Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2)
By Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA Fantasy
Recommended Ages: 17+

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 badly weakened, 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 the Grisha world.

The Gist:

Crooked Kingdom is the full-throttle follow-up to Six of Crows. There’s always that fear that book two won’t be as good as book one, but not true here. Crooked Kingdom maintained the same thrilling pace and entertaining cast of characters as Six of Crows, yet raised the stakes and made the plot even more personal. This book was so good, I’m still sad it’s over. It kept me excited from page one till The End. It feels like a part of me is missing now that I’m done with the duology, that’s how much I’ve grown to love and care about these characters.

What I Liked:

There was some SERIOUS character development in this book. It was refreshing. Each of the main characters still retained those unique qualities that made them so beautiful, yet we saw them grow and learn from past mistakes and end up in a more stable place than before. Each character overcame a struggle they’d carried over from book one and that’s the kind of story I love because it breeds hope.

There was always something big going on. When Kaz is planning one thing he’s actually planning a dozen. It still amazes me how the plans worked, and that they made sense to me once they were revealed. Sometimes in books I skim parts where plans or research or whatever is explained because it’s just too complicated for my tiny brain to comprehend. But Leigh did a great job of explaining things and they all made logical sense to me. All that means is that I’m basically ready to be a proper thief.

Leigh’s abilities of world building astound me. I feel like I know Ketterdam, like I’ve been there, like it actually exists. The people feel as real to me as people I might see in a city in the US. The imagery she seamlessly weaves into the story transports you into the story. It’s never over-done, never lacking. She finds the perfect balance. It’s a magical world full of dark secrets.

And Crooked Kingdom just continues to make you fall in love more with each character.  When the stakes are raised on their dastardly deeds, it means we get to see glimpses of who each person really is and what they care about most. But all this seriousness doesn’t mean the witty banter we love is gone. Nope, it’s still there and better than ever. It adds a much needed levity to the dark and dangerous world of criminals in Ketterdam.

What I Didn’t Like:

I loved all the action, but it started to feel like a stop and go car ride. What I mean is that we’d be pedal to the metal on something, then it would end and we’d be off on to the next plan. There was an overarching theme/plot of getting revenge on Van Eck, but it still felt a little sprint then halt then sprint again to me.

The flashbacks weren’t as frequent in this book but they were still there and a little more prevalent than I thought necessary. They interrupted the flow more this time, mostly because in the first book I appreciated them because it helped me get to know the characters, but in this one I already knew them fairly well. I just wanted to know what happened next, not what happened five years ago.

LunasLuckyRating: 5/5 Lunas