Crooked Kingdom, an adventure-filled young adult novel written by Leigh Bardugo, is the sequel to the Six of Crows duology that follows 6 teenage criminals who are hired by a distrustful merchant to break a prisoner who is trapped in the Ice Court, the most heavily-guarded prison located in the icy country of Fjerda. The first book explores how each of the 6 brilliant teenagers has a special set of skills that are necessary for breaking into the guarded prison, and the reason why the merchant is so desperate for the prisoner who is stuck in the Ice Court. The main characters of the duology are Kaz Brekker, the 16 year-old criminal mastermind behind the heist, Inej Ghafa, a young acrobat who became a spy, Jesper, a sharpshooter with the power to manipulate metal, Nina, a Ravkan soldier with the power to manipulate the human body, Matthias, a Fjerdan soldier, and Wylan, an expert in explosives and the merchant life. It also covers how close the group becomes with each other as they travel across the dead and icy lands of Fjerda. The second book, Crooked Kingdom, focuses on the aftermath of the successful heist and the consequences that the group faces for stealing the only person in the world with knowledge of a drug that is most desired by each country and group of people.
This book was an amazing read that kept me on the edge of my seat, reading to see what would happen next. The plot and action of the story were entertaining to read and the world-building in this fantasy novel was very interesting to learn more about. When picking up this book to read, many would expect to see a typical book with chapters that are only from one character’s point of view, however, in Crooked Kingdom, this is not the case. Each of the compelling chapters has a different point of view, each switching from one of the 6 teenagers to another. This is one main thing that compelled me to finish this book because I was able to see what was going on in the story from the perspectives of all of the different characters. The author’s use of this perspective helped to make each character appealing and they were all incredibly well-written. Bardugo uses her novel to explore the tragedies that happen to young children and teenagers around the world, such as human trafficking and racial prejudice. I recommend this novel to those who enjoy fantasy books with strong and interesting characters and a riveting plot.
Comments