Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows duology, including the powerhouses Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, are two of the most popular YA books of the last decade. You can’t go on fantasy Bookstagram or BookTok and not come across them at some point, whether they’re directly mentioned or prominently displayed on the shelves. Herein lies my series review, and don’t worry friends because I will not disappoint.

As a duology, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom are incredible together. Each holds its own while supporting the other and I can’t pick between the two which I prefer, because while Six of Crows may go into a little too much backstory detail at times, its high-energy and plot twists make it such an engaging and enjoyable read. Similarly, Crooked Kingdom may feel a little imbalanced with its pacing and action, but the strength of relationships and finer detail immersing us into Ketterdam and the lives of the Dregs help even the plot out. Neither book is perfect, but that’s what makes each so wonderful.

Six of Crows gives a pretty picture of a heist where the end result is guaranteed, but the journey is where all the fun is. We get to see characters plan, execute, improvise and make wrong choices, aiding in the rising tension and excitement of the tale. The impossible is achieved, along with some dire moments as the climax energy ebbs, we expect an easy transition into the second book, but the cliffhanger ending and the sudden shift into the big leagues, alongside the impending chaos you know will occur, makes the need to read Crooked Kingdom almost dangerous. I mean “I will maim you if you interrupt my reading” dangerous.

Crooked Kingdom has many parts, and the first part is expected, but for me, the second and third parts were a little slow. I enjoyed the character building, relationship developments, and depth of description provided in Crooked Kingdom, so I can bear with a drop in pace and interest for a little bit, but I do wish it was quicker to get to the main action. Once we do hit part four I am honed in on the drama, the excitement, and the lethal energy of the plot. I loved reading this portion of the book, and I love what weaknesses and strengths are utilised here. As I’ve mentioned in the full review for Crooked Kingdom, I was a little thrown off by the extra conflict conclusion that felt half-baked compared to the large conflict we just went through and resolved. It’s not the worst ending, but it could have been a little more cohesive or juicier.

Overall, I am very happy with the duology, satisfied with my rereads, and enjoyed the process of remembering things and realising new things with the books. If you haven’t read Six of Crows yet, I highly encourage you to do so, not only because you won’t be able to relate to the masses of content about it, but its just a really good YA fantasy heist novel. Once you have read it, and this is also for those who read it but haven’t gotten round to reading Crooked Kingdom, then the follow-up is not to be missed. It is a solid second book, a novel of great weight and substance, and is an addition to YA fantasy that I think is spectacular.