What is the book about?
Kaz Brekker and his crew managed to pull of the biggest and most daring heist imaginable where there was no guarantee that any of them would make it out alive. Somehow they all managed to survive and make it back to Ketterdam, but they didn’t get the 30 million kruge they were promised as a reward. Instead they were turned on and are once again fighting for their lives and aren’t sure if they will all make it. The situation is even more precarious than the previous one because now they are surrounded by enemies from every country and gang as they all seek out the secrets of jurda parem, the dangerous substance capable of altering Grisha magic that started this adventure to begin with. There is a war within the city and Kaz and the others are the main targets. They have to fight back for what they rightfully deserve and they are once again trying to defy fate and it is not guaranteed that they will all make it, but they have to try or else they lose everything.
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
I almost didn’t even pause after finishing Six of Crows and immediately grabbed Crooked Kingdom ready to begin reading and finish the duology. Six of Crows ended in one of the most shocking cliff-hangers I have ever read and I needed answers, so I knew that no matter what I would read this book and get what I needed from it. After reading the previous book in this series and the Shadow and Bone trilogy I knew I was going to love Crooked Kingdom just as much, but I still had some very minor doubts, which I always have with the last book of any good series. I was initially so hopeful for the book and had extremely high expectations that I was confident it would surpass, however I was also worried that the ending wouldn’t be what I wanted and that it would ruin the book series. But, I put those concerns away and went rushing into the book, prepared to face the end when it came to it. Once I started reading I knew I had been right and that this book was just as incredible as the others, if not more and I was soon reaching the dreaded ending, gripping the book so tightly it was almost like part of my body.
Who was your favourite character and why?
I think my favourite character in this book was Nina. After what she did at the end of the pervious book I knew that she was a strong contender for my favourite character, but what she continued to do in this book really solidified that. She risked everything for her friends when she chose to take jurda parem in Six of Crows and she didn’t even doubt herself in that decision. Nina was the definition of selflessness in the way that every thought in her mind was dedicated to others and she was always trying to find ways to help her friends and she wasn’t going to let anything get in her way. When her powers changed, she didn’t let the thoughts and worries that now plagued her mind get in her way and she was able to embrace the changes without any complaints, even though on the inside she worried for her role in Ravka and what this would mean for her future. Another thing that I admired was her self-confidence and how she knew she was strong, smart and beautiful. She deserved so much more than what she got at the end and that is something that I will never forgive Leigh Bardugo for. I’m sure she will find happiness in the end, but not the kind I wanted for her.
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
This was a very difficult decision to make as I really did love the nearly the whole book, but once I put a little thought into it I decided that my favourite part of the book was when they got Inej back from Van Eck. They were nowhere near getting to the end of their battle and still had a long way to go before they got what they wanted, but I liked this part because they were all together and they had hope and a plan. Of course, their plan was the most absurd and ridiculous thing ever and it was dependant on a lot of things and, as usual, their planning was pointless because the fates were most definitely not in their favour. But, at least they had hope in that moment that there was a way out of their situation and, although it would have clearly appeared impossible to anyone else, for these 6 crazy, talented criminals, it needed to seem possible or they had no other way out of it. They had hope, which is the most important thing, and thought that there was a way they would all make it to where they wanted to go.
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, Crooked Kingdom was a really incredible conclusion to this duology and enjoyed a lot of it. One thing that I loved was the amazing world building and the continued amazing plot. I know that I have mentioned this in every review of Leigh Bardugo’s books so far, but I honestly cannot help but repeat myself. How in the world did a human being manage to create an entire universe using only a pen and some paper? How does this world now live on in the minds of millions of people? How am I one of those? The Shadow and Bone trilogy and now this duology have been able to introduce me to the most amazing world ever and this book just came alive in my hands through this world building. The plot was also so much better than I had anticipated. It was very different to the Shadow and Bone books, but it still worked so well and I think I actually enjoyed it a lot more as I loved the contrast between all the characters and the interesting mix they were and yet how powerful they were together. I also loved how similar and yet so different it was from Six of Crows. Once again they were planning something that seemed impossible and yet they thought they could manage it using the combination of their skills. It was a very tense plot full of twists and turns and no matter how much they planned nothing ever seemed to work out and they were nearly always working to make a different impossible plan. It was exhilarating and exhausting to read (I can’t even begin to understand how tired they must all have been!) and I was always on the edge of my seat unable to put it down. Another thing that I really enjoyed was how the book was told in the third person and also from the point of view of not just 5 of the 6 main characters like Six of Crows, but all 6. I know that an author telling the book from the point of view of multiple characters means that none of them are safe from death because it is easy to kill a character off and have the others continue the story, which became clear to me once I got to the end. However, despite this, I loved how easy it was for me to move between points of view and how there was a single one of them that I disliked. The third person perspective made it easier to follow whose point of view and also gave me more information than I would’ve gotten from a first person viewpoint. One last thing I wanted to mention was the ending of the book. I can’t say much or else I may ruin something but I need to say something or I might burst. This was one of the most heart-breaking endings ever. I know that a happy ending is anything but realistic, but it’s what I want for the characters. It wasn’t a bad ending and I can’t say that I didn’t like it because it was very well-written and I know that death is necessary for a good book and I always love some tears, but did Leigh Bardugo really have to tear out my heart like that. After all the characters went though and all I went through with them and I don’t get my happily married characters. Are you kidding me!! I don’t think that I have cried that hard for a book ever and I know that I haven’t mourned a character that much ever. Honestly just thinking about it sends me to tears again. The ending wasn’t what I wanted, but it didn’t ruin the book and I do think that it was a good ending, but that doesn’t mean I will ever forgive Leigh Bardugo for what she did. As a whole, Crooked Kingdom was amazing and I can’t wait to read more of Leigh Bardugo’s books and dive further into the Grishaverse through the King of Scars duology.
Which is your favourite book in the Six of Crows series? (1 or 2)
Although both Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom were amazing and I loved them both so much, I think that my favourite book was Six of Crows. Both books were so similar and had absolutely everything I love in a book. However, I think that the ending of Crooked Kingdom has just kind of pushed me away. It wasn’t bad but it ruined some of my hopes for the romance that had begun in Six of Crows and I honestly wish I could go back to when I was naïve and ignorant and thought all the characters would end happily and get married and have cute little miniature versions of themselves in a few years (though it is still possible for some – I hope). There were two things I loved more in Six of Crows: the plot and the romance. Thought the plot of Crooked Kingdom was amazing, it could get a bit confusing, whereas Six of Crows was never confusing and always kept me on my toes as I knew the plan could change at any time and the characters could get into trouble at any moment and have to improvise or end up dead. It was amazing and I literally couldn’t put it down and still can’t believe they made it out of there alive. The romance was another thing I loved. 6 characters meant 3 possible couples and I was thrilled to see that Leigh Bardugo did entertain my ideas in the first book, and later really solidified (and crushed them) in the second one. The enemies to lovers trope with Matthias and Nina was my absolute favourite and I loved when it got to the lovers part. I also really loved the other romances and honestly Six of Crows was just amazing.
Would you recommend this book?
I would 1000000000000000000000000% recommend reading Crooked Kingdom, especially for anyone over 15 who loves a book full of magic, fantasy, adventure and romance. You most definitely need to read Six of Crows first and I do think that it is beneficial to read the Shadow and Bone series before this duology, to get some context, but it isn’t necessary.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A shocking, magical and thrilling ending that will steal your breath, heart and time.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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