Crooked Kingdom was a rollercoaster of emotions and an absolute gem of a read. When I first started reading the original Grisha trilogy, [b:Shadow and Bone|10194157|Shadow and Bone (Grisha Verse, #1)|Leigh Bardugo|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1339533695s/10194157.jpg|15093325] I have to admit I was not blown away. When I picked up Six of Crows I enjoyed it more, but still wasn't blown away. However, by the time we got to Crooked Kingdom the story, the universe and most importantly the characters had developed so much.

Crooked Kingdom follows on from the events of Six of Crows but based back in Ketterdam. Crooked Kingdom in summary is the backlash to everything that goes down in the first book that involves lots of plot-twists, scheming-faces, laughter, tears and drama. It throws Kas, Wylan, Jesper, Nina, Mathias and Inej into a lot of trouble.

The main characters: Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Mathias, Inej and Kas are the strongest part of this book. They have such fantastic histories that have evolved and deepened from Six of Crows and the great thing about these backstories is that they drive their actions, behaviour and personality. There is definitely a strong relationship between their behaviour and their past and for me this is really important to interesting and connectable characters. You really understand what makes each of them tick, get into their minds, their thought processes and root for them throughout the story. I also think listening to the audible version enhanced my reading experience because there were several narrators who did a fantastic job of creating a different voice and style for each of the characters that mimicked the way they were supposed to behave and interact. So I would recommend the audible audiobook to anybody that hasn't read the book.

The second reason to love the characters so much was the relationships that developed between them between them. It was also what ultimately broke my heart in Crooked Kingdom. The relationships weren't all about love either; it was about friendship and camaraderie, betrayal, loyalty and identity. I don't want to dwell too much on these relationships without giving anything away but I have to say Jesper was my favourite character.

Behind the fantasy universe of Crooked Kingdom this story is about the persecution of minority group of individuals (the Grisha) for being different. It is about how certain ethnic groups raised their population on hatred of another. However, within this group of friends we had a clash of beliefs and identities that showed how individuals could be different and could challenge the status quo. There's also lots of fun elements: gun fights, gangs, magic, mystery, and so many fantastic plot-twists

(particularly thanks to the brilliant and devious mind of Kas)

. It means that Crooked Kingdom has so many great elements in one book.

I really, really enjoyed this book. I was listening to it every morning and every evening on my long drive to work and it made those trips so much more enjoyable. This is the quickest I've ever listened to an audiobook, so I think that alone speaks for itself. A fantastic way to start the reading year!