I know, I know; before you even say anything about my absence from posting, please let me explain. Over the past three months, I’ve been busy beyond belief—finishing school, exams, traveling, family time, work(!), and preparing for my semester away. Trust me, I’ve been so busy I haven’t even had time to update my summer reading list at all. So, if you’ve been checking that post and wondering why there’s been no activity from me there, that’s why.
However, I’m NEVER too busy not to read, and I’ve especially loved indulging my Y/A and fantasy cravings. After I finished Sapiens, I knew I needed to finish up the Six of Crows duology. It had been calling my name from my bookshelf for a while, and I needed to give it another chance. I must have known that as soon as I got two chapters in, I would be hooked. And sure enough, I remembered how much I loved Leigh’s storytelling and world-building and how much I missed the characters. By the end of the book, I was super nostalgic and sad that it had ended. If anyone has access to it, please send me the petition to add another book to the series—you have my full endorsement.
Crooked Kingdom wasn’t just super fun and fresh because I got to revisit the world of SOC; I also loved getting the expanded version of the plot I saw on Shadow & Bone Season 2. I miss that show so much every day, and didn’t realize the duology’s plot was covered in both sessions, albeit condensed and switched around so that the Ice Court heist in SOC never happened but the Jan Van Eck/Pekka Rollins plot (minus Kuwei) did. Like any book series adapted into a show, it always pays to read the books first because the show inevitably cuts parts of the plot when adapting them.
Speaking of which (not me going on a different tangent), who’s excited for AGGGTM?????? I am so freaking ready, it’s insane!! I literally cannot wait. I was so excited for the 14th because I thought I could watch it by then, but it’s only been released on British streaming services, so I have to wait for August 1st. Ugh! Anyway, from the trailers I’ve seen it looks so incredibly well done and I can’t wait to show it to my friends and family. Sorry, sorry, I’ve completely left my review of CK—getting back on track now.
So, here are a few things I loved about CK and Leigh Bardugo’s writing of the SOC duology in general—I’m being specific here because I’ve read the Grishaverse series and didn’t love it as much as I’ve come to love SOC. I loved getting to see the characters again; they bring me such warmth and happiness and I just want them to be safely tucked away so that they can never be hurt again. Maybe that’s why some people are satisfied with leaving the series where things end up at CK because it’s an ending full of such possibilities and new beginnings—I really don’t want them to get into another scuffle or heist because then someone might be hurt (again). (BTW I did cry. I did. Iykyk, but I cried like a baby when I got to that part.)
I also loved Leigh’s style of world, because there are so many different ways to write fantasy, but I’ve really only seen the style of world-building that appears in the Grishaverse, ACOTAR, Fourth Wing, Cruel Prince, etc. By that, I mean, the kind of world that revolves around a “chosen one,” a confusing and blurry magic system (sometimes it’s not even a system, just a mishmash of stories), and so many plot holes I feel like I’m playing Mario Kart. Now, that’s definitely not to say I don’t like these books I mentioned (ACOTAR is one of my favorite series of all time, and I really liked Cruel Prince), but it does indicate a lack of super intense planning and skilled writing. In SOC and CK, I saw the complex, interconnected plot details that Leigh put together from the very beginning. It’s super satisfying and exciting for readers when that happens because it forces our brain to try to put the pieces together that have been laid far back and are difficult to uncover. It’s like a fun mind game and I loved seeing that in both books. I’ve also seen it in AGGGTM and a little bit in Caraval, which I’ll touch on in my review of Legendary (coming soon).
All in all, I loved this book and had a great time getting back into this series and world I enjoyed so much. But, is it a 10 that I’ll never be able to forget, like ACOTAR and Ranger’s Apprentice? Sadly, no. I’ll definitely think about it and I loved it, but I won’t re-read it or never, ever let the characters leave my brain.
Genre: fantasy, fiction, Y/A
Age: 12/13+ (idk, nothing graphic except Kaz’s insanity but the plot is complex)
Rating: 9.5/10