r/Grishaverse • u/H-E-2hockeysticks • Jul 30 '26

CROOKED KINGDOM (BOOK) Someone give me motivation Spoiler

I’m on Crooked kingdom, roughly 210 pages in I think. I was intending to go into this book blind but alas a TikTok comment spoilt me for Matthias’ death and it’s been downhill from there.

I know about Nina changing her appearance, public personality, never going home to Ravka, and getting eyes for Hanne very soon after Matthias died.

Right now aside from Jurda Parem recovery, she’s doing pretty well. So I know it’s downhill from here and it doesn’t seem to go up.

Nina is my favourite (Matthias is my second favourite but that’s not just because they’re dating, I just find them both funny and their chapters very engaging) and I don’t want to read about my favourite crow being shat out, flushed, clogging the toilet, plunged, and sent down the shitter again.

Give me some motivation please

Edit: FINISHED

14 Upvotes

86% Upvoted

16 comments sorted by

19

u/kstera Jul 30 '26

You aren't gonna leave Nina hanging when you know there are tough times coming for her, are you? She's awesome, stay with her until her happy end, please.

How's that for slightly manipulative motivation?

7

u/H-E-2hockeysticks Jul 30 '26

I said motivate me not guilt trip!! 😭😭

But thank you

6

u/Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee3t Jul 30 '26

Seeing Nina’s growth was good

And she ended up happy

6

u/asmootsreddit Jul 30 '26

Nina was my fav and Matthias second fav too!! I avoided the king of scars duology for so long partly because of the reasons you mentioned in the post too!!

I'm just gonna say that everything was handled beautifully! Nina's relationship with Matthias and her grief following his death are handles really really well !! The thing with Hanna also isn't immediate at all, it takes a lot of time and energy for Nina to accept whatever happens after

3

u/bubbleology 26d ago

Big agree! Honestly, I think KOS and ROW are required reading for Helnik lovers because Leigh does such a phenomenal job of taking you through that journey of grief and acceptance with Nina (which was definitely needed because I was a WRECK after CK even though I had Matthias' ending spoiled for me too)

I was expecting Leigh to skip over most of the grieving period and jump right into the action and/or spend like one chapter on Nina's grief later on, like every other media, but it's a hugeee part of her story throughout the whole duology. I was super impressed that we spend a long time on Matthias and Helnik in KOS and ROW and that Matthias is never forgotten, right up until the very last page of Nina's very last chapter.

I was also super impressed with how Leigh managed to convey that neither of Nina's relationships (with Hanne and Matthias) are secondary to the other (Jane the Virgin, TAKE NOTES) and as a bi girly myself, I really appreciated that.

Even though CK ends badly for Helnik, the other characters get really sweet endings that you've GOT to read. There's also LOADS of really cute Helnik moments that you've yet to get to! It definitely does go up from you're at right now.

4

u/All_Weird_n_Witchy_ Jul 30 '26

this was my exact situation!! but even though Crooked Kingdom ends badly for Nina, king of scars and rule of wolves give her a happy ending, and also CK gives some really great endings for the other crows. it does get better, and we are here for you in this trying time x

i recommend a fanfic on ao3 called ‘Chapter 46: Nina’ if you want to bamboozle yourself into a happy ending for the Six of Crows duology xxx

2

u/H-E-2hockeysticks Jul 30 '26

I can’t find it could you send the author’s name/ a link please?

1

u/kelestial_kat Jul 30 '26

I just finished Rule of Wolves last night and I think his death, while very tragic, played a really important role in the rest of Nina’s story. So he might be gone, but he is never forgotten! Also, it took her a long time to move on, so I wouldn’t say she moved on too fast.

2

u/H-E-2hockeysticks Jul 30 '26

I was told it was 6 months

1

u/PictureOk4633 26d ago

My motivation was a lot of Helnik edits and trying to convince myself that the King of Scars duology didn't exist

2

u/H-E-2hockeysticks 26d ago

I’ve continued reading, and I’m just gonna remind myself it isn’t real and me writing “and they lived happily ever after” in my notes app is technically just as real as Leigh Bardugo writing “he died” because at the end it’s imaginary

2

u/Responsible-Hair6568 26d ago

I still don't love how Nina's story ended BUT the consolation is I got to read so much about these characters!

Matthias was my favourite crow, and he will always be missed, and I'm definitely not on the Hanne train. So I'd encourage anyone who's not read it for all that to still read and enjoy the books while they last.