Crooked Kingdom

Have you ever met someone and gotten a wrong first impression of them? That's what I did with this duology of books. It started out and I wasn't very impressed by the characters or the setting. Then I gradually developed a grudging respect for the world-building. Then I came to enjoy the characters more and more, and finally became fast friends with the series and learned to love it. Now that I've finished the second book, I'm onto the final phase in the relationship: I'm missing it. The heists were awesomely executed, and the character development was meaningful. Bardugo is a very skilled writer who has clearly spent a lot of time developing her universe. I place her books about fantasy con men and thieves on my shelf next to Scott Lynch and the “Gentleman Bastards”.