This year we're going to try something new that we hope will help us tackle our TBR piles and keep us motivated to complete our #RockMyTBR challenges.
We're starting a new feature called Theme Thursdays! Each
month, we'll review books from our respective TBRs that fit a theme we
choose at the beginning of the month. January's theme is MAGIC!
Crooked Kingdom
(Six of Crows #2)
Leigh Bardugo
Release: September 27, 2016
Goodreads Amazon
When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.
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 badly weakened, 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 the Grisha world.
Review:
I know the Dregs say "No Mourners. No Funerals." but I'm kind of mourning the fact that I have to say goodbye to this series and these characters. I'm not sure my heart could take any more books in this series but I want there to be more. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed that Leigh Bardugo will visit this world and these characters again at some point.
For Kaz Brekker and his crew, there's no rest for the wicked. After pulling off a heist that should have been impossible, they don't get the anticipated rest and retirement they were banking on. They have to fight and scheme some more after being cheated and deceived by Jan Van Eck, the merchant who initially hired them. First order of business, get Inej back from Van Eck while dodging others who are after their Shu scientist captive since parem’s existence has reached other lands. Ketterdam has found itself overrun with those who want control of the drug and they're all looking for Kaz and company. Just another day in the Barrel, am I right?
I loved that Crooked Kingdom started off running directly after the events of Six of Crows. And like the first book, there are twists and turns as Kaz and his ragtag gang of thieves try to get their revenge on Van Eck, free Inej, and keep jurda parem from becoming a more prevalent thing. Not all their plans run smoothly and that's the beauty of this book. When one roadblock would go up, I would anxiously wait to see if the gang would overcome or if it would finally be the straw that broke the camel’s back. I don't want to spoil anything, but I will say there were so many revelations that I didn’t really see coming. And even though I tried, I couldn't even begin to guess in what direction Kaz's scheming would go or what it would bring forth. I was constantly surprised. I'm pretty sure I almost had a heart attack reading most of this book.
The storyline was amazing but what really shined in this book were the characters. Leigh Bardugo continued to flesh out each of the main six and managed to add so much depth and more layers to each of them that I was amazed. Six of Crows introduced us to Kaz, Jesper, Wylan, Inej, Matthias, and Nina and their respective backgrounds but Crooked Kingdom is where they each had to confront and acknowledge certain things about themselves or their pasts. I loved seeing them figure out what they needed to overcome individually in order to move forward. And let me just say the Bardugo did not pull any punches. My heart still hurts.
Crooked Kingdom was an amazing conclusion to this duology. And while the direction it went in surprised me, I can't think of a better way for it to end. I seriously hope we’ll get to revisit these characters again in the future.
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