Title: Crooked Kingdom
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Six of Crows #2
Publisher: Orion Children's Books
Publication Date: September 27, 2017
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Length: 536 pages
Format: ebook
Source: borrowed
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.
My Thoughts:
Following the big heist in Six of Crows, Kaz Brekker and his dubious crew are back to settle scores and take control of the Barrel, their money, and their lives.
Ok, so I have mixed emotions about this book. I really liked it and gave it a solid 4 stars but afterward I was wondering if it should be more like a 4.5... I just can't bring myself to give it a full five stars and I feel terrible about that but I wanted so much more from it that I didn't get. That's a little unfair but there were also a couple of other reasons why I didn't 100% love it. (But mostly, yeah, I loved it.)
I remember thinking that the backstory for the characters in Six of Crows really started the book off slowly but eventually really had me attached to just about everyone. In Crooked Kingdom it seemed like that extensive character development was strategically placed just to slow down the plot, because otherwise it would be go, go, go with not a single moment to relax. So the flashbacks seemed really important to divy up the pacing but at the same time, a lot of it was stuff I remember from the first book and made me think that some of it was just filler. At times I just wanted to say, 'Get on with it. I already know this.'
I also had a hard time getting interested in the beginning. Maybe it was the year gap between books, but then again it seems to be that way for a lot of people. I was hooked again as soon as the action picked up though. This is definitely the kind of book you can speed through just because you're dying to know what happens next.
I was not disappointed in the continued theme of thieves, liars, and double-crossers in Crooked Kingdom. If any book will make you fall in love with a bunch of crooks and murderers, it's this one. Bardugo has you rooting for these Barrel thugs and wanting to squeeze hug themand push them together so they'll just flippin' kiss already.
I'm kind of in love with how Bardugo wrapped up this duology. The ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be but it was still pretty amazing. I'm eager to see more about this world and the Grisha in the future (despite that I still haven't read the Grisha trilogy yet) and hope that Bardugo still has some stories to tell about them.
Ok, so I have mixed emotions about this book. I really liked it and gave it a solid 4 stars but afterward I was wondering if it should be more like a 4.5... I just can't bring myself to give it a full five stars and I feel terrible about that but I wanted so much more from it that I didn't get. That's a little unfair but there were also a couple of other reasons why I didn't 100% love it. (But mostly, yeah, I loved it.)
I remember thinking that the backstory for the characters in Six of Crows really started the book off slowly but eventually really had me attached to just about everyone. In Crooked Kingdom it seemed like that extensive character development was strategically placed just to slow down the plot, because otherwise it would be go, go, go with not a single moment to relax. So the flashbacks seemed really important to divy up the pacing but at the same time, a lot of it was stuff I remember from the first book and made me think that some of it was just filler. At times I just wanted to say, 'Get on with it. I already know this.'
I also had a hard time getting interested in the beginning. Maybe it was the year gap between books, but then again it seems to be that way for a lot of people. I was hooked again as soon as the action picked up though. This is definitely the kind of book you can speed through just because you're dying to know what happens next.
I was not disappointed in the continued theme of thieves, liars, and double-crossers in Crooked Kingdom. If any book will make you fall in love with a bunch of crooks and murderers, it's this one. Bardugo has you rooting for these Barrel thugs and wanting to squeeze hug them
I'm kind of in love with how Bardugo wrapped up this duology. The ending wasn't as satisfying as I wanted it to be but it was still pretty amazing. I'm eager to see more about this world and the Grisha in the future (despite that I still haven't read the Grisha trilogy yet) and hope that Bardugo still has some stories to tell about them.
My Rating: 4 stars
Nice review. I have that problem too sometimes too, where you mostly love a book but there's just that sense that it wasn't quite perfect. This does sound like a fun series though, and I think I'm going to read them at some point. I love that it's a duology too, nice break from then usual trilogies.
ReplyDelete