by Leigh Bardugo
536 pages
So, as you know, the heist book I read for this list was Six of Crows. Six of Crows is the first book in this two-part series. I wasn't entirely sure that I'd be able to count a book with one sequel as a "series," but my librarian assured me that it counts. With her professional opinion thrown in there, I checked out Crooked Kingdom before I had even finished Six of Crows. I wanted to make sure I had it in my hands before Christmas break.
Okay, so Six of Crows, introduced us to Kaz Brekker and his gang of criminals who were attempting to pull off the greatest heist of all. In Crooked Kingdom, we get the continuation of the story. We get to see what happens next. At the end of Six of Crows, something is taken from Kaz's gang. It is extremely personal and Crooked Kingdom begins with the fight to get back what has been taken.
As this story progresses, we still get chapters following various characters. While they are are all told from the omniscient perspective, each chapter gives us insight to a different character's mindset and history. In this book we learn more about Jesper and Wylan. We are able to fully understand the depths of the hurt Kaz carries inside himself. We learn about family and loyalty and about vengeance and loss.
We still have the threat of the drug to control the Grisha and the search for the man who can create the drugs. We still have people we can trust and those we know to stay away from. While Six of Crows was a really unique heist story, Crooked Kingdom goes beyond that. It definitely didn't let me down. Although Kaz Brekker is a dangerous criminal, he is mostly a force to be reckoned with. Nothing gets by Kaz as his character is street-smart and unstoppable.
Bardugo's writing is fast-paced and doesn't miss on the details. At 500+ pages of detailed twists and turns, you'd expect something to get left out, but Bardugo manages to tie up all of the lose ends. I will be honest, there was one thing that might not have been solved, but I say MIGHT because I might have just confused a couple of the circumstances. Overall, it was really good.
I'd recommend these books for anyone looking for something interesting and different. The characters are far from perfect, but they are people you love and care about. The plot moves quickly, and there is no lack of suspense. I have already suggested it to my friend, so I hope he gets on it. Haha!
4 Stars