Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows, #2) by Leigh Bardugo | Book Review

“I would have 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.”

Title: Crooked Kingdom
Series: Six of Crows, #2
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Published: 09/20/16
Edition: hardcover
Pages: 546
My Rating: 5 / 5
Goodreads page

WARNING: There are spoilers from Six of Crows in this review.

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.

(This synopsis is from Goodreads.)

Thoughts

I was right about one thing. I knew that all the details that are laid out in front of me throughout the story would soon come together into something unexpected. It’s kind of like the BBC Sherlock TV show. You know that all the details you see are eventually going to lead to something, but you can never guess what that something is. I felt the same exact way when I was reading Crooked Kingdom.

Speaking of Sherlock, Kaz is very similar to Sherlock Holmes in the TV show. Let’s compare:

Kaz Brekker	Sherlock Holmes
mad genius	mad genius
schemer	sort of a schemer
doesn’t see himself as a hero	likewise
surprisingly good at fighting	where did he learn how to fight like that?
pretends not to care for people	“Sentiment is a chemical defect found in the losing side.”
never tells the Dregs the whole plan	John was probably close to strangling Sherlock for not telling him the whole plan many, many times
basically an anti-hero	sees himself as an anti-hero

Aaaaaand the list goes on. If you liked the Six of Crows duology, there is a good chance you’ll probably like the BBC Sherlock TV show as well.

There isn’t much I can talk about without spoiling something. All you need to know is that it’s action-packed, sort-of romantic, and will keep you at the edge of your seat the whole dang time.

I liked the conclusion to this duology, but I still crave more. I wasn’t ready to let go of the Dregs and their world when it ended. However, I was satisfied with how Leigh Bardugo wrapped up such an impressive story. That’s a difficult thing to do, and Leigh Bardugo did it right.

Characters

Kaz Brekker

Kaz Brekker, you son of a gun! I’ll figure out what you’re up to one day….

Inej Ghafa

Still one of my favorite characters. It’s nice to be reminded every once in a while that she’s human just like the rest of us.

Nina Zenik

Also one of my favorite characters. I feel like I can relate to her the most when it comes to food.

Matthias Helvar

What are these feelings I’m feeling?

^^ Matthias throughout the book

Jesper Fahey

I knew it! My suspicions have been confirmed!

Wylan Van Eck

Poor boy, going through so much. If I had to choose one character who I think I would act like the most if I was in the Six of Crows story, it would probably be Wylan.

Jan Van Eck

You think you hated him in Six of Crows? You haven’t seen anything yet.

Conclusion

I give this book 5 / 5 BBC Sherlock character heads. I wish this series was longer than two books.

Until next time….