A review by rachaelszeto
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

There is something about the found family that is Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Nina, Matthias and Wylan that will forever hold a special place in my heart. To me, these kind of relationships are delightful to read, and so so fun. Leigh Bardugo does a fantastic job at developing the dynamic of the group, as well as the relationships between the characters. The banter and synergy of the group was immaculate. She gives almost equal amount of care and attention to each of the six main cast throughout this duology.

I thought Kaz and Inej stole the show in this book, and we also got to know more about Jesper and Wylan, whereas Nina and Matthias took a back seat as compared to their angsty yet addicting relationship in SoC. 

The plot was ever-changing, yet tied up neatly at the end when everything fell into place. Throughout the middle of the book, I was swept alongside an ever evolving plan, and it was pretty unpredictable at times, as is the style of the genius thief and planner, Kaz Brekker. The ending was thoroughly emotional and somewhat satisfying, (major spoiler ahead)

though I would argue that a certain character's death felt pointless (but I'm just bias)

. I won't reveal much about the plot, but I enjoyed the cat and mouse game between the crew and their long list of enemies, with Kaz constantly trying to be one (or several) steps ahead at all times. 

Overall, this duology gets a 5/5 from me and it will definitely warrant a re-read in the future.