After finishing Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, I could hardly wait to get my hands on a copy of Crooked Kingdom. This next novel in the duology takes place right where Six of Crows leaves off. As the mission at the Ice Court comes to a close and several new missions form, Kaz Brekker and his gang of outcasts face many obstacles and plenty of newcomers in Ketterdam.

Family and the gang’s backgrounds are ever-present in Crooked Kingdom, helping to develop their personalities even further. Kaz and his crew have practically all of Ketterdam against them and are sent into hiding and forced to don costumes if they want to get anything accomplished.

Relationships between all six members grow strong as love and loss surround them during this new journey for their freedom and other desires. Nina, Matthias, Jesper, Wylan, Inej, and Kaz open their minds and hearts to understand their pasts, helping them all in their own ways grow strong and overcome their weaknesses.

With a lot to learn along the way and adjustments to make during their courses of action, this crew becomes family to one another, forming an unbreakable bond. Crooked Kingdom is an emotional rollercoaster that pulls on your heartstrings, causes you to holler with cheer, and flinch at signs of danger.

Leigh Bardugo has once again done an amazing job capturing the reader’s attention with her beautiful and well-crafted writing. Similar to Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom is separated into multiple points of view and split into six different parts. A perspective that was a great addition to this novel was Wylan’s. I was happy to see that Bardugo had given Wylan more of a voice and greater importance this time around.

Another element that I enjoyed aside from the writing altogether was Bardugo’s choice of title for each new part of the story. I found that they held strong meaning and described their sections accordingly. They also found their way through the entirety of the story, holding on to their importance.

If you read Six of Crows, there is no doubt in my mind that you need to read Crooked Kingdom. And if you haven’t read Six of Crows, read it so you can read this one next. I am often disappointed in sequels, but I know that I enjoyed Crooked Kingdom even more than the first novel. So, if it isn’t clear enough with all of my praise, Bardugo, I am giving you another five stars for this fantastic addition to the Grishaverse.

As always, thanks for reading! 💜

★★★★★