Series: Six of Crows #2
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Square Fish
Released: September 4^th, 2018
Received: Own
Warnings: Graphic details, assault, slavery, psychological issues

Guys, the hype for Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) is real – and it is deserved! This novel is everything I had hoped it would be, and then a whole lot more. It concludes this duology, but it does so with a bang. Also, thankfully it is far from being the end for this world.

Kaz Brekker is a prodigy when it comes to crime, so it’s no surprise when he talked his crew into the most dangerous of heists yet. And then succeeded in doing exactly what he came for. Unfortunately, that success only succeeded in bringing more trouble his way.

They should have gotten a reward for their efforts. Instead, they’re fighting for their lives. Literally. It’ll take their combined knowledge and abilities in order to survive the storm that seeks to break them. No Mourners. No Funerals.

“Fear is a phoenix. You can watch it burn a thousand times and still it will return.”

As much as I enjoyed Six of Crows, I loved Crooked Kingdom ten times more. It was SO intense and thrilling. The stakes felt higher than ever, and the planning was so sneaky and entertaining to read.

Not to mention all of the individual character plot points, development, and romantic tension that was found almost all over the place. No wonder I enjoyed this read so much. This is a book that raised the ante, and it worked.

Seriously, it isn’t every day that I find myself enjoying the sequel more than the original. Yet that is exactly what happened here with Leigh Bardugo’s work. It’s freaking amazing. And it admittedly is making me all the more excited about the latest book she’s hinting at (an untitled book three?).

“Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don’t forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.”

The main plot is perfection – full of high stakes, personal cost, and development. But if you ask me, is the secondary plots where this novel really shines. The tension between so many of the characters, what they personally had to go through. All of it. It made them feel so blindingly real, and thus made their struggles carry weight.

Plus, let’s be honest here: the romantic subplots were pretty amazing. I’m not one to latch on to those plots all the time, but I really did here. I imagine that my ships are pretty standard for this series, but I’m totally okay with that!

Long story short: I seriously loved Crooked Kingdom, and would give anything to have the ability to keep on reading. Please, write more, and soon!