A review by 5aru
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

adventurous dark hopeful fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I have to say I enjoyed this one a lot better than Six of Crows. The writing and the plot flow easily, though I have to admit I have a pet peeve with Bardugo's habit of inserting long-winded flashbacks at the most uncalled-for moments in a scene. They do help considerably in fleshing the characters out, but there are certain moments where the recalling of a long-winded memory comes off as a little unbelievable, or only serves to break tension.

At any rate, this one feels less young-adult-ish; as in, it breaks with the genre's clichés more strongly, and the characters feel more rounded, more independent. Overall it feels like it's better handled than its predecessor, so I'm glad I decided to continue the series.
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