Recipe: Pahdj’s Yummy Waffles (inspired by Crooked Kingdom)

“Okay, okay. When we’re back in Ketterdam, take me out for waffles.” Now Inej did laugh. She dropped her hands and appeared to speculate. “Dessert for a life? I’m not sure that seems equitable.” “I expect really good waffles.” –  Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo Could you say you expect yummy waffles? The gang from… Continue reading Recipe: Pahdj’s Yummy Waffles (inspired by Crooked Kingdom)

Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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I’m off across the frozen Fjerda tundra with six convicts for an impossible heist. Kaz Brekker, here I come!

5/5 stars

For a Nina-inspired cake recipe, click here.

The Story:

Cruel mob boss Kaz Brekker has a new job: break into the most impenetrable prison ever built. Enlisting the help of five other criminals from the Ketterdam slums, the six are staging a heist that will make them rich beyond their wildest dreams. The journey strains Kaz, though, breaking through his armor to reveal a seventeen-year-old vulnerable boy with a haunting past. … Continue reading

Review: Siege and Storm (Grisha Trilogy, #2) by Leigh Bardugo

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5/5 stars

“A few dim memories flashed through my mind. A shallow dish of cooked beets, the slippery feel of them between my fingers as they stained my hands red.”

See here for a Siege and Storm inspired borsch recipe.

The story:

Siege and Storm  continues Alina Starkov’s journey to master her new found powers as the Sun Summoner while chasing a legendary creature that could magnify those powers. News of the Sun Summoner is out, though, and thrones are vying for her strength. Alina must choose which side she is on.

The second installment of Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy is a heartbreaking story of cost and sacrifice. As a suspenseful sequence, I’m struggling to say much without giving away everything, especially for those who haven’t even read the first book yet. And so, without further ado…

Spoilers begin here. You have been warned.

… Continue reading

Book Review: Shadow and Bone (Grisha Trilogy, #1) by Leigh Bardugo

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What’s to love? 

  1. Fresh fantasy world with Russian influences
  2. Tender love story between dynamic characters
  3. A plot to save…or end…the world

Find my review of book two, Siege and Storm, here.

The Story:

Leigh Bardugo’s Shadow and Bone tells the story of Alina Starkov, a scrawny orphan girl who’s in love with her devastatingly handsome best friend, Mal. As a soldier serving her war torn country, Ravka, Alina prepares to cross the “Unsea,” an area of land covered in darkness and populated by flying monsters called the Volkra. Trying to protect herself and Mal when their convoy is attacked, Alina discovers a power she didn’t know she had, making her a member of the elite Grisha, the people who practice magic (but don’t call it magic to their faces, they call it the “Small Science”). Now, the Grisha leader, the Darkling (enter tall, dark handsome potential love interest number two) believes Alina’s power is the answer to saving Ravka from the power of the “Unsea.”

Spoilers begin here. You have been warned!  … Continue reading