cryosphinx's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, and Gun violence
Minor: Addiction, Torture, and Slavery
specklethecrow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Religious bigotry
abelh's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Mental illness, Slavery, War, Confinement, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Addiction, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Ableism, Pandemic/Epidemic, and Abandonment
sebsie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Murder and Violence
riya99gupta's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Trafficking, Blood, and Violence
iladevlin28's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Animal death
Moderate: Slavery, Trafficking, Death, and Child death
Minor: Physical abuse
seforana's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Drug abuse, Animal cruelty, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Murder, Trafficking, Violence, Animal death, Blood, Death, Drug use, Addiction, and Injury/Injury detail
3crowsinatophat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Minor: Blood, Child abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Rape, Xenophobia, Addiction, Alcoholism, Sexual assault, Trafficking, Violence, War, Colonisation, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, and Sexism
journeywithrosie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I typically only rate books based on how they made me feel – did I enjoy it? Was it exciting? This is one of the rare times that the writing of a book completely blew me away. Bardugo’s writing style was inspiring to me as an aspiring author.
It’s also rare for me to like every single main character in a story, but this one did it for me. No matter how morally grey, how many mistakes they made, I loved every single one of the six crew members.
It took me over a week to get through the first section – not because I wasn’t enjoying it, but because it was a lot of information to take in (and I’m in a very busy season of life at the moment). Even though there was a lot of world building I highly enjoyed it, it didn’t feel heavy handed or forced like other books I’ve read.
Once I got past that first section I could hardly put the book down. The suspense was constant, yet there were so many calm character moments throughout, so it felt very well paced.
Sometimes heist stories leave me feeling disappointed and wondering what the point was. But here the motives were clear, every choice the characters made was logical to the story as a whole, and even though it ended a bit on an open ending, the payoff was so, so satisfying.
Can’t wait to read Crooked Kingdom, I just hope it’s as good as the first book!
Graphic: Violence
lostinwater's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Grief, Violence, Death of parent, Ableism, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, Torture, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual violence and Injury/Injury detail