Crooked Kingdom
Crooked Kingdom is the second novel in Leigh Bardugo's "Six of Crows" duology, a young adult fantasy set in the elaborate Grishaverse. Following the events of "Six of Crows," the story delves deeper into the lives of Kaz Brekker and his crew of criminal prodigies as they navigate the treacherous underworld of Ketterdam, seeking revenge and fighting for their lives after a daring heist goes awry. The narrative is a complex tale of intricate schemes, loyalty, betrayal, and the personal struggles of its diverse cast of characters, including developing romantic relationships and battles with addiction. This book is characterized by its gritty, dark, and often violent atmosphere, exploring themes of trauma, survival, and moral ambiguity. While it features elements of magic and fantasy, the core of the story centers on the characters' cunning and resilience in a dangerous world. Due to its mature themes, including significant violence, substance abuse, and intense psychological content, it is generally recommended for older young adult readers. The book is lauded for its diverse representation and intricate plotting, offering a compelling read for those ready for a more challenging and emotionally resonant fantasy experience.
Concerns
LGBTQ & Gender Identity
HighThe book features confirmed LGBTQ+ characters and developing same-sex romantic relationships. Jesper Fahey is bisexual, and his romantic relationship with Wylan Van Eck develops throughout the story. Nina Zenik is bisexual, with her sexuality being acknowledged through her flirtations and later explored in the broader Grishaverse.
Jesper Fahey and Wylan Van Eck have a developing romantic subplot in Crooked Kingdom, which includes flirtation and a kiss, explicitly identified as a "wonderful gay romance" by readers. Nina Zenik's bisexuality is established through her stated attraction to both men and women, with the author confirming her sexuality and later exploring her non-binary love interest Hanne Brum in subsequent books.
Violence
HighThe novel is described as dark and violent, with the plot centered around a crew of criminals fighting for survival in a dangerous city. It includes numerous confrontations, acts of vengeance, and graphic outcomes, including a significant character death and the use of supernatural abilities for violent ends.
The plot of Crooked Kingdom involves the crew constantly "fighting for their lives" after being double-crossed, leading to frequent and intense physical attacks and dangerous situations. A main character, Matthias Helvar, dies, which is a significant and impactful violent event in the narrative. Additionally, Nina Zenik utilizes her Grisha powers to animate corpses for battle and attempts to resurrect the dead, showcasing explicit supernatural violence.
Witchcraft & Occult
HighMagic and supernatural abilities, known as Grisha powers, are fundamental to the world. One main character explicitly develops powers related to necromancy, involving the control and attempted resurrection of the dead, elevating the occult presence beyond typical fantasy magic.
Nina Zenik, a Heartrender, gains the ability to "communicate with and control the dead" following her exposure to *jurda parem*. She actively uses this power to animate corpses to fight for her, and in a significant scene, attempts to resurrect Matthias after his death, demonstrating a direct engagement with necromancy and occult practices.
Substance Use
HighSubstance use is a central and significant theme in the book, revolving around the highly addictive drug 'jurda parem.' A main character's struggle with addiction and withdrawal from this drug is a core part of her character arc.
The dangerous and addictive drug 'jurda parem' is a pivotal plot device, with powerful factions vying for its control. Nina Zenik's storyline deeply explores her intense struggle with addiction to *jurda parem*, including graphic descriptions of her withdrawal symptoms and her desperate craving for the substance, which she actively battles throughout the book.
Scary & Intense Content
HighThe novel is consistently dark, violent, and emotionally intense, featuring high-stakes situations, betrayal, psychological trauma, and a pervasive sense of danger. The narrative explores grim backstories and includes frightening supernatural elements, making for a suspenseful and often unsettling read.
The entire crew is frequently in life-threatening scenarios, engaging in elaborate and perilous schemes after being "double-crossed and badly weakened," creating a constant atmosphere of suspense and fear for their survival. Kaz Brekker's traumatic past, involving the death of his brother and his own near-death experience, manifests as a severe touch aversion and fuels his hardened, calculating demeanor, adding significant psychological intensity to his character interactions and plot decisions.
Disrespect & Rebellion
HighThe core premise of the story involves a gang of criminal protagonists who operate entirely outside societal laws and conventions. They consistently defy authority figures and engage in rebellious acts, making disrespect for established order a fundamental theme.
Kaz Brekker leads a "crew of deadly outcasts" and is himself a "master thief and criminal prodigy," whose actions inherently involve defiance and manipulation of legal and societal authorities. Wylan Van Eck actively rebels against and seeks revenge on his corrupt merchant father, Jan Van Eck, orchestrating schemes to bring about his downfall due to past trauma and mistreatment.
Romance and Sexual Content
MediumRomantic subplots are prominent, including both heterosexual and same-sex relationships. Physical intimacy is generally limited to kissing and hand-holding. However, one character's backstory involves being forced into sex work at a young age, which is a mature and sensitive theme, though not graphically depicted.
The romantic relationship between Jesper Fahey and Wylan Van Eck includes open flirtation and a kiss (when Wylan is disguised as Kuwei), signifying a clear same-sex romance. The relationship between Kaz Brekker and Inej Ghafa progresses with emotional intimacy and holding hands, which is described as deeply intimate given Kaz's aversion to touch, but avoids explicit sexual acts. Inej's traumatic backstory includes being kidnapped as a child and forced to work in a brothel, known as the 'Menagerie'.
Profanity
MediumWhile the detailed content reviews do not highlight profanity as a central concern, the gritty nature of the criminal underworld setting and character descriptions suggest the presence of mild to moderate curse words, consistent with the dialogue of street-level criminals.
Jesper Fahey is characterized by his "smart mouth" and provides "snarky commentary," implying the use of colloquial and potentially impolite language fitting his role as a sharpshooter in a criminal gang. The author, Leigh Bardugo, used a strong expletive in an interview to describe the world's issues, suggesting the tone might extend to character dialogue in the book, though specific textual examples are not widely cited as prominent content warnings.
Anti-Christian Themes
LowThe book is set in the Grishaverse, a fantasy world with its own unique magical and religious systems that are distinct from Christianity. There are no explicit anti-Christian themes, mockery, or sacrilegious acts directed towards Christian beliefs or symbols.
The narrative operates within its own fictional Grishaverse mythology, which includes magic (Grisha powers) and distinct cultural belief systems, such as the Drüskelle witchhunters, without referencing or engaging with Christian theology. There is an absence of any direct criticism, insult, or desecration of Christian symbols or figures, as the story focuses on its established fantasy world and its inherent conflicts.
Other Notes
Target Demographic
15+ due to pervasive mature themes including graphic violence, intense psychological trauma, significant substance abuse and addiction, and complex, morally ambiguous situations within a criminal underworld.
Additional Notes
The content intensity, particularly concerning violence, trauma, and substance abuse, increases from the first book, Six of Crows, to Crooked Kingdom. The ages of the main characters (late teens) often feel young for the severity of their actions and experiences, a common point of discussion among readers. While the author made a conscious decision for the Grishaverse to not include homophobia, the criminal setting presents other significant moral challenges.
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