We are so excited to be participating in the tour for Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo. If you haven’t had a chance to add this book to your TBR list yet, add it now. It has magic, danger, tons of action and some interesting characters that will have you turning the pages to see what happens to them next! Check out the summary and my review below to see what I’m talking about and don’t miss the other blogs on the tour!
Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo (Twitter, Goodreads)Also by this author: To Kill a Kingdom
Published by Feiwel & Friends on October 8th 2019
Genres: Action & Adventure, Dark Fantasy, Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 384
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.
Review
Into the Crooked Place by Alexandra Christo is the first book in the series of the same name and if you like magic and interesting characters, you will want to pick this one up. I can see why some people have said the story has a Six of Crows vibe, but I wouldn’t completely agree. I won’t give away any spoilers as I don’t want to ruin this story for anyone.
The world created by Christo is so interesting. Uskhanyan is run by the Kingpin, Dante Ashwood, who has been biding his time to put his plans into action. Unfortunately for Ashwood, he underestimates the crew at the center of this story.
Wesley Thornton Walcott is the Underboss of Creije, one of the cities of Uskhanyan, and the Kingpin has pushed him to get a new magic out on the streets. When he finds out that the Kingpin is willing to destroy Creije to get what he wants, Wesley knows it is time to take him down. In order to do that, he has to rely on the cast of characters around him.
Tavia is Wesley’s best busker. She and Wesley grew up in Creije and there is some definite tension between them. Their relationship changed when Wesley became Underboss and all she wants now is to survive long enough to make it to her 18th birthday so she can leave Creije forever. As the best busker, Wesley asks her to push the new magic (at first) and when she sells the first bottle, things go terribly wrong.
Saxony is one of Tavia’s friends and she came to Creije in search of her lost sister. She has ended up staying because she is looking to get revenge and spy on Wesley and find out what she can about Ashwood. I had mixed feelings about Saxony as she was keeping some secrets from the group and at times, put them in danger.
Karam is the final main character and as a trained warrior, has been serving as Wesley’s personal guard. She and Saxony have a relationship, but it ebbs and flows with whatever is going on around them. Karam isn’t a fan of Tavia’s and the back and forth between them was one of my favorite things.
I wouldn’t necessarily say that this group worked well together as they all seemed to have their own agendas but, in the end, they all pulled together when it was most important. Before they face off with Ashwood, they have to face their own decisions and choices without regret, and it is definitely a difficult task. When they do come face to face with Ashwood, there is a fairly large twist that forces them all to scramble and make adjustments. I will admit I never saw it coming and the way this book ended made me want the next one immediately.
I think one of the things I loved most about this book was the relationship between Tavia and Wesley. There are so many layers to them as characters and getting the opportunity to see them try to figure out what they mean to each other was great. Another thing I enjoyed was how much action there was. It kept the story moving and helped with the pacing. There were also some lines in this book that just made me laugh. I’ve included just two of my favorites as they really help to give you some insight to some of the characters and their personalities.
“Wesley didn’t like people, on account of them always trying to kill him.”
Karam to Tavia: “Just so you know, you ruin your face when you talk.”
Overall, I enjoyed this book. The beginning was a little slow as it was setting up the characters and the story but as things picked up, I found myself turning the pages to see what was going to happen next. If you are looking for a new fantasy to pick up that has magic, plenty of action, and an interesting story, add this one to your list. Personally, I can’t wait to see what the next book brings to the pages for these characters.
Thank you to the publisher for the early copy in exchange for an honest review.
About Alexandra Christo
Alexandra Christo decided to write books when she was four and her teacher told her she couldn't be a fairy. She has a BA in Creative Writing and works as a copywriter in London, both of which make her sound more grown up than she feels. When she's not busy making up stories, she can be found buying far too many cushions and organizing food crawls all over the city.
Alexandra currently lives in Hertfordshire with an abundance of cacti (because they're the only plants she can keep alive).
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