Reviews tagging 'Police brutality'

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

16 reviews

purplehulk713's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring reflective tense fast-paced

• 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

Truly compelling and masterfully crafted, Leigh Bardugo is truly a Grisha, a Corporalki able to both rend and heal your heart with her cruel and beautiful tales. My friend Alice was so right to keep insisting that I read this series. As much as I hate Kaz, he is wonderfully written, Inej is epic, Jesper is hilarious and precise, Nina is witty and pragmatic, Matthias is gorgeous and admirable in his change of heart which made his fate all the more lamentable, and Wylan is adorable and his struggles of character and family are fascinating. I find this book was even better than the first with all of its swerving twists and triumphant victories coming from the most downtrodden individuals in all of Kerch. Inej’s reunion at the end Gad me close to tears and the development of Nina’s unique power was eerie and fascinating. Leigh Bardugo is a master of her own Small Science—the manipulation of words for her own incredible manifestations! When you can’t beat the odds, change the game.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, Pregnancy, and Sexual harassment

Some of it is graphic but I couldn’t recall if all of them were so I thought better safe than sorry.

oliverreeds's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• 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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

elthechameleon's review against another edition

adventurous funny medium-paced

• 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

4.75

This book is easy to get lost in. It has the classic found family trope, but the plot twists are so well structured and planned that it keeps you on your toes the entire story.

Matthias’ death was crushing, but does this promise to change drüskelle ways mean another book for Nina? Or another book for Inej and Kaz finally taking down slavers and swindlers? And how incredible to see the fearless couple develop so thoughtfully, carefully…the ending with Inej threatening Pekka and Kaz finding her parents reminded me that these two always find small ways to show love, even if the other doesn’t know it.

The overarching narrative of struggle and sins was artfully done. The investigating quotation is: How does one forgive after such acts? A good takeaway message with thrills and adventures. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Violence, Police brutality, Medical trauma, and Abandonment

Minor: Ableism

safety_pin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment

Moderate: Drug abuse, Drug use, Slavery, Medical content, Kidnapping, and War

Minor: Police brutality

fairytaleriots's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense slow-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Confinement, Blood, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Animal cruelty, Slavery, and Police brutality

betweentheshelves's review against another edition

adventurous tense fast-paced

• 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

You know, I still think this is Leigh Bardugo's best book. Granted, I haven't actually finished her adult fantasy duology, but still. There are lots of twists and turns, and man, the Crows. Yes, they're a bit morally gray but they are just so well developed. There's definitely a reason that most people like this duology best.

Also this one really connects to Shadow and Bone the best, and sets up what happens in the King of Scars duology. And this is why we need a Six of Crows spinoff show because everyone really loves them the best.
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Round two, just as good the second time! I think Bardugo's writing just gets so much better with this duology. I loved the twists and turns in this one, and the emotions! Ugh. I loved it. 
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Okay, Wylan and Jesper are probably my favorites in this. Also, I think I liked this one better than Six of Crows. It was so twisty and emotional and fantastic. I definitely understand the hype better, now! It was a whirlwind of a read.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, and Grief

Moderate: Drug use, Racism, Trafficking, and Murder