Crooked Kingdom

Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Release Date: September 20th 2016
Format: Hardcover

When you can’t beat the odds, change the game. Kaz Brekker and his crew have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn’t think they’d survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they’re right back to fighting for their lives. Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz’s cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties. A war will be waged on the city’s dark and twisting streets―a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world. 

Goodreads

Oh, what to say about this book. Do I know where to start? No, but I'm just going to talk and hope I don't sound too rambly and sad that this duology is now over.

First of all, I'm just going to say how much I loooved the characters in this book. This series is definitely short but the 998 pages were full of witty banter, serious talks, the heartbreaking conversations, and the great friendship between our Dregs. I love how each character brings something different to the group and that they *most of the time* are always in support of each other. No character is more important than the next one and I love how loyal they are to each other.

I also really love how each character represents a more serious issue of our world. You have sexual harassment, disabilities, going against the status quo, vengeance (lots of vengeance, oh my lord), and accepting who you are. I personally wasn't able to relate to all the characters in this book but I really cared for each of them, which is just as good as being able to relate in my opinion.

One thing that worried me juuust a little about this being the last book was the fact that the series wouldn't feel complete. The Grisha trilogy ended kinda quick for me so you can understand why this was a concern for me. Fortunately, I think Leigh ended this duology very well and left some doors open for her new works (which I hear is about a certain pirateer so this next series is gonna be so fun for me. You don't even know). I'm really not going to say anything about how this book ends but it definitely was not what would normally happen in these types of books. I'm just going to leave that here because this is not the place to spill my feels.

I love Leigh's books because they never fail to keep me hooked onto the story and they're always so suspenseful. Beginnings of books tend to get slow sometimes but not with Leigh! She just picks right backs up and whisks us back into the Grishaverse. The book and story never ran out of surprises and I know it's always great to know what is going on and watch it roll out but sitting back and letting Leigh's stories surprise you in one of the reasons why I lover her books. I really admire her ability to write a suspenseful and surprising story and that is why I always know that I will finish one of her books loving it. She's just one of those authors.
One of the things I really liked about this ending was that Leigh gave us the bittersweet and heartbreaking ending. The Crows end up splitting and going their separate ways, which is exactly what I was expecting but I really didn't want that to happen. Leigh didn't go with the happily-ever-after-ending, which is one of the reasons I think she's such a great storyteller. Considering the characters, splitting up definitely felt like the thing the characters would do but in a normal book told by a different author, they may have gotten the perfect ending. Matthias is still alive, and the Crows stay together to bathe in their riches. Would I have loved that type of ending? Definitely but it wouldn't have felt like a Leigh Bardugo book if the ending wasn't bittersweet.

Speaking of Matthias.... Leigh is writing a book based on Nikolai (I think I think I don't know if it's for sure...) but I definitely think Matthias's death means a lot more than just being another tough time for Nina. If this Nikolai book is happening, I am pretty sure we'll be seeing Nina in it. I really do hope we get to because Nina has gone through so much in her life and Matthias was probably the one good thing going on in her life for awhile. His death really does hurt not only because he and Nina were supposed to go on and live happily ever after post-Crooked Kingdoms but also because he was one of the characters I probably least expected to die. (Let's be real, I knew at least one person was going to die but I didn't know who because  I didn't want anyone to die.) If Leigh continues this part of Nina's character arc, I really want to see how she deals with Matthias's death, especially considering she can summon the dead. I don't know fully what Nina's new powers to do but if we could see Nina considering on bringing Matthias back from the dead I would love to see how that would play out.

The ending for Wylan and Jesper wanted to make me lay on the ground and scroll through Tumblr looking at fanart. I swear their relationship storyline definitely was something that was very subtle and a slow developing one but I am so glad we got to see the obvious parts of it because it was a hilarious experience and the end was just so great. Sooooo great. I'm glad at least one of my ships got a happy ending.

Kaz and Inej though. I would like to believe eventually they are able to break down each other's walls and run the biggest, baddest group of problematic cinnamon rolls. With that ending though, you really can't deny nothing happened between them in the future sooo....