Book Review: Crooked Kingdom; Leigh Bardugo.

What a fantastic read to finish the month with! I've been looking forward to this, particularly as it's the final book in the duology. It feels good to get through a series!

SOURCE: Gift
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Crooked Kingdom
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: Six Of Crows (#2)
PUBLISHER: Vintage Digital
PAGES: 536
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Adventure

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Kaz Brekker and his crew of deadly outcasts have just pulled off a heist so daring even they didn't think they'd survive. But instead of divvying up a fat reward, they're right back to fighting for their lives.

Double-crossed and badly weakened, the crew is low on resources, allies, and hope. As powerful forces from around the world descend on Ketterdam to root out the secrets of the dangerous drug known as jurda parem, old rivals and new enemies emerge to challenge Kaz's cunning and test the team's fragile loyalties.

A war will be waged on the city's dark and twisting streets - a battle for revenge and redemption that will decide the fate of the Grisha world.

What I Liked:

• I had missed these characters so much, especially Kaz and Inej! It was so good to read them again, and I really felt that Bardugo put a lot of work into making them the gang that we know and love while finding new facets to their personalities and uncovering more backstory for each! She certainly gave Jesper and Wylan a little more attention, which was nice to read.
• The OTPs in this book are my absolute favourite and I had mostly been looking forward to seeing more of Kaz and Inej (and they did have some super great moments). But I was pleasantly surprised by how much more I fell for Wylan and Jesper!
• I also found a whole new appreciation for the world-building in this series. 'The Grisha Trilogy' was very much focused on Ravka, while this book was based entirely in Ketterdam but revealed so much more about the rest of the countries and the politics between them.

What I Disliked:

• I only felt disappointed in one thing within this book, and that was how little we got to see of Dunyasha! She was so spectacular, and no sooner had she been introduced, then she was gone again! I'd have really liked to see more of her.

Overall Conclusion:

I loved the finale to this little series, much more so than 'The Grisha Trilogy'. I think this was mainly because the characters are so spot on here! Thank you Bardugo for including so much representation in this book too - PoC characters, LGBTQ+ rep, educationally and physically disabled MCs, I loved them all! Every character was SO loveable and had flaws too and that made them complex and wonderful to read. Also, Kaz scheming is my FAVOURITE thing.

Book Review: Wonder Woman - Warbringer; Leigh Bardugo

Ooh boy, this book took me a long time to get through. I honestly thought I'd never finish it! The weird thing is, I didn't think it was bad! When I was reading it, I enjoyed it immensely! I just wish that I had loved it to the point that it had been a one day read!

SOURCE: Illumicrate
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Wonder Woman: Warbringer
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: DC Icons (#1)
PUBLISHER: Random House
PAGES: 369
GENRE: Young Adult, Retellings, Science Fiction, Fantasy

Blurb:
Princess Diana longs to prove herself to her legendary warrior sisters. But when the opportunity finally comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law—risking exile—to save a mortal. Diana will soon learn that she has rescued no ordinary girl, and that with this single brave act, she may have doomed the world.

Alia Keralis just wanted to escape her overprotective brother with a semester at sea. She doesn’t know she is being hunted by people who think her very existence could spark a world war. When a bomb detonates aboard her ship, Alia is rescued by a mysterious girl of extraordinary strength and forced to confront a horrible truth: Alia is a Warbringer—a direct descendant of the infamous Helen of Troy, fated to bring about an age of bloodshed and misery.

Together.

Two girls will face an army of enemies—mortal and divine—determined to either destroy or possess the Warbringer. Tested beyond the bounds of their abilities, Diana and Alia must find a way to unleash hidden strengths and forge an unlikely alliance. Because if they have any hope of saving both their worlds, they will have to stand side by side against the tide of war.

What I Liked:

• I really loved the characters in this book. Diana and Alia are really well-written, and great POVs for this story. I can totally see Diana becoming an awesome Wonder Woman later on, and I loved watching her character develop. Alia was also awesome, complex, and I enjoyed her immensely. My favourite characters were probably Theo and Nim though - so much more than the token 'funny' side characters. They were complex and diverse. Great job Bardugo!
• I think that Bardugo did a wonderful job at blending Greek mythology with a modern-day setting. I have never read Rick Riordan's series, but I imagine that if it was aimed at a slightly older audience then this would have been the result. I'm really on board with Greek Myth right now, so this book excited me a lot for that reason.

What I Disliked:

• There were a few similarities to the film and points in the book were a little repetitive, which was a shame. I also found that my least favourite thing about the book was how putdown-able it was. I enjoyed it, but went long periods of time between reading parts of it. I wish it had sucked me in a bit better.

Overall Conclusion:

A good book for definite! As I said, I don't read superhero books often but I definitely liked this one a lot: a great set of characters and fantastic Greek mythology references to keep me going. I just wish I'd been as sucked in by this as I have been by other reads in the past!

Book Review: Six Of Crows; Leigh Bardugo.

I hope you're all prepared for the gushiest review EVER. I adored this book and am still smiling about how good it was! I enjoyed Bardugo's 'Grisha Verse' series a lot but never expected to be this blown away by 'Six Of Crows'!

SOURCE: Won
TYPE: Hardcover

TITLE: Six Of Crows
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: Six Of Crows (#1)
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Company
PAGES: 462
GENRE: Fantasy, Young Adult, Adventure

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Blurb:
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as a Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

What I Liked:

• Above everything, the characters! There were six main players and each of them had a distinctive viewpoint and personality, which made them all interesting! My favourites were Kaz (I'm a sucker for a bad boy with a cane and a tragic past) and Inej (badass female protagonist is badass). Also, let's quickly touch upon the OTPs in this because there was more than one and I died again and again because of them. Especially Kaz & Inej! That slow-burning, romance filled with tension will keep me hooked for weeks after reading this!
• The world-building took me by surprise actually. It's the same world as the Grisha Verse series but I realised that while Alina journeys to many different places in short spaces of time, I preferred the detail in this, even if there were less places to cover. I hope Bardugo continues with this trend! I felt that I learnt a lot more about the Grisha themselves and liked the small nods to her other books (oh HI THERE ZOYA). 

What I Disliked:

• Uhh...nothing? Seriously! This book was flawless and has me gripped. I need 'Crooked Kingdom' to be in my grasp now because THAT CLIFFHANGER. I don't know how I feel other than feels. That's all I've been reduced to.

Overall Conclusion:

Thank you Bardugo for making this book awesome. It is the first book in a LONG time that has reminded me why it is I love reading so much! To fall for new characters, explore new worlds and pretend, even if it's just for a moment, that magic and spies and thieves exist and make cool plans to win the day! The ultimate band of anti-heroes is my dream book, because I live for anti-heroes.

Book Review: Ruin & Rising; Leigh Bardugo.

I have a really strange relationship with this series, and even now I don't quite understand it. On the one hand, while reading I've always really enjoyed the books and given them high ratings. On the other hand, between novels, I find it really hard to remember why I liked them and can only think about the tiny things I didn't enjoy which is why I end up putting them off for so long. This book was no different!

SOURCE: Gift
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Ruin & Rising
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: The Grisha (#3)
PUBLISHER: Indigo
PAGES: 368
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
The capital has fallen.

The Darkling rules Ravka from his shadow throne.

Now the nation's fate rests with a broken Sun Summoner, a disgraced tracker, and the shattered remnants of a once-great magical army.

Deep in an ancient network of tunnels and caverns, a weakened Alina must submit to the dubious protection of the Apparat and the zealots who worship her as a Saint. Yet her plans lie elsewhere, with the hunt for the elusive firebird and the hope that an outlaw prince still survives.

Alina will have to forge new alliances and put aside old rivalries as she and Mal race to find the last of Morozova's amplifiers. But as she begins to unravel the Darkling's secrets, she reveals a past that will forever alter her understanding of the bond they share and the power she wields. The firebird is the one thing that stands between Ravka and destruction—and claiming it could cost Alina the very future she’s fighting for.

What I Liked:

• Bardugo did it again with the characters (for the most part) and it's not only the development of them individually that I liked, but also the way that they interacted with each other. The dialogue is always easy and real, injected with humour. Alina grew on me during this book which I'm glad about as she's the narrator. I also adored Nikolai's scenes (of which there were a lot more) and once again found myself reminded of why the Darkling is such a wonderful, multi-faceted villain. Bardugo certainly manages to make her characters individual, whether we're seeing awkward David, vain Zoya or grumpy Bhagra. Fantastic characters all!
• The world-building in this series is always spot on. I love it's references to Russian culture, as it gives it a different feel to other Fantasy series. I also loved the rest of the information that we gleaned from Bardugo's imaginings of other areas of Ravka. War, politics and historical context all play a big part in the story, as does the landscaping of the world itself. 

What I Disliked:

• Part of my biggest problem with this series has always been the romance because I just don't feel it. Mal is not a great love interest, in fact I think he's the only predictable character in the entire thing. Sullen, moody, constantly wanting to sacrifice himself and as a result, boring. His interactions with Alina don't hold any real chemistry in my opinion and though I didn't really hate the way they ended, I didn't love it either. I simply didn't care.

Overall Conclusion:

It seems that no matter what he does, Mal and I are never going to get along. He's just not gained the same kind of development that other characters in this novel have and that's a real shame. However, I still loved this finale, because absolutely everything else about it was perfect! There was plenty of action, mixed with many thrills, twists and turns to keep me interested and Bardugo did a great job at making each member of her rather large cast stand out. I'm glad I finally finished 'The Grisha' series, as at last I can start 'Six Of Crows' which I've been waiting to read forever! Hooray!

Book Review: Siege & Storm; Leigh Bardugo.

Sometimes I look at how long it takes me to get through series and I realise that I need some serious help. This is one of those times. It has been almost two years since I read and enjoyed 'Shadow & Bone' yet I, for some strange reason, only managed to get to Book Two now. What have I been doing? Still it's done now: I promise Book Three will not take me this long...

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: Paperback

TITLE: Siege & Storm
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: The Grisha (#2)
PUBLISHER: Indigo
PAGES: 386
GENRE: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Adventure

RATING: 4/5 Stars

Blurb:
Darkness never dies. Alina and Mal are on the run. Hunted and haunted, but together at last, they can't outrun Alina's past or her destiny forever. The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and he needs Alina to realise his dangerous plan. There are others who would like to use Alina's gift too. And as her power grows, somehow, she must choose between her country, her power, and her love - or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.


What I Liked:

• Oh Bardugo, I am so sorry for taking so long to get back into your wonderful series. Book Two is always a tricky one in Trilogies because often it ends up becoming a filler story. This actually felt much more developed than that and I was pleased to get plenty of action and drama to keep me interested, as well as the introduction of new characters and places too! I love world-building so much, so I was pleased to see a bunch of add-ons to what I recall as an already well-developed world. I particularly enjoyed the references to Russian culture!
• In terms of the characters, I am so lucky when it comes to Bardugo because despite a long gap between books I remembered who everyone was and their circumstances/motivations (thanks to a few handy reminders). Even better though, is a brand new face that I adored: Nikolai. He made this book so much funnier and he was so charming too! I loved when he showed a vulnerable side and though I can already guess that Alina is probably not going to choose him, I kind of want her to all the same. I also liked that the Darkling didn't make too much of an appearance in this book. I know he's a fan favourite so that was probably disappointing to a lot of people, but I liked him more as an ever-present threat just lurking in the shadows and at the forefront of Alina's mind. It worked really well that way!

What I Disliked:

• I'll start off by saying that though I really did not like Mal in book one, he grew on me a little here. I don't hate him any more, though I'm certainly still not a fan because I find his petty jealousy irritating and this thing with Zoya is getting ridiculous. I feel as if his constant arguments with Alina in this book made up a little too much of the plot-line. Alina became mopey and distracted and constantly looking for him and it made me roll my eyes just a tiny bit. There was a vulnerable, out-of-place, lonely side to Mal too which I wanted to see more of but when he turned to drinking and fighting to overcome his problems I ended up in a huff with him again. He needs some serious improvements in book three or I'm not going to be happy if these two end up together.

Overall Conclusion:

Once again, just like 'Shadow & Bone' I really loved this book and this is a series that is going to stay with me for a while. I don't know why I took so long to get round to this but I can't stop thinking about it, so I'm thinking that book three will be a much quicker read this time. Plot, world-building and characters remained amazing and I loved the new additions to these elements. Mal and Alina? Not so much, purely because I don't enjoy Mal's character. Apparently he's supposed to be liked by everybody but I just can't see why. He's too protective, petty and jealousy. I have to say though, Bardugo could make a serious turn-around with his character (which I hope that she does). I predict that Alina will probably choose him in the end so I would really like to be happy for them (personally I'm veering towards Nikolai as a better suitor). I can't wait to read 'Ruin & Rising', and the Sturmhond story-line has really got me interested in reading 'Six Of Crows' because who doesn't love criminals and piracy and such? Especially from Ravka!

Book Review: Shadow And Bone; Leigh Bardugo.

I did it! I finished Shadow and Bone in one day! I can't believe I actually managed it, I really thought I was going to have to let two of this month's challenges slide by without completing them. The two challenges I'll be entering this one into are the 'Jumble Your Genres' Challenge (as a Dystopian) and the 'Monthly Key Words' Challenge (for the word 'And'). Buttons for those can be found below this review!

SOURCE: Bought
TYPE: E-Read

TITLE: Shadow And Bone
AUTHOR: Leigh Bardugo
SERIES: The Grisha (#1)
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt & Co.
PAGES: 416
GENRE: High Fantasy, Romance, Dystopian, Young Adult

RATING: 4.5/5 Stars

Blurb:
The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfil her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.


But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

What I Liked:

• Wow so where do I begin with this one? Firstly, I loved the setting to it. The references to Russian culture and I felt like a lot of hard work and research had gone into the world building in this one! And as we all know, world building holds a pretty special place in my heart. It made a nice change from usual settings found within Fantasy books, and managed to both spark faint recognition of certain elements within the book, and still feel like an entirely new place! I could see everything written clearly in my mind's eye and it had me hooked from beginning to end!
• The characterisation was just fantastic. They were all so well-written, and I really saw development in each and every one of them (for better or for worse). I really liked the relationship between Mal and Alina too, it isn't often that an author gets the pacing of a relationship spot on. It wasn't so quick that it felt unbelievable and yet the romance didn't develop so frustratingly slowly that I was tearing my hair out either. Hats off to Bardugo for keeping them interesting!
• It really reaffirmed my love for this genre. I have always been a pretty big fan of High Fantasy, and I haven't read a book from the genre for a very long time. Reading this book took me straight back to other books I have read within the genre and loved, such as Tamora Pierce's work or Trudi Canavan's 'The Black Magician' series. It just really made me realise how much I've missed out on within Fantasy and I really commend it for that. I smiled the whole way through reading this book!

What I Disliked:

• There was a bit of a twist that saw most of the characters I'd become quite attached to suddenly turn into almost unrecognisable characters. Now this wasn't done badly, nor do I think it was a horrible decision. It actually really added something to the plot. But that doesn't mean I have to like finding out that my trust in previous favourite characters was misplaced.

Overall Conclusion:

Wow this book was such a refreshing read and a wonderful final choice for May. The romance was written well, the characters fantastically developed, and the world-building was just gorgeous. It's a relatively short book in comparison to some of the High Fantasy epics that can be found. To be honest though, it felt really nicely paced and this didn't detract from it at all. I can't believe it took me so long to read this one and if anyone else is still taking a while to read it, then I highly recommend they do ASAP!