Reviews tagging 'Violence'

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

534 reviews

litliz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, Stalking, Torture, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

aino_maria23's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Torture, Death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Grief, War, Addiction, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Sexual content, War, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders

ahsirgverse's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Death, Gore, Violence, and Drug abuse

Minor: Pandemic/Epidemic

literarydumpling's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

5.0

How do you wrap up multiple storylines in a duology? Personally I think in Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo shows you exactly how.

A cast of six lead characters, interchanging POVs and a clear goal in mind, this book has it all. Before I started the Six of Crows duology, I didn't have any strong feelings about heist-related books, but it was the perfect introduction and Crooked Kingdom is the perfect follow-up and conclusion.

The story picks up where Six of Crows left off

and you see the Crows try to work out how to get back Inej

. The beauty of multiply POVs means you can see each person's thoughts and feelings towards the insane plans they come up with and the desperation they feel at trying to retrieve their friend.

Unsurprisingly, the character development in this book is excellent, building on what we had in the first book. You can see each of the relationships develop (I love them all, no favourites, how dare you) whether romantically or platonically. With the switching POVs, you can get more insight into how each person has changed post-Ice Court and also how they are tackling their struggles.

My heart was torn out by the ending, and I shed tears after tears after tears, and that is always a sign of a good book.

It was so unexpected but really demonstrated how deep the drüskelle conditioning goes and how much work is cut out to change perceptions on Grisha.

I couldn't work out what the Crows' plan was and it really did keep my guessing until the end,

and I gasped audibly when I felt like their plan was all falling apart at the ninth hour,

so kudos of Kaz for being the mastermind that he is and pulling through.

I also very much enjoyed the allusions to the first trilogy in the Grishaverse, and though it's not necessary to read the books before this duology, it is nice to see how the added flavour of the world has been developed for new and old readers alike.

I definitely geeked out a few times. When I saw Genya, Zoya and Sturmhond come back as I do have a soft spot for them.

This was the perfect conclusion to the series, with enough of an ending that the story is closed, but with the hopeful beginnings of what else may happen to our wonderful cast in the future.

No mourners. No funerals.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Torture

veggiestrawenjoyer13's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I would’ve liked the book better if it wasn’t spoiled for me, but it was still great! I think I prefer Six of Crows. It was still very good though!! I love all the characters and their dynamics together are amazing. It’s easier to understand the worldbuilding after reading the first book. It’s well written and immersive till the end. Love this series! Found family trope goes hard.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Blood and Death

camillawelin's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Torture, Violence, Addiction, and Death

madalina0_0's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Rape, Addiction, Torture, Violence, Blood, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Trafficking, Drug use, and Drug abuse

Moderate: Mental illness, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Slavery, Misogyny, Medical trauma, Gaslighting, and Stalking

wyabook234's review

adventurous dark emotional funny sad medium-paced

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

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Addiction and Torture

Minor: Sexual assault

arobear's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

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

5.0

I haven't stopped thinking about this book yet. It's going to be all I talk about for a while... Characters are immaculate, I cried multiple times for just about everyone. The struggles they go through are real and visceral, which makes the sweet moments that much sweeter. Every twist hit me like a train, but none of it felt overdone. 10/10, already started a re-read with the audiobook. Love and light to all my baby crows <3 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Ableism, Death, Addiction, Kidnapping, Child abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Grief, Torture, Panic attacks/disorders, Gun violence, Emotional abuse, and Forced institutionalization

Minor: Classism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia

nineinchnails's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

this was such a strong read and a great follow up to six of crows!! i think having a

major character death

spoiled for me years ago might have slightly ruined my reading experience since it felt like i waiting most of the book for that event to come to pass, but it's equally likely experiencing that blind could have also ruined my experience. i am not really one to nitpick with YA when

everyone lives/nobody dies

because it's too unrealistic unless it gets taken too far so if it was an adult fantasy i might have appreciated it more. that being said, it was written well and didn't feel out of place or as if it was purely for shock value - i loved this book overall, so it's a very small gripe i have with CK.

i love that the romance is a subplot but for one of the relationships specifically it did end up a little vague - that doesn't bother me since i didn't read this for the romance but just a disclaimer for anyone expecting typical romance-style HEAs for everyone! the characters did start to feel a little caricatural after a while but it didn't help that i read both books one after another whilst watching the show adaptation and i found it pretty endearing if anything. it isn't often that a series offers so much representation without giving me the impression they were written to tick off a box and i am genuinely sad it's the end of these characters (outside of nina + some cameos in KoS/RoW) for now :(

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Confinement, Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Torture, Trafficking, Addiction, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Xenophobia, and Panic attacks/disorders

Minor: Animal death, Child abuse, Child death, Stalking, Vomit, Death of parent, Rape, Ableism, Sexual assault, and Racism

Post traumatic stress disorder, Loss of appetite, Starvation, and Prostitution/sex work