By Leigh Bardugo
I've been debating whether or not to put this up, I decided
the series was too good not to. In the future books will be reviewed
individually, and I might add a final post to cover the series as a whole. This
series I finished before I decided to write about them, and since lines blur
between books easily... I decided to do them all at once. When I started my
journey with the Grisha I didn't read them in the correct order. Overall
nothing was ruined (just a few minor plot lines), but I suggest reading the Grisha
trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, Ruin and Rising) before reading Six
of Crows and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom.
I really loved these five books for so many reasons!
1. There are so many important issues addressed and
discussed. Slavery, human trafficking, racism, sexism, poverty, and grief just
to name the big ones. It adds a lot of depth to the story, and it shows how all
of these issues can impact individuals and society. Greed is a pretty big one
too. The entire Unsea (something you learn about very early in on in the Grisha
trilogy) is the result of one man's greed. It's all written and handled
beautifully.
2. In the Grisha trilogy, you love the villain but hate them
too. For me, a sign of a great writer is someone that can make you care about
their villain. You realize they are a villain and need to be stopped, but at
the same time you feel for them and know where they are coming from.
3. The characters are easy to connect with. There's a lot of
them (over 20), but each of them will get a special place in your heart. It doesn't
feel over bearing. It feels natural.
4. It’s well written. The only complaint I have is it's
written in third person. I'm not of huge fan of third person, but that's
personal preference. All of the plots arch perfectly. There isn't really any
lulls in the books. All of it has a purpose. Filler wasn't needed, the story
was good all on its own.
5. The relationships feel authentic. So many times you read
stories and it seems no matter what happens each couple is immediately
forgiving (or at least too forgiving). That doesn't really happen here. The
progression of the relationship is realistic. The fights are dealt with. Lines
are drawn in the sand. It made rooting for them feel so much better.
6. The complexities of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom were
intensely satisfying. I'm usually really good at picking up clues and guessing
plot twists before they happen. I never hold that against a book; it’s just
something I like to challenge myself with. These two books? I was nowhere
close. The twists and shifts in power were impressive to watch unfold. I feel
like every time you read it you will find hidden gems you won't believe you've
missed.
Ok, on to the stuff I was less than happy with.
1. The ending of the Grisha trilogy. It wasn't awful, there were
just a few smaller things that got under my skin. I felt like there were two
alternative ways the major plot arch could've taken to make it sit better with
me.
2. I feel like Crooked Kingdom's ending left a great
launching pad for another book. From what I understand Bardugo said she may
come back to the series, but she may not. That could be why it was left the way
it was. It isn't a bad ending, it just left you with some questions about the
future.
3. I would have liked to see a little more background on the
Suli. Again, it's not a major problem, but I think it would have enhanced the
connection to one of the plots.
In summary, I highly recommend these books. The few things
that bothered me were minor, and the good greatly outweighs it!
Rating:
♥♥♥♥♥
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