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Into the Crooked Place #1
Into the Crooked Place
Magic rules the city of Creije Capital and Tavia Syn knows just how many tricks she needs up her sleeve to survive. Selling dark magic on the streets for her kingpin, she keeps clear of other crooks, counting the days until her debt is paid and she can flee her criminal life.
But then, one day, with her freedom in sight, Tavia uncovers a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the realm she calls home. Desperate to put an end to her kingpin's plan, Tavia forms an unlikely alliance with three crooks even more deadly than her:
Wesley, the kingpin's prodigy and most renewed criminal in the realm
Karam, an underground fighter with a penchant for killing first and forgetting to ask questions
And Saxony, a Crafter in hiding who will stop at nothing to avenge her family
With the reluctant saviours assembled, they embark on a quest to put an end to the dark magic before it's too late. But even if they can take down the kingpin and save the realm, the one thing they can't do is trust each other.
But then, one day, with her freedom in sight, Tavia uncovers a sinister plot that threatens to destroy the realm she calls home. Desperate to put an end to her kingpin's plan, Tavia forms an unlikely alliance with three crooks even more deadly than her:
Wesley, the kingpin's prodigy and most renewed criminal in the realm
Karam, an underground fighter with a penchant for killing first and forgetting to ask questions
And Saxony, a Crafter in hiding who will stop at nothing to avenge her family
With the reluctant saviours assembled, they embark on a quest to put an end to the dark magic before it's too late. But even if they can take down the kingpin and save the realm, the one thing they can't do is trust each other.
470 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2019
217 people are currently reading
26520 people want to read
About the author
Alexandra Christo
16 books5,865 followersAlexandra Christo is a British author whose characters are always funnier and far more deadly than she is. She studied Creative Writing at university and graduated with the desire to never stop letting her imagination run wild. She currently lives in Hertfordshire with a rapidly growing garden and a never-ending stack of books. Her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom is an international bestseller and her Young Adult fantasy books have been translated into over a dozen languages worldwide.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 789 reviews
October 15, 2019
gangster fantasies are so my thing - i love the gritty, unapologetic adventure of it all - so its been very exciting to see it become such a popular trope.
as with all tropes, recycled elements are bound to pop up from book to book, but its how the story enhances those elements that makes its worthwhile. and unfortunately, ‘into the crooked place’ doesnt really add anything special to the genre.
its a solid book on its own - there is a variety of characters and representation, interesting magic system and world building, and decent writing and pacing. all great things, but thats where it stops. its nothing i havent read and enjoyed before.
so while this is still entertaining, especially for fans of gangster fantasy stories, there really isnt anything about this that makes me obsess over the story.
↠ 3 stars
as with all tropes, recycled elements are bound to pop up from book to book, but its how the story enhances those elements that makes its worthwhile. and unfortunately, ‘into the crooked place’ doesnt really add anything special to the genre.
its a solid book on its own - there is a variety of characters and representation, interesting magic system and world building, and decent writing and pacing. all great things, but thats where it stops. its nothing i havent read and enjoyed before.
so while this is still entertaining, especially for fans of gangster fantasy stories, there really isnt anything about this that makes me obsess over the story.
↠ 3 stars
October 7, 2019
This is my book. It comes out tomorrow. I think it's pretty damn great and I'm excited to throw these crooked little cupcakes out into the world.
on-my-nightstand
July 2, 2021I'm only marking this as a temporary DNF because I started it years ago, was loving it, but then got hit by a bad slump and put it down. I really want to pick it back up again! But when I do, I want to give it my full attention so I can love it as much as I was when I first started it
So don't take me putting this down as "temporary dnf" as a sign that this book isn't good. It is (well, the 100-something pages I read are!)
ORIGINAL THOUGHTS FROM 2019
Here are my thoughts so far:
Into the Crooked Place is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. When I read To Kill A Kingdom last year, I never expected to love it as much as I did, and it became one of my all time favorites. Because of that, I definitely have really high expectations for Into the Crooked Place, but so far, it seems to be meeting them!
If you're a fan of Six of Crows, this might be the book for you. It has the same gritty fantasy setting, filled with smart criminal characters who are forced to team up, except I would argue that these characters are a little less morally gray then the crows. But I’ll talk more about that in a minute.
The Bad
First, I want to start with any negatives I can come up with. Which is a bit of a challenge.
The only possible negative I can think of right now is that this world is so rich and detailed that there is a lot to learn once you’re thrown into it, which can make the beginning feel a little slow. That said, the book starts off pretty strong so don’t be concerned that it’s really slow.
The Good
Okay now back to me fangirling over this book. Like I said, it has Six of Crows vibes. The characters and the main city we find ourselves in really do remind me of that series, but it’s different enough to make this book stand out on it’s own and not be a simple carbon copy. I would say Into the Crooked Place is (so far) a mix of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi.
But enough about what this book reminds me of. Let’s talk about what makes it stand out.
The writing. Alexandra Christo has such a beautiful writing style, that never fails to impress me. Even the simplest lines come out beautiful. But at the same time, she has such witty and fun banter between characters!
The world. It’s so well developed and interesting. There’s a lot of moving pieces, and while it can be a lot to keep track of, I can tell already that it’s worth it.
The characters. They are just so amazing and I can’t wait to learn more about them!! So far, I think Wesley might just be my favorite, but honestly I love them all so much it’s hard to say if that’ll stay the same throughout the book. Also, this cast is really diverse, and we have LGBTQ+ characters (and I think one of the main couples will be f/f)!
Predictions
Here are my non-spoilery predictions for where this book may go:
As I said before, there will be a f/f main couple
There will be another m/f main couple (I’m not saying who because spoilers)(I also really ship this couple already)
Characters in one of the ships (or both) will push each other away because either pride or plot reasons until the next book
That new dark magic will have some negative effects on one of the main characters (possibly mind control?)
This will end in a painful cliffhanger. This seems like the kinda book to hurt me in that way.
That’s what I think, but who knows. I’ve been wrong a lot in my predictions, but I feel pretty confident in these.
So don't take me putting this down as "temporary dnf" as a sign that this book isn't good. It is (well, the 100-something pages I read are!)
ORIGINAL THOUGHTS FROM 2019
Here are my thoughts so far:
Into the Crooked Place is one of my most anticipated releases of the year. When I read To Kill A Kingdom last year, I never expected to love it as much as I did, and it became one of my all time favorites. Because of that, I definitely have really high expectations for Into the Crooked Place, but so far, it seems to be meeting them!
If you're a fan of Six of Crows, this might be the book for you. It has the same gritty fantasy setting, filled with smart criminal characters who are forced to team up, except I would argue that these characters are a little less morally gray then the crows. But I’ll talk more about that in a minute.
The Bad
First, I want to start with any negatives I can come up with. Which is a bit of a challenge.
The only possible negative I can think of right now is that this world is so rich and detailed that there is a lot to learn once you’re thrown into it, which can make the beginning feel a little slow. That said, the book starts off pretty strong so don’t be concerned that it’s really slow.
The Good
Okay now back to me fangirling over this book. Like I said, it has Six of Crows vibes. The characters and the main city we find ourselves in really do remind me of that series, but it’s different enough to make this book stand out on it’s own and not be a simple carbon copy. I would say Into the Crooked Place is (so far) a mix of Six of Crows and The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi.
But enough about what this book reminds me of. Let’s talk about what makes it stand out.
The writing. Alexandra Christo has such a beautiful writing style, that never fails to impress me. Even the simplest lines come out beautiful. But at the same time, she has such witty and fun banter between characters!
The world. It’s so well developed and interesting. There’s a lot of moving pieces, and while it can be a lot to keep track of, I can tell already that it’s worth it.
The characters. They are just so amazing and I can’t wait to learn more about them!! So far, I think Wesley might just be my favorite, but honestly I love them all so much it’s hard to say if that’ll stay the same throughout the book. Also, this cast is really diverse, and we have LGBTQ+ characters (and I think one of the main couples will be f/f)!
Predictions
Here are my non-spoilery predictions for where this book may go:
As I said before, there will be a f/f main couple
There will be another m/f main couple (I’m not saying who because spoilers)(I also really ship this couple already)
Characters in one of the ships (or both) will push each other away because either pride or plot reasons until the next book
That new dark magic will have some negative effects on one of the main characters (possibly mind control?)
This will end in a painful cliffhanger. This seems like the kinda book to hurt me in that way.
That’s what I think, but who knows. I’ve been wrong a lot in my predictions, but I feel pretty confident in these.
October 10, 2019
Here's a big reason why I think the current GR rating is what it is (which, as of the writing of this review, is 3.73) : it very much feels, and reads, like another book. Which, as my buddy said, doesn't mean a certain author holds the copyright to heist ensemble gangster anti-hero/amoral stories. It's just.. like, wow, a little effort to be different, when so much of today's culture is comparisons, would've been nice?
But here's where I get a little less snarky. After bemoaning the comparisons, and the utter boredom, for almost 50%.. this book did shift gears. A little. I won't say I liked it after the first half but while I predicted a lot of what was coming.. some things I didn't. I felt good about the ending — particularly the last 20% — which, I mean, I guess didn't take much considering how not-good I was feeling about the book in general, so that's definitely a low-ish bar. Also, the shift in plot doesn't quite take away from how much this book is like other things. I'm talking vibe, tone, names.. yeah, it's a lot.
But. Again, I say, but.
I might pick up book two (thank goodness it's not a trilogy). Hell, I probably will. I'm a bit of a masochist but I did feel this ended on a good — well, no, not good, but you get what I mean — note. Also there is a lot of diversity in this story, which is one of the few uncomplicated things to celebrate.
So, yes, this is kind of a hash, for a book I wanted to DNF and yet now find myself intending to read even more of now that I’ve finished it, and yet here we are.
** I received a ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
But here's where I get a little less snarky. After bemoaning the comparisons, and the utter boredom, for almost 50%.. this book did shift gears. A little. I won't say I liked it after the first half but while I predicted a lot of what was coming.. some things I didn't. I felt good about the ending — particularly the last 20% — which, I mean, I guess didn't take much considering how not-good I was feeling about the book in general, so that's definitely a low-ish bar. Also, the shift in plot doesn't quite take away from how much this book is like other things. I'm talking vibe, tone, names.. yeah, it's a lot.
But. Again, I say, but.
I might pick up book two (thank goodness it's not a trilogy). Hell, I probably will. I'm a bit of a masochist but I did feel this ended on a good — well, no, not good, but you get what I mean — note. Also there is a lot of diversity in this story, which is one of the few uncomplicated things to celebrate.
So, yes, this is kind of a hash, for a book I wanted to DNF and yet now find myself intending to read even more of now that I’ve finished it, and yet here we are.
** I received a ARC from Edelweiss and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **
---
This review can also be found at A Take From Two Cities.
October 13, 2025
#1 Into the Crooked Place - ★★★★
#2 City of Spells - TBR
Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo was a book I was very excited to read in the first place.
There is magic and potions, there is romance and adventure. The hype around it was huge, and it is still talked about in the bookish community.
What’s not to like?
Tavia sells magic potions on the market. One day, she is ordered to sell a new magic potion. When her friend Saxoni drinks the new potion, something bad happens. The potion makes people do terrible things - and Tavia and Saxoni need to stop it, before it destroys everyone!
The storytelling in this book was amazing. I was immediately teleported to a world where going to a market to buy a love potion is normal. I could connect with all characters immediately, and wanted to know more about them. The story is told from multiple character’s points of view, which I found appropriate for this story.
Apart from Tavia and Saxony, we also meet Wesley - who is Tavia’s underboss. He is the one that she follows orders from, and he is the one to grant her her freedom, once she earns it by working for him.
“There are no good people, he said. Just ones who haven’t made bad choices yet.”
We also meet Karam - a feisty warrior woman, who is fighting in pits for money. Karam is a character that I instantly liked, for her bravery and her free spirit. She knows who she is, she knows how she got there, and she knows exactly what she wants.
“She had fought her way to her position and hadn’t needed prayer or magic to do it. Just her fists and her smarts and the knowledge that she could.”
I liked Karam and she was probably my favorite character.
I think that her journey was the most adventurous compared to all the other characters, and I feel like she’s grown the most.
“She felt at home. And she knew why. She knew then that home could be anywhere, because it wasn’t a place, but a feeling. It was made up of people, not bricks, and it was something you could create for yourself, just like family.”
The legacy that Karam and Saxony carry is very conveniently revealed. The author only revealed this when it was needed in the book, to fit a certain situation and prompt plot twists. This wasn’t something I enjoyed, and together with how the book ended, it did leave a bitter aftertaste. I think I would have liked the book more if certain reveals were handled better, and the ending was more interesting.
“Sometimes, words spoken in anger are not words spoken in truth, dila.”
To sum everything up, I still think Into the Crooked Place was amazing and enjoyable.
I enjoyed being in this magical world and I enjoyed the adventures the characters went through. If you’ve been reading my reviews, you will know I love a good versus evil battle, and this book did indeed have that. Would I change the ending? Yes. Would I change the way the reveals were handled? Yes. But was this still an amazing book? Most definitely. If you love young-adult magic and adventure books - you will enjoy this one!
Thank you to the teams at Hot Key Books and ReadersFirst, for sending me a copy of this book. Into the Crooked Place is the first book in the series. The second book is called City of Spells, and is expected to come out in 2021.
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#2 City of Spells - TBR
Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo was a book I was very excited to read in the first place.
There is magic and potions, there is romance and adventure. The hype around it was huge, and it is still talked about in the bookish community.
What’s not to like?
Tavia sells magic potions on the market. One day, she is ordered to sell a new magic potion. When her friend Saxoni drinks the new potion, something bad happens. The potion makes people do terrible things - and Tavia and Saxoni need to stop it, before it destroys everyone!
The storytelling in this book was amazing. I was immediately teleported to a world where going to a market to buy a love potion is normal. I could connect with all characters immediately, and wanted to know more about them. The story is told from multiple character’s points of view, which I found appropriate for this story.
Apart from Tavia and Saxony, we also meet Wesley - who is Tavia’s underboss. He is the one that she follows orders from, and he is the one to grant her her freedom, once she earns it by working for him.
“There are no good people, he said. Just ones who haven’t made bad choices yet.”
We also meet Karam - a feisty warrior woman, who is fighting in pits for money. Karam is a character that I instantly liked, for her bravery and her free spirit. She knows who she is, she knows how she got there, and she knows exactly what she wants.
“She had fought her way to her position and hadn’t needed prayer or magic to do it. Just her fists and her smarts and the knowledge that she could.”
I liked Karam and she was probably my favorite character.
I think that her journey was the most adventurous compared to all the other characters, and I feel like she’s grown the most.
“She felt at home. And she knew why. She knew then that home could be anywhere, because it wasn’t a place, but a feeling. It was made up of people, not bricks, and it was something you could create for yourself, just like family.”
The legacy that Karam and Saxony carry is very conveniently revealed. The author only revealed this when it was needed in the book, to fit a certain situation and prompt plot twists. This wasn’t something I enjoyed, and together with how the book ended, it did leave a bitter aftertaste. I think I would have liked the book more if certain reveals were handled better, and the ending was more interesting.
“Sometimes, words spoken in anger are not words spoken in truth, dila.”
To sum everything up, I still think Into the Crooked Place was amazing and enjoyable.
I enjoyed being in this magical world and I enjoyed the adventures the characters went through. If you’ve been reading my reviews, you will know I love a good versus evil battle, and this book did indeed have that. Would I change the ending? Yes. Would I change the way the reveals were handled? Yes. But was this still an amazing book? Most definitely. If you love young-adult magic and adventure books - you will enjoy this one!
Thank you to the teams at Hot Key Books and ReadersFirst, for sending me a copy of this book. Into the Crooked Place is the first book in the series. The second book is called City of Spells, and is expected to come out in 2021.
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Want to read
May 1, 2018"Gangster fantasy"
That's... that's beautiful. :')
I know absolutely nothing about this book, but yes.
The answer is yes.
That's... that's beautiful. :')
I know absolutely nothing about this book, but yes.
The answer is yes.
Want to read
June 22, 2019guess who got a copy of this baby at BookCon!?!?!? I am so ready for this!
Read
November 21, 2019DNF 3 chapters in. It's just not gripping me and I have so many things I want to read instead right now, so might come back to this later!
October 8, 2019
The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5 Stars
Full review here
This new gangster fantasy left me happy and disappointed at the same time.
Into the Crooked Place has an interesting enough world filled with magic, which I think could have been explained a lot better than it was. The characters are what drives the story forward. I truly feel like there were characters that were well developed and others that were just there. Wesley is a cut above all others, he just is. The only other character who comes close to being well-crafted is Tavia. The other narrators and their points of view didn't really catch my attention.
This book has been compared to Six of Crows on multiple occasions and I can totally see why. I think that the feel is pretty much the same, but I personally prefer Leigh Bardugo's books. Wesley resembles Kaz quite a lot, which is probably why I liked him so much.
I think this book has some great potential even though it has not the most original story. The ending was quite interesting and left me curious to see how the author decides to continue on with the series.
3.5/5 Stars
Full review here
This new gangster fantasy left me happy and disappointed at the same time.
Into the Crooked Place has an interesting enough world filled with magic, which I think could have been explained a lot better than it was. The characters are what drives the story forward. I truly feel like there were characters that were well developed and others that were just there. Wesley is a cut above all others, he just is. The only other character who comes close to being well-crafted is Tavia. The other narrators and their points of view didn't really catch my attention.
This book has been compared to Six of Crows on multiple occasions and I can totally see why. I think that the feel is pretty much the same, but I personally prefer Leigh Bardugo's books. Wesley resembles Kaz quite a lot, which is probably why I liked him so much.
I think this book has some great potential even though it has not the most original story. The ending was quite interesting and left me curious to see how the author decides to continue on with the series.
August 5, 2019
3/5 stars ⭐⭐⭐
e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo is an upcoming fantasy novel that follows four crooks who must come together to save their home from the dark magic that threatens it and everyone they love.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! Having read To Kill A Kingdom in 2018 (and thoroughly enjoying it) I honestly expected more from Into The Crooked Place, but it wasn't all bad! If I'm being completely honest though- I think where this falls short for me is it's similarities to other YA fantasy books that I've read in the past! Alexandra is such a great writer, and I always feel some sort of connection to her characters, but- if it weren't for said characters in this one I probably would have DNF'd it at the halfway point! Will I pick up the sequel? Probably! But I won't be in a rush to do so!
e-ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Into The Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo is an upcoming fantasy novel that follows four crooks who must come together to save their home from the dark magic that threatens it and everyone they love.
This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! Having read To Kill A Kingdom in 2018 (and thoroughly enjoying it) I honestly expected more from Into The Crooked Place, but it wasn't all bad! If I'm being completely honest though- I think where this falls short for me is it's similarities to other YA fantasy books that I've read in the past! Alexandra is such a great writer, and I always feel some sort of connection to her characters, but- if it weren't for said characters in this one I probably would have DNF'd it at the halfway point! Will I pick up the sequel? Probably! But I won't be in a rush to do so!
May 21, 2025
💙💜🖤💙💜🖤💙💜🖤💙💜🖤💙
This was so good! I love this type of gritty fantasy world.
I recently unhauled over 70-books, and during the course of that massive undertaking there were quite a few books and series that I needed to decide if I was still interested in.
The Into the Crooked Place duology was one of them. The overall rating isn't great, but the synopsis still intrigued me. After I got rid of the books that didn't make the cut, I decided to just pick this one up. I'm so glad I did!
This is a YA Fantasy story, published in 2019, that sweeps the Reader away to Crejie, a gritty, urban landscape where vice runs rampant.
The characters we follow are all part of the seedy underbelly of this society. There's a bit of a mafioso-feeling to it. They peddle in dark magic, versus the commodities they would commonly deal with in our world.
We follow four mains: Wesley, a powerful underboss, Tavia, his lead busker, Karam, his muscle, and Saxony, a girl filled to the brim with magic.
There's a new dark magic unleashed on the streets, think of it as a dangerously high-powered drug, that is corrupting souls to do another's bidding. It's wild.
The four team up together to try to stop this plot before it gets out of hand, but this means they'll need to overthrow the powers that be. This would result in Wesley coming to power, but is that really what would be best for everyone?
This book reminded me so much of Amanda Foody's Shadow Game trilogy, which I loved. At the time I read Foody's books, I had never read a Fantasy world quite like that.
Into the Crooked Place is the first YA Fantasy I've read since that rivals that sort of magical gangster feel. I'm not sure why this is a setting I enjoy so much, but I ate it up.
I loved learning about this cast of characters. Their relationships were nuanced and I enjoyed their various backstories and motivations. Watching them come together to fight for a common cause was gripping.
There is so much action in this too. A ton of fights and drama. I never felt a lull. It was go, go, go. Towards the end, OMG, I was flying through this so fast and I cannot believe how this ended. I never could have predicted it.
I do see how this wouldn't necessarily work for everyone, but I think if you're like me and enjoy stories with this type of vice-filled setting, you could enjoy it as much as me.
The characters were very easy to get attached too and root for. I will be picking up the sequel very soon, because I am so not ready to leave this crew behind.
I need to know what happens.
I'm so glad that this book survived that unhaul and I'm even happier that I finally made the time for it. This one really surprised me!
This was so good! I love this type of gritty fantasy world.
I recently unhauled over 70-books, and during the course of that massive undertaking there were quite a few books and series that I needed to decide if I was still interested in.
The Into the Crooked Place duology was one of them. The overall rating isn't great, but the synopsis still intrigued me. After I got rid of the books that didn't make the cut, I decided to just pick this one up. I'm so glad I did!
This is a YA Fantasy story, published in 2019, that sweeps the Reader away to Crejie, a gritty, urban landscape where vice runs rampant.
The characters we follow are all part of the seedy underbelly of this society. There's a bit of a mafioso-feeling to it. They peddle in dark magic, versus the commodities they would commonly deal with in our world.
We follow four mains: Wesley, a powerful underboss, Tavia, his lead busker, Karam, his muscle, and Saxony, a girl filled to the brim with magic.
There's a new dark magic unleashed on the streets, think of it as a dangerously high-powered drug, that is corrupting souls to do another's bidding. It's wild.
The four team up together to try to stop this plot before it gets out of hand, but this means they'll need to overthrow the powers that be. This would result in Wesley coming to power, but is that really what would be best for everyone?
This book reminded me so much of Amanda Foody's Shadow Game trilogy, which I loved. At the time I read Foody's books, I had never read a Fantasy world quite like that.
Into the Crooked Place is the first YA Fantasy I've read since that rivals that sort of magical gangster feel. I'm not sure why this is a setting I enjoy so much, but I ate it up.
I loved learning about this cast of characters. Their relationships were nuanced and I enjoyed their various backstories and motivations. Watching them come together to fight for a common cause was gripping.
There is so much action in this too. A ton of fights and drama. I never felt a lull. It was go, go, go. Towards the end, OMG, I was flying through this so fast and I cannot believe how this ended. I never could have predicted it.
I do see how this wouldn't necessarily work for everyone, but I think if you're like me and enjoy stories with this type of vice-filled setting, you could enjoy it as much as me.
The characters were very easy to get attached too and root for. I will be picking up the sequel very soon, because I am so not ready to leave this crew behind.
I need to know what happens.
I'm so glad that this book survived that unhaul and I'm even happier that I finally made the time for it. This one really surprised me!
Want to read
August 25, 2018This is giving me all the Six of Crows vibes and I am HERE. FOR. IT.
January 23, 2020
⭐️3 stars⭐️
That's what parents do. They make up pretty words and stories so you don't have to. That way you get to believe them. You get to feel better.
That's what parents do. They make up pretty words and stories so you don't have to. That way you get to believe them. You get to feel better.
February 7, 2020
This review was originally posted on Alexa Loves Books.
I had high hopes for Into the Crooked Place, first in a brand-new duology by Alexandra Christo (who wrote one of my favorite books in 2018). The story follows an ensemble cast with a variety of motivations who team up in order to take down the Kingpin (who basically wants to take over everything), namely Wesley (an underboss who works for the Kingpin), Tavia (a busker for magic who works for Wesley), Saxony (a Crafter who is able to create and perform magic) and Karam (a warrior whose line is dedicated to protecting Crafters). It’s such a great premise, but the execution fell flat. The novel was underdeveloped, in my opinion, and I didn’t care for the world, characters or even the magic. It almost felt as if pieces were taken from other stories and cobbled together haphazardly to create this one, and it was simple to figure out where things would go. I’m so sad that I didn’t end up loving this one, and I will not be continuing on with the series.
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I had high hopes for Into the Crooked Place, first in a brand-new duology by Alexandra Christo (who wrote one of my favorite books in 2018). The story follows an ensemble cast with a variety of motivations who team up in order to take down the Kingpin (who basically wants to take over everything), namely Wesley (an underboss who works for the Kingpin), Tavia (a busker for magic who works for Wesley), Saxony (a Crafter who is able to create and perform magic) and Karam (a warrior whose line is dedicated to protecting Crafters). It’s such a great premise, but the execution fell flat. The novel was underdeveloped, in my opinion, and I didn’t care for the world, characters or even the magic. It almost felt as if pieces were taken from other stories and cobbled together haphazardly to create this one, and it was simple to figure out where things would go. I’m so sad that I didn’t end up loving this one, and I will not be continuing on with the series.
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October 8, 2019
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Review can be found on *Milky Way of Books*
I knew that there would be something in this book to pull me into Alexandra Christo's writing. I had loved and enjoyed very much her first book, To Kill a Kingdom, and this book, while it was a wide turn in themes for me, was quite interesting.
There are multiple POVs in this book all in the third person, that follows the adventure a team of older teens undertake in order to overthrow an evil magician/mob boss/something otherworldly.
While I did enjoy the plot and the magic system was very interesting it felt more like an upper YA, since it has quite the fighting scenes and some dark themes. The romance here was subtle without necessarily affecting the plot but I did like how the realms were made and the scenes with the train chase. My favorite character by far is Tavia; I really need to know what will happen in the sequel since the book ended in a cliffhanger with such revelations following in the ending.
I knew that there would be something in this book to pull me into Alexandra Christo's writing. I had loved and enjoyed very much her first book, To Kill a Kingdom, and this book, while it was a wide turn in themes for me, was quite interesting.
There are multiple POVs in this book all in the third person, that follows the adventure a team of older teens undertake in order to overthrow an evil magician/mob boss/something otherworldly.
While I did enjoy the plot and the magic system was very interesting it felt more like an upper YA, since it has quite the fighting scenes and some dark themes. The romance here was subtle without necessarily affecting the plot but I did like how the realms were made and the scenes with the train chase. My favorite character by far is Tavia; I really need to know what will happen in the sequel since the book ended in a cliffhanger with such revelations following in the ending.
September 2, 2019
*screams into the void*
It's been a while since I've loved a book with the intensity of my feelings for this one. Dare I even say, had I had this book when I was younger I would have very likely had my whole life revolve around this book, that's just how great it is.
Christo's writing style is enchanting and intoxicating; it has a wonderful flow to it that makes it easy to get sucked right into the story and live along with her characters, yet it also has a strange almost flowery quality to it and has many many passages that just stay with you and you are meant to wish to cherish for ever and ever. The kind of passages that you wish you could revisit endlessly and eventually inhabit for the rest of time. Casual, right?
While I am a sucker for stories of found family and groups of misfits coming together to achieve an obscure purpose, I do have to say that it never seems likely to be before starting these kind of stories that I'd like all the characters. Shouldn't have ever questioned Alexandra Christo. Not only are all her characters coming alive right off the page along with their highs and lows and all the many, many gray shades that they are made of, but the way they function as a group and the relationships established among each of them are outstandingly established. There is also a certain je ne sais quois that made one thing, be it something small or monumental, just one thing from each of the POV protagonists that feels painfully familiar and relatable and speaks to my soul on an unexpected level. Additionally, what Christo blew me away with is the dichotomy between the ways her characters are presented through the filter of those around them as opposed to how they are portrayed through their own eyes in their POV chapters.
Add a fun wild storyline of pretty much attempting to run a coup within the corrupted underground black market of magic and you get this fabulous book.
Strangely reminiscent of Six Of Crows & The Bone Season, I definitely think this is a newfound favourite.
It's been a while since I've loved a book with the intensity of my feelings for this one. Dare I even say, had I had this book when I was younger I would have very likely had my whole life revolve around this book, that's just how great it is.
Christo's writing style is enchanting and intoxicating; it has a wonderful flow to it that makes it easy to get sucked right into the story and live along with her characters, yet it also has a strange almost flowery quality to it and has many many passages that just stay with you and you are meant to wish to cherish for ever and ever. The kind of passages that you wish you could revisit endlessly and eventually inhabit for the rest of time. Casual, right?
While I am a sucker for stories of found family and groups of misfits coming together to achieve an obscure purpose, I do have to say that it never seems likely to be before starting these kind of stories that I'd like all the characters. Shouldn't have ever questioned Alexandra Christo. Not only are all her characters coming alive right off the page along with their highs and lows and all the many, many gray shades that they are made of, but the way they function as a group and the relationships established among each of them are outstandingly established. There is also a certain je ne sais quois that made one thing, be it something small or monumental, just one thing from each of the POV protagonists that feels painfully familiar and relatable and speaks to my soul on an unexpected level. Additionally, what Christo blew me away with is the dichotomy between the ways her characters are presented through the filter of those around them as opposed to how they are portrayed through their own eyes in their POV chapters.
Add a fun wild storyline of pretty much attempting to run a coup within the corrupted underground black market of magic and you get this fabulous book.
Strangely reminiscent of Six Of Crows & The Bone Season, I definitely think this is a newfound favourite.
Want to read
July 12, 2019oh my god i can't believe i didn't know this already has a cover and it's fucking gorgeous
*If you haven't yet, let me let me convince you to read To Kill a Kingdom!
*If you haven't yet, let me let me convince you to read To Kill a Kingdom!
January 22, 2020
To Kill a Kingdom by Alexandra Christo was one of my favorite books of 2018 so when I heard that she was writing a gangster fantasy, it instantly because of one of my most anticipated reads of 2019. But, as I’m sure you have all seen, Into the Crooked Place is not having the same positive outcome as Christo’s debut had.
Into the Crooked Place follows Wesley, the underboss of Creji, and his motley crew of criminals on their hunt for the Kingpin, also known as Wesley’s boss, who wants to infect all of the Crafters, who are people who can create and control various types of magic, with dark magic with the hopes of creating an army strong enough to conquer all the realms. But the Kingpin won't be easy to find; Wesley's crew will have to go through multiple trials and tribulations, testing each of them individually, with the hopes of stopping the Kingpin before he destroys everything they love.
I will agree with the majority when I say that Into the Crooked Plae isn’t overly original; there are some strong similarities to ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’ the strongest one being that they both have a dark magic that causes a person to become a fantasy resemblance of a zombie but I also believe that there are some unique aspects that are being overlooked. For example, the magic system: the idea of Crafters and their various Kins being the only ones able to create new magic and all the magic being used by the buskers in Creji is just old, recycled magic that is unable to die, hasn’t been in any other gangster fantasy (that I know of). Throughout the book, we see this recycled magic powers a variety of things including the magical train that our group travels on during their journey to stop the Kingpin. But unlike most trains, this train flies through the air - which is pretty different if you ask me!
"Never create more than one enemy, because then he’d have to turn his back on one to keep an eye on the other”
Personally, the characters didn’t do anything for me. I think Wesley is supposed to embody the self-made businessman who doubles as a gangster but just came off as an arrogant teenager whose trying a little too hard to be a ‘gangster’. I think I would have enjoyed Wesley’s character more if we saw more of his past besides the nonchalant comments about his family and his internal thought process over his new magic. Why didn’t he question how strong his powers were instantly after he gained them? This background into his character would’ve helped build complexity and lessen the amount of arrogance in his character.
I also struggled with Saxony’s character. I found her to be incredibly indecisive when it came to what side she was on. She lacked confidence over a topic she felt strongly about and it didn't make sense to me. I really can't elaborate much more without spoilers, but if you're interested...
For Tavia and Karam, they were both nothing exciting nor notable. I know this sounds odd to say but Karam suffered an awful lot of injuries for a short book. I think it was done to possibly give reason to Saxony’s feelings reigniting by seeing her ex-lover being injured but overall that card was played too much.
Another part I didn't enjoy was the writing; you know when you're trying on a new pair of jeans at the store and you're trying to squeeze into a size that's too small and you start to hear the ripping of the seams and you break out in a sweaty panic because you don't want to pay for damaged products so you just slowly take them off and try the next size up? That's essentially what happened for Into the Crooked Place in the sense that instead of slowly taking the gangster fantasy prose-pants off, Christo forced herself into them making the whole situation awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Into the Crooked Place ultimately lacked its own voice and reads as if it was trying to imitate the previous books in the gangster fantasy genre but couldn't squeeze into the mold that was three sizes too small. I wish Christo wrote Into The Crooked Place as she did ‘To Kill A Kingdom’ so ItCP would have had more independence from its fellow members of the gangster fantasy trope and had the beautiful flow of language that was present in To Kill A Kingdom, which I absolutely adored. The pacing also suffered at the beginning of the story. A whole lot of nothing happened and it felt as though the beginning was a filler for Christo, so she could delay the main plot of the book. Perhaps if Christo added in a few more trials the crew had to face leading into the final battle at the Kingpin’s fortress, she couldve gotten to the main plot faster, without making the story move too fast.
Overall, Into the Crooked Place was close to being a hit. I feel like the story needed a little bit more attention and nurturing before it was sent to the public to read. Little tweaks to the characters, writing, and pacing would’ve made the story ten times better.
Into the Crooked Place follows Wesley, the underboss of Creji, and his motley crew of criminals on their hunt for the Kingpin, also known as Wesley’s boss, who wants to infect all of the Crafters, who are people who can create and control various types of magic, with dark magic with the hopes of creating an army strong enough to conquer all the realms. But the Kingpin won't be easy to find; Wesley's crew will have to go through multiple trials and tribulations, testing each of them individually, with the hopes of stopping the Kingpin before he destroys everything they love.
I will agree with the majority when I say that Into the Crooked Plae isn’t overly original; there are some strong similarities to ‘A Darker Shade of Magic’ the strongest one being that they both have a dark magic that causes a person to become a fantasy resemblance of a zombie but I also believe that there are some unique aspects that are being overlooked. For example, the magic system: the idea of Crafters and their various Kins being the only ones able to create new magic and all the magic being used by the buskers in Creji is just old, recycled magic that is unable to die, hasn’t been in any other gangster fantasy (that I know of). Throughout the book, we see this recycled magic powers a variety of things including the magical train that our group travels on during their journey to stop the Kingpin. But unlike most trains, this train flies through the air - which is pretty different if you ask me!
"Never create more than one enemy, because then he’d have to turn his back on one to keep an eye on the other”
Personally, the characters didn’t do anything for me. I think Wesley is supposed to embody the self-made businessman who doubles as a gangster but just came off as an arrogant teenager whose trying a little too hard to be a ‘gangster’. I think I would have enjoyed Wesley’s character more if we saw more of his past besides the nonchalant comments about his family and his internal thought process over his new magic. Why didn’t he question how strong his powers were instantly after he gained them? This background into his character would’ve helped build complexity and lessen the amount of arrogance in his character.
I also struggled with Saxony’s character. I found her to be incredibly indecisive when it came to what side she was on. She lacked confidence over a topic she felt strongly about and it didn't make sense to me. I really can't elaborate much more without spoilers, but if you're interested...
For Tavia and Karam, they were both nothing exciting nor notable. I know this sounds odd to say but Karam suffered an awful lot of injuries for a short book. I think it was done to possibly give reason to Saxony’s feelings reigniting by seeing her ex-lover being injured but overall that card was played too much.
Another part I didn't enjoy was the writing; you know when you're trying on a new pair of jeans at the store and you're trying to squeeze into a size that's too small and you start to hear the ripping of the seams and you break out in a sweaty panic because you don't want to pay for damaged products so you just slowly take them off and try the next size up? That's essentially what happened for Into the Crooked Place in the sense that instead of slowly taking the gangster fantasy prose-pants off, Christo forced herself into them making the whole situation awkward and uncomfortable for everyone involved.
Into the Crooked Place ultimately lacked its own voice and reads as if it was trying to imitate the previous books in the gangster fantasy genre but couldn't squeeze into the mold that was three sizes too small. I wish Christo wrote Into The Crooked Place as she did ‘To Kill A Kingdom’ so ItCP would have had more independence from its fellow members of the gangster fantasy trope and had the beautiful flow of language that was present in To Kill A Kingdom, which I absolutely adored. The pacing also suffered at the beginning of the story. A whole lot of nothing happened and it felt as though the beginning was a filler for Christo, so she could delay the main plot of the book. Perhaps if Christo added in a few more trials the crew had to face leading into the final battle at the Kingpin’s fortress, she couldve gotten to the main plot faster, without making the story move too fast.
Overall, Into the Crooked Place was close to being a hit. I feel like the story needed a little bit more attention and nurturing before it was sent to the public to read. Little tweaks to the characters, writing, and pacing would’ve made the story ten times better.
October 9, 2019
I was very excited about Into the Crooked Place because the blurb was giving me strong Six of Crows vibes. I guess they call this gangster fantasy these days? While parts of it does feel like SoC, overall the book missed the mark a little for me.
The world building was pretty good. Christo imbued the setting with seemingly sufficient grit. There's history. There's buskers peddling magic. The magic itself I struggled with a lot. It often felt like there weren't any strict rules, some of it felt "hand wavey" if you will, which I occasionally struggled with. Wesley "summons" charms from his skin? There wasn't a lot of explanation about where the charms come from or how they get their specific powers.
Another thing I struggled with, is it's explained initially there is no new magic, so anything the buskers sell is somehow recycled or a trick. But where was it recycled from? Is there that much illicit magic laying around that 50-100 buskers in several different cities can afford to sell many of these charms and potions every night? I felt like I was just supposed to take all this at face value.
The characters were all great and yet I often felt like I wasn't connecting. There was funny banter and wit and sass galore, a f/f relationship/romance that I actually did enjoy. But often a chapter would devolve into the character's inner monologue about their significant/desired other and that often took me out of the story a bit. I think the story would have been sufficient with just Karam's and Saxony's romance, because that one felt relatively effortless, while Wesley and Tavia's romance/flirtations, often felt shoehorned in.
The plot was okay. It was high action, but a lot of the action could have been skipped without any detriment to the story. There were several fist fights that felt like we were seeing them just to show how tough Wesley or Karam were. There were a lot of training scenes. It's just not my favorite way to read action in a book. I cared about the fights against the bad guys, not so much the fights and the training amongst themselves.
The other thing I want to note- I finished this on Saturday, less than a week ago. And I am struggling to remember lots of the details. It wasn't an unenjoyable experience, but it simply wasn't that memorable.
Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review.
The world building was pretty good. Christo imbued the setting with seemingly sufficient grit. There's history. There's buskers peddling magic. The magic itself I struggled with a lot. It often felt like there weren't any strict rules, some of it felt "hand wavey" if you will, which I occasionally struggled with. Wesley "summons" charms from his skin? There wasn't a lot of explanation about where the charms come from or how they get their specific powers.
Another thing I struggled with, is it's explained initially there is no new magic, so anything the buskers sell is somehow recycled or a trick. But where was it recycled from? Is there that much illicit magic laying around that 50-100 buskers in several different cities can afford to sell many of these charms and potions every night? I felt like I was just supposed to take all this at face value.
The characters were all great and yet I often felt like I wasn't connecting. There was funny banter and wit and sass galore, a f/f relationship/romance that I actually did enjoy. But often a chapter would devolve into the character's inner monologue about their significant/desired other and that often took me out of the story a bit. I think the story would have been sufficient with just Karam's and Saxony's romance, because that one felt relatively effortless, while Wesley and Tavia's romance/flirtations, often felt shoehorned in.
The plot was okay. It was high action, but a lot of the action could have been skipped without any detriment to the story. There were several fist fights that felt like we were seeing them just to show how tough Wesley or Karam were. There were a lot of training scenes. It's just not my favorite way to read action in a book. I cared about the fights against the bad guys, not so much the fights and the training amongst themselves.
The other thing I want to note- I finished this on Saturday, less than a week ago. And I am struggling to remember lots of the details. It wasn't an unenjoyable experience, but it simply wasn't that memorable.
Thank you to the publisher for sending a copy for review.
Read
July 21, 2020With heist books becoming increasingly popular, I was excited to see what Alexandra Christo would give to the genre in INTO THE CROOKED PLACE. But sadly I felt it offered very little, with nothing new to subvert or reinvent the genre (i.e. Roshani Chokshi's THE GILDED WOLVES set itself apart by being historical fantasy and engaging with colonialism and western imperialism, as well as the repatriation of culture due to plundering under the French Empire, but I digress, I just love TGW).
Honestly, since SIX OF CROWS, a lot of readers have discovered a love for heist books (and they've become more popular in YA), but it's also meant that it's become even harder to stand out. This book sadly lacked a lot of the magic that made Christo's debut TO KILL A KINGDOM so beloved by many readers, and ITCP just seemed like SoC . . . just not as good, I guess?
That said, I did really like the worldbuilding - Creije is a fascinating city that Christo clearly put a lot of thought into. I also liked the cast, although I never was particularly attached to any specific character. I'm still 50/50 on whether I'll read the sequel, but we'll see, and I'm still interested in seeing what Christo comes up with next after this duology.
Honestly, since SIX OF CROWS, a lot of readers have discovered a love for heist books (and they've become more popular in YA), but it's also meant that it's become even harder to stand out. This book sadly lacked a lot of the magic that made Christo's debut TO KILL A KINGDOM so beloved by many readers, and ITCP just seemed like SoC . . . just not as good, I guess?
That said, I did really like the worldbuilding - Creije is a fascinating city that Christo clearly put a lot of thought into. I also liked the cast, although I never was particularly attached to any specific character. I'm still 50/50 on whether I'll read the sequel, but we'll see, and I'm still interested in seeing what Christo comes up with next after this duology.
October 18, 2019
Wicked good fun!
If you love a found family of kickass protagonists, this book is for you. There's wonderfully casual queer rep. There's dangerous magic. There are even MESSENGER BATS. Yes, you read that right, and it's just one of many delightful reasons to pick this book up. But my favorite element of all were the complex friendships between our four leads.
Also, without spoiling anything, can I just say: THAT ENDING THOUGH!! The last 2-3 pages absolutely wrecked me, so book 2 can't come soon enough!
If you love a found family of kickass protagonists, this book is for you. There's wonderfully casual queer rep. There's dangerous magic. There are even MESSENGER BATS. Yes, you read that right, and it's just one of many delightful reasons to pick this book up. But my favorite element of all were the complex friendships between our four leads.
Also, without spoiling anything, can I just say: THAT ENDING THOUGH!! The last 2-3 pages absolutely wrecked me, so book 2 can't come soon enough!
Want to read
April 14, 2018After TKAK I am so ready for Alexandra to snatch my ever dwindling collection of wigs once more.
September 20, 2019
Originally posted on The Nerd Daily | Review by Nathalie DeFelice
If you’re looking for a story of angsty teens with the world’s biggest chips on their shoulders, look no further! I personally enjoyed the dark, gritty, and bleak aspect of this book…but maybe that’s just my fall reading taste. It’s a gangster heist story dealing with a lot of heavy themes, but I think everyone will find something to love in this story. The plot advances well, and the characters are really well explored, so I’m excited to see what happens in the next book…because that ending of Into The Crooked Place is pretty devastating. While the story is unequivocally a fantasy novel, I do want to say that if you’re triggered by violent/abusive situations, you might tread with caution.
Our story begins on the streets of Creije with Tavia, a young woman who peddles dark magic wares, with a dream of escaping and leaving that life behind. There’s also Wesley, who dreams of bringing the kingdom to its knees, leaving behind the young boy who grew up hungry and alone on the streets of Creije. Karam is a warrior who serves as a bodyguard during the day, and by night she spends her time in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself. Finally, there’s Saxony, a resistance fighter who’s hiding from those who ruined her family, and will do everything she can to get revenge. When Tavia mistakenly gives a vial of dark magic to a loved one, she sparks a conflict larger than our four players. Now they must work together, but with enemies at all sides, they can’t trust anyone, least of all each other.
Make no mistake friends, this isn’t a happy story. At first I was frustrated, because I often read stories of characters who slowly lose their innocence, which gives characters an added depth and makes them more relatable. Not having that really rubbed me raw, making me feel as bleak as they were…as desperate for relief. I won’t lie, I almost put it down because I felt like we were getting nowhere fast. But suddenly, these characters begin to show you snippets of themselves, before horrors came, before those terrible nightmares made them into jaded individuals. Some of the characters show those aspects faster, but the ones that make you wait are worth it. I’ve never had a book sink its claws into me this way before.
The plot grows quickly and with four perspectives, it can get tangled quickly, but Christo keeps these voices separate and easy to follow. It moves along at a fairly moderate pace, not so fast that you’re struggling to keep up, but not so slow that you’re wanting to put it down. Moreover, I was fascinated by the magic system. It’s a commodity that’s being bartered around, and more importantly, there’s an addictive quality to it. A lot of stories look at magic behind these rosy glasses that seem like it’s the end all be all, but not here. Magic is dangerous, too much is addictive, and the dangers are very real. I wanted to keep exploring more of the magic. I definitely want to see more in the next book.
Character-wise, Tavia is my favourite. The self-awareness about her is incredible, something that seemed to have been achieved thanks to her circumstances. Her stubborn and reckless behaviour is fun to read, and nail-bitingly thrilling. Her friendship with Saxony is wonderful, while also showing the frayed relationships between her Wesley and Karam. Honestly, the tension that fills each and every character’s relationships are so great. There’s also something else I can’t talk about because of spoilers, but man, am I excited to see that voice again in the next book.
There is definitely romance in this book, the slow kind that makes you want to push them together and yell “KISS ALREADY”. We’ve also got rekindled romance, the kind that’s full of love-lorn glances and pushing each other’s boundaries to see who’ll fall in first. I enjoyed reading both romances, but the family relationships are truly where it’s at! Those dynamics are truly heart-breaking, and just adds another level to the angst that these characters experience. I don’t feel that there’s one story that’s the most heartbreaking, but there is definitely one that we don’t get to explore in this book that I’m dying to find out about.
I think the only issue that I had with this book is that it felt really off in the beginning, but that’s a personal opinion. However, that did affect the pacing for me for about a third of the book, but then it picked up into the moderate pace that I really enjoyed. I do wish that there had been a little more descriptive imagery, because the story is stunning, and I wanted a clearer picture of what was happening.
Overall, I would rate this story an 8/10. It’s a wonderful read with awesome characters, and I’m excited for what is to come in the next book. You should definitely give it a read if you love heist stories! I’m excited to have it on my shelf next to my copy of Christo’s To Kill A Kingdom!
If you’re looking for a story of angsty teens with the world’s biggest chips on their shoulders, look no further! I personally enjoyed the dark, gritty, and bleak aspect of this book…but maybe that’s just my fall reading taste. It’s a gangster heist story dealing with a lot of heavy themes, but I think everyone will find something to love in this story. The plot advances well, and the characters are really well explored, so I’m excited to see what happens in the next book…because that ending of Into The Crooked Place is pretty devastating. While the story is unequivocally a fantasy novel, I do want to say that if you’re triggered by violent/abusive situations, you might tread with caution.
Our story begins on the streets of Creije with Tavia, a young woman who peddles dark magic wares, with a dream of escaping and leaving that life behind. There’s also Wesley, who dreams of bringing the kingdom to its knees, leaving behind the young boy who grew up hungry and alone on the streets of Creije. Karam is a warrior who serves as a bodyguard during the day, and by night she spends her time in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself. Finally, there’s Saxony, a resistance fighter who’s hiding from those who ruined her family, and will do everything she can to get revenge. When Tavia mistakenly gives a vial of dark magic to a loved one, she sparks a conflict larger than our four players. Now they must work together, but with enemies at all sides, they can’t trust anyone, least of all each other.
Make no mistake friends, this isn’t a happy story. At first I was frustrated, because I often read stories of characters who slowly lose their innocence, which gives characters an added depth and makes them more relatable. Not having that really rubbed me raw, making me feel as bleak as they were…as desperate for relief. I won’t lie, I almost put it down because I felt like we were getting nowhere fast. But suddenly, these characters begin to show you snippets of themselves, before horrors came, before those terrible nightmares made them into jaded individuals. Some of the characters show those aspects faster, but the ones that make you wait are worth it. I’ve never had a book sink its claws into me this way before.
The plot grows quickly and with four perspectives, it can get tangled quickly, but Christo keeps these voices separate and easy to follow. It moves along at a fairly moderate pace, not so fast that you’re struggling to keep up, but not so slow that you’re wanting to put it down. Moreover, I was fascinated by the magic system. It’s a commodity that’s being bartered around, and more importantly, there’s an addictive quality to it. A lot of stories look at magic behind these rosy glasses that seem like it’s the end all be all, but not here. Magic is dangerous, too much is addictive, and the dangers are very real. I wanted to keep exploring more of the magic. I definitely want to see more in the next book.
Character-wise, Tavia is my favourite. The self-awareness about her is incredible, something that seemed to have been achieved thanks to her circumstances. Her stubborn and reckless behaviour is fun to read, and nail-bitingly thrilling. Her friendship with Saxony is wonderful, while also showing the frayed relationships between her Wesley and Karam. Honestly, the tension that fills each and every character’s relationships are so great. There’s also something else I can’t talk about because of spoilers, but man, am I excited to see that voice again in the next book.
There is definitely romance in this book, the slow kind that makes you want to push them together and yell “KISS ALREADY”. We’ve also got rekindled romance, the kind that’s full of love-lorn glances and pushing each other’s boundaries to see who’ll fall in first. I enjoyed reading both romances, but the family relationships are truly where it’s at! Those dynamics are truly heart-breaking, and just adds another level to the angst that these characters experience. I don’t feel that there’s one story that’s the most heartbreaking, but there is definitely one that we don’t get to explore in this book that I’m dying to find out about.
I think the only issue that I had with this book is that it felt really off in the beginning, but that’s a personal opinion. However, that did affect the pacing for me for about a third of the book, but then it picked up into the moderate pace that I really enjoyed. I do wish that there had been a little more descriptive imagery, because the story is stunning, and I wanted a clearer picture of what was happening.
Overall, I would rate this story an 8/10. It’s a wonderful read with awesome characters, and I’m excited for what is to come in the next book. You should definitely give it a read if you love heist stories! I’m excited to have it on my shelf next to my copy of Christo’s To Kill A Kingdom!
October 2, 2019
3.5 Stars
Things I Liked
I really loved the characters in this story, especially Tavia and Wesley, but all the characters are deliciously complex and have questionable morals. I was immediately hooked by Tavia’s unapologetic and ambitious attitude and wanted more from this world, and each character introduction hooked me more.
Found families. It exists and it is wonderful. That is all.
The writing was nice - I thought the atmosphere of Creije was perfect and created this great unsettling feeling over the story. I also appreciate getting 4 POVs for each of the main characters - though I do hope we get more from Karam and Saxony in the next book. And maybe something from Arjun too because he was a bit of a scene stealer for me and I selfishly want more.
I’m intrigued by the worldbuilding. I don’t think it was done incredibly well, but I got enough that I’m interested and want more.
Things I Didn’t Like
I didn’t care much about the plot. For me, it was a think that just happened to be going on in our characters' lives, but not something I actively cared about or paid much attention too. The action was fun - if a bit confusing at times - but the direction of the story didn’t really matter to me.
There was virtually no romance in the story, and while that’s perfectly fine because not every story needs a romance, I wanted more here. Wesley and Tavia have a childhood friendship and still share a connection that gets there satifying hints, but I needed more. Saxony and Karam’s history is a bit more complicated. They were together, then they broke up, but still really care about each other and there’s flirting and cute moments and a few kisses between these badass women and I just wanted more.
As a self-professed character driven reader, Tavia, Wesley, Saxony, and Karam saved Into the Crooked Place for me. The world intrigued me enough, but I loved these selfish and unlikeable characters and wanted to spend time with them. I’m sure others will be more invested in the plot and the action, but I think the story was at it’s best when we were building relationships with the characters.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
“There will be no punishment or retribution. What did the law matter when there could be anarchy instead?”I have somewhat mixed feelings about Into the Crooked Place. It had a very strong start with the character introductions, but I never quite cared about anything else as much. We follow a band of crooks who are determined to save their city from dark magic and further corruption by banding together - even if they don’t trust each other - to save the things they care about.
Things I Liked
I really loved the characters in this story, especially Tavia and Wesley, but all the characters are deliciously complex and have questionable morals. I was immediately hooked by Tavia’s unapologetic and ambitious attitude and wanted more from this world, and each character introduction hooked me more.
Found families. It exists and it is wonderful. That is all.
The writing was nice - I thought the atmosphere of Creije was perfect and created this great unsettling feeling over the story. I also appreciate getting 4 POVs for each of the main characters - though I do hope we get more from Karam and Saxony in the next book. And maybe something from Arjun too because he was a bit of a scene stealer for me and I selfishly want more.
I’m intrigued by the worldbuilding. I don’t think it was done incredibly well, but I got enough that I’m interested and want more.
Things I Didn’t Like
I didn’t care much about the plot. For me, it was a think that just happened to be going on in our characters' lives, but not something I actively cared about or paid much attention too. The action was fun - if a bit confusing at times - but the direction of the story didn’t really matter to me.
There was virtually no romance in the story, and while that’s perfectly fine because not every story needs a romance, I wanted more here. Wesley and Tavia have a childhood friendship and still share a connection that gets there satifying hints, but I needed more. Saxony and Karam’s history is a bit more complicated. They were together, then they broke up, but still really care about each other and there’s flirting and cute moments and a few kisses between these badass women and I just wanted more.
As a self-professed character driven reader, Tavia, Wesley, Saxony, and Karam saved Into the Crooked Place for me. The world intrigued me enough, but I loved these selfish and unlikeable characters and wanted to spend time with them. I’m sure others will be more invested in the plot and the action, but I think the story was at it’s best when we were building relationships with the characters.
I received a copy of the book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
March 14, 2022
1.5 stars
the fact that i didn’t dnf this is a fucking miracle, honestly
➸ Trigger warnings for .
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the fact that i didn’t dnf this is a fucking miracle, honestly
➸ Trigger warnings for .
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • Twitter • Instagram
pick-back-up-eventually
December 4, 2019I will pick this book back up whenever I feel like it :)
Idk if I’ll start over, but in case I don’t, I’m leaving myself a note here with what page I’m on.
Chapter 17, page 145.
Idk if I’ll start over, but in case I don’t, I’m leaving myself a note here with what page I’m on.
Chapter 17, page 145.
September 26, 2019
You can find this review on my blog Shades of Paper.
I was beyond excited to read Into the Crooked Place because I completely fell in love with her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom and her way to tell a story, and I was so interested in her future works and especially in the premise of this one, because it sounded so great and like something that it’s right up my alley. Overall, I have to say that even though I found some elements a bit confusing especially at first, I ended up really enjoying the rest of the book and change my opinion about it so I continued reading it.
To be completely honest, I honestly thought that I would keep this book 3 stars because even though I was enjoying the world and I thought the magic world super interesting, there was something about the pacing of the story that threw me a bit off sometimes. However, it’s true that after I reached the second half of Into the Crooked Place, I started to become more engaged in the book and couldn’t put it down.
I think that the first half of the novel was a bit slow and not much really happened. It’s true that we got to see the world and the different magic elements, their limitations and what that magic disease was about, along with a little information about their backstories and relationships with the other different characters, but I had so much trouble getting into it and concentrating in the story. But once I reached the half Mark, everything started to put together and I started to become more interested in the events that were happening and in the different characters relationships and interactions.
When it comes to the characters, I have to say that I totally changed my mind from the beginning to the very end of the story. I would say at the beginning I wasn’t the biggest fan of the cast of characters even though I didn’t hate them, but I as I kept reading I started to enjoy their dynamics and the different arcs much more, and totally fell in love with them by the end of Into the Crooked Place.
Another thing that I really appreciated it about this book was that the romance didn’t feel rushed at all, and the author took her time to build it and develop. I really enjoyed the dynamics between these two different characters, and I was rooting for them by the end and also, I really think there was such a pure f/f romance (the only thing is that I wished it was a bit more focused on that because we didn’t get to see a lot of that relationship between them).
The ending was freaking fantastic. This was one of those books where are the last few chapters totally changed my opinion about a book. I thought it was so fast paced and engaging, and there were a lot of things happening that kept me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen how everything was going to end, and I think because of that along with some other revelations that totally shocked me, my opinion about the whole novel changed completely.
Overall, I think Into the Crooked Place was a very solid first installment. Even though the first half of the book wasn’t what I had in mind when I first started reading it, I soon begin to really enjoy the story and the characters, and became more interested in the world and in the magic system.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.
Actual rating: 3.75 ★
....
..
Thank you so much Macmillan and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!
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“Sometimes it felt like she had nothing to hold on to. But if she lost everything, surely all she had left to do was gain. And there was so much Saxony wanted. Peace. Justice. Revenge.”
I was beyond excited to read Into the Crooked Place because I completely fell in love with her debut novel To Kill a Kingdom and her way to tell a story, and I was so interested in her future works and especially in the premise of this one, because it sounded so great and like something that it’s right up my alley. Overall, I have to say that even though I found some elements a bit confusing especially at first, I ended up really enjoying the rest of the book and change my opinion about it so I continued reading it.
To be completely honest, I honestly thought that I would keep this book 3 stars because even though I was enjoying the world and I thought the magic world super interesting, there was something about the pacing of the story that threw me a bit off sometimes. However, it’s true that after I reached the second half of Into the Crooked Place, I started to become more engaged in the book and couldn’t put it down.
I think that the first half of the novel was a bit slow and not much really happened. It’s true that we got to see the world and the different magic elements, their limitations and what that magic disease was about, along with a little information about their backstories and relationships with the other different characters, but I had so much trouble getting into it and concentrating in the story. But once I reached the half Mark, everything started to put together and I started to become more interested in the events that were happening and in the different characters relationships and interactions.
When it comes to the characters, I have to say that I totally changed my mind from the beginning to the very end of the story. I would say at the beginning I wasn’t the biggest fan of the cast of characters even though I didn’t hate them, but I as I kept reading I started to enjoy their dynamics and the different arcs much more, and totally fell in love with them by the end of Into the Crooked Place.
“Tavia realized that magic was not at all like fairy tales. It was like math. It was like the intricate clapping games she played with the other kids to fen off hunger. It seemed complex at first, but all it took was knowing the rhythm, understanding the formula.“
Another thing that I really appreciated it about this book was that the romance didn’t feel rushed at all, and the author took her time to build it and develop. I really enjoyed the dynamics between these two different characters, and I was rooting for them by the end and also, I really think there was such a pure f/f romance (the only thing is that I wished it was a bit more focused on that because we didn’t get to see a lot of that relationship between them).
The ending was freaking fantastic. This was one of those books where are the last few chapters totally changed my opinion about a book. I thought it was so fast paced and engaging, and there were a lot of things happening that kept me at the edge of my seat wanting to know what was going to happen how everything was going to end, and I think because of that along with some other revelations that totally shocked me, my opinion about the whole novel changed completely.
Overall, I think Into the Crooked Place was a very solid first installment. Even though the first half of the book wasn’t what I had in mind when I first started reading it, I soon begin to really enjoy the story and the characters, and became more interested in the world and in the magic system.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. This doesn’t change my opinion whatsoever. All thoughts are my own.
“That was how street kids became street kings. How buskers became underbosses. It was the only way to survive in a realm hungry enough to swallow the weak whole. Trust no one, betray everyone. Kill or be killed, always.”
Actual rating: 3.75 ★
....
..
Thank you so much Macmillan and Feiwel & Friends for the ARC!
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October 16, 2019
I received a copy of this for free from the publishers in exchange for an honest review.
This book was enjoyable, but at the same time it offered nothing new. Reading this felt like a rip off of Six of Crows mixed with maybe a bit of A Darker Shade of Magic (Tavia reminded me of Lila) and because of that it felt incredibly predictable. There was no spark that made it feel its own, nothing that made me NEED to pick it up again.
The best word to describe this book is fine. The characters were fine. The writing was fine. The world was fine.
This book follows Tavia and crime underboss Wesley who were forced as children to serve the kingpin of the city. Tavia is looking forward to the day that she is 18 and can leave his service, but until then she sells magic, which is forbidden in their city and can only be sold at night. Tavia is very good at tricking people into believing what she sells. Then Tavia is offered a new deal, sell this new magic and for every vial she sells the kingpin will take one day off of her required service to him. Great, right? But then, dun dun dun, the kingpin is even worse than they all thought and wants to take over more places, aka the world!! The vials are not what they thought!! Tavia realizes this after a fellow criminal drinks the vial and acts strangely. Can these two criminals and some other criminals (the person who drank the vial as well as Wesley’s bodyguard) team up to take him down?? With lots of shenanigans, of course.
Also, since Wesley and Tavia are childhood friends, you know there’s gotta be some sparks!
Some people might say that just because a fantasy book involves a heist doesn't mean it's a Six of Crows rip-off, and I'd agree, but there were so many details and lines that made me think of it. Which is fine! Books inspire other books all the time, retellings are a thing! I just wish this brought something more to the field, something that was its own.
I may or may not check out the sequel.
This book was enjoyable, but at the same time it offered nothing new. Reading this felt like a rip off of Six of Crows mixed with maybe a bit of A Darker Shade of Magic (Tavia reminded me of Lila) and because of that it felt incredibly predictable. There was no spark that made it feel its own, nothing that made me NEED to pick it up again.
The best word to describe this book is fine. The characters were fine. The writing was fine. The world was fine.
This book follows Tavia and crime underboss Wesley who were forced as children to serve the kingpin of the city. Tavia is looking forward to the day that she is 18 and can leave his service, but until then she sells magic, which is forbidden in their city and can only be sold at night. Tavia is very good at tricking people into believing what she sells. Then Tavia is offered a new deal, sell this new magic and for every vial she sells the kingpin will take one day off of her required service to him. Great, right? But then, dun dun dun, the kingpin is even worse than they all thought and wants to take over more places, aka the world!! The vials are not what they thought!! Tavia realizes this after a fellow criminal drinks the vial and acts strangely. Can these two criminals and some other criminals (the person who drank the vial as well as Wesley’s bodyguard) team up to take him down?? With lots of shenanigans, of course.
Also, since Wesley and Tavia are childhood friends, you know there’s gotta be some sparks!
Some people might say that just because a fantasy book involves a heist doesn't mean it's a Six of Crows rip-off, and I'd agree, but there were so many details and lines that made me think of it. Which is fine! Books inspire other books all the time, retellings are a thing! I just wish this brought something more to the field, something that was its own.
I may or may not check out the sequel.
Read
December 30, 2019DNF @ 30% unrated
I’m sorry to say that this was a full day’s struggle of picking it up and putting it down repeatedly because I did not like this world that felt pretty familiar and I did not buy into the characters or story. I found the names of people and phrasing too similar to the Grisha world to discount and it was told without the finesse of that one.
I strongly believe there is no copyright on this kind of story (heisty-gangster fantasy) because the whole book world is built on a jenga pyramid of similar stories. That said, its hugely important to find your slice of uniqueness and according to my bud Hollis, that issue settled a bit from half way in. I didn’t get that far because I just didn’t engage with the story and I was consistently bored.
I feel disappointed in myself on the one hand because I loved Christo’s previous book but I think this review would look a whole lot worse if I had.
Thank you to Hot Key books for the review copy and I’m sorry I couldn’t see this through to the end. Gratitude for the chance to read early.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Book Blog here.
I’m sorry to say that this was a full day’s struggle of picking it up and putting it down repeatedly because I did not like this world that felt pretty familiar and I did not buy into the characters or story. I found the names of people and phrasing too similar to the Grisha world to discount and it was told without the finesse of that one.
I strongly believe there is no copyright on this kind of story (heisty-gangster fantasy) because the whole book world is built on a jenga pyramid of similar stories. That said, its hugely important to find your slice of uniqueness and according to my bud Hollis, that issue settled a bit from half way in. I didn’t get that far because I just didn’t engage with the story and I was consistently bored.
I feel disappointed in myself on the one hand because I loved Christo’s previous book but I think this review would look a whole lot worse if I had.
Thank you to Hot Key books for the review copy and I’m sorry I couldn’t see this through to the end. Gratitude for the chance to read early.
This review can be found on A Take From Two Cities Book Blog here.
tbr-good-authors
August 11, 2018Gangster fantasy + the author of the amazing To Kill a Kingdom = yes PLEASE, only the weak need an actual blurb ;)
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