I'm awful at reviewing sequels mostly because I don't want to spoil anything, so I'm going to be brief.

I think I liked this one more than Six of Crows. I wanted more Ketterdam and this book definitely delivered that. The plot itself was more interesting too. I loved the twists and unexpected reveals. And we also got some old characters that popped up which made me so happy! We also got to know the characters better, especially Kaz and Wylan.

I will admit that I was a bit tired of being in this world though. It's mostly my fault for binge-reading the Shadow and Bone trilogy and then immediately starting Six of Crows. I think I just felt a bit burned out and wanted something new. That's probably why it took me almost 3 weeks to finish this one. I think I would have loved it more if I had taken a little break in between the books, though at the same time, I don't know if I would rate it any differently.

This series, while amazing, wasn't exactly mindblowing. I love the world Leigh Bardugo has created. It's just so fascinating and diverse and complex. And I really loved all the characters (except Matthias). Wylan is such a sweetheart and I wish him all the happiness. I'm going to miss Jesper's flirting a lot. And I can't wait to get more Nina in King of Scars. I haven't stopping thinking about Inej and the very last scene we get with her. I'm just soft for

Spoiler

family reunions

. And as for Kaz...I didn't think I would relate to him as much as I did. The trauma he's been through and his inability to develop close, physical relationships with other people was so relatable (minus the trauma). I have never read a book with a character who struggled with something like that. And to realize that it's also me in many ways was both comforting and sad.

Matthias was the one character I just didn't care for. I didn't care for his relationship with Nina. And

Spoiler

his death at the end just made me feel absolutely nothing. No sadness, no remorse, no "poor Nina", cause I think she could totally do better. The whole scene happened so fast and I was expecting Nina to not let go so easily. Even the dialogue at the end felt kind of rushed and forced and overly sentimental and romantic. I'm almost happy he was the one to die though. Better him than any of the others. I know that's harsh, but it is the way it is.

I really loved how things tied up in the end. The twists Kaz had up his sleeves didn't annoy me so much this time around. Probably because I was expecting it. But it was nice to see Van Eck get what he deserves. And Pekka Rollins.

Excited to see what happens in King of Scars, though I'll definitely be taking a longer break before picking it up. I want to thoroughly enjoy Nikolai's book!