Leigh Bardugo’s Crooked Kingdom is the second book in the Six of Crows`Duology.
After the impossible heist Djerholm everyone thought they were done. Kaz Brekker and his crew pulled had just done the impossible and Jan Van Eck was going to pay them handsomely for their service, except he didn’t. He kidnapped Inej and left the Kaz, Nina, Wylan, Jesper, and Matthias weak. Instead of counting their cash, the Crows are fighting for their lives once again, but this time they’re after revenge. As they plan their vengeance, powerful governments move in on the dark city of Ketterdam, lured in by the whispers of jurda parem. Enemies new and old appear around every corner to challenge the strength of Kaz and his crew and this time, their actions have repercussions that can affect the entire world.
All six main characters get to narrate the story.
Kaz Brekker, the ruthless Dirtyhands, is back. This genius leads amazing heists and cons as he fights through the dangerous city of Ketterdam. Kaz has definitely changed after his experiences in Fjerda. He grows closer to the other lead characters and develops feelings for a particular crow. His actions change as a result, making him more protective of the crows and slightly kinder to all of them. On top of his new experiences with emotions other than greed, anger and violence, he also finds himself facing questions about his future and overcoming his past.
The passionate, powerful, hilarious Nina returned from the brink of death after she took the powerful drug jurda parem. Unfortunatly, this is not without lasting changes. She struggle with her jurda parem cravings, she is not eating, and her powers are not what they once were. In addition to this, she continues to develop a relationship with Matthias and encounters shadows of her past. She decide how her duties to the Grisha and her relationship with Matthias fit into her future.
Inej was kidnapped by Jan Van Eck. While there, her trust in Kaz is shaken. In Six of Crows, she develops feelings for Dirtyhands, in this novel, wonders if he returns the favor. Even if he does, she is aware that Kaz’s PTSD makes it almost impossible to touch anyone. Inej is also forced to face questions about her lifestyle. She came to Ketterdam as a slave and to escape it, she turned to a life of crime and bloodshed. Unfortunately, she now finds herself at odds with her religion and morals.
Matthias is a disgraced Fjerdian warrior. He turned his back on his past and now must discover what his future holds. A large part of the powerful and moral warrior’s development is complete and he must now come to terms with his relationship with Nina, a person who is considered unnatural by his religious customs.
Wylan must face internal turmoil throughout this book. He never got a POV in Six of Crows, so his entire past, present, and future was crammed into one book. We learn about his dysfunctional relationship with his father and his emotions now that he is opposing him. He remains the group’s moral compass, but is forced to accept a darker way of doing things now that he is working with Kaz.
Jesper is the final character. This kind and loyal character broke Kaz’s trust in Six of Crows, and is now working extremely hard to regain. Someone from Jesper’s old life is introduced in the middle of his new bloodstained one. With these two worlds colliding and the reveal of his Grisha powers, he must figure out how he will put his life together.
Crooked Kingdom is amazing. It completely outshone its predecessor in almost every way, and Six of Crowwas an amazing book on its own. The book pulled you into the story immediately and had you trapped within the stories. The plot had many ups and downs, twists and turns, complicating with each chapter. New foes, old enemies, new problems, and old complications all combine to make this action-packed book enthralling and emotional.
This book is comprised of a series of cons and after a while, some aspects become predicable. Thankfully, that doesn’t stop the book from surprising you with unexpected developments and being amazingly enjoyable.
The characters are also well written and expanded upon. Each one receives faces monumental conflicts and decisions to make about their future. All of them juggled multiple problems, making them feel even more human. Crooked Kingdom delves into all of their backstories and we watch them try to overcome their pasts. Leigh Bardugo doesn’t forget the witty banter that gave Six of Crows levity.
There is plenty of sarcasm between the characters making parts of this book hilarious, but the tone has changed now that the characters are more trusting of each other.
The setting is also beautifully written. In this installment, Kaz and his crew are confined to Ketterdam, but the familiar setting enhances the plot. Each character had a differing, but similar experience on the streets of Ketterdam. Now they must overcome their demons while fighting for the streets they each bled for. This book also contains more references to the Grisha Trilogy. While it is not vital to read the book, some familiar characters make an appearance so it is more enjoyable if you are familiar with the trilogy.
I give this amazing 536 page book 5 stars.
Six of Crows
This series takes place in the same world as the Grisha Trilogy. The Grisha a born with a magical ability. Some countries let the Grisha live among humans while others persecute them or use them as weapons. Each country has a diverse culture and attitude.my.
Series Analysis
Six of Crows is an amazing duology by Leigh Bardugo. This book is set in the same world as the Grisha Trilogy but tells a completely unrelated story. This world, full of magic wielders known as Grisha, is divided into several warring nations. Six diverse characters come together on the brutal streets of Ketterdam to pull off the most amazing heist the world has ever scene. The characters are well written and multidimensional while the plot is action-packed and exciting. The book is very character driven and is told from several distinct POVs. This seires earned an average rating of 4.57 on goodreads and a perfect score of 5 stars on this site.