A spin off of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha series, this book is a completely different set of characters set in the Kirch town of Ketterdam after the Ravkan civil war. Some of the characters are Grisha refugees from the Ravka, while others are common street rats, living on the Stave, the gambling district in Ketterdam, and working for a gang called the Crows.
While the characters are all people that, for various reasons should be disliked, they also have extremely loveable qualities. Whether you like it or not, you will find yourself rooting for them in their mission to infiltrate the infamous Ice Court and bring back a prisoner who has the secret to enhance and destroy Grisha power.
It is a fast-paced novel that is certainly worth reading. I, personally, loved the Grisha series but found myself hesitating when it came to this novel. I guess I made the fatal mistake of judging this book by its cover. But fortunately, I got over my ridiculousness and decided to give it a try. It’s not particularly light hearted or particularly intense but it is addicting.