We’re back in Ketterdam with our favourite motley crew, The Dregs, and the situation is dire. Still riding on the high of the infamous Ice Palace heist, our crew are now faced with trouble. Inej has been kidnapped, the deal has gone bust, and Van Eck is demanding their grand prize, Kuwei Yul-Bo, for Inej. Oh, what are they going to do?!

Crooked Kingdom kicks off with a bang, clarifying the state each of our friends are in and the immediate plan going forward. We see the vulnerability of the characters, their uncertainty and desperation mixed in this their confusion, both in terms of what’s happening around them and what’s going on with themselves. The tension is pretty high for the beginning of the book, and that is released once Inej returns, though that low tension continues for a little too long. There is a little dip in energy before the middle of the book, but that is remedied with the action, high-stakes, and high energy of the second half of the book.

I appreciate the time we have to get to know some characters on a deeper level, and the introduction of a few new faces. Getting to see a different side to The Dregs not only helps to humanise them further, but it reminds us that they are children. The presence of Colm, Jesper’s father, immediately reduced Jesper’s infectious energy and charm to a that of a scolded boy. Inej’s moments of fear and weakness are reminders that while she has made it a necessity to be strong and gain power for herself, she is not indestructible. Kaz – oh, Kaz – may be smart and cunning, but he is not so powerful as to not have weaknesses of his own. Seeing how each character navigates their realisations while ducking in and out of danger makes Crooked Kingdom an interesting and engaging novel.

The descriptions of Ketterdam, its cultural norms and locations, and the people parading around it are so vivid and compelling in this book. We also get a keen sensory engagement to experience the scenes too, further breathing life to the events and characters. Being able to visualise the streets, the action, the sneaking about and the conflicts make reading Crooked Kingdom such an immersive experience, and I won’t say much more than the following – that immersion makes the ending all the more impactful.

This may be due to being distracted during my reread, but I did disengage from the book from time to time, including during moments of high-energy and active conflict. That may come down to my mind being elsewhere, but I do think some sharper, more concise prose would have helped keep me interested in Crooked Kingdom. As I mentioned earlier, there are moments within parts two and three, sometimes even part four, where I felt the internal monologues and scene establishment carrying on for too long. With a book like Crooked Kingdom, keeping a reader engaged and enthusiastic about the prose is key. This isn’t to say Crooked Kingdom is boring or contains hollow passages, it’s simply my critic that would make this book a solid five stars in my eyes.

Rereading the Six of Crows Duology has been such a fun and rewarding experience. I have been pleasantly reminded why this is a fantastic duology, a popular one, and one I am eager to hold onto. Not only is Crooked Kingdom a great sequel, but it helps establish relationships in the King of Scars duology (which I think is another fantastic duology – Leigh Bardugo is really great at writing duologies).