Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo – Book Review

Rating: 5/5

Genre: Fantasy, YA

First Published: 2016

Author: Leigh Bardugo

***SPOILER ALERT*** This is not the first book in the series, so the synopsis and this review may contain spoilers for the previous book.Read my review of Six of Crows here.

Goodreads 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.

Book Depository | Goodreads

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So, I am finally writing this review. It’s taken me forever for more than one reason which I will probably talk about in a separate post. But anyway, it’s here at last.

I liked the first one better. I mean, I still loved this one. But I loved the first one more… it was more exciting and full of daring. This one was much darker and was a bit more character-centric, where SoC was a whirlwind of stuff happening. But I happen to love these characters, so I didn’t mind. And since this book was so character-centric, let me reintroduce you to the cast.

Kaz – a beautiful, clever bastard with a knack for achieving the impossible.

Inej – a tiny badass assassin-spy.

Matthias – a giant, overmuscled war kitten.

Nina – a gracious gazelle who can and will flirt your face off. Also, she can kill you without touching you.

Jesper – a hyperactive sharpshooting puppy who loves to gamble.

Wylan – a hella smart donut.

This book hurt me in my soul. There were so many things that happened to my babies. Bad, bad things. Everyone’s out to get them, and for a while things seem pretty bleak. But of course, Kaz schemes their way out of pickle after pickle. He wouldn’t be Kaz otherwise. I love Kaz! We get to see him grow quite a bit in this one, although most of his background we get in the first one.

Wylan though… well we see a lot of Wylan. He has POV chapters and we learn a lot about his past. Which just made me want to hug his donut face! There’s a lot about Jesper as well. We see him grow from the boy he is in the first one, into a man. I don’ want to say much more than that, because I feel it would spoil it. This book is hard to review.

Where SoC was focused more on the dynamics between the whole crew and them growing into a family of misfits, this one focuses more on the couples and their dynamics and growth. Which was great, although I did miss the whole group interacting, which we got a lot less of.

There were a few times throughout this book when I just wanted to kiss Kaz for being so brilliant. Little devious, conniving bastard. I love that I rarely see his plots coming. I know he will do something, I know he has something up his sleeve… or potentially up someone else’s sleeve, but I can hardly ever predict what.

The ending was the most bittersweet thing ever. Although I think a little more bitter than sweet. Just… no. Why? I am not satisfied by how it ended. I want to see what happens next. I want to make sure they’re all okay and happy forever because I love them.

This is much as I can think of saying without giving it away, so just read the book if you haven’t! If you loved the first one, you will probably love this one.