Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo is a direct sequel to Six of Crows, as we are left off by cold, calculating criminal mastermind Kaz Brecker and his team of thugs and misfits as they try and figure out a way to get Inej, a member of the crew that rescued Kuwei Yul-Bo from Fjerda, and guard the secret of Jurda Parem. As it turns out, their entire quest, and the promise of the 30 million kruge in exchange for Kuwei, was all just a ruse by Jan Van Eck to steal the secrets of the Parem to control the Grisha and reach new levels of power. But Kaz doesn’t plan to ever give up Kuwei, OR leave Inej to the mercy of Jan Van Eck, OR let the 30 million kruge that he risked his and his crew’s lives for multiple times escape his grasp. As readers delve deeper into the story, a gripping tale is revealed, as alliances shift, secrets unravel, and the streets of Ketterdam become a treacherous battleground. Lives hang in the balance, loyalties are tested, and the line between friend and foe blurs in this high-stakes game of revenge and survival.
Crooked Kingdom is a brilliant follow-up that will undoubtedly captivate fans of Six of Crows. Bardugo excels in her deeper exploration of Ketterdam's complex politics and power dynamics, bringing the city's crooked, twisted streets and startling revelations to life in a truly engrossing manner with a weird charm about it resembling late 19th-century England. The pacing is perfect, with each chapter delivering pulse-pounding moments - from explosions to characters being perilously caught between life and death. This constant tension keeps readers thoroughly engaged, eager to discover the next thrilling turn of events. Bardugo's masterful world building and character development make it impossible not to become enamored with Ketterdam's gritty charm and its morally ambiguous inhabitants. The intricate plot, coupled with the vivid setting, creates a reading experience that's both quite intellectual and wildly entertaining.