My Review: Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2): by Leigh Bardugo

***Warning, this post contains spoilers from the first title! Continue reading at your own risk, you’ve officially been warned!***

To see my review of book #1 – Six of Crows – Click HERE

To see my Fancast/Dreamcast of the series – Click HERE

Total Star Rating: 4.75 Stars

It warms a reader’s dry, cynical heart whenever they discover a new favorite author along with all of their brilliant work. It doesn’t happen as often as I’d like, but finding those books that are so much fun to dive right into, to enjoy the craft so much that someone has created, to be fully immersed in the story and have it inspire someone like me to create something that could maybe someday come close to it and continue the cycle with the next generation.

I can honestly back this book up with my high rating because it simply is amazing…It has a little bit of everything, and evoked so much emotion from me; both elated and devastated. I’m only relieved to see that it’s not just me, but almost everyone else who has reviewed this book is absolutely blown away by it. Seriously, the lowest score someone gave it on Goodreads was 3-stars…No one gave it a 1, only one person gave it a 2 star-rating, but they didn’t really justify it, so I don’t count it as being actually real…It’s seriously such epic perfection, but I still have to refrain from giving it a perfect 5-star rating because the author is a cruel, cruel woman who emotionally traumatized me and left me in a heap on the floor as I read a certain part. Seriously…I was shook, and I was NOT okay for some time after this (but I mean this in the best way possible!)

I found myself questioning how in the hell Leigh Bardugo was going to outdo herself with this next title in her Duology (now being turned into a series!) when the first book was so flippin’ impressive! She had created one of the most diverse, fabulous cast of characters in any book I’d ever read with such distinct personalities and voices, and we learn even more about them as the story continued! They are all so complex and fleshed out and truly change as the story developed. It was a masterwork of character design and development, and I want to know the moment Leigh Bardugo ever decides to teach a masterclass on how to write. I want to hear her methods and tips on the subject; any sort of money I have, it’s hers if she wants it!

One thing I wish I got more out of within the story was the surprise appearance of characters that make a short, but meaningful appearance. I’m not going to spoil exactly who they are, but I can say that they are some important players, and are some memorable characters from Leigh Bardugo’s other books. I had not read them before reading this title, so the shocking reveal of it all was kind of lost on me, but made me want to go back a step with the author’s work and check out her Shadow and Bone trilogy.

I personally recommend everyone read those, along with these, before the Netflix series comes out; I don’t know if there’s an official release date quite yet, but I seriously can’t wait to binge the day it comes on!

What It’s About:

Continuing straight off the cliffhanger ending of the previous book, Kaz and the others must rescue Inej from being kidnapped by Wylan’s corrupt father.

The other main plot is how they have Kuwei Yul Bo, the son of the creator of a powerful drug named Jurda Pardem that can control the Grisha: magical beings of the realm. With his father actually revealed to be dead, he is the only person alive who knows not only how to create the drug, but also how to destroy it, which puts a gigantic, gargantuan sized target on his back. Soon every crime boss, gangster, royal, criminal, military general, merchant, and mercenary in this dangerous world are drawn towards Ketterdam to take him away, but Kaz and his gang aren’t going to be giving him up all that easily…

What I liked:

1. The Surprise Cameos! Mentioned earlier in this post, Bardugo shocks us with some memorable characters that some readers may recognize from other titles of hers later on in this book. I had not read her Shadow and Bone trilogy when I read Crooked Kingdom, so while the shock value was entirely lost on me, what it did reveal is that not only is her work is all connected within the same universe, it’s all happening simultaneously side by side at the same time! I love it when authors do this kind of thing and give fans little surprises to gush about; it made me want to explore other books even more! Going off of that, the author leaves the ending up in the air quite a lot of characters. It seemed like that meant we’re getting many more titles; some within this story, and even more from a new set of books she’ll write.
2. Different Characters Get More Attention! In the previous title, we learn quite a bit about a few of the character’s backstories and how they came to be who they are before the events within the story, and in this title, we learn more about the characters we didn’t learn as much about before! It shows the author’s love of her characters to make sure she gave them each and every one of them the attention they deserve. Sure, some people could complain that they didn’t get it sooner, but as a writer, I say that everything doesn’t need to happen at once. Let it slowly reveal itself or it’ll just feel congested, clogged and not as enjoyable of a read! Good things come to those who wait!
3. The Group’s Dynamic! I believe I mentioned this before in my previous review, but I’m serious; the alliance between the main characters and their relationships amongst each other within their group is something so pure and so much fun to read! The banter, the witty quips, the clashing personalities, the emotion, and even how they still sound like teenagers somehow within a fantasy-genre setting. Its truly a huge reason why this series is a new-found favorite of mine!
4. A Particular Scene with Kaz! It was heavy, it was raw, it was emotional and it wasn’t something I’d really ever expect him to do, which is why it’s such a memorable scene! The shock of experiencing someone doing something that’s so unlike their character, their moral integrity, everything they stand for are great moments in literature and entertainment. While I’m even on the subject of Kaz, it’s also such a highlight to have him be the kind of character that always seems to have one step ahead of everyone. Everything could be going to hell, fires everywhere, death seems certain; Kaz will just come out of nowhere with a telling smirk that says all according to plan! What’s even better, is how at a certain point, no one is even surprised any longer; they just expect it from him!
5. Literally Everything I said I liked about the First Title! Go see my review of Six of Crows (Link is towards the top), and every aspect I said I liked about it continues into this sequel!
6. The Inner Conflicts Between Inej and Kaz! Inej was captured by his enemies, and the time she’s taken hostage, she questions whether Kaz will come rescue her, but also, if he’s rescuing her because he cares about her, or if he simply only wants her for her abilities. A confrontation on this inner struggle is angsty as hell, but man does it add an emotional punch and show us sides of characters we never thought we’d see!

What I Didn’t Like:

1. A Certain Character’s Death…Yeah…someone dies and I’m not okay about it. It left such an emotion-fueled book hangover for me, I never thought I’d get out of that depressive slump!

Conclusion:

Leigh Bardugo may have created what may be the closest thing to the perfect novel. I know this review may seem pretty one-sided, but it’s incredibly hard to find anything to really critique about this title!

Check out other reviews; the only people who (attempt) to criticize it are the ones who were even more traumatized by it than me, the ones who were even more upset about certain events that take place, so because they cried, they took it as them not liking the story, which is so bogus…Shouldn’t a story be celebrated if it evokes that much out of you? Let’s worry less about trigger warnings in fiction and celebrate the fact that something of this magnitude has been created for us to discover and enjoy and inspire!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell