“Crows remember human faces. They remember the people who feed them, who are kind to them. And the people who wrong them too. They don’t forget. They tell each other who to look after and who to watch out for.”

Six of Crows took the world of Shadow and Bone and instead gave us one heck of a heist book. Really, it all circled around one big, impossible heist. Plan everything, get in, plans fall apart, make new plans, and pull off the impossible.

It’s one heck of an impressive book and I really enjoyed it, but it left an awful lot of plot thread hanging open…

Which makes Crooked Kingdom all the more cathartic.

Without digging too much into spoilers, just about any hanging thread that was left after Six of Crows–where each of the character came from, who owes who money or favors… and how they’re actually going to get paid.

“Has anyone noticed this whole city is looking for us, mad at us, or wants to kill us?"
“So?” said Kaz.
“Well, usually it’s just half the city.”

If Six of Crows was on giant heist, Crooked Kingdom was a dozen heists in a trenchcoat, each one getting bigger and bigger. It gives a lot more room for failure and it’s a nice contrast to the previous book.

And beyond everything, it’s the Crows as much as the heists they’re all in on that really make the story.

“Have any of you wondered what I did with all the cash Pekka Rollins gave us?”
“Guns?” asked Jesper.
“Ships?” queried Inej.
“Bombs?” suggested Wylan.
“Political bribes?” offered Nina. They all looked at Matthias. “This is where you tell us how awful we are,” she whispered.”

Oh, it’s very good. And now… we’re done with this story! Sadness.

Now… on to the King of Scars. Perhaps we’ll see a few crows back in Ravka?

Onward!