Crooked Kingdom
This Post is Spoiler Free
I finished Crooked Kingdom last night, and ow. It hurt, but goodness gracious it was worth it. That book was incredible. The whole Six of Crows duology was incredible. Leigh Bardugo is a genius—a brilliant writer and mystifying storyteller.
My feelings about Crooked Kingdom are pretty similar to my feelings about Six of Crows (read my discussion here), in the sense where she employs the same writing techniques. Her descriptions are so in depth, that I felt like I was walking the streets of Ketterdam, and the way she utilizes flashbacks is just chilling. Both of these books felt alive. I lost track of time every time I opened either of those books. It was like I was sucked through a portal. It was what reading was for me when I was young and didn’t have to worry about things such as work. It was like finding a home I never knew I had (a dirty, grimy home in the streets of a city I know full well I wouldn’t survive in, but still).
I’m getting sentimental, but Bardugo’s writing is just that good!
Something I had failed to mention in my Six of Crows discussion post… this story always kept me guessing. A lot of times, books fall into one of the many story-telling formulas. If you are an avid reader, you can generally recognize them. They aren’t bad, in any way (or, at least, I don’t mind them). They are just a little predictable. Well, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom never felt predictable. There were times in Crooked Kingdom where I had guessed Kaz’s game, but there was always something—something that I didn’t expect—and I was reminded that Kaz never just plays one game.
It never felt forced, though. Sometimes, I feel like authors push a twist just to be unpredictable. Like… someone will betray the team, but have no actual reason behind it. The problem almost always isn’t because of the twist, more because of the lack of reasoning behind it. Bardugo always had a good explanation for her twists.
If I’m being honest, there was one point, about 50 pages from the end, where I was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, the twists and turns of the story were starting to become a little too predictable—I was just a little two comfortable. But then… Bardugo just tore the blanket of comfort away from me. Roughly. With a snarl. And made me cry (madam, you are a bully). Not that I’m upset, though. I once was told that “A book that doesn’t hurt is a book not worth reading at all.” Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are DEFINITELY worth reading. Please read them.
Also… the character development was incredible. Absolutely amazing. If I’m being perfectly honest, the only two characters I really, honestly loved at the beginning were Inej and Jesper, but by the end of the duology, Every. Single. One. Of. Them. Had. My. Heart!
I’m trying to make sure that this post remains spoiler free, so I’ll leave this here, but do yourself a favor and pick this book up. Join the Dregs (if you’ve got the stomach to deal with the Bastard of the Barrel). Just… yeah. That’s what I’ve got for you!
Thank you Siân (stalk her blog at libraryofaginger.home.blog ) for making me read this book. Well, I was going to read it no matter what, but thanks for being there to deal with all of my commentary literally every time something happened. For the last week, basically all of our insta dms have been me screaming about things in all caps, and her responding with a gif or promises that it gets worse. This is what friendship looks like!
Shop the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo!
Shadow and Bone Trilogy:
Six of Crows Duology:
King of Scars Duology (or… half of it at least):
