Title: Crooked Kingdom
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Six of Crows #2
Genre: YA/Fantasy
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Publication Date: September 20th, 2016
Edition: Hardcover, 546 pages
Source: Purchased
Synopsis:
Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets—a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.
Holy shit. I still can't believe I waited so long to read this series. And there's a THIRD in the works, kind of, eventually at least. It's listed on Goodreads anyway.
I needed a couple days to sort through all my FEELS and THOUGHTS on this book. It was just so intense, and one of the best books I have read this year. I am kicking myself that I waited so long to read this series. I think this series is superior to the Grisha trilogy. The writing is a little better (the other trilogy is very well written, but Bardugo's writing just got better). There are fewer cliches in this book, which might be one reason why I think it's written better. There isn't any kind of love triangle at all, which is a really nice change. But the "romantic" scenes in this book, especially the one with Kaz and Inej was one of the steamiest and most innocent scenes I have read in any book with a romance. I hope to see more of that blossom in the third book.
The plot of this book seems a little all over the place at times, and I can see where some people felt that it was convoluted at times. Kaz has such layered plans that it can come across as things just being really convenient. But I think the way he grew up, and what happened to him as a kid, caused him to have a contingency plan for everything even his contingency plans. And while he always finds a way out of sticky situations, not everything goes his way. Otherwise, nothing bad would have happened at all to him. Which we know isn't true.
I absolutely love these characters. While I think the main antagonist, Van Eck, of this book isn't quite as compelling as The Darkling, he was still a great character. I think the dynamic of the antagonist to the protagonist is different because Kaz isn't a hero. He's more of an anti-hero. Inej wants Kaz to be a hero, but he knows he's not really a hero type. He's not as bad as he wants others to believe he is, but he's still not a great person. He wants people to think he's far worse than he actually is to the tragedy of his past can't happen again.
Let's talk about Inej, she might be my favorite character across the whole Grishaverse. She is such a compelling character and such an emotionally strong person. What she goes through, everything that happens and she still has faith not only in other people but in her religion. She never grows bitter or angry at the world for what happened. She is angry, but only at the ones that actually hurt her and others like them.
Nina and Matthis, they are kind of a pair. Who they are is deeply tied to each other, even though they've known each other for barely a year. I don't think it was explicitly mentioned how long they traveled together before she regrettably sold him out. But he was only in prison for a year. What they have is so special and tragic. I hope more of that is covered in the eventual book three.
Jesper and Wylan. Also a pair, they are so damn cute. Wylan is a great character and I really feel for him. He was abused for years, emotional abuse, by his father, then was even after being basically thrown out on the street by him and mocked. Deep down he still had hope that his father had some kind of love for him. He held on to hope, and it makes me really sad when more of the abuse is revealed. But Jesper and Wylan are so good for each other. Jesper just constantly trying to get Wylan to understand that not being able to read doesn't mean he's not smart; Wylan trying to get Jesper to be a better person. To accept who he is. They are just great.
Both villains of this book are well-rounded characters, in their own way. Jan Van Eck is the corrupt businessman's self-righteous type. Willing to cast aside anyone who he thinks will hurt his money. He thinks that because he earned his wealth, mostly, legally he is better than the other criminals in the city.
Pekks Rollins is considered one of the kings of the underbelly of Ketterdam. He's a lot like Van Eck in many ways. They are kind of two sides of the same dirty coin. Their biggest difference is that Pekka has no illusions of his moral standing. He knows that he's a criminal and seems proud, whereas Van Eck has convinced himself that because he has more legitimate businesses and earned his wealth partially through inheritance and through legal ventures he's morally above Pekka. But they make an interesting pair of villains. The ironic thing is that Pekka seems to care more about his family than he does money, and he's a criminal who's murdered people, Van Eck locked away his wife and threw his son out on the street all to protect his money.
The plot of this book seems a little all over the place at times, and I can see where some people felt that it was convoluted at times. Kaz has such layered plans that it can come across as things just being really convenient. But I think the way he grew up, and what happened to him as a kid, caused him to have a contingency plan for everything even his contingency plans. And while he always finds a way out of sticky situations, not everything goes his way. Otherwise, nothing bad would have happened at all to him. Which we know isn't true.
I absolutely love these characters. While I think the main antagonist, Van Eck, of this book isn't quite as compelling as The Darkling, he was still a great character. I think the dynamic of the antagonist to the protagonist is different because Kaz isn't a hero. He's more of an anti-hero. Inej wants Kaz to be a hero, but he knows he's not really a hero type. He's not as bad as he wants others to believe he is, but he's still not a great person. He wants people to think he's far worse than he actually is to the tragedy of his past can't happen again.
Let's talk about Inej, she might be my favorite character across the whole Grishaverse. She is such a compelling character and such an emotionally strong person. What she goes through, everything that happens and she still has faith not only in other people but in her religion. She never grows bitter or angry at the world for what happened. She is angry, but only at the ones that actually hurt her and others like them.
Nina and Matthis, they are kind of a pair. Who they are is deeply tied to each other, even though they've known each other for barely a year. I don't think it was explicitly mentioned how long they traveled together before she regrettably sold him out. But he was only in prison for a year. What they have is so special and tragic. I hope more of that is covered in the eventual book three.
Jesper and Wylan. Also a pair, they are so damn cute. Wylan is a great character and I really feel for him. He was abused for years, emotional abuse, by his father, then was even after being basically thrown out on the street by him and mocked. Deep down he still had hope that his father had some kind of love for him. He held on to hope, and it makes me really sad when more of the abuse is revealed. But Jesper and Wylan are so good for each other. Jesper just constantly trying to get Wylan to understand that not being able to read doesn't mean he's not smart; Wylan trying to get Jesper to be a better person. To accept who he is. They are just great.
Both villains of this book are well-rounded characters, in their own way. Jan Van Eck is the corrupt businessman's self-righteous type. Willing to cast aside anyone who he thinks will hurt his money. He thinks that because he earned his wealth, mostly, legally he is better than the other criminals in the city.
Pekks Rollins is considered one of the kings of the underbelly of Ketterdam. He's a lot like Van Eck in many ways. They are kind of two sides of the same dirty coin. Their biggest difference is that Pekka has no illusions of his moral standing. He knows that he's a criminal and seems proud, whereas Van Eck has convinced himself that because he has more legitimate businesses and earned his wealth partially through inheritance and through legal ventures he's morally above Pekka. But they make an interesting pair of villains. The ironic thing is that Pekka seems to care more about his family than he does money, and he's a criminal who's murdered people, Van Eck locked away his wife and threw his son out on the street all to protect his money.
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