I didn't think this would be possible but I loved Crooked Kingdom more than The Six of Crows! 
 Crooked Kingdom carries on from the The Six of Crows cliffhanger where Inej was taken prisoner by Jan Van Eck. 
 "Had tonight been an exercise meant to frighten her? Or would Van Eck return to carry out his threats? And if Kaz did come, how much of her would be left?" 
 Kaz Brekker is a freaking genius. Not only did he manage to break into the Ice Court, he also managed to pull off the ultimate scheme of all time that puts Hollywood's master thief and con-artist, Danny Ocean from the Ocean's Trilogy, to shame. 
 This book was like a wonderful smoothie made out of Ocean's Eleven, Ocean's Twelve, Ocean's Thirteen, in 19th century Amsterdam, with a touch of magic, a dash of steampunk, a pinch of romance, and a whole lot of unpredictability and excitement. There was never a dull moment. 
 I guess what I should say is that Leigh Bardugo is the real genius and mastermind. She's come a long way since the Grisha Trilogy. Although I found the Grisha Trilogy to be average at best, I was glad I read them all after finishing Six of Crows and before reading Crooked Kingdom. The appearances of Sturmhond, Zoya, and Genya were a nice surprise. The references to Sankta Alina and the recovering Ravkan government did not go unnoticed either. 
 Although I originally borrowed a copy of The Six of Crows from the library, I have since bought the boxed duology set which I will treasure for the rest of my life. This will be one of the few books that I will enjoy reading and re-reading over and over again.