Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo was a great conclusions – it was a bittersweet experience reading and completing the Six of Crows duology!
Before we get to the book review and overview, I want to give out a few trigger warnings within the book. Despite fiction books being a form of escapism from the realities of our world, sometimes those realities can be reflected in fiction.
Trigger Warnings
- Violence (torture, gun, knife)
- Addiction (gambling, drugs)
- Recounts of child abuse
- Recounts of sex abuse
- Langauge (mild to moderate)
Disclaimer
- Book reviews are based on my personal opinion, my thoughts while reading the book, and how the book fulfills my book rating system and it’s categories.
- Reviews are not meant to be hurtful – we all have different opinions on what we like in books, such as preferences in story point of view (POV), writing style, story pacing, etc.
For my reviews, I will do my best to review the book without revealing spoilers to those who are currently reading, or have not read the book. Now, a look and mild breakdown of the six categories:
- PLOT: The plot was fairly consistent throughout the story. After being double-crossed, Kaz and his crew are trying to get revenge against Jan Van Eck with the city of Ketterdam against them. The story picks up after the end of Six of Crows, roughly two weeks afterward.
- SETTING: The story’s main setting is in the city of Ketterdam. The book references other locations in the Grishaverse, but there is more focus on Ketterdam and its locations.
- WRITING STYLE: Bardugo’s writing style was well-balanced in detailing fast-paced action and inner conflicts/ dialogue! Chapters are written in different Character POVs: Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias, and Wylan (except for the first and final chapters). I really enjoyed some of the humorous descriptions in this book as I caught myself laughing out loud at some scenes! Some of the squabbles and conflicts between the group illustrate the desire to move on and move forward. Between the 100th page to Part II in the book, I will critique how the story’s pacing picks up (which felt like a long time reading it).
- CONFLICT/ RESOLUTION: Instead of revealing any spoilers or specific details, I will say it wraps up the characters’ ending in a bittersweet way – just like the way it feels to end a book or series you grew to love!
- CHARACTERS: The main characters are the Kaz Brekker, Inej Ghafa, Jesper Fahey, Nina Zenik, Matthias Helvar, and Wylan Van Eck. This story contains more than one heist in this installment, and the complexity and layers of it show the dire and circumstances the Crows are in. Additionally, the minor characters in the story help reveal the main characters’ motivations and personalities while helping move forward the story’s plot and momentum.
- CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: The character development and growth in this book were well done! With the internal/ external conflict experienced by the Crows, the reader sees the continued development in the characters’ motivations and aspirations which are illustrated wonderfully at the end of the book. Again, the romance in the book was beautifully crafted to illustrate the desire, yearning, and pain of young love to reveal character depth and growth. I would be remiss if I didn’t say that I both squealed and cried on not just the romantic dynamics in the story but the overall layered relationships between the Crows.
Overall Book Rating
Likewise, with Crooked Kingdom, it took me roughly a week to finish reading it as I continued to work and was only available to read it after work hours and before bed.
Crooked Kingdom is both my comfort book and the one that broke my heart! The character development was so wonderful and heartbreaking, and the conflict/resolution in the story! I would now need to resolve the heartache of finishing this series and moving on to a new book or series in therapy.
Just like in Six of Crows, the pacing at the beginning was slow. It picked up and then basically became an emotional rollercoaster! It isn’t until the second half that it picks up momentum, but I didn’t mind the slow build-up to the story’s pivotal and emotional moments.
Therefore, Crooked Kingdom is a 5-star rating for me! I’m heartbroken and delighted to complete the Six of Crows Duology. It’s a bittersweet moment as I overcame my reading slump, but I am so sad that this series came to an end. I’m looking forward to reading more of the Grishaverse series and other books on my To-Be-Read (TBR) list!
Found Book Tropes
- Morally Gray Characters
- Found Family
- Official Couple(s)
- No Holds Beatdown
- Parallel Characters
- Big Damn Kiss
- Frame the Guilty Party
- Bittersweet Ending
NOTE: I heard a rumor that (allegedly) there is a third Six of Crows installment in the works but there is no official release date. If this is true, I would like to express how excited I am at the potentiality of reading a timeskip story of the Crows after Crooked Kingdom, but I would most likely be emotionally unprepared!
Questions for You
- What were your thoughts on Crooked Kingdom?
- If a third book installment of Six of Crows is confirmed, what are some things you hope to see (or not see)?
Midnight Skies 