Reviews tagging 'Kidnapping'

Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

274 reviews

marysunburn's review

adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This book was  fun, very tense, full of beautiful vivid descriptions and breath-taking fight scenes. It created a world that twists the flaws of our own, yet mirrors them closely, and a lovable cast. 
However, I refuse to engage further with Leigh Bardugo after her shifty declarations about the genocide of the Palestinian people, so this is my send-off message to her. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Medical trauma, Child abuse, Colonisation, Drug abuse, Murder, Pandemic/Epidemic, Police brutality, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Death, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Confinement, Gaslighting, Ableism, Addiction, Drug use, Classism, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, and Violence

both the female leads are survivors of sex work, one of them – Romani-coded – was kidnapped and trafficked by "slavers" and exotified at her former brothel. One of the male leads is murdered by a fanatical ex-brother-in-arms. One of the plot points involves fabricating a deadly and contagious disease. One of the male leads is dyslexic and hated by his father for it; his mother was institutionalized in an isolated institution and presumably drugged. One of the male leads is a gunslinger and he prominently displays this ability. The main plot of the story involves members of a street gang organizing a heist against rich merchants. One of the female leads has taken a powerful drug in the previous novel, and is seen fighting addiction and withdrawal. One of the male leads is triggered by close skin-to-skin contact due to a traumatic event in his past involving a pandemic and the death of his brother, and there's a lot of vivid descriptions of it.

evelynnnn33333's review

adventurous hopeful sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Kidnapping, Emotional abuse, and Violence

Moderate: Blood, Cursing, Addiction, Trafficking, and Torture

Minor: Sexual content, Confinement, and Grief

glund_01's review

adventurous dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Addiction, and Violence

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, and Abandonment

tiana_king's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Somehow this book is even better than the first without a daring heist being the center. I laughed, cried, and hung onto my seat for dear life. A great end to the series though I hope more will come.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Blood, Confinement, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Torture, Grief, and Classism

Moderate: Drug use, Religious bigotry, Slavery, and Trafficking

Minor: War

garrettcz's review

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I wish there was more in this series because I couldn’t possibly get enough of these characters. 

I didn’t super love the Shadow and Bone trilogy but this duology is incredible. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Classism, Torture, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Cursing, Drug use, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexism, Slavery, and Trafficking

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Slavery, Sexual assault, Abandonment, Addiction, Sexual content, Murder, Infidelity, and Gaslighting

thenoboshow's review

adventurous dark funny hopeful lighthearted reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Pregnancy, Racism, Alcohol, Blood, Medical content, Confinement, Sexual violence, Death of parent, Addiction, Kidnapping, Ableism, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Abandonment, Child abuse, Child death, Classism, Pandemic/Epidemic, Cursing, Rape, Sexual assault, Drug abuse, Mental illness, Forced institutionalization, Slavery, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

torturedreadersdept's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Abandonment, Ableism, Addiction, Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Classism, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Medical content, Mental illness, Pandemic/Epidemic, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Sexism, Slavery, Stalking, Torture, Toxic friendship, Trafficking, Violence, and Vomit

aino_maria23's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Torture, Death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Drug use, Grief, War, Addiction, Death of parent, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Sexual violence, and Trafficking

Minor: Sexual violence, Alcohol, Sexual content, War, Cursing, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders

ailiaris25's review

adventurous dark funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Blood, Death, Emotional abuse, Child death, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Torture

veggiestrawenjoyer13's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

I would’ve liked the book better if it wasn’t spoiled for me, but it was still great! I think I prefer Six of Crows. It was still very good though!! I love all the characters and their dynamics together are amazing. It’s easier to understand the worldbuilding after reading the first book. It’s well written and immersive till the end. Love this series! Found family trope goes hard.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Violence, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Blood and Death