#intothecrookedplace

[libraryinthecountry]

★ What are some of your favorite duologies or duets? This stack features a couple of my favorite duologies: The Wrath and the Dawn, as well as Everless! I still need to get caught up on the others in this stack, but sometimes nothing quite hits like a really good duology. I love that I get more than one book, but don’t have to wait forever for the conclusion to the story! Have you read any of the duologies in this stack? ★ HASHTAGS // #bookstagram #bookworm #bookphotography #instareads #bookobsessed #readersofinstagram #booksbooksbooks #prettybooks #bookdragon #bookstack #stacksaturday #readingnook #homelibrary #thewrathandthedawn #yabooks #spinthedawn #everless #crierswar #intothecrookedplace https://www.instagram.com/p/CWPFqQPPect/?utm_medium=tumblr

[decoratingreader]

💭What are some fall releases you are looking forward to? . Here are a few ARCs I have received that release in fall that I can’t wait to read! Thanks to the publishers for gifting me copies! . Pillow by @eviebookish 🤗 . . . #society6 #eviebookish #bookishmerch #bookishpillow #pillow #flowers #hyggelife #thegoodluckgirls #theathenaprotocol #stormrise #therewillcomeadarkness #intothecrookedplace #epicreads #fiercereads #torteen #yabookstagram #yafantasy #bedsheets #booklife https://www.instagram.com/p/BzWImu4HhLe/?igshid=6pgxv20u20ny

[unicorns-bookshelf]

Disclaimer: I have voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a free copy from Edelweiss+, thank you!

Title: Into the Crooked Place

Author: Alexandra Christo

Genre: fantasy, young adult

Rating: 3,5/5

Goodreads / Amazon / My Instagram

Beware! Spoilers ahead.

Oh man, when I read the synopsis of this book I immediately went “Oh man, that’s so cool? I need to read it!”. However, when the time came and I actually started reading it, it just didn’t click.

Into the Crooked Place is a story about Tavia who sells magic at the streets of Creije. One day she sells a new elixir provided to her by her boss and it quickly turns out that it was a dangerous thing that brings magic sickness onto the ones who drink it. Together with a band of outcasts whom she can’t exactly trust, Tavia will have to journey through realms and face the creature responsible for all the crime in their realm. 

The plot sounds like an absolute feast for the fans of gangster fantasy in the likes of Six of Crows and honestly, it does not fail to deliver. There’s lots of action, fights, and magic. Sometimes even too much magic, to the point when even basic things that could be easily done with everyday tools were done with magic. That’s not the point, though. The plot is well-paced with a few good twists. It’s not extremely satisfying but it’s good enough to be enjoyable. My one complaint is that despite the team going off to face a villain, a mob boss who’s inhuman and dangerous, it doesn’t exactly feel like it. The whole route to the Kingpin’s hideout is built more like a journey to a neutral player’s territory in order to achieve some artifact needed for the actual mission. I mean, trials? Shouldn’t the Kingpin automatically shoot down anyone who approaches his hideout after he made it such a big deal to hide its location? It didn’t feel like they were going for an actual boss battle at all unless the villain’s arrogance was bigger than his ability to think logically. 

I had a hard time connecting with most of the characters. It was really upsetting because as a lesbian it’s really hard to make me more hooked on the straight couple than the gay one and yet here it happened. I think Wesley was my favorite character overall. He had the most personality and his doubts and issues seemed the most realistic to me. Tavia was also quite likable with her sassy remarks and loyalty to her friends. I appreciated that her relationship with Wesley was based on partnership and they understood each other very well without going into the mushy romance-crazed territory. They worked really well together, which can’t be said about Saxony and Karam. I have to admit that I didn’t care much about either of them. At some points, it felt as if they weren’t even separate characters. Their personalities were different only in some minor details and even their backstories were pretty similar. Together they were just bland and uninteresting. Part of the reason why I couldn’t click them may be that I don’t really connect with characters that are very loyal and devoted to their families but it doesn’t usually influence my opinion that much. 

I also have to mention Arjun, my other fave besides Wesley, whose POV wasn’t even included in the book. I was really disappointed when the other four got their trials described and Arjun didn’t. I hope we will get more of him in the next book.

Now despite my rather harsh opinion on the characters, I have to make clear that they weren’t universally bad, they just didn’t click with me. I’m sure there will be people who disagree with my opinion because this is a matter of personal taste, not bad writing skills. Not to mention that they were quite diverse. There were multiple POC in the group, Karam and Saxony were an f/f couple and Tavia was clearly bisexual.

I did enjoy the worldbuilding in the book. It was kinda messy and confusing at first but after you finally got a grip of where are the characters headed it made much more sense. Sadly, it wasn’t a world that I would fall in love with. There were things that annoyed me, like the unnecessary overusing of magic to do things that didn’t need magic at all. Sometimes the charms didn’t even make sense in relation to the introduced Crafter specialties. I did enjoy the trains, though. I feel like train travel is an underappreciated form of transport in fantasy and it always gives me a bit of a nostalgic feeling.

All in all, Into the Crooked Place, is an okay read but not one that stood out to me. I will probably pick up the second book as I don’t finish series only if they were absolutely horrible to read, plus I want to know what happens to one of the characters. I would recommend it to people who enjoy gangster fantasy in the young adult genre.

[inej-carstaiiirs]

My gorgeous @fairyloot edition of Into The Crooked Place finally arrived and it's so pretty! I can't wait to read it, I can already tell it'll be exceptional #alexandrachristo #intothecrookedplace #fairyloot #yabooks #yabookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B3zGzY6JzIM/?igshid=171vw24mb9v7i

[pufflekittehreads]

October 2019 Anticipated Releases.

Running a little behind thins month, but here are my October 2019 Anticipated Releases.

I know, I know. This post is a little late this month, but that’s because I’ve had a busy month for posts, and as some of you know, I hate the idea of my readers feeling like I’m spamming them with multiple posts releasing on the same day. There are some cracking books releasing this month, and whilst some will have released by the time this goes live, they’re definitely unmissable. As always,…

[portsmouthteenreviews]

This book is about four people who set off on a dangerous journey to kill the kingpin, who is plotting to take over the world.

I thought this book was good.  At times it was hard to follow, since there are so many different people and places.

Reviewed by Kate

[taylorfennersbookishworld]

“Nobody is going to mistake you for a good guy in that suit,” Tavia said. “You look like a gangster threw up on you.” Wesley looked indifferent. “But a very high-end gangster.” - Alexandra Christo, Into the Crooked Place • • Hey Bookdragons! For today’s #MapMonday I’m showing off the map of Creije from Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo • • Q: What is one of your favorite book maps? • • #intothecrookedplace #alexandrachristo #feiwelandfriends #bookmaps #bookishmaps #bookishmap #bookmail #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookish #newbooks #booksbooksbooks #booknerd #booksofig #readersofinstagram #reading #bookquotes #bookishlife #bookaesthetic #booktography #bookcommunity #bookishfeatures #alwaysreading #justread #tbrpost #quarantineandread #bookaholic #booksaremylife #instabooks (at Clintonville, Wisconsin) https://www.instagram.com/p/CADvZCIARJL/?igshid=k1l81qrymmvt

[leersinlimites]

🇪🇸 ¿Qué tal va la semana? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hoy os enseño una edición especial de @fairyloot que me llegó hace poco. #IntoTheCrookedPlace de @alexandrachristowrites. La nueva portada me encanta, tiene algunos detallitos que la hace preciosa sin ser demasiado rebuscada (como he visto alguna por ahí XD). ¿Habéis leído algo de la autora? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ De ella tengo pendiente leer #MatarAUnReino, libro del cual he leído críticas de todo tipo pero que me llama mucho la atención. Más aún teniendo en cuenta que es un libro autoconclusivo y eso, a veces, biene genial. ¿Publicará alguna editorial española este nuevo título? Aún no he leído nada al respecto. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #bookstagramfeature #bookstagrammer #bibliophile #bookish #booknerd #bookaddict #bookblogger #bookphotography #ilovebooks #amreading #libro #instabooks #boostagramespaña #bookstagram #book #bookcommunity #igreads #fantasy #tokillakingdom #specialedition #red #cover #fairyloot #hotkey https://www.instagram.com/p/B39KqEIoYy2/?igshid=1rr283svc7txz

[lilnightmusic]

What’s your favorite fall treat? I’ve been living for @adelightoffrance pumpkin spice macarons. These are my new obsession. I am so excited to read Into The Crooked Place by @alexandrachristowrites. I loved To Kill A Kingdom, and the magic system for this one seems so cool. It’s been dry, dry so I’ve been relying on my hourglass lip oil. It’s such a fantastic way to keep my lips soft as we move into colder seasons. #intothecrookedplace #hourglass #pumpkinspice #alexandrachristo #feiwelandfriends #bookdragon #tbr #bookstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/B3hnR-KA_p9/?igshid=sb4u4x77jdrk

[blamechocolate]

🦇 "The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive." 🦇 @alexandrachristowrites . After falling in love with To Kill a Kingdom, I could not be more excited about this one! 🥰 . Big thank you to @hotkeybooks for this purple treasure 💜 . . ✨ What are some books following fantastic debuts you're excited to read? ✨ Which group of misfits has stolen your heart? • • • • • #bookpost #bookmail #IntoTheCrookedPlace #AlexandraChristo #bookblogger #booksandchocolate (at United Kingdom) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3AgWBwAIDL/?igshid=1i15x5oxgelmz

[apmjo]

I’m #currentlyreading Into the Crooked Place by @alexandrachristowrites (https://amzn.to/34VL4d9). What are you reading? • • Zipper pouch by @novelgrounds • • #septembertbr #intothecrookedplace #alexandrachristo #feiwelandfriends #booknanigans #yabooksofinstagram #yafantasybooks #octoberrelease #fiercereads #readersofinstagram #bookstagramming #ficwishes https://www.instagram.com/p/B2jUMjOA5KT/?igshid=mvntxm36aetw

[zoejameswilliams]

#intothecrookedplace @alexandrachristowrites @hotkeybooks in a kingdom ruled by magic caviar must fight to save the Kingdom from a kingpin and join forces with criminals. Who can she trust? https://www.instagram.com/p/B10_nFfAA_e/?igshid=190mk70uya97u

[decoratingreader]

We are almost to Disney guys!!!!! 🙌🏼🖤 I won’t be as quick to respond this week, but I will be doing some stories, and maybe a few posts. I hope everyone has a lovely week. 💕 . 💭Dark or Light Magic? . I had to share a title I am SOOOOOO excited for...Into the Crooked Place by @alexandrachristowrites . Thank you so much to @fiercereads for this ARC copy. I can’t wait to read it. . Summary: Into the Crooked Place begins a gritty two-book YA fantasy series from Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom. The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive. Tavia, a busker ready to pack up her dark-magic wares and turn her back on Creije for good. She’ll do anything to put her crimes behind her. Wesley, the closest thing Creije has to a gangster. After growing up on streets hungry enough to swallow the weak whole, he won’t stop until he has brought the entire realm to kneel before him. Karam, a warrior who spends her days watching over the city’s worst criminals and her nights in the fighting rings, making a deadly name for herself. And Saxony, a resistance fighter hiding from the very people who destroyed her family, and willing to do whatever it takes to get her revenge. Everything in their lives is going to plan, until Tavia makes a crucial mistake: she delivers a vial of dark magic—a weapon she didn’t know she had—to someone she cares about, sparking the greatest conflict in decades. Now these four magical outsiders must come together to save their home and the world, before it’s too late. But with enemies at all sides, they can trust nobody. Least of all each other. . . . #intothecrookedplace #alexandrachristo #tbr #youngadultbooks #fantasybooks #outdoors #fallleaves #autumnal #titlepage #calming #naturephotography #disneylife #disneyworld #forthegram #bookstagrammer #ofquietmoments #newrelease #instabook #calmvibes #fiercereads #goodreads https://www.instagram.com/p/B3SJ1Evn-ZA/?igshid=aricxethhiv5

[goodchoicereading]

Omg! Super excited to read this one!!!! @alexandrachristowrites @fiercereads #intothecrookedplace did you guys see the new cover? Thoughts??? https://www.instagram.com/p/BwzyhdBnFO_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=ya8kok6s9oo6

[lisa-lostinlit]

💬 Do you collect any bookish merchandise? What type of merch is your favorite? . This candle and book are from the October High Stakes @luminarybox! Remember to use my code LISA10 when subscribing for a discount! ________________________________________________________ #luminarybox #candlegram #intothecrookedplace #alexandrachristo #cozyvibes #booksofinstagram #thebookstagram #readersofinsta #libraryofinstagram #bookphotography #bookish #bookaesthetic #ofquietmoments #bookstagramming #mybookfeatures #hyggelife #bookfeaturepage #toberead #bookhoarder #pursuepretty #readinglife #bibliophiles #bookpage #booklover #onthebed #yareads — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/33767ac

[starlightbooktales]

GIVEAWAY ✧ Which fictional characters would you pick to get you out of trouble? ✧ The streets of Creije are for the deadly and the dreamers, and four crooks in particular know just how much magic they need up their sleeve to survive. Into the Crooked Place begins a gritty two-book YA fantasy series from Alexandra Christo, the author of To Kill a Kingdom. ✧ To learn more or read and excerpt click on the link in my bio. I have partnered with @Fiercereads to giveaway one copy of the book! Check out the details below: ✧ GIVEAWAY Enter to win a copy of Into the Crooked Place TO ENTER - follow me, @alexandrachristowrites, @Fiercereads and @storygramtours - tag a friend you think will be interested For EXTRA entry - visit @BookNerdBecky’s account tomorrow and repeat these steps RULES - Giveaway will end Oct 14th at midnight EST - US ONLY - not affiliated with Instagram -must be 18 or have parents permission -must be a public account so I can verify entries ✧ Synopsis in comments! ✧ ✧ #IntotheCrookedPlacetour #IntotheCrookedPlace #AlexandraChristo #FierceReads #storygramtours #booknerdigans #bookishpeepsies #instareads #vscobooks #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #readersofinstagr #bookphotography #bookcommunity #bookish #shelfie #shelf #bookshelf