Starred Review ALA Booklist

Starred Review A last-minute double-cross at the end of Six of Crows (2015) left Kaz and his gang in a tight spot ej has been captured, they never got their money, and, thanks to their new companion, a highly sought-after Grisha, they're desperate to stay out of sight. But that's not enough to stop Kaz, who concocts gambit after gambit to retrieve Inej, swindle vicious merchant Jan Van Eck out of his wealth and reputation, and finally get their hands on the cash they're owed. Bardugo cultivates an evocative, visceral sense of place, seamlessly weaving world building background into the narrative without resorting to clunky expository dialogue. Kaz's harebrained but brilliant schemes and Bardugo's twisty plot both walk a tightrope e deftly misdirects readers' attention by revealing some secrets and elsewhere keeping her audience teasingly in the dark. Amid all the hairpin plot turns and immersive scene setting, Bardugo keeps the focus on her vivid, charming characters, slowly revealing secrets from their pasts, which offer meaty context for their actions and motivations, and following their moving, redemptive growth in the present. It's a delicious blend of masterfully executed elements, and while Bardugo ties up many loose ends, she leaves a few threads tantalizingly dangling. Knowledge of the first book is required, naturally, but Bardugo outdoes herself in this exhilarating follow-up, and series fans will have their eyes glued to every page. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Fans of Six of Crows, which got cozy on the New York Times best-seller list, already know about this one, and they're champing at the bit.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews

This hefty sequel to Six of Crows (2015) brings high-tension conclusions to the many intertwined intrigues of Ketterdam.It's time for revenge-has been ever since old-before-his-time crook Kaz and his friends were double-crossed by the merchant princes of Ketterdam, an early-industrial Amsterdam-like fantasy city filled to the brim with crime and corruption. Disabled, infuriated, and perpetually scheming Kaz, the light-skinned teen mastermind, coordinates the efforts to rescue Inej. Though Kaz is loath to admit weakness, Inej is his, for he can't bear any harm come to the knife-wielding, brown-skinned Suli acrobat. Their team is rounded out by Wylan, a light-skinned chemist and musician whose merchant father tried to have him murdered and who can't read due to a print disability; Wylan's brown-skinned biracial boyfriend, Jesper, a flirtatious gambler with ADHD; Nina, the pale brunette Grisha witch and recovering addict from Russia-like Ravka; Matthias, Nina's national enemy and great love, a big, white, blond drüskelle warrior from the cold northern lands; and Kuwei, the rescued Shu boy everyone wants to kidnap. Can these kids rescue everyone who needs rescuing in Ketterdam's vile political swamp? This is dark and violent-one notable scene features a parade of teens armed with revolvers, rifles, pistols, explosives, and flash bombs-but gut-wrenchingly genuine. Astonishingly, Bardugo keeps all these balls in the air over the 500-plus pages of narrative. How can such a hefty tome be un-put-down-able excitement from beginning to end? (glossary) (Fantasy. 14 & up)

School Library Journal Starred Review

Gr 7 Up-Teens will be excited to return to Bardugo's marvelous world, first visited in her "Grisha Trilogy" and in this duology's previous Six of Crows . They will be treated to a visit from old friends—the graceful (and deadly) Inej; Nina, the Grisha Heartrender; Wylan, the discarded, illiterate merchant's son; and the mysterious and vengeful Kaz. Characters from the original trilogy (most notably Stormhund, prince-turned-privateer) also make an entrance in the heart of the slums of Ketterdam. Plots to take control of the city's underworld abound as Kaz rallies his allies and takes on the might of the rapacious merchant class and Pekka Rollins, King of the Barrel and ruler of the dregs of the city. Following the death of his brother, the antihero has surrounded himself with the castoffs of Ketterdam, all of them very young, defective in some way, and abandoned. Together they will either rule the city victoriously or fail magnificently. While it isn't absolutely necessary to have read the other titles in Bardugo's series, readers will be better served by this continuation if they are already familiar with the complex world and characters. This fast-paced dive into the Barrel, where fortunes are made and lost and life itself hangs in the balance, will keep readers enthralled long past bedtime. VERDICT A must-purchase for all YA collections.— Jane Henriksen Baird, Anchorage Public Library, AK

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This hefty sequel to Six of Crows (2015) brings high-tension conclusions to the many intertwined intrigues of Ketterdam.It's time for revenge-has been ever since old-before-his-time crook Kaz and his friends were double-crossed by the merchant princes of Ketterdam, an early-industrial Amsterdam-like fantasy city filled to the brim with crime and corruption. Disabled, infuriated, and perpetually scheming Kaz, the light-skinned teen mastermind, coordinates the efforts to rescue Inej. Though Kaz is loath to admit weakness, Inej is his, for he can't bear any harm come to the knife-wielding, brown-skinned Suli acrobat. Their team is rounded out by Wylan, a light-skinned chemist and musician whose merchant father tried to have him murdered and who can't read due to a print disability; Wylan's brown-skinned biracial boyfriend, Jesper, a flirtatious gambler with ADHD; Nina, the pale brunette Grisha witch and recovering addict from Russia-like Ravka; Matthias, Nina's national enemy and great love, a big, white, blond drüskelle warrior from the cold northern lands; and Kuwei, the rescued Shu boy everyone wants to kidnap. Can these kids rescue everyone who needs rescuing in Ketterdam's vile political swamp? This is dark and violent-one notable scene features a parade of teens armed with revolvers, rifles, pistols, explosives, and flash bombs-but gut-wrenchingly genuine. Astonishingly, Bardugo keeps all these balls in the air over the 500-plus pages of narrative. How can such a hefty tome be un-put-down-able excitement from beginning to end? (glossary) (Fantasy. 14 & up)

Voice of Youth Advocates

Jan Van Eck has much to answer for, according to Kaz Brekker and his crew of young thieves, a group whose depths and talents have only begun to fully emerge. First, the team must rescue one of their own without giving up Kuwei Yul-Bo, a boy who may hold the key to unlocking the terrible drug that turns Grisha into ravaged and fearsome foes. Not quite heroes or villains, these six unlikely comrades face new enemies and their own inner demons as they try to outwit all of Ketterdam and win the freedom they each uniquely desire and deserve.Readers of this sequel to Six of Crows (MacMillan, 2015/VOYA August 2015) will delight in a new set of schemes that grow ever more intricate and surprising, even while becoming both strikingly personal and political. Yet, more than the exciting heists, shootouts, kidnappings, tight-rope acrobatics, and newfound Grisha powers, what sets this text apart from other reprisals is the continued depth woven into its complex characters; readers learn far more of each individual's past and personal turmoil as new family connections are uncovered and romantic relationships both blossom and stumble. Crooked Kingdom offers not only a thoughtful, multivocal third-person narrative and a wonderfully diverse cast but also a richness in characterization matched only by the unique setting. Moreover, the story ends with a pleasing degree of closure (plus a few openings for possible further character development), making it a standout for those looking for a satisfying second installment.Meghann Meeusen.