Initial Impressions 10/12/16: 4.5 stars (4.25 - 4.5) 
 Firstly, Leigh... (view spoiler)[HOW COULD YOU? MY FAVORITE CHARACTER!!! Or one of my favorite characters. One of my top characters. Okay, I love them all, but you know. (hide spoiler)] 
 Okay, (raw) emotions aside, this was so good! Sadly, I think it suffered just because I'm SO BUSY that it was hard to read any part of this in a large chunk. I really just needed the time to sit down and read. I actually bought the audio because I was afraid I wouldn't have time read (I didn't) and I actually didn't like the audio narrators as much this time around. I was really bothered by the fact that they didn't pronounce things all the same and some were just straight up pronounced wrong. With a cast of 6 audio narrations, that's kind of (really) important. 
 Anyway! I thought that CROOKED KINGDOM had more heists AND more humor AND more cross-over than SIX OF CROWS and I looooved it. The crossover was simply fantastic and I actually wish I had read it instead of listening because (view spoiler)[the audio just never does justice to Sturmhond. MY STURMHOND! YAS! (hide spoiler)] x. 
 I really connected to the characters more in this book, I think just because I was more invested. I really grew to have such a connection to the from a first read of SoC, a re-read, and all of the time before CROOKED KINGDOM and I really connected to them so much more! 
 And of course, there was that spectacular ending! Everything closed just perfectly. It wasn't overdone, it wasn't boring, it wasn't too fanciful, or leaving me wanting more. Leigh Barudgo is an expect at closing out series and I appreciated this so much. It also left me wanting sooooo much more! All of the Grishaverse in the world, please? 
 Review as originally posted HERE on The Book Addict's Guide 12/14/16: ** No spoilers for CROOKED KINGDOM but there will be spoilers for book one, SIX OF CROWS so if you haven't read SIX OF CROWS yet, avert your eyes! ** 
 CROOKED KINGDOM was one of my most-anticipated reads of the year because naturally, anything Leigh Bardugo has me jumping up and down with anticipation! I actually really enjoyed this book more than SIX OF CROWS and I think part of that was because I was already so immersed in this world after being able to read SIX OF CROWS twice and then let all the characters settle in and my love for them grew as I waited for CROOKED KINGDOM! 
 I felt like CROOKED KINGDOM had a little more of that heist aspect which was definitely established in SIX OF CROWS, but the job in CROOKED KINGDOM really did have a different feel! The overall tone felt a little lighter and had a little more fun snark whereas SIX OF CROWS felt a little bit more serious. I also absolutely looooved the addition of the extra crossover to the original Grisha Trilogy. I won't say exactly how it does crossover so anyone who hasn't read CROOKED KINGDOM can still be surprised and excited, but I will say that I was just delighted by the connections made to the Grisha Trilogy in this book and how it played into the plot of CROOKED KINGDOM. It was so much fun and involved some of my favorite things from the original trilogy. It's not something that people will miss out on if they haven't read the Grisha Trilogy yet but it does make it more fun to see that connection! 
 I really just connected to this more than I did with SIX OF CROWS. I mean, I loved them both, but I think reading, and then re-reading, and then letting those characters sit with me over time really had my love grow even more and so I felt so much more of a connection. And of course, reading the second book in a series also allowed me to sink into the work and think about it for months and months before the book's release. I just felt like I got to know everyone and everywhere just a little bit more and now that the group was established, it really felt so much more cohesive too. To be fair, they were always pretty cohesive but I loved the way the group settled and they all just belonged together. 
 Leigh Bardugo is just a master. From plot to romance to action, she can write any aspect of a book and totally nail it. The Grishaverse is one of my favorite places and I'm so happy to have been able to read these stories. I'm actually really glad that this was a duology and not more of a series because it closed out so well (which amazing job, Leigh!) and it didn't need to be dragged out into one or two or more books. I would always love to read more but I like that it was wrapped up so quickly and neatly! It felt perfect. 
 AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS 
 I actually didn't like the audio narrators as much this time around. I was really bothered by the fact that they didn't pronounce things all the same and some were just straight up pronounced wrong. With a cast of 6 audio narrations, that's kind of (aka really) important. 
 Anyway! I thought that CROOKED KINGDOM had more heists AND more humor AND more cross-over than SIX OF CROWS and I looooved it. The crossover was simply fantastic and I actually wish I had read it instead of listening because of one of the characters who appeared and the narrator didn't to them justice.