it's always clear to me that it's implausible. That nothing like it could ever happen. But with both Six of Crows and especially Crooked Kingdom, Leigh is able to create a story that is so complex that it feels real. It was so nice to dive back into this universe and get to say a proper goodbye to these characters. They are so beloved to me and each so precious, it's hard to have to let them go, but I'm so satisfied with the ending that I can forgive Leigh for everything else. However, with that being said I wouldn't mind another book *wink wink*. If I could recommend any two books to anyone, it would be Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. One day I'll have to read them again in succession and really experience the fullness of Leigh's story. This is a full 5-star book for me.

Oh my goodness! What a perfect sequel to this duology. I fell even more in love with the characters and their chemistry with each other and this book even included Wylan's POV so we got to learn more about his motivations for joining this motley crew. My heart felt full by the end and truly these characters came to life for me. While this book has a bit less thrill than the previous one, it still pulled all the right punches and contains plenty of action and down right awesome storylines. I sat at the edge of my seat with each moment, hoping for hope for these guys! I'm gonna miss these characters and can only hope they'll make an appearance in more of Bardugo's work!

I really loved this book. I loved how the story started right where we left off and kept the pacing from the first book.
We get more background on Inej, Wylan, and Jesper this book, (after getting background on Matthias, Nina, and Kaz in book 1). I thought how the character all came together in the Ketterdam was kismet.

Kaz continues to be a chess master, always strategizing and making contingencies for every play. Nina and Inej are strong capable young women who recognize their own worth and the worth of their crew. We see more than Jesper's humor in this book, and why he decided to hide his power. We expierience how Wylan feels like a fish out of water, not only in Kaz' crew, but in the Dregs period. Matthias didn't have much of a role, but he did serve his purpose to the plot and developed as a character (seen in his starting to accept Grisha powers).

Overall I really enjoyed the concluding chapter in this duology of powers, tricks, and schemes.

I literally missed a deadline at work, because I could not put this down. I kept saying, "Just one more chapter." When not reading, I'd wonder what what was happening where I'd left off. Bardugo, who writes beautifully, develops her characters ever deeper than Six of Crows, and she kept me guessing how the book would conclude. My only regret is that there apparently will not be a third book. She has created something special here with YA fiction-no stereotypical seemingly average girl with special powers or a super extra special destiny. Instead we get flawed characters whose grit, cunning and combined talents allow them to reach some semblance of their goal.

So I really enjoyed Six of Crows and couldn't wait to read Crooked Kingdom. When I first started this book last year, I was going through a reading slump which made me give this book a bad review. A year later, I picked it up again because I enjoyed Six of Crows, so how could I not like this one. I'm glad I did because it was a good read. Crooked Kingdom starts off where Six of Crows left off. Inej is kidnapped and the crew has to get her back with Kaz as the mastermind behind all the planning. I loved this series so much. It was different and Kaz is definitely one of my favorite characters. He always has a plan and every plan had an unexpected outcome. I will now be reading the Grisha Trilogy. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. I gave it a four because there was a point in the book where it got just a little slow for me, but it picked back up really quick. If you haven't read the Six of Crows Duology, what are you waiting for.

Okay, after much anxious nail-biting and frayed nerves causing me to LITERALLY read on the edge of my seat, I've finished Crooked Kingdom. Let me start by stating the Six of Crows duology is one of the darkest, most action packed stories I've ever had the pleasure of reading, full of a whole host of flawed characters that I fell absolutely and completely in love with.

Does the story have a complete happy ending? No. It's eerily realistic. There is victory, and there are the losses that accompany any high-stakes risk. I totally understand when other readers complained about the devastation this series wreaked. Fortunately, I found the devastation to be bearable. Considering my penchant - nay, DEMAND - for happily-ever-afters, this is high praise, indeed.

Do I recommend it?

Let's just say I might hand out copies of these books instead of candy this Halloween ... To teenagers, to adults, to friends and family and total strangers alike.

The world can thank me later.

Truly some of the best world building, best plotting, and most complex, interesting, weirdly likable characters I've ever read about. I think I liked Six of Crows a teensy bit more but this was a masterclass in scheming and plotting, and seeing it all come together as things fell apart was mind boggling. There is nothing I love more than a good reveal scene in books and movies. And the friendships! And the ships!! These people shouldn't have been friends in any sense but they were and it was real and I loved that. This book gave me a lot of Feels and a few teary lumps in the back of my throat while keeping up with awesome banter and black humor. I also thought it was left in a really satisfying place but because you can imagine these characters' lives, it would be easy to hope for another book in the future someday. Now excuse me, I have some tumblring to do.

Disclaimer: I didn't buy this book on the store. I got it first on Audible (which is a fantastic way to read this book) and then I bought the box set at B&N because I really wanted hard copies of the books so that I could foist them on friends and family. That is how much I loved this duology. The action, the characters, the world, the dialogue--all of it was so engrossing, so lively and colorful, so exquisite! So why 4 stars and not 5? The romance. Another disclaimer, I am not a huge fan of romance. And there are times it's heavy handed and a bit cheesy in these books, Crooked Kingdom especially. But I was so into the story that I didn't care and let a lot of the wistful staring and internalized romantic angst go. In this conclusion to the Six of Crows duology, Bardugo leaves no stone left unturned. If you had questions after Six of Crows, she answered them here and then some. The payoff was very rewarding! After these books, I wanted more stories from this world, so I listened to the Grisha trilogy and read some of Bardugo's stories on Tor. She excels at writing rich characters and a world that feels complete, complex, and bigger than the characters themselves. The secondary characters are as much fun as the main characters. I will likely read anything else that she writes!

Like with Six of Crows, I honesstly can't think of anything wrong with this book. The plot is great, the writing is great, I loved the ending, and the characters are phenomenal. This book might actually be better than Six of Crows. My two favorite things were the ending of the story and the character development. First of all, I thought the ending was perfect. The author left me satisfied, but also left just enough room to make a couple of short stories if she ever wanted to revisit the duology(I really hope she does). I won't spoil anything but take my word for it. The ending is the best part of the book.
Another thing that I absolutely loved about this book is the character development. Wylan becomes more confident. Kaz starts to try to get over his fear and not embrace the darkness inside of himself. Matthias starts to try and trust the Grisha, and learn that not all Grisha are bad. The characters, impossibly, get even better than they were in Six of Crows. The book is from six different perspectives which soome people might not like, but I think Leigh Bardugo nails it. Each character has their own voice. There is also more romance in this, which along with everything else in this book I really liked. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that Leigh Bardugo is amazing at coming up with characters with distinct personalities, and you will not be disappointed.
Conclusion- I would very very very very highly recommend this book to anyone, and its tied with Six of Crows for my favorite book of all time (and I read a lot so thats a big deal). So BUY A COPY OF THIS RIGHT NOW!

I'm not really sure how to review Crooked Kingdom without giving away too much of the story, so I'll keep my thoughts brief.

1. All of my favorite Six of Crows characters were back. I loved getting to know them better. All of the relationships really blossomed.
2.The twists and turns in this story were just as phenomenal as the first book.
3. It took me "forever" to read Crooked Kingdom because the middle of the story lagged a little bit for me. (Forever was about 6 days.) I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because I don't read fantasy novels often and get a little bogged down by the fictional worlds? I was enthralled by both the beginning and the ending, though.
4. I didn't get every outcome I wanted, but I was completely satisfied with the ending. It was amazing!

Overall, Crooked Kingdom was a terrific conclusion to an epic duology. Fans of the series are sure to love it.

Let me say first that I think Leigh Bardugo is highly talented. I've read the Grisha Trilogy and thought it was good. I also loved Six of Crows, but I just think that Crooked Kingdom fell flat. I thought the whole heist thing was a little drawn out, there should have been more romance with Kaz and Inej. I don't know, I found myself reading the book, but not necessarily enjoying it. Frankly, I'm surprised at all the high ratings.

I really enjoyed Six of Crows, so I was really looking forward to reading Crooked Kingdom. I enjoyed most of this novel: the characters are great, I adore the relationships, I had a lot of fun with the scheming, it is very well written and interesting. It's major flaw? What makes it as 3.7 instead of a solid 4 or even a 5? Well, the plot was a bit all over the place at times. I never truly felt connected with this story or its subplots. Shame, really. Because, I really did love everything but the plot.

That said, it is still a VERY enjoyable series. Really worth a read. If only for the awesome characters.

A Slow Start
Crooked Kingdom was just so slow for me, especially at the beginning. After having read Six of Crows, I sort of knew to expect that there would be *insert plan* followed by *insert unfolding of plan* and then there would be *insert plan going haywire* throughout the entire story. I mean, the book is over 500 pages long. This pattern kept repeating itself and bored me a bit. So much that I almost put it down. Almost. But this book is a favorite of so many people and I didn’t want to DNF my very first book of the year, so I kept going. I’m glad I pulled through and finished the story.

Why I’m Glad
Crooked Kingdom was even more character driven than the first book in the duology. Which is a thing I know that most people love, but I prefer action. It’s why I almost DNFed. That said, the character development, the redemption arcs, and the diversity in this book are what make the story. We start the series with six random characters and we end the series with six people who have become friends. And then when we close the final chapter, there is a moment of disconnect between reality and fiction in which we must remind ourselves that we’ve never actual met these people.

Oh, but we have. A monster, a wraith, a strongman, a weapon, a chemist, and a sharpshooter. The six crows are us, all of us. Every reader who has taken in this story is now a member of the Dregs. A bit of crow has latched itself onto our souls and will be there forever.

But how can I think this of a book that I almost didn’t finish? A book that I found slow and had to drag myself through? Honestly, I have no idea. But I know that this story has become a part of who I am.

I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book after reading Six of Crows and it did not disappoint. I loved that there were so many revelations about the past of some of the characters and it was exciting from beginning to end. I was on the edge of my seat most of the book and I was not disappointed in the conclusion. It was a rollercoaster of emotions and Kaz's genius always blows me away. 

I would have to say that Kaz Brekker is one of my all time favorite characters. He is so real and yet so unbelievably clever at the same time. I would definitely read many more books by Leigh Bardugo if she would only grace us with the masterpiece that is Kaz Brekker. 

I was so looking forward to this book but ended up being disappointed. Mainly because of the way it ended. She has these characters making it through all these unbelievable situations virtually unscathed, and then at the end she throws in a little event that came out of nowhere and was totally unnecessary. The reader was asked to basically suspend belief the whole book, only to have it crash down at the end. Also, the characters overall, other than Inej, became somewhat caricatures of themselves in this book. Overall, it was a disappointing sequel.

Leigh Bardugo is solid in this sequel to the Six of Crows. Interestingly, even though I didn’t read the first book (my only Bardugo novel was Shadow and Bone, which I loved), I was completely engaged with Kaz’s story.

For me, Bardugo writes the kinds of books I love: strong characters, fast paced action, and plot lines that are intriguing. Both books I’ve read by her have fallen into the “can’t put down” category. Looking for an entertaining and engaging read? Crooked Kingdom will definitely meet your needs.

I didn't love this one quite as much as I loved SIX OF CROWS, for one big spoiler-y personal reason. Otherwise, it was wonderful. More heists and more scheming, more interpersonal drama and snarky one-liners and developing relationships, more poignant moments of self-realization and many, many more chances for each and every member of Kaz's crew to be badass and save the day.

I love these characters, and I love to think of them all staying friends and getting up to crazy shenanigans and changing the world. I like where the story ended, by and large, and I'm happy with the way things worked out for (almost) everyone. But man, am I going to miss these people regardless.

Get ready, because the action hasn’t stopped.

As a sequel to Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom hits the ground running, carrying the energy of the previous book by dropping its readers into the beginning of a new heist-in-progress, one that will determine the fate of our favorite bunch of gangsters. Kaz Brekker’s team of dangerous criminals are now outlaws and the stakes are higher than ever; even though they should be on the run, they’re out to rescue their captured friend from the clutches of a back-stabbing merchant overlord. Reeling from the successes and failures of the previous adventure and, with no resources or allies, they can only rely on each other for survival.

Just when I thought this bunch of badass misfits couldn’t get any cooler, they do. As they each capitalize on the lessons they learned in the last book, we get to watch them become a force to be reckoned with in the face of more and more danger. Tension and conflict and character development take off right out the gate so that, when I started reading it, I couldn’t put it down until halfway through, and then only because I had to sleep. Bardugo makes you think you know where the plot is going, only to draw the curtain back to reveal the hidden mirrors. You just thought, she smirks at you. Her character, Kaz Brekker, not only stays a step ahead of his enemies (for the most part), but also ahead of the readers, making for delicious twists and surprises.

The Six of Crows Duology is technically a sequel to The Grisha Trilogy. A few characters from the trilogy are mentioned and some even make an appearance (squee-worthy for those of us who’ve read both), but readers need not have read about the Grisha to enjoy this story. Bardugo seamlessly weaves their backstories in so newcomers will not be left in the dark.

This story is masterfully woven into a fast-paced tale of anti-hero justice and vengeance, clever heists, cunning tricks, and intriguing characters, all set in the beautiful 1900s-esque merchant undercity of Ketterdam. I’m especially pleased that the narrative reaches a satisfying climax for all characters involved and it takes enough time with the wrap-up to answer all lingering questions. If you’ve read Six of Crows, you won’t be disappointed with this crowning sequel.

No mourners, no funerals.

I liked this book so much better than Six of Crows! That could be because Six of Crows does all the work of world building and introducing the characters, so Crooked Kingdom can just jump right into the story. The action is almost non-stop in this novel, and every character is complex and fascinating. My only complaint about these books is the fact that everything always goes according to plan. I don't care how smart Kaz Brekker is supposed to be, it's impossible for everything to work out perfectly for him every time.

I was not a huge fan of Six of Crows, but I owned this one so I decided to try it out audiobook. First off, I hated the narrators. Kaz sounded like an evil witch, not a young man.

I disagree with others who felt this was slower than Six of Crows. Six of Crows focused on the past of our characters as Crooked Kingdom focuses on the present. I found it better than book one! However; about half way through I felt it slowed down and I started to lose interest.

Overall, this series was just not for me.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I need more books like this in my life.

Crooked Kingdom is the second book in the Six of Crows duology. It picks up right were the previous one left off - right after Jan Van Eck duped Kaz and his crew. [UGH! Jan Van Eck is so infuriating!] So, not only does Kaz not have Inej, but they're also out the money Van Eck was supposed to give them for the retrieval of Kuwei Yul-Bo. This obviously sets the wheels in motion - Kaz wants to retrieve Inej and destroy Van Eck's life (but honestly, who wouldn't? He's a complete jerk!). Time and time again, it looks like Kaz and the crew are down for the count and time and time again, Kaz puts on his scheming face and manages to come up with a plan to try to get them out of the mess and spur them toward their goal.

Things I love about this duology:

RELATIONSHIPS
Bardugo nails the chemistry between characters. Not only is there great camaraderie between characters - I love Nina and Inej taking care of each other and looking out for one another. But there's also great romantic tension. Hello! Nina and Matthias, Jesper and Wylan, Kaz and Inej. I was so happy that the romance portion of it didn't overtake the story. I was totally in this for an adventure, not a chick-flick, rom-com thing.
I also thought the characters were very real and Bardugo represented a multitude of people and experiences in these 6 characters. Nina & Inej both worked in pleasure houses, but their experiences were different and the impact on them was so different, but influences every part of their life. Matthias is bashful about intimacy and is a proper gentleman and wants to do right by Nina (love it!). Kaz is consumed by his past and it has made him the man he's become - a dark and mysterious, weapon of a man. Wylan experiencing his father's betrayal, constant scrutiny and belittling while struggling to still love him and to grow out of his sheltered merch life. And Jesper, our fun and high energy shooter who struggles with his identity and addiction to gambling, and fear of letting his father down.

Plot
After finishing Six of Crows, I had a lot of questions. Bardugo did a magnificent job of only giving away so much about each character's past in book 1. In book 2, thankfully she delivered. She tells the story and when there's not a ton of action going on, she uses that time to keep you engaged by sharing those back stories and filling in information about the characters. To me, this makes for such an intriguing read, not only because of how she narrates the story - through different points of view - but also because she gives you a little of what you need to know, but makes you wait for the answers. I was pleasantly disappointed when I couldn't flip a little further and find the answer to my question by skimming the page.
Also, because merch is trying to outsmart street rat and visa versa, you never know what curveball will show up next. And even if you think you do, when the action hits, you have to wait to find out if Kaz was really ahead of the game the whole time and planned it. It constantly keeps you guessing, but in the best way. There were moments I wanted to throw the book across the room because I NEEDED to know what was going to happen next, and Bardugo made me wait. Ah! But every time it was worth it.

Villains
Okay, so Jan Van Eck. He's a horrible, evil, no good, scum of a man. As you know more about him, the more you hate him. Which makes revenge feel so much sweeter. But really, the stuff he does and gets away with...I'm not sure how he can sleep at night.
There's also a couple other minor ones that are scum too. I imagine they will soon get what's coming to them. Although, it's not like the Barrel is filled with glassy gents, I suppose.

I'd like to end with a few of my favorite quotes:

Kaz: I would come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together - knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.

Kaz: We can endure all kinds of pain. It's shame that eats men whole.

Inej: We learn to hold our heads as if we wear crowns. We learn to wring magic from the ordinary.

I'm so lucky that I started this series once I had both books. Otherwise I would've had to kill someone! This series is everything! The sequel was soooooooo good! I wish certain "situation" hadn't happened, but it made me cry. So officially this book made me feel EVERYTHING! I was like a rollercoaster! Laughing, then biting my nails, then angry, then crying, then laughing again!
I REALLY REALLY want to read more about these characters! Especially Kaz and Inej! I loved their interactions and their POVs.

I was going to call this a review, but let's be real here, this is pretty much a fan-girl moment.

Without giving away any spoilers to Six of Crows (if you haven't read SoC, YOU SHOULD!!!!) Six of Crows went broad, Crooked Kingdom went deep. Not only did Bardugo amplify the characters' internal lives and dilemmas but she also delved deep even deeper into the setting-- Ketterdam, a city filled with inequity, crime and cash.

Plot

Kaz Brekker and his crew return for another daring heist with bigger stakes, fewer resources. But this time, the consequences of their failure dwarf lost funds and reputation. Turns of events and shifting alliances foil the Crew's best laid plans are foiled time and time again even as time is running out.

Characters & Themes:

Bardugo's efforts to create characters with depth is even more apparent in Crooked Kingdom. While Six of Crows introduced several distinctive characters and hinted at their backstory, the book overall still felt more like a high-stakes heist novel. While each character had different motivations for joining the crew, they role in the crew and the members depended upon one another to reach their goal.

Crooked Kingdom, in contrast, focused more on friendships and personal relationships within the crew. The arc of the story depended more on character's moments of introspection. This, for me, made Crooked Kingdom a perfect companion for Six of Crows. Bardugo didn't simply jot down another heist novel (though one could hardly "jot down" a novel that requires as much planning as a heist). No, she introduced new themes, changed the dynamics within the crew, and added history to better frame character's motivations and development. These moments of vulnerability and self-doubt; of epiphanies and acceptance; of fear and hope strengthened the relationships forged in Six of Crows.

Fear-- its presence and overcoming it-- was an undeniable theme in this book, as was sacrifice, both for the greater good and as a result of change. Each character had to confront their past and present fears or prejudices in the course of the book. They all needed rediscover or choose what defined in order for the crew to succeed.
While Bardugo pulled the world and characters of Crooked Kingdom from her imagination, the lessons, dilemmas and themes in this story echo those found in modern events in our own world. This book reminded me of the power of stories to reflect humanity in all of its complexity and to push us in the real world to question our situation and our society.

To put it plainly: I adore this story. I love the characters. Their interactions with each other, and with their world, felt authentic and genuine. I haven't cried upon finishing a book in years, but I cried at the end of this one.

On top of all this, Leigh Bardugo seems like an amazing human.Loving art is made so much easier when the artist is a decent human being.

I give myself three months before I re-read the books. I cried reading this book; I fully expect to cry again.

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I love this book dearly. It took me nearly a month to get through, not because I was struggling to read it in any way, but because I really enjoyed just sitting with parts of this book. Bardugo has carefully constructed this duology to enact some long term character development and the payoff in Crooked Kingdom is brilliant.

Each member of Kaz's Dregs have aspects of their characters that resonated with me. There's disability narrative here, explorations of trauma, romantic relationships that feel natural and not forced, queerness, and so many other things that reflected the world I know, while still fitting into a fantasy setting that I didn't hate. And if you know me you know fantasy is not always a place I love to dwell. But this world is never too far from reality, even with it's Grisha powers and alchemical creations. Bardugo is using fantasy in a way that really works for me and doesn't fully erase the challenges and sometimes horrors of humanity.

If I had to have one complaint I would ask for a better exploration of sex workers in Ketterdem. I'm tired of human trafficking narratives bringing all of sex work into them. But hey, that's a problem in the real world too-we can keep working to do better. Oh, and this doesn't need to be YA, I like to age up everyone in my mind.

Those minor grievances aside, this book happily takes a place on my "favorites" shelf.

So, Leigh Bardugo is one of my all-time favs. At a party last year, someone asked me what my favorite book was, and I said the SHADOW AND BONE series. Well, this series has now outranked it, and the sequel is just as good--if not better--than the first. YA heist? Diverse cast? Broken teens trying to make their way in the world? Magic? Yes. Absolutely. I'm in. Take my money.

We get Wylan's perspective in this book (missing from book one), and Leigh does some interesting things with what we think we knew about Grisha magic. Plus some cameos from SHADOW AND BONE. Just a note, you DO NOT have to read SHADOW AND BONE in order to read this book.

I've been waiting for this book to be released for what seems like forever! This is definitely my favourite series by L. Bardugo. I absolutely loved it. I don't believe in retelling the whole storyline in a review so you will have to discover it yourself. but what I will tell you is that you are in for an extra ordinary adventure. I won't promise HEA but a satisfying ending true to the characters. My only regret is that the series has ended, I could read about these characters forever.

This was the kind of book that I needed to keep reading yet hoped would never end. I'm not even sure what to say about it. It was a perfect, thought-provoking, feels-inducing story. It was entirely unpredictable and I loved every word. I felt that it wrapped up everyone's stories nicely (but not necessarily happily) while at the same time leaving room open for some spin-off series. You don't have to read the Grisha Trilogy first, but I'm glad that I did because a lot of the characters from that series were secondary characters in this book, so seeing them again was a nice surprise.

I loved this book and Six of Crows. However, I think it's worth noting that if you plan to read the other Grisha books, you should do so before reading Crooked Kingdom. Crooked Kingdom gives away the ending of The Grisha trilogy.

I was caught off guard. Most of the reviews I read mentioned how this is a different story that stands on its own, despite taking place in the same world, which is still true. You need not read the first series to enjoy this duology. On the other hand, if I had known in advance that this book would contain enough details to ruin the ending of The Grisha trilogy, I would have been sure to read those three first. Just a head up to my fellow readers out there!

What a great finish to the Six of Crows Duology! It was again a solid read at about 550 pages, with exceptionally crafted characters and scenes. The book opens with the gang desperately trying to get back it's missing member. Although they are a group of thieves and cheats, as the book continues they scheme to do the right thing by those targeted as lesser and taken advantage of. Of course there is also a bit of retribution involved as well. I laughed out loud and cried a bit. Wonderful series!

all the loves, all the feels, all the everything. Everything from the plot, to the characters, to the writing, Bardugo has done it yet again. She'll make your heart sing, weep, and break all at the same moment and you'll love it. This is the thrilling finale to the duology and while I know it's the end, the characters stay with you long after you finish the last page. Which is the best thing an author can really do: write characters that compel and stick with you.

Oh my GODDD this book!!! I cannot!
Leigh Bardugo does an amazing job weaving together the narratives of all the characters, creating an unforgettable plot and marvelous cast of characters. This book was truly a whirlwind and I found myself thinking about it days after I finished it.
Be warned though, I *stupidly* assumed this was the second book in a trilogy!!! To my great dismay after reading this book, I found out IT IS NOT A TRILOGY!!! ???

Aside from that I recommend this book 1000% to any and everyone.

SO MUCH HAPPENED IN THIS BOOK and it was so good. Jesper and Wylan are my favorites. I have never felt the whole "book boyfriend" thing that's common in YA and romance, but let me tell you, Jesper Fahey is absolutely my book boyfriend. I love him, he's amazing.

This book is my new fave, a new standard that I'm holding all YA fantasy to.

** spoiler alert ** LOVED IT!!!!! I love this world and I'm so sad to be saying good bye in such a short time!
SPOILERS AHEAD!

A good-bye to the squad!

Matthias- your a big goof ball, and kinda clueless when it comes to "dirty talk" but I love you just the same! RIP my friend!

Nina- i love how sassy you are! Keep it up! And eat all the good food you can! And take care of yourself

Jesper- keep shooting straight. And love Wylan with all your heart! And for goodness sake visit your father!

Wylan- keep playing your flute! Take care of your mother and yourself! You are a better man then your father, always remember that!

Inej- save as many slavers as you can on your new ship. Keep your parents safe and close! And always look after Kaz.

Kaz- don't let you work be your whole life Kaz. Let her into your life and heart!

The deal is the deal!
No mourners
No funerals

I would love this book if it weren't for a certain spoilery part at the end! But ignoring that fact (which I can't really get over personally, I just can't even with that right now), this was a phenomenal story. I don't even know how Leigh Bardugo creates this kind of masterpiece--and with fantastic diverse representation, too.

Great stuff. Except for the fact that I cannot.

I was a little weary coming from the high of Six Of Crows. Everything was so perfect, I wondered where the story was going. Knowing that the series was a duology, I knew everything had to be tied up by the end of this book. I was still a little anxious. But Leigh Bardugo, the genius she is, does not disappoint. The story completely changed from the way it was told in Six Of Crows, the way things felt were different. The entire atmosphere of the world shifted, and it was refreshing to go into a second book like that. Again, one of the best series I've ever had the pleasure of reading.

Heist stories are always complicated since th story has to be twisty, slick and smart. There's tons of action in Crooked Kingdom as Kaz and company try to get even and take what's theirs.

The format is very much like the TV show Lost: there's a story filled with flashbacks to illustrate each character's backstory. A tough order with so many characters and a driving plot. It's a lot of fun and wholly entertaining and a worthy end to this duology.

What a story! It kept building and building on itself until I was just breathless and couldn’t put the book down.
This is not like your normal fantasy. These characters are so layered, so beautifully flawed, and my god I feel like they’re my friends lol.
I love the romances and the friendships. I love how fast paced the book felt but it also slowed down to tell the characters back stories. This book felt dirty and gritty but also so hopeful and sweet.
I recommend this book to everyone!!!

This book is categorized as Young Adult but as an almost-middle-aged woman, I enjoyed it. It's a well-written, well-paced fantasy adventure. I'm not a fantasy expert, but I've recently read Patrick Rothfuss and Brandon Sanderson, and I have to say this is in some ways more enjoyable. I did like those other authors too, but sometimes their writing dragged, turned pedantic, and seemed like they were enjoying a little too much the sound of their own voice/writing. Also, the "love" scenes in The Wise Man's Fear were quite terrible; they seemed written by a 12-year-old boy. Bardugo's descriptions of the relationships in her series have a lighter touch.

Don’t get me wrong...

Spoilers,!

I love this series, but why she have to do that to one of the characters. I hope we get the romance we need when she writes the book about the Fox Prince ? ?. She needs to get a happy ending. Poor Mathias and Nina. I don’t like it!

This book was amazing! This was definitely a character driven book. We learned soooo much more about the characters that i didn't even realize i was missing. There were a lot of ups and downs that were great to read. I need more!! I really hope we get more books in this series with these characters. Great read <3

First off, may I say thank you to the author for keeping this marvelous tale to two books only. Long series are becoming too much the norm and the waiting leaves me with vague memories of previous storylines. That's one of the reasons I came to these books so late--I began Six of Crows just as Crooked Kingdom was released. And what a thrilling experience it was! The incredibly rich world building, the wholly imagined characters, and the multilayered cons made for addictive reading. Fantasy fans who love sharp dialogue and tightly paced plots won't be disappointed. But do read Six of Crows first, otherwise a great deal of backstory (and suspense! and humor! and gut-wrenching terror!) will be lost. Now I excited to delve right back into this world with the Grishna trilogy. . .and no waiting around for the series to end!

This author is a master at combining suspense, thriller, action, fantasy, incredible backstory, and characters you'll love forever... You can't just say it's a young adult book because that's so untrue! Spy novel readers would live this series. Plus, the author gets bonus points for being unexpectedly funny in her acknowledgement section- she thanks one friend and says, "You have failed this city!" which is from Arrow on Netflix it was like- I know that phrase from somewhere - funny, smart, and clever writing.

I will not spoil the ending. Aside from the emotion put into the “tragedy,” this book is great. I absolutely loved the effort that the author put into each character. They certainly were more than characters in a book. It was dark, but it was also a book with real emotion.

I still love the characters in this story and HAD to finish this book to find out what happened to them. But by the end of the book there were just too many twists for me. These anti heroes kept almost winning and then-TWIST-they fail and then-TWIST-they're actually winning (and so on) over and over and over and over again. I like a good twist but apparently I can't handle a book full of them.

I loved Crooked Kingdom! The writing, the creativity of the heists, the worldbuilding and the characters were phenomenal. I especially liked getting to know Jesper and Wylan better, who I didn't feel as close to in Six of Crows as I did in this book. Leigh Bardugo is an auto-buy for me. Can't wait for her next book!

I love the whole series. The author takes us to a world she's created and we revel in the tales she spins. We can recognize the humanity her characters possess no mater what deeds they do. And none of it is predictable. I would and have recommended this book and the previous books in the series wholeheartedly.

I'm so sad this is over!

I didn't love this as much as I did Six of Crows, but Crooked Kingdom was still a great book. I wish that we could've seen a little more of an epilogue and how they're doing after everything that happened.

But overall, still one of my favorite series!

Again, well written. This story continues with the situations of life and struggles of the six trying to get by and protect one another in times and situations that delve into a grey area of "right and wrong." Hoping we see a third book in this series!

Both books were excellent. The story was very well done very exciting. The characters were all so interesting. I loved the way the author slowly revealed each character's past. I really got to understand who the characters were and why they did the things they did. I highly recommend this book.

I loved the characters in this book so much! You felt like you were there in the middle of all the action. The Croocked Kingdom was so good it has me in a book hangover not wanting their story to end!!! Would love to see a book series over each character and where they went from the Crooked Kingdom!

What is there to say?

I laughed. I swooned. I cried. I'm devastated that it's over and yet, it seems right. It ended just as it should have. It's over and while I wish it wasn't all I can think of as I say goodbye to this amazing cast of characters, "No mourners. No funerals."

I love people this even more than Six of Crows, and I didn't know that was possible. I continue to be enamored with Leigh Bardugo's descriptive writing style, imagination, character and world building, and intelligence. I am so sad to leave these characters.

This book is equally character and plot driven. I love all the layers to each character. They are all so damaged and fighting back. I am so glad that we got Wylan's POV in this book. I hope that we get more from some of these characters in some form in the future. Amazing characters!!!

As good a follow up as you could ask for. All the story gets told. Sure some amazing chances pay off and truly miraculous good luck happens...but it's fantasy. The writer does her job and keeps us engaged and eager for each word morsel

I love Leigh Bardugo. Her books continuously impress me and her ability to captivate her readers with her stories is remarkable.

The second book in this duology is a must read. I hope in some form we get a glimpse of how these characters evolve.

I highly recommend her books.

The amazing characters, brilliant dialogue, twisty plot all add up to another great book that I can't put down. I skipped my usual bike ride to work just so I could sit on the subway and keep reading. (I feel a little bad that my productivity at work has plummeted since it arrived yesterday... but not bad enough to stop reading.)

Very good! Her writing even had me in tears toward the end. Well written, with fantastically developed and interesting characters. A bit of fantasy, a lot of adventure, and a dash of romance—an excellent series for young adults (and even adults like me!). Looking forward to future books by this author.

After reading Six of Crows, I could not wait for this sequel. It was worth the wait. The story and setting are fabulous, but it's the author's further development of the characters that really drew me in. Bardugo does a masterful job of investing us in her characters' pasts, their strengths, weaknesses, and unspoken yearnings. She has spun a rich tapestry of a novel, interwoven with vivid imagery and unforgettable characters.

Oh my heart. This was painful and beautiful. I cried sad tears and happy tears. Again, Bardugo nails the world, the characters, and a plot with twists and turns that made my head spin and my heart happy. I love everything about this book.

This is one story line I would love to see more of Kaz & Inej. Very good mystery. Disappointed in outcome of Jasper & Wylan, but they were minor story characters & skipped those paragraphs.

I'm drained! Ohh the feels!!! This duology is now one of my favorites! Each character broken but together the friendships they built are just soooo beautiful. They are all far from perfect but together they created a family unit that always has each others backs! So many obstacles and you can't ever predict what's going to happen next! If you haven't read this set add it to your tbr list now!

So delicious. (Even after consuming it all at once.) Six of Crows was such an amazing twist on the possibilities we knew of the Grishaverse from the Shadow and Bone trilogy. CK builds out that twisted world even further. And the story delivers big time. I want more of this crew. I know it's a duology but I hope they pop up somewhere else.

What is with the "critics"? I may not be a paid critic, but I was a literature major and I have been a judicial research attorney for over 23 years. Fantastic book! I hated having to put it down. Leigh Bardugo takes you on a clever ride that never stops. LOVED IT!

This book took me through every emotion I could think of. Love, depression, happiness, excitement and every other possible emotion.

The world building is AMAZING, and all the characters are so relatable in their own way. Each character has a back story to why he/she is in thexcellent position they are in.

Leigh Bardugo's writing is just capturing and amazing.
A MUST READ!

This sequel broke me. I can't believe this is a duology, these characters had me so invested and I would love more. I know everything doesn't have a happy ending, but my god these characters deserved the world.

Excelent book and a great follow up to the last but I do have to say some of the voice choices for this audiobook compared to the last one were... questionable. I'm not sure how Kaz went from gravely and confident to sounding like a wicked witch or a goblin but it certainly took me out of it in the second chapter. Still well worth a listen.

Loved this book! Not your normal fantasy. Each character is unique and plagued by their own personal demons. They rise above those demons in an amazing finale to this series. Its gritty, heart pounding, beautiful, heart wrenching exciting fun!

Not as compelling as the first book but still a great story! I loved these characters. They were strong solid and believable. I loved the long con and the twists but it didn't seem as slick and polished as the first tale.

Phenomenal read. It even managed to top the first one which honestly I didn't see happening. Friendships, lovers, compatriots all ranged against governments, merchants and their own nightmares. Definitely one for the keeper shelf.

Great character development. You care about them! I've never been big on fantasy but this was very enjoyable. It had the right balance between creativity and internal consistency....A truly difficult balance for fantasy authors to strike

DEFINITELY for Tweens. If you are an avid reader you will quickly notice that the author tries to cover all the bases to engage tweens who's hormones are kicking in. Lot's of romance between MF and even light MM encounters, unrequited love, sad and angsty background stories. Even that would be fine if the book didn't move so .................... incredibly ..................... slow. Also, it's really easy to figure out what happens next on a regular basis and you find yourself rolling your eyes thinking "Really? There wasn't anything ELSE that could have happened?" Very, very cookie cutter.

Not bad if you're a teenager, if you're an adult these are pretty basic with no surprises.

I am so pleased with this series! The author mesmerizes you with her story and the characters are fleshed out to perfection. I read the first one in a day and then I tried to savor this one and finished it in two.

This could be good if it weren't for the author's embarrassing attempt to forcefully inject homosexuality into a story where it feels completely out of place. If you want to read weird dude on dude romantic looks and soft touches, this book is for you. . .

I'm hoping 4% is little enough completion to get a refund with. I actually preordered this book after finishing the first one in April, and I can't for the life of me remember why.
Maybe because the author made the mistake of starting with Wylan's perspective and reminding me of how much I can't stand him. Let me be the first to say that it's completely acceptable to hate weak and pathetic characters, regardless of gender (people generally only hate on this kind of character when it's a woman, but for some reason, as soon as it's a cute lil boy, it's totally acceptable and popular).
I tried, I kept picking it up, reading a page, cringing when he did something stupid and putting it back down. I then realize I was also just very bored with what was going on in general. I also remembered that I really disliked how the 6 characters paired off into perfect little packets of romance. I also remembered that I couldn't stand the controlling slav dude that was determined to impose his will over Nina.

I wanted to read this for Kaz. But I couldn't. Because I kinda just hated or didn't care about everyone else.

So I DNF'd in record time and requested a refund. If you don't loathe Wylan then you're fine.