Crooked Kingdom
Ratings792
Average rating4.4
did matthias really need to die tho!?!?! :(
lovedlovedloved this book. wylan really came into his own in this one, and i really liked him. it did mean less time for matthias......... so it kinda felt like him dying wasn't as impactful as it could have been.
i was in tears for the last few chapters of the book. kaz buying that ship for inej! didn't see that coming because it's such a stereotypically romantic male thing to do - but i love that he did it. and her parents, oh gosh.
kind of disappointed with how nina just vanishes. wish there was a chapter with her in ravka so we know how things are going, or to get some closure, but maybe that'll lend itself to another spin off!? lol. one can hope!
I didn't love the plot of this as much as Six of Crows but it is still so damn good!
4.5 stars
read this pretending the characters are in their 20s rather than teens and it's infinitely better tbh
There are those book that you get to the end of and think oh no, there are no more words. This is one of those series. Crooked Kingdom left me wanting another adventure from the cast of characters. The mix of magic and sleight of hand made for an intriguing read, but it was the colorful characters that sold the plot. You wanted nothing more than to learn each of their intricacies even with each twist of their storyline.
I could see myself re-reading this again only to catch things I didn't see on the first read-through.
Not as good or tightly paced as Six of Crows, but the gang's back together for one last heist. And it's cute. I liked the resolution and the character growth. I'm still not a huge fan of the Grishaverse, but I thought Bardugo introduced some interesting new concepts in this one. I was also not a huge fan of all of the female characters being damaged and needing emotional support/rescue.
But it reads fun, they pull off hijinks, the characters are mostly nuanced and well-written, so pretty enjoyable reading experience. Overall, 3.5 stars
This is insanely good, well written and plot twist till the end. I didn't wanted it to end. Leigh Bardugo knows as no one how to talk about broken characters.
Thank you for these books.
I clutched this book to my chest when I read the very last words and realized there were no more pages to be read....
This story is by far, THE best story I have ever read in my entire life, thus far.
Reading this book is like a breeze, it's so light and easy to read, Leigh is such an expert at her craft, she knows how to hook her readers, how to have them coming back for more after each paragraph and each page. The way she writes it's like you're on a boat and the water just carries you, sometimes the tide is high and whoah you are just on a ride and you're getting splashed but you're enjoying it OH SO MUCH, and then there is the low tide and the slow water, where you are moving along and it's just so peaceful and so beautiful and you are in awe of her writing.
There are times when you spend pages just reading the respective character's inner thoughts and it's not boring at all, it is so entertaining, you never find yourself having to skim over sentences or paragraphs, everything is so well written, I know I keep saying that so often, but WOW, can you imagine a book with over 500 pages that there is not a single dull moment, NOT EVEN ONE!
As for the characters... they all hold a special place in my heart, she has done such excellent work, especially with Kaz. Kaz is just so amazing, he goes through so much and you just go through it all with him. He is so brilliant, which just goes to show how brilliant the author is herself! How he gets them out of situations and the plot twists, you will never be able to predict what he does next or how he saves them, each and every time he does so you will be in awe and so appreciative of his mind and his talent. The same goes for Jesper, Nina, Wylan, and Inej.... Also poor Matthias, my heart broke for him.. They are all my favorite characters, I could never pick one because of the way she wrote this story you get to be inside each of their minds and you end up relating and loving each and every single one of them for their unique personalities and minds which end up being a perfect match all together.
Leigh is also excellent at character development, you feel the characters evolve, but not so much, they evolve just enough, it feels so believable, like they are actually real life people and you are growing with them. The progress of their growth feels so realistic and nothing is ever rushed or behind schedule, everything is on time. Also the choice of which character will have a chapter next is so expertly decided, it just all fits together like a rubric's cube.
When I finished reading this book I had to hold it for a few moments because of how it ended and it honestly feels like you have lived through their problems and went through everything they have gone through and you end up having to catch your breath and wishing you were there with Kaz and Inej on the harbor enjoying the view and wishing you had fresh sea air to fill your lungs.
I cannot wait for the next book in this series, and I am thankful that we will return to these characters and read them once again as I am not ready to let them go. That having said, I think I will read next King Nikolai's gorgeous debut novel just to get back into their world and not let them go.
I highly recommend this book to literally everyone regardless of what genre you like, give this book a go and hey you might end up absolutely loving it and creating a whole new shelf on goodreads entitled: LIFE CHANGING BOOKS.
:)
I wanted so badly to end up loving this duology which is now apparently going to be trilogy/series now I'm not really sure but after finishing this book I am left torn.
Once again it is slow however this time the pacing is all over the place. It goes from being action packed in one chapter to being more back story in the next chapter. I had my feel of back story in Six of Crows and I definitely didn't need anymore in this one because most of the backstory was about stuff we already knew about. I did learn a little from some of the characters backstories but I think this book could have been 100+ pages shorter.
Speaking of characters you get POV from 8 different characters in this book although two of the characters only have 1 chapter each. Each chapter is from a different character which worked pretty well but became annoying at times because the chapters would end on cliffhangers and then I would have to read several chapters sometimes before I would get back to that particular characters POV.
Ok this next bit is going to be spoilery so you haven't read these books you might want to skip this. Ok so in the first book you get little hints of romance and you all know by now I love my romance so I was looking forward to the romances continuing in this book. So you get Wylan and Jesper which I absolutely love and there romance is amazing. Then there's is Nina and Matthias and I loved them as well. I loved how Matthias' character grew from hatred to understanding of the Grisha and I am not at all happy with his ending but the romance was amazing. On to the one I was really rooting for. Kaz and Inej. So I know both of these characters have their own set of issues they have to overcome but considering this was supposed to be a duology I was really hoping they would have their happily ever after. We are teased throughout both books and you think something is going to happen but then it don't and it's so freaking frustrating.
I loved how several characters got what was coming to them after what they did although again it was really drawn out.
Did I enjoy this book, overall yes I did. Was it as amazing as everyone has made it out to be, unfortunately no it wasn't but I am still interested in reading the next book.
No mourners. No funerals.
Sigh. I think I'm just going to have to face the fact that me and Leigh Bardugo books just don't seem to really mix. Whilst I enjoyed the protagonists in the Six of Crows duology a lot more than the Grisha trilogy (like exponential amounts more), there just always seems to be something lacking for me. The pacing has seemed off in every single book I've read by her, but also there just seems to be a little bit of depth missing.
I know I'm definitely in the minority and everyone seems to rave about this universe, but there's just something that isn't quite clicking for me which is why I can't rate this any higher despite the atmospheric setting and protagonists I want to protect.
Like Six of Crows, I initially struggled to get into Crooked Kingdom. I care about this duology because of the group of main characters, and both books spend the first 50-100 pages just bringing that group together. I get bored in the meantime.
I was also frustrated by Bardugo moving the plot forward by Kaz having endless tricks up his sleeve. It seemed like a clumsy way to keep the reader in suspense. I will say, I think Crooked Kingdom did this less than SoC, especially as the book went on. Those are my two main gripes. Now, onto what I liked.
–Bardugo's take on trauma: it can occur at a young age, it can follow an isolated event (e.g., Kaz only had to lie in a pile of diseased dead bodies once to develop his aversion to physical touch) or after consistent exposure to the same terrible treatment (e.g., Wylan being rejected by his father over and over for his illiteracy, Inej's time at the Menagerie, Matthias and Nina being raised to hate one another).
–Bardugo's take on the Strong Silent Type: over the course of both books, Matthias pushes back against how he's been taught to view Grisha. He also pushes back against how he's been taught to repress all emotions except anger. He was trained to be an authority figure, someone who controls and intimidates others. But Matthias works to undo that. He's strong enough to stop boxing in both himself and others with absolutes.
Tangentially, it was oddly refreshing to see a male character as angry and violent as Kaz devoid of any interest in objectifying women, and in fact, in many cases angry and violent about others objectifying women. If we're going to have a Kaz type, I want him to create a fake plague in a brothel known to terrorize the girls and women working there.
–Friendship: the characters don't condemn the others in the group for their weaknesses and complexes. Most in the group have been told and/or have told themselves that they are lacking, in some way defective, perhaps even evil.
These characters don't blame their friends for not being able to do certain things. And it becomes cyclical; supporting each other helps them accept themselves. They show each other that they're not beyond hope, and that even if something can't be “overcome,” that doesn't make them incapable of success or unworthy of happiness.
I liked Bardugo's representation of female friendship with Nina and Inej. They worry about and comfort each other. Nina thanks Inej for “never trying to make [her] feel small.” I liked how everyone was delighted when Nina got her appetite back. Those bits were sweet.
–Questions of morality: How do we justify making decisions that we know will cause suffering? Does feeling remorse make us less culpable? Does earnest commitment to a cause or faith make us less culpable? Are Inej and Matthias any more or less moral than Kaz and Jesper? How close are any of us to making the sorts of choices these characters do?
If I had to sum up the duology as a whole, I would say that Leigh Bardugo knows what she's doing, and what she is doing is breaking my heart.
I legit nuzzled this book when I finished. I adore this series, I adore these characters, and Crooked Kingdom is a phenomenal second part and a great finale.
I had a bit of anxiety throughout much of this book. Kaz Brekker is my son, he's literally pulling me out of this incoming dystopian-fueled depression, and is currently the lock screen image on my phone. What I mean by that is that no harm may come to child or I'll have to fight somebody. Wishing for something like that is a fruitless endeavor, of course, for my adopted son is pretty into his game of risk, and his creator is a master at creating puzzles and then tearing them down. Bardugo will often set the gun on the mantle just so, so that if you're looking for it you'll know when something is about to go off, but you still will always be surprised. This book is complicated. If Six of Crows was a ride on a swift roller coaster, Crooked Kingdom is a full-tilt run through an entire amusement park. I'm not gonna lie, I got a little lost a few times, but I trust Bardugo, so I was more than happy to just go with it and see how things landed.
The character moments are beautiful – the big ones and the small ones. The way these idiots flirt with each other is un-freaking-real. One of the things that I mentioned in my Six of Crows review is that even though this is a young adult book and the characters are all teenagers, they don't act like it. This book however, takes a few poignant moments to remind us that they are in fact kids. It does this by putting them in contrast to actual adults, ones that genuinely care about them and look at them like people that need to be protected. I love my flashy, brilliant criminal masterminds, but I also love when Kaz and Jesper are just teenage boys (even when that means they're punching each other), or when Nina teases Matthias with stories of Ravka's version of 50 Shades of Gray, or when Kuwei shamelessly tries to steal Jesper's attention away from Wylan. The dialogue, the banter is infinitely clever. I could read about these kids snipping at each other all day long.
Can I tell you that Kaz and Inej are like my fantasy romance brought to life? The idea of a woman out sailing her ship, hunting slavers and then every couple of weeks or even months coming back home to her wicked but faithful man? Kaz waiting at the docks for her like the crow he is? Love it. I'm so about it. I want a whole series about Inej and her crew. Bardugo writes Kaz and Inej beautifully, she's careful and loving with the way she portrays their reservations, their failings and their desire for each other. Even when Kaz reaches out and fails because his trauma is just too great to overcome in that moment, I was achingly proud of him. I feel like there's something very important about a character like Kaz, even with all his moral ambiguity. As Bardugo has said, he's the cripple she wished she could be. Even with his limp, he keeps moving. Even with his paralyzing trigger, he keeps trying. If he can cultivate every nasty piece of himself in order to thrive in the Barrel, he can take that energy and shake this monkey off his back. Or keep it at bay when he needs to, at least. He can love a woman he doesn't deserve. He can be something more than just Dirtyhands.
Kaz is an anti-capitalist dreamboat, even though he may claim to be otherwise. Not to make everything about everything right now, but to me, that's kind of what this duology seems to be about. Kerch's religion is literally money, and Kaz is its Shadow, as Inej calls it. He dresses like a merch, he does business like a merch, but calls himself what he is – a thief. And as such he calls them what they are. Unlike Jan Van Eck and Pekka Rollins, Kaz has no interest in legacy (I mean, he's seventeen, so that might just a matter of time). He literally says it when he's asked what he'll do with his winnings. “Build something new. Burn it down.” He's smart enough to know that money means something, but also knows that the bigger reward is the game itself. He's Heath Ledger's Joker, just dressed a little nicer. The Magician and The Trickster all at once.
The more books I've read in my life the more I've seen good endings, even to trilogies. Great endings, however, are still rare. Crooked Kingdom is an extraordinarily on point ending for this two-part series, and even if Bardugo adds to the canon of these characters like she hopes to, this is a complete story. The two books build on each other, reflect each other, and the conclusions she gives each of these characters is so right, even when they're complicated and occasionally tragic. You might be surprised to know how upbeat this book actually is – its exceptionally funny, far more than Six of Crows. You could not design a more perfect escape.
This was a fun and satisfying ending to the story begun in [b:Six of Crows 23437156 Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Leigh Bardugo https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1459349344s/23437156.jpg 42077459]. The characters are so vivid, I felt like I knew them as real people. There was a good balance of camaraderie and humor, action, drama, and romance. And a skosh of tragedy, but not too much. I was really impressed with Bardugo's crafting of characters with trauma that continues to impact them. These people have Stuff that goes far beyond a Mary Sue's “tragic backstory” and that causes them practical and interpersonal difficulty. And things don't get tied up with a “they won/fell in love and then everything was All Better!” bow. The places everyone ends up are mostly optimistic, but not Pollyanna-level.A specific shout-out should go to the plotting, with plenty of fun and surprising (but mostly earned) reveals. Kaz pulls off gambits that seem improbable unless you're a genius who's spent their entire life learning the workings of a whole city to serve an obsessive need for reven– oh, yeah. Kaz believably pulls of amazing gambits.Another area that stands out is LGBTQ+ representation. I'm an Old so maybe I'm easy to impress, but it's lovely to see a queer romance get equal billing (including kissing scenes) with the straight ‘shipping. Overall, it was fun, I feel like the Dregs are my friends, and I am going to check out more of Bardugo's work!
Have you ever met someone and gotten a wrong first impression of them? That's what I did with this duology of books. It started out and I wasn't very impressed by the characters or the setting. Then I gradually developed a grudging respect for the world-building. Then I came to enjoy the characters more and more, and finally became fast friends with the series and learned to love it. Now that I've finished the second book, I'm onto the final phase in the relationship: I'm missing it. The heists were awesomely executed, and the character development was meaningful. Bardugo is a very skilled writer who has clearly spent a lot of time developing her universe. I place her books about fantasy con men and thieves on my shelf next to Scott Lynch and the “Gentleman Bastards”.
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are a duology set in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse. Grisha being the magic users in her world. I haven't read the rest of the Grishaverse (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising) - but I will definitely be doing so, because Crows and Crooked Kingdom are AMAZING.
I was pretty surprised - normally books rotating between several viewpoints are confusing, but Bardugo handles the transitions seamlessly and unmistakably. I was never unsure of what character I was reading - each one really had their own unique voice. I also loved that she worked in an LGBT romance without it being in any way odd. No one in the novel found non-heterosexuality weird at all. It was treated just as matter of factly as opposite-sex romances, and I loved that.
Six of Crows opens on a gang being blackmailed into a job they don't want to do. I can totally see the gang has a D&D group - and the books definitely feel a bit like a D&D campaign, albeit one with a mostly experienced group and a very experienced DM.
You've got Kaz, the ringleader, who's an all-around great thief but a superb tactician.
Inej, the acrobat assassin.
Jesper, the marksman hiding his magic ability.
Wylan, the rich merchant's son on the outs with his father and fallen in with a bad crowd, and talented with demolitions.
Nina, the sexpot who wields magic, and has a love/hate relationship with Mathias, the barbarian who's spent his life hunting magic users but is irresistibly attracted to Nina. (I can see the DM telling these two to hash out a background that will let them co-exist, which they obviously did.)
Each character has a complex back story that influences most of their actions, and different relationships with other members of the gang that also affects how they react. Their back stories don't just explain their actions in the books, people and events from their backgrounds also show up to complicate matters in the present. The wheels-within-wheels of the plotline is EXACTLY what I love about good political fantasies. The world-building is superb, and Bardugo has given just as much thought to the seedy underbelly of her world as she has the magic and politics.
I really, really loved this duology, and I see now why people rave about this universe. It is VERY well deserved.
You can find all my reviews at Goddess in the Stacks.
“What is wrong with him?” Nina grumbled as they went back to the sitting room to drill Colm on his cover story. “Same thing that's always wrong with him,” said Jesper. “He's Kaz Brekker.”
Why did this have to be a duology? Why did this story already end? How am I supposed to go on without knowing what happens next in the lives of my favorite band of thieves?
“She smiled then, her eyes red, her cheeks scattered with some kind of dust. It was a smile he thought he might die to earn again.”
This book takes us deep into the minds of the characters. We get to know more about their past, the choices they have made, they guilt and uncertainty they have to live with everyday. We also see immense growth in all of them where they fight to overcome their personal demons and try to be better versions of themselves. We see the little glimpse of hope each of them have for a better future. But first, they need to get Inej back, take down Van Eck and Pekka, and get back the money they are owed. However, this time, everyone is against them – merchant council, the city watch, the gangs, foreign governments – but Kaz is not your run of the mill thief, he is a criminal mastermind.
“That's where you're wrong,” said Kaz. “I don't hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. I feed it fine cuts of meat and send it to the best schools. I nurture my grudges, Rollins.”
The con that he plans this time is so outrageous that even his crew thinks he is out of his mind. But his confidence is so disarming, and his thinking being ten steps ahead of everybody, his plan just works. At least most of the time. The elaborate ruse to destroy the reputation of Pekka and take down Van Eck is so impeccable, I can't say enough about it. You just have to watch it unfold. Leigh Bardugo has such wild imagination and a way with words that everything seems plausible. I became a part of the gang, and even for one moment, I never doubted that they would fail. So, when the death occurred, it was a blow to my heart that I am yet to recover from.
“You're not weak because you can't read. You're weak because you're afraid of people seeing your weakness. You're letting shame decide who you are.”
The book is more darker and violent and vindictive than Six of Crows but it is still filled with sarcastic one-liners, witty banter and memorable quotes that we have come to expect from Bardugo. We also see the characters suffer from the effects of disabilities (physical and mental), addiction (drugs and gambling), sex slavery and prostitution, but these themes are so intricately woven into the plot that it never comes across as preachy but lingers on in our minds long after we are done reading.
Jesper leaned in and said, quietly enough that no one else could hear, “I can read to him.” “He has a very soothing baritone,” added Wylan, and then the guards were hauling his father down the aisle.
And what can I say about the ships in this book. I never thought I will root for so many couples in a single book, but this is not your usual book either. The relationship between Wylan and Jesper is so cute and grows by leaps and bounds in this book, but no one even bats an eyelid because in this world, diversity is just the norm. There is not even a single moment of awkwardness when Jes's father tells Wylan that he is good for his son.
“You look very beautiful.” “You mean I look like the enemy.” “Both of those things have always been true.”
The flirting between Nina and Matthias is so adorable and probably the most funniest part of the book. I laughed out loud so many times, which made it especially gruesome to handle the shock of this death. But it still felt right somehow, though I can't figure out why.
“I would come for you,” he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again. “I would come for you. And if I couldn't walk, I'd crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we'd fight our way out together—knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that's what we do. We never stop fighting.”
Last but not the least, the best OTP ever – Kaz and Inej. I never thought I would shriek with joy when a couple will hold their hands for the first time, but I did. They both have overcome so much trauma to even reach this step in their relationship, that I think this scene was better than any other romantic scene I have read in recent times. I just hope that Bardugo decides to revisit them in the future because I would love to see the boss of the Barrel and the captain of the Wraith take on the big bad guys hurting and exploiting the innocents.
“He didn't deserve peace and he didn't deserve forgiveness, but if he was going to die today, maybe the one thing he'd earned was the memory of her—brighter than anything he would ever have a right to—to take with him to the other side.”
A very special mention of the most badass scene in the duology – Kaz taking on the Dregs and Per Haskell was a violent and brutal scene but it showed what Kaz truly is – someone who will go to any lengths to get what he wants, will never leave those behind who depend on him, but will never spare anyone who betrays him.
“In the Barrel, we don't trade in safety,” Kaz said, the abraded burn of his voice carrying over the crowd. “There's only strength and weakness. You don't ask for respect. You earn it.”
And this review can't be complete without mentioning that I was giddy with happiness like a teenage girl when my favorite Grisha and the irresistible charmer Nikolai showed up. Kaz and Stormhund in the same scene is something that I didn't expect and will cherish for a long time to come.
“So hypothetically,” Kaz said, “you might be addressed as Your Highness.” “And a variety of more colorful names. Hypothetically.” The privateer cast him an assessing glance. “Just how did you know I wasn't who I claimed to be, Mister Brekker?” Kaz shrugged. “You speak Kerch like a native—a rich native. You don't talk like someone who came up with sailors and street thugs.”
Executive Summary: A satisfying ending to a fun series.
Audiobook: Just like the last book, this has like 5 narrators or something (one for each POV). They were all good, but I think I'd have preferred 1 really good narrator, or maybe 2 (one male and one female).
Still it's better than many other audiobooks I've listened to, and I think audio is still a great option for this series.
Full Review
I really enjoyed the first book of this series, and I was curious to see how things wrapped up. The first book ends on a pretty big cliffhanger so I had to jump into this one right away.
I found Kaz a pretty unlikeable, albeit interesting/well-written character in the first book, but he really grew on me in this book. All of the characters are pretty great in fact. Inej probably remains my favorite, but Nina is a close second. The entire crew feels fully fleshed out, which is probably helped by them all having their own POV chapters.
Much like the last book, this book is full of some great cons, and kept me guessing some, but not all of the time. The stakes manage to be even higher in this book, and the plans that Kaz comes up with to deal with them were really fun to read, even if they don't always work out as intended.
The world building continues to be excellent as well. We get some more details about other places beyond Ketterdam, that again adds to a sense of lived-in feeling. Her magic system continued to develop in a fun and interesting way, building on top of the foundation of the first book.
Overall this was a really fun series, with a satisfying conclusion. I'd happily read another book with these characters or set in this world, but I'm also content if things remain where they are. That's always a tricky balance to strike, especially doing a duology when trilogies seem to be the standard.
I'm not sure when I'll pick up another book by Ms. Bardugo, but I suspect it won't be too long.
Sometimes, a book comes along that ends up making me cry when it's over. I cry because I'm sad there's no more of the story to read, or sometimes because I loved the characters. Sometimes I'm just crying because I'm happy that the book found its way into my hands. This was one of those books.
No Mourners
No funerals