About the Book
This release is a free sampler, the first four chapters of Crooked Kingdom, Leigh Bardugo's sequel to Six of Crows. It is not the complete audiobook. If you are looking for the full title, you will need to find it separately.
Crooked Kingdom picks up immediately after Six of Crows. Kaz Brekker and his crew, the same morally complicated ensemble of thieves, sharpshooters, and outcasts, have completed their heist but come away with none of the promised reward. They are now stranded in Ketterdam, outmaneuvered and outnumbered, while outside forces close in on the city seeking the secrets of jurda parem, a drug with devastating consequences for the Grisha magic system.
The first four chapters re-establish the crew's situation and reintroduce the multi-perspective structure that defines both books. Readers unfamiliar with Six of Crows will be lost, this sampler assumes you know who these characters are and why their circumstances matter. It is best treated as a test run for the audio format and Roger Clark's narration before purchasing the full version.
Narration & Audio Performance
Roger Clark is a recognizable narrator with a distinctive baritone that suits the darker tone of Bardugo's Ketterdam setting. His pacing is deliberate, he doesn't rush through action sequences or dialogue exchanges, which works well for a story that shifts between multiple characters with different voices and emotional registers. Across these four chapters, he keeps the characters distinguishable without leaning into caricature.
The main question for listeners coming from Six of Crows will be consistency. If Clark narrated the first book in your version, the transition here should feel seamless. If you read the print edition of Six of Crows and are testing the audio format for the sequel, this sampler is genuinely useful, you get enough material to judge whether his performance suits how you process this story.
Production quality on this release appears standard for a major publisher release, though the sampler format means there is no full picture of how the longer listening experience holds up.
The Audible Verdict
This is a free sampler, so the real question is whether it is worth the time to listen. For anyone deciding whether to buy the full Crooked Kingdom audiobook, it is a practical preview, four chapters is enough to judge Clark's narration and whether the audio format suits this material. It does not function as a standalone listen, and there is no reason to spend a credit on it. Treat it as due diligence before committing to the full title.
Listen on AudibleIs This Book a Good Fit for Audio?
Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom both use a rotating point-of-view structure across six main characters. Audio can make this harder to track than print, since chapter headers announcing the POV shift are easy to miss. Clark's voice differentiation helps offset this, but listeners who struggle with ensemble casts in audio should be aware of it going in.
Otherwise, the material is a reasonable fit for audio. The prose is dialogue-heavy and plot-driven, the setting is consistently described rather than relying on maps or diagrams, and the pacing across these four chapters is steady enough to follow while commuting or doing low-attention tasks. Bardugo's world does have its own terminology and a fairly dense magic system, if you haven't read Six of Crows recently, some of that context may not land cleanly in audio without something to reference.
Popular Listener Questions
Is this the full Crooked Kingdom audiobook?
No. This release contains only the first four chapters and is a free promotional sampler. You will need to find the complete audiobook separately to hear the full story.
Do I need to listen to Six of Crows first?
Yes. Crooked Kingdom is a direct sequel and this sampler drops you into events that immediately follow Six of Crows. There is no recap, and the character relationships and world context are assumed knowledge.
Who narrates this sampler?
Roger Clark narrates. He is known for voice work in games and audiobooks and has a low, measured delivery that suits the tone of Bardugo's Grishaverse.
Is this a good way to decide whether to buy the full audiobook?
It is a reasonable sample. Four chapters gives you enough of Clark's performance and the audio pacing to make an informed decision before spending a credit on the full version.
Similar Audiobooks
The essential starting point, Crooked Kingdom will not make much sense without it, and the full audiobook version lets you compare Clark's narration across both books.
Another heist-driven fantasy with a morally grey ensemble cast and a gritty city setting. Fans of Kaz Brekker's crew typically find a lot to like here.
Multi-POV young adult fantasy with dark themes and a political power structure at the center of the conflict. A natural crossover for Bardugo readers.
The original Grishaverse trilogy by Bardugo. The magic system and some characters overlap with the Six of Crows duology, making it useful background reading or listening.
The Midnight Lie
Set in the Grishaverse and written by Bardugo. A different entry point into the world for listeners who want more after the Six of Crows duology.
Audiobook Details
| Title | Crooked Kingdom - Chapters 1 - 4 |
|---|---|
| Author | Leigh Bardugo |
| Narrator | Roger Clark |
| Genre | Young Adult Fantasy |
| Year | 2016 |
| Publisher | Henry Holt and Company (BYR) |
| Abridged | Unabridged |
| Cast | Single narrator |
| Author-narrated | No |
Ready to listen?
The full Crooked Kingdom audiobook is available on Audible, this free sampler is worth a listen before you decide whether to use a credit on the complete version.
Open on Audible