Not too long ago I read and reviewed Six of Crows (click the link to read this review first) by Leigh Bardugo. The first book of her Six of Crows duology, today, it is time for the second: Crooked Kingdom.
I don't know how Bardugo keeps doing it, but I am always on the edge of my seat when reading her books. She keeps surprising me and even when I am now anticipating those surprises somehow I never truly see it coming. Bardugo keeps her story fresh and characters interesting. And yes, in this one I even
let go of many tears. Which I will go into later, for now, I am keeping it spoiler-free.
Bardugo plays with the tension during the books, she does this so well and always keeps it interesting. This book felt more character-driven, all the pieces were tied together and it formed a cohesive ending. Yet, I still feel some need to read more of these characters, so as soon as I finished the book I ordered the Shadow and Bone trilogy to continue reading in this world. I saw that is recommended to read that trilogy first before going to King of Scars, which has characters of both books in them. I can't wait!
As in Six of Crows, Bardugo switches between different characters and now she also included Wylan. I loved to get to know more of him and his background and I loved to see his relationship with Jesper unfold. All of the characters have been through so much on such a young age, it makes their storylines and motivations strong. It makes their choices believable as a reader because you know what they have been through and what goes one inside their heads (except for Kaz of course, you never know what truly goes on in his brain).
I loved the storyline between Matthias and Nina, to see their relationship grow and unfold was so wholesome. I actually cheered when they FINALLY kissed and I always wanted more of it. When I finished the book I was truly in disbelief because I did not see the death of Matthias coming. It was a reasonable choice to not let all the characters live, but it still hurt my heart. Of all the six characters I do find Matthias the 'best' choice to die, but I just want all the "happily-ever-afters". I am hoping to see more of Nina in King of Scars, how she deals with her grief and pain.
I think that I liked Inej the most, her storyline and her character were just so good. I liked her faith in her Saints, to see all their own beliefs was so refreshing, especially because they all respected each other. Inej is such a tough person and someone I just need to read more of. Her dynamic with Kaz is so intriguing and interesting. While reading I just wanted them to kiss and love each other but their struggles often got the better hand.
*Continue here*
I flew through the story and even though it sometimes felt a little too fast, this book let me fall in love with the characters. It was just what I needed. I even found myself thinking a lot about the story and characters when I wasn't reading, which is a good sign for me.
I would definitely recommend this book to all people that like YA fantasy, it is something new and refreshing. I now have a lot of respect for Bardugo for the amount of planning that definitely went into this. It is just such a good book and I can't wait to explore her world further.
Keep reading,
Julia
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