#IntoxikaitingReads: Crooked Kingdom (a book review)
Disclaimer: The following review contains MAJOR spoilers from Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
Here's the story - You know I've been waiting for this book. I was such a sucker for pain when I read Six of Crows, and with an ending like that, you have to know that I was left wanting more. I read Six of Crows in March, and was immediately thirsting for more, so I decided to pray to Ghezen that it wouldn't be 2017. Quick forays into GoodReads revealed that the book was slated for release in September/October. And you can bet I was as happy as Jesper Fahey receiving a whole boatload of guns. I. Was. Happy. And it finally came out earlier this week and I was lucky enough to grab a copy. So I dove deep, deep, deep into it, and I was, yet again, completely blown away by how beautifully told this story was, and how even more likable the characters were. Here's what I have to say.
If you thought that the previous heist was a ginormous one, ohhh, you're in for a huge surprise. The plans, the con, the heist, the different elements in this entire book just fit and mesh together so well, and everything works out so splendidly and unexpectedly. I'm ashamed of the fact that twice in the book, I'd lost hope in Kaz Brekker. Oh, if only I had the utmost trust that Inej has for him. Anyways, it would be hard for me to describe the heist and the plot in detail, so I'll keep it short and sweet. Kaz Brekker needs to reclaim his Wraith and exact revenge on Jan Van Eck and get his promised thirty million kruge and make Pekka Rollins remember him and sort out his feelings for a certain young lady mentioned earlier in the sentence. Not to mention he has to keep everyone alive (well, he doesn't have to, but he wants to, and that's a difference), so that they can all be free to make their own decisions and live their lives the way they want to. I praise Bardugo for the intricacy of the plot and details.
(Since I've mentioned these characters in my SoC review, I won't be dwelling much on their individual characteristics. I will, however, be giving them 'awards', since it is the end of the duology and I really do have nothing else to judge them on.) My praise for Six of Crows rings true all the way through this book - I love and adore these characters because I can relate to them so much, and even see them as real people I could interact with and fall in love with on a daily basis.
Inej Ghafa is still my favorite, and earns the Favorite Character of the Series award. She's still amazing, still tantalizingly written and characterized in such a way that I just cannot completely wrap my fingers around. Points I absolutely love about her are her resilience, her absolute, complete, and total loyalty to her friends (and, most notably, to a certain Kaz Brekker).
Favorite scene: Definitely has to be the scene in the bathroom where Kaz is bandaging her up. She has so much patience with him, knows exactly what to say to him, and encourages her to kiss her neck. In all seriousness, though? This scene is one of the most memorable ones. Her fight with Dunyasha is also a favorite.
Kaz Brekker is also still my favorite, and earns the title of Book Boyfriend of the Series. I sin for Kaz Brekker. I would pick a lock for Kaz Brekker. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't kill for Kaz Brekker, but I would most likely at least try to maybe injure someone for Kaz Brekker. Leigh Bardugo's created a character that I find intriguing, dark, andoutrageously sinful just all-around amazing.
Favorite Scene: Ahhhh. Kaz stars in two scenes that I love the most, and it's just - agh. I literally flailed in bed while reading these scenes. The first one I absolutely loved was his talk with Inej after she asks him if he would still come after her if she had been broken. "If I couldn't walk, I'd crawl." Oh Saints. The second scene, and my absolute favorite scene in the series, is his ending with Inej. One - he bought her a boat. This is the first time I made an actual inhuman noise during the book. Two - he decided to finally, finally, touch her. Not brief touches, no. Hand-holding and actual skin to skin contact. Because only someone who read both books thoroughly would know why Kaz actually touching someone without his gloves would make us cry. Three - he brings her family to Ketterdam. Now this is where I all out lose it and, quite frankly, do not give a damn that the two of them didn't kiss throughout the duology. Frankly put, I was wondering if there would be a Kaz and Inej kiss, seeing how those two have obvious touch problems. But that family thing... Man. I just. I can't. My boy. He's too amazing. I cannot.
Wylan Van Eck is still my cinnamon roll, but this time, he definitely earns the Best Character Development award. He starts off as one of the weakest characters (both skill-wise and personality-wise), but then he just transforms into this amazing, depth-filled character. Among all of the different endings for the six main characters, I love Wylan's especially; I love that he's reunited with his mother, and I love that Jesper's helping him with his business, and I love that Wylan decides to help Jesper with his gambling problems.
Favorite Scene: There's this one scene where it's clear that Kaz's character is starting to rub off on him, and Inej and Jesper immediately start ribbing on Wylan's 'Scheming Face'. Ahhh, I definitely love that one.
Jesper Fahey suddenly became even more likable to me in Crooked Kingdom. This is partly because of his role as the comic relief character, but mostly because of his growing and budding relationship with Wylan. I see Jesper as the person that becomes more changed between him and Wylan, and his interactions with his father, Colm, just seal the deal for me. I might have been a bit judgmental of him in the first book. Oh, and his award? Best Supporting Character. Literally.
Favorite Scene: The piano scene with Kuwei. Hands-down. It is hilarious and it is amazing and oh Ghezen it was the most unexpected kissing scene in the entire book. I still wouldn't trade it for anything - even a KazInej kissing scene. Okay, maybe not that scene. But still. Another scene I love, more on the sentimental side, is how he knows what to say when Wylan's still trying to process the fact that his mother is alive.
Matthias Helvar. Matthias, Matthias, Matthias. Need I say more? This guy definitely gets the award for Most Undeserving Death in a Book. Leigh, you didn't need to kill Matthias, that was just cruel of you! Among all of them, if there was one couple that I thought would get the happiest ending among the three couples, it was Nina and Matthias. These two got together among all odds, formed the most amazing relationship, and created the most believable and intricate chemistry. And then he got shot. After all he's been through, after surviving a bomb, after getting the one he loves, he dies because he gets shot. Really? Really?!
Favorite Scene: Because his death makes me emotional, I'll say it. All of his scenes. They're underappreciated and he's the most lovable Thor-esque hunk in the world. Matthias Helvar lives on, bitches.
Nina Zenik. Nina, Nina, Nina. Matthias and Nina make me so emotional that it's hard for me to form words. Same as Matthias, I really sincerely thought that these two would actually make it to forever and ever, and happily ever after. But nooooo. Nina gets the Saddest Ending award. I know, that shouldn't even be an ending. But it is. At least Matthias is dead. He won't be endlessly thinking about Nina till kingdom come. Nina, on the other hand, is just going to be thinking about Matthias until she aches no more. So yes, she gets the saddest ending. Ninaaaaaa.
Favorite Scene: I love her every time she calls Kaz out on his shit. She's such a snarky character, such a funny and lovable character (which is why Matthias shouldn't have been ripped away from her) and I love how she's simply unafraid of the consequences of even daring to challenge Kaz.
I think it's obvious what my thoughts are on the duology. Simply put, I absolutely love Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. It's been such a long time since I was able to read a book that simply took me by the hand and took me on one of the best rides of my life. The world-building is impressive, especially since this is basically a spin-off from the Grisha trilogy, and as someone who has only read Shadow and Bone, I found this book easy to read, easy to flow through, and easy to fall in love with. As with Six of Crows, I didn't find the multiple POVs distracting, nor unlikable. I loved getting to know each character, and getting to be a part of their different stories. I am definitely going to get the series in hardcover - and that means something. I only ever get hardcovers of books I really, really love.
Rating: 10/10. I highly recommend this book for people who are looking for a new adventure to dive into. You won't need to read the Grisha trilogy in order to appreciate the whole book, though, but I've been told that there are one or two major spoilers from the Grisha trilogy, so... be warned.
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| //whale sounds// |
The plot.
The characters.
(Since I've mentioned these characters in my SoC review, I won't be dwelling much on their individual characteristics. I will, however, be giving them 'awards', since it is the end of the duology and I really do have nothing else to judge them on.) My praise for Six of Crows rings true all the way through this book - I love and adore these characters because I can relate to them so much, and even see them as real people I could interact with and fall in love with on a daily basis.
Inej Ghafa is still my favorite, and earns the Favorite Character of the Series award. She's still amazing, still tantalizingly written and characterized in such a way that I just cannot completely wrap my fingers around. Points I absolutely love about her are her resilience, her absolute, complete, and total loyalty to her friends (and, most notably, to a certain Kaz Brekker).
Favorite scene: Definitely has to be the scene in the bathroom where Kaz is bandaging her up. She has so much patience with him, knows exactly what to say to him, and encourages her to kiss her neck. In all seriousness, though? This scene is one of the most memorable ones. Her fight with Dunyasha is also a favorite.
Kaz Brekker is also still my favorite, and earns the title of Book Boyfriend of the Series. I sin for Kaz Brekker. I would pick a lock for Kaz Brekker. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't kill for Kaz Brekker, but I would most likely at least try to maybe injure someone for Kaz Brekker. Leigh Bardugo's created a character that I find intriguing, dark, and
Favorite Scene: Ahhhh. Kaz stars in two scenes that I love the most, and it's just - agh. I literally flailed in bed while reading these scenes. The first one I absolutely loved was his talk with Inej after she asks him if he would still come after her if she had been broken. "If I couldn't walk, I'd crawl." Oh Saints. The second scene, and my absolute favorite scene in the series, is his ending with Inej. One - he bought her a boat. This is the first time I made an actual inhuman noise during the book. Two - he decided to finally, finally, touch her. Not brief touches, no. Hand-holding and actual skin to skin contact. Because only someone who read both books thoroughly would know why Kaz actually touching someone without his gloves would make us cry. Three - he brings her family to Ketterdam. Now this is where I all out lose it and, quite frankly, do not give a damn that the two of them didn't kiss throughout the duology. Frankly put, I was wondering if there would be a Kaz and Inej kiss, seeing how those two have obvious touch problems. But that family thing... Man. I just. I can't. My boy. He's too amazing. I cannot.
Wylan Van Eck is still my cinnamon roll, but this time, he definitely earns the Best Character Development award. He starts off as one of the weakest characters (both skill-wise and personality-wise), but then he just transforms into this amazing, depth-filled character. Among all of the different endings for the six main characters, I love Wylan's especially; I love that he's reunited with his mother, and I love that Jesper's helping him with his business, and I love that Wylan decides to help Jesper with his gambling problems.
Favorite Scene: There's this one scene where it's clear that Kaz's character is starting to rub off on him, and Inej and Jesper immediately start ribbing on Wylan's 'Scheming Face'. Ahhh, I definitely love that one.
Jesper Fahey suddenly became even more likable to me in Crooked Kingdom. This is partly because of his role as the comic relief character, but mostly because of his growing and budding relationship with Wylan. I see Jesper as the person that becomes more changed between him and Wylan, and his interactions with his father, Colm, just seal the deal for me. I might have been a bit judgmental of him in the first book. Oh, and his award? Best Supporting Character. Literally.
Favorite Scene: The piano scene with Kuwei. Hands-down. It is hilarious and it is amazing and oh Ghezen it was the most unexpected kissing scene in the entire book. I still wouldn't trade it for anything - even a KazInej kissing scene. Okay, maybe not that scene. But still. Another scene I love, more on the sentimental side, is how he knows what to say when Wylan's still trying to process the fact that his mother is alive.
Matthias Helvar. Matthias, Matthias, Matthias. Need I say more? This guy definitely gets the award for Most Undeserving Death in a Book. Leigh, you didn't need to kill Matthias, that was just cruel of you! Among all of them, if there was one couple that I thought would get the happiest ending among the three couples, it was Nina and Matthias. These two got together among all odds, formed the most amazing relationship, and created the most believable and intricate chemistry. And then he got shot. After all he's been through, after surviving a bomb, after getting the one he loves, he dies because he gets shot. Really? Really?!
Favorite Scene: Because his death makes me emotional, I'll say it. All of his scenes. They're underappreciated and he's the most lovable Thor-esque hunk in the world. Matthias Helvar lives on, bitches.
Nina Zenik. Nina, Nina, Nina. Matthias and Nina make me so emotional that it's hard for me to form words. Same as Matthias, I really sincerely thought that these two would actually make it to forever and ever, and happily ever after. But nooooo. Nina gets the Saddest Ending award. I know, that shouldn't even be an ending. But it is. At least Matthias is dead. He won't be endlessly thinking about Nina till kingdom come. Nina, on the other hand, is just going to be thinking about Matthias until she aches no more. So yes, she gets the saddest ending. Ninaaaaaa.
Favorite Scene: I love her every time she calls Kaz out on his shit. She's such a snarky character, such a funny and lovable character (which is why Matthias shouldn't have been ripped away from her) and I love how she's simply unafraid of the consequences of even daring to challenge Kaz.
The Verdict.
I think it's obvious what my thoughts are on the duology. Simply put, I absolutely love Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. It's been such a long time since I was able to read a book that simply took me by the hand and took me on one of the best rides of my life. The world-building is impressive, especially since this is basically a spin-off from the Grisha trilogy, and as someone who has only read Shadow and Bone, I found this book easy to read, easy to flow through, and easy to fall in love with. As with Six of Crows, I didn't find the multiple POVs distracting, nor unlikable. I loved getting to know each character, and getting to be a part of their different stories. I am definitely going to get the series in hardcover - and that means something. I only ever get hardcovers of books I really, really love.
Rating: 10/10. I highly recommend this book for people who are looking for a new adventure to dive into. You won't need to read the Grisha trilogy in order to appreciate the whole book, though, but I've been told that there are one or two major spoilers from the Grisha trilogy, so... be warned.
Quotable Quotes!
"If we're going to lie to ourselves, we might as well be grand about it." - Nina Zenik
He knew what it was like to be out of your depth, and he sometimes suspected they could forgo all of Kaz's planning and simply let Jesper and Nina flirt the entirety of Ketterdam into submission.
- Matthias Helvar
"Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?" "So?" "Well, usually it's just half the city." - Jesper Fahey and Kaz Brekker
"You haven't been alive long enough to rack up your share of sin." - Colm Fahey
"Vile, ruthless, amoral. Isn't that why you hired Kaz in the first place? Because he does the things that no one else dares? Go on, Van Eck. Break my legs and see what happens. Dare him." ... "Console yourself. Even better men can be bested." - Inej Ghafa
"Always hit where the mark isn't looking." "Sweet Ghezen, you've been thoroughly corrupted." - Wylan Van Eck and Jesper Fahey
"What did you try to make me do?" "I'm trying to compel you to kiss me." "That's foolish." "Why is that?" "Because I always want to kiss you." - Matthias Helvar and Nina Zenik
"Zoya used to say that fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return." - Nina Zenik
"Is this really what you want? To be a criminal? To keep bouncing from the next score to the next fight to the next near miss?" "Honestly? Yes. This is what I want. But it's not all I want." - Wylan Van Eck and Jesper Fahey
"I don't hold a grudge. I cradle it. I coddle it. I feed it fine cuts of meat and send it to the best schools. I nurture my grudges, Rollins." - Kaz Brekker
"You should have killed me at the Ice Court." "But then Kaz would have killed me and then Matthias would have killed Kaz and it would have gotten incredibly messy." - Kuwei Yul-Bo and Nina Zenik
He fears for her, and he does not like it. For once, he could sympathize with the demjin. - Matthias Helvar
"I've taken knives, bullets, and too many punches to count, all for a little piece of this town. This is the city I bled for. And if Ketterdam has taught me anything, it's that you can always bleed a little more." - Kaz Brekker
Favorite Quote of the Series:
"He was going to break my legs. Would you have come for me then, Kaz? When I couldn't scale a wall or walk a tightrope? When I wasn't the Wraith anymore?" - Inej Ghafa
"He was going to break my legs. Would you have come for me then, Kaz? When I couldn't scale a wall or walk a tightrope? When I wasn't the Wraith anymore?" - Inej Ghafa
"I would 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." - Kaz Brekker
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