Six of Crows (Six of Crows, 1)

4.5 Flashbacks LOST style Stars

Is Six of Crows a heist book? The answer is Yes but not really in the conventional way I look at a heist books. I really want to say that this is a perfect blending of Ocean’s Eleven trickery and LOST style flashbacks. Which for me is great since it gave me a clear idea of who each character was and their motivations. But that also means that most of the action is in the second half of the book. Not to say I wasn’t entertained in the first half, I was, I’m saying in the first half I had time to set the book down and make updates to all my Goodread’s friends and in the second half I did not.

A few good things:

1 - You do not have to have read the original Grisha Trilogy to read this book. There are some thrown in easter eggs and such for those who have but it isn’t necessary at all.

2 - Complex Characters…they are everywhere and LB describes them beautifully. Of the six members of the Dregg’s crew four get the most attention and damn I loved every one of them for different reasons.

Inej - The Wraith and Spymaster

That she was so very good at remaining unseen made her an excellent thief of secrets, the best in the Barrel. But the fact that she could simply erase herself bothered him. She didn’t even have a scent. All people carried scents, and those scents told stories—the hint of carbolic on a woman’s fingers or woodsmoke in her hair, the wet wool of a man’s suit, or the tinge of gunpowder lingering in his shirt cuffs. But not Inej. She’d somehow mastered invisibility.

Kaz - Dirty Hands the Thief and Magician of Sorts

"You’re a blackmailer—” “I broker information.” “A con artist—” “I create opportunity.” “A bawd and a murderer—” “I don’t run whores, and I kill for a cause.” “And what cause is that?” “Same as yours, merch. Profit.”

Matthias and Nina - Convict and the Grisha who is his distraction and destruction

In all his dreams he hunted her, sometimes through the new green meadows of spring, but usually through the ice fields, dodging boulders and crevasses with unerring steps. Always he chased, and always he caught her. In the good dreams, he slammed her to the ground and throttled her, watching the life drain from her eyes, heart full of vengeance—finally, finally. In the bad dreams, he kissed her.

3 - Worldbuilding. There wasn’t really a ton of it in the original Grisha trilogy but LB has put much more into the land, culture and structure of this world.

4 - The flashbacks…I LOVE THEM. I loved getting glimpses into the pasts of the crew to see how they ended up in prison, a brothel, leader of a gang etc. and what the driving forces are to the people they have become. The major events that shaped them gave complexity and depth to the decisions each made.

5 - The friendships. They might be deadly and tricky but to one another they would walk into hell and back, even if they don’t know it yet.

“I don’t know what your excuse is, Wraith. I’m the one who can never walk away from a bad hand.” She looped her arm in his. “That makes you a rotten gambler, Jesper. But an excellent friend.”

6 - THIS IS A DUET! LB doesn’t really like the term Dualogy but put simple that means there are two books to complete the story with this cast of characters. Six of Crows being the heist and the next one being a long con. THANK YOU! There are so many trilogies out there that I really think could have been summed up in one great book instead of three ho/hum ones. Two books is perfect sometimes and I wish more authors/publishers would use that format.

7 - The first half of the books is a lot of getting to know the people in the story and why they are going to be great at this. But the second half is a mad dash at times with way more Boom Boom Pow Pow WTF OMG and ahhhhhh moments. Not exactly in that order.

8 - Ships I want to jump on. While this isn’t really a romance book there is a clear indication that there might be hope for three couples to come out of this series (if they all live that is) and I SHIP THEM ALL. Plus no love triangle, thank god. But don’t be confused it is super on the back burner as they have to sneak into a fortress of sorts and rescue a scientist. Not a lot of time for any kissy kissy. But still I love all the slow burn potential there.

***“Kaz is … I don’t know, he’s like nobody else I’ve ever known. He surprises me.” “Yes. Like a hive of bees in your dresser drawer.” Jesper barked a laugh.“Just like that.” “So what are we doing here?” Jesper turned back to the sea, feeling his cheeks heat. “Hoping for honey, I guess. And praying not to get stung.” Inej bumped her shoulder against his. “Then at least we’re both the same kind of stupid.”

AND

“Jer molle pe oonet. Enel mörd je nej afva trohem verret.”***

I love this line so much but you will have to read the book for the translations…mewwahhahaha

9 - The Plot…I love a good heist story so and this one has enough twist, turns and bad guys to keep you guessing. But the short of it is Kaz and crew are offered a lot of money to break into an impenetrable fortress to rescue a scientist who can make a super drug. Each member of Kaz’s team is going for a different reason and not all of them agree. But it is certain that if caught they will all die.

10 - It’s so pretty. Seriously I don’t buy a lot of hardcover books (I live for ebooks and audio) but this is one of the most beautiful books I’ve seen and well worth getting the hardcover. Also just to note the audio was really good. There are 7 yes you saw that right 7 narrators. One for each PoV and they are all so good. They gave each voice a really distinctive tone and each one was done so well. I’m totally partial to Matthias’s PoV though because Jay Snyder is the bomb.

A few bad things:

There aren’t many but just a couple things of note. Since the first half has the majority of the character development it might feel a little slow if you just wanted chases and things blowing up. Nothing really for the heist starts to happen until the halfway point. Not a big issue for me but I’m letting you know anyway.

The Grisha aren’t explained really well. Maybe I only think that because I read the original trilogy. I think if you haven’t read the Grisha Trilogy you will totally be fine, but maybe since I know many more Grisha things I was looking for just a little more in this area.

Also there is a little bit of a cliffy at the end. I’m not saying it is so cliffy that you will want to pull all your hair out waiting for the next book maybe just a few strands. The epilogue made me desperate to find out what Kaz has planned because Dirty Hands has come to play and I really want to see how dirty he can get.

But seriously I’m totally nitpicking here. I very much enjoyed this book and really can’t wait for the sequel.

*May contain spoilers

Six of Crows is one of those books that I could truly kick myself for waiting so long to read. Now that I’ve finally finished reading it, all I keep thinking is what a fool I was to deprive myself of one of the most original and amazing fantasy stories I’ve ever read. I feel like I’m not even going to begin to do this book justice, but hopefully, since I’m pretty sure I’m one of the last people on the planet to actually read it, you guys will all just nod your heads in agreement because you already know why Six of Crows is such a fabulous read.

For those unfamiliar with the basic storyline, Six of Crows follows Kaz Brekker, a teenage criminal mastermind, who has been offered an opportunity to achieve wealth beyond his wildest dreams. How? By completing what can probably best be described as Mission Impossible. He has to break into the Ice Court, a heavy guarded military stronghold that has never successfully been broken into before. Once inside, his mission is to locate and smuggle out a scientist who is being held hostage there because he possesses knowledge on how to amplify and weaponize magic. Kaz knows enough about the dangers of the Ice Court to know that, without the right team, this heist is going to be nearly impossible, possibly even a suicide mission. Lucky for Kaz though, he knows exactly who the right team is: a deadly gang of young thugs, thieves, and runaways who are just desperate enough to agree to be part of this crazy mission.

LIKES

What I loved most about Six of Crows are the characters. Leigh Bardugo has crafted some of the most fascinating and unique characters I’ve come across in YA fantasy. I always enjoy stories that feature an anti-hero and with Kaz and his “Crows,” we have 6 anti-heroes! I love anti-heroes because they’re always such complex characters and these characters are no different. What each of the Crows have in common is that they have no family and they’ve each had to do some pretty awful things in the name of survival, including resorting to thievery and murder. Through flashbacks that give us backstory on each of the characters, however, Bardugo manages to make this gang of thugs so sympathetic that you can’t help but fall in love with them. I also liked the angle that each character seemed to have their own, sometimes selfish motives, for wanting to be a part of Kaz’s mission and it added an element of suspense at times, as I wondered if someone would sabotage the mission to serve their own needs.

It’s hard to pick a favorite character because they’re all so badass, but Kaz is definitely near the top of my list. As I’ve already mentioned, he’s a criminal mastermind. Even though he’s a teenager, his reputation precedes him and he is feared by many in Ketterdam, the city where the story takes place. Kaz can be as greedy as he can be cruel, but he’s also so brilliant, brazen, and daring that you can’t help being drawn to him. Kaz is also haunted by events from his past that left him alone and destitute, and he’s highly motivated by the desire for revenge against the man he holds responsible for what happened.

In addition to Kaz, there are also two badass female characters, Inej and Nina. Inej, known as the wraith, has a reputation for being somewhat of a ninja. Kaz calls her his spider because she can climb her way pretty much anywhere and can do so undetected, a very handy skill in their line of “work.” She’s also very skilled with knives and is perhaps the most murderous member of Kaz’s team. I just loved watching her in action as she cut down anyone who posed a threat to the team. What made Inej especially fascinating to me was the connection between her and Kaz. As much as Kaz tries to be all business, all the time and never show any emotion or weakness, it’s clear that he has a soft spot when it comes to Inej and her safety. It’s also pretty clear that there’s a good chance the feeling is mutual.

Nina is what is known as a Grisha, which means she possesses magical abilities. For the purposes of Kaz’s mission, Nina can use that magic to do useful things like slow people’s heartrates down until they lose consciousness. She can also use her powers for healing purposes, also handy when you’re on a super-dangerous mission. As we learn from her backstory, Nina’s people have been persecuted for years because of their magic -- imprisoned, tortured, and even burned at the stake. Because the Grisha are the ones whose magic would be weaponized, Nina has personal reasons for wanting to take part in this mission.

Matthias is one of the characters that intrigued me the most. At first, I couldn’t stand him, but the more I got to know about him, the more I just grew to adore him. Kaz recruits him by breaking him out of jail and offering him a pardon for his crimes in exchange for his help with the mission. Kaz sees Matthias as one of the biggest assets to the team because he used to work in the Ice Castle and can therefore give them the overall layout of the place, how the security works, etc. Matthias is torn because he knows he should be loyal to the Ice Castle, but at the same time, how can you turn down a chance to be pardoned so that you can get your life back? What makes the whole situation even more complicated is that he and Nina have shared history and he holds her responsible for his imprisonment. Tension, much? I swear I was convinced those two were going to kill each other for about half the book! Beneath all that hate they seemed to have for each other though, you could sense there was something more, an almost smoldering attraction for one another. Let me tell you – I’m not usually big on romance, but I was shipping the heck out of Nina and Matthias!

Jesper and Wylan. While these two guys were clearly assets to the team as well with their knowledge of weapons and explosives, respectively, what I loved most about Jesper and Wylan was that they provided a bit of comic relief where the other characters were so intense all the time. Jesper and Wylan teased each other relentlessly and their banter was just hilarious at times.

The world building in Six of Crows is also top notch. Bardugo paints a vivid picture of Ketterdam with its rival street gangs swarming around duking it out for power. It’s a dark and gritty world, as well as a dangerous one, filled with assorted thieves, predators, and traitors. It’s hard to know who, if anyone, can be trusted. The atmosphere definitely creates a sensation that all of the characters are vulnerable to attack by anyone anywhere so they have to be in survival mode at all times.

The Grisha magic system is also well thought out and vividly drawn. I went into Six of Crows without having read the Grisha series, which was probably a mistake as I’m sure it would have further enriched my understanding of the Grisha magic and their history, but even without having read it, I still felt like I completely understood the magic and why it would be such a valuable weapon if it could be amplified and harnessed. Imagine practically indestructible armies of Grisha fighting on your behalf. You’d be unstoppable.

Action, Action, Action! As I’m sure you can imagine just based on the details of their mission, Six of Crows is truly action-packed. There are endless twists and turns, obstacles that need to be overcome, enemies that need to be taken out, plans that fall apart and then need to be improvised. Although the novel starts out at a fairly slow pace as we are meeting each character and establishing the world of Ketterdam, once Kaz and his gang get started on their missions, it’s like jumping on a thrill ride that doesn’t stop until the final page.

DISLIKES

I can’t really say this is a dislike of the book, but it did take me about a hundred pages or so to really become invested in the characters and get sucked into the story. Again, I’m chalking up my slow start to needing extra time to understand the Grisha magic and how it worked because I didn’t read the Grisha trilogy first. Once I did get sucked in, however, there was no stopping me. It probably took me 3 or 4 days to get to page 100, but then I inhaled the last 300 or so pages in another day and a half. I guess my advice would if you are struggling to get into it, stick with it until they actually get started with the planning of their mission. It might be a slow build in the beginning, but it’s a wild ride from that point to the very end.

FINAL THOUGHTS

I truly loved pretty much everything about Six of Crows, hence why I’m kicking myself for having waited so long to read it. Up until now, Victoria Schwab’s Shades of Magic series has been, hands down, my favorite YA fantasy series. I have to say though, Six of Crows is seriously giving it a run for its money.

RATING: 4.5 STARS

Ladies and gentlemen, I have finally read Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows and it was simply put, incredible! I have heard nothing but good things about this one for the past year and despite all that I still couldn’t bring myself to pick it up just then. And the way people said it ended, not necessarily with a killer cliffhanger, but a cliffhanger nonetheless, I decided I would wait until the following year and binge what I soon learned was meant to be a duology. And I am thanking myself for this now because I plan to start Crooked Kingdom as soon as I am finished writing this review!

What some people started wondering after learning that this series takes place in the world of Shadow and Bone, just in a different country, was is it necessary to read that trilogy first, in order to better understand this one? The answer, in my opinion, is no. I have read the Grisha Trilogy already, binged that one two years ago, and naturally can’t remember much about it…despite having a serious crush on The Darkling! LOL! So not really remembering the world and its rules fully pretty much marked me as a noob for this new spinoff series. But since we basically have a new cast of characters, new country, it’s pretty much like a fresh new start to this world.

This is likely my first real heist book and it’s pretty clear that all others may never live up to my expectations from this point on! This was such an exciting and awesome read! I was a bit worried when I learned we had six main characters, that can be a lot to handle, but it was nowhere near as bad as I thought it would be. Mostly because we stuck with just four of these main characters in their chapter points of view, Jesper gets his own chapter occasionally, but not nearly as much and I felt like his were shorter too. But let’s discuss these awesome characters!

Kaz is the leader here, he runs his own part of the city—and let me say that names, especially in fantasies are always killer on my memory recall! I tried taking notes, but I usually don’t stop to write these trivial things down because I am eager to read! LOL!—and he’s got a past, one we’ll learn slowly but surely. He’s offered a particular job that will bring it a lot of money, but he knows he can’t pull it off on his own and he decides to hire a crew, one that will cover all the necessary bases. Inej is someone you could call his friend. He rescued her from her “prison” and she does the odd job for him, she’s called The Wraith because she can move so quietly that you never know she’s there. She’s silent and pretty deadly too! She’s amazing! Then we have Nina, she’s a Heartrender Grisha and can basically control your body, heartrate, temperature, consciousness, that sort of thing. Matthias is what you would call a witch hunter and basically hunts and executes Grisha believing them to be unnatural and all that. He and Nina have a history between them, one I’ll touch on in just a bit! Then we have Jesper who’s a gambler and in debt, but can also shoot like nobody’s business! He’s another sort of friend of Kaz. And finally there’s Wylan, he’s the one we don’t really know much about because he doesn’t have any chapter point of view time, but I’ll just say he plays an important role in the crew as well!

Now onto that Nina and Matthias connection. These two have a past history together and it’s not all sunshine and roses. They are pretty much the epitome of love-hate relationship material. Then it seems Kaz and Inej may or may not have connection going on as well. But being that they are both somewhat criminals feelings are not their finer points. More so for Kaz than Inej as she was more feeling like before tragedy struck her down. And that’s one thing these characters have in common. Tragedy struck them down at some point. They all have pasts and those pasts helped shape them into who they are today! We also get to see what those pasts were through a series of well timed flashbacks. I likened it to Lost in a way. There are just those moments in the present where you know the characters are remembering/feeling something and then bam! Flashback time! And as I said, they are well timed and really help to give us some idea on who these characters are!

The heist itself was quite the thing to read! It happens maybe midway-to the third quarter point! There’s lots of planning going on, issues to work through for the characters and it seems like there’s a lot of “busy” words going on before the actual heist portion of the story, but never once did I feel bogged down by this! In fact, I couldn’t read fast enough! And of course real life had to keep getting in my way! It’s dreadful being an adult, I tell you! But this was quite possibly one of the most exciting and thrilling reads I’ve read in awhile! I suspect the sequel is going to top all of that, because as I said, while things are necessarily cliffhangery to the point of I’m going to die waiting—all of 20 minutes while I write my review—but it is still one where you are left wondering what is going to happen to…everyone?!! A lot of things leave you hanging in the balance over what will happen to these characters you quickly grow to love, even if they seem heartless. They fast attached themselves to your heart and you want them all to be in their happy ending, whatever that shall be!

Six of Crows was freaking amazing! If you’re looking for a great adventure kind of read with a cast of characters who are not the usual heroes, then definitely pick this one up! Now is the perfect time, because the entire series (all two books!) are out! You can do what I am doing now and binging the duology! Best decision ever!

Overall Rating 5/5 stars

REVIEW: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Published September 29th, 2015 by Henry Holt and Co. Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy Edition: Hardcover Source: Purchased Pages: 465 Rating: 5/5 stars

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price–and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone…

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction–if they don’t kill each other first.

From the moment I heard the description of this book, I was intrigued. A band of thieves attempting to pull off a huge heist? Sign me up! I was counting down the days till it released. I had such high expectations for this book. And believe me, they were met. I couldn’t put this book down. I loved every minute of it. Now, it is one of my favorite books of all time, and I’ve read a lot of books. I titled this “review”. In a review, you usually find criticism of the book. But since I loved this book, it’ll mostly be me gushing about all my thoughts. I just want to run up to people, shove this book in their face, scream “READ IT”, and then go and reread it by myself.

the plot

It was so interesting! I loved the whole heist. Something was always happening, and it was always interesting. It kept me surprised: PLOT TWISTS!

the characters

The characters were probably my favorite part of this book. We meet six that, by the end of the book, I had come to love. They’re all so unique. I loved reading from each perspective, that way I got to know the characters a lot better.

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for “good luck.”

Kaz- The leader.

“Greed is your god, Kaz.” He almost laughed at that. “No, Inej. Greed bows to me. It is my servant and my lever.”

“A liar, a thief, and utterly without conscience. But he’ll keep to any deal you strike with him.”

Nina- She’s so brave, snarky, funny, and just an amazing strong female character. I loved that we had a Grisha in the group.

Inej-MY FAVORITE. She’s an ex-circus performer who now is a spy known as The Wraith. She struggled between her dedication to the gang and her desire to see her family again.

“Besides, she was the Wraith-the only law that applied to her was gravity, and some days she defied that, too.”

Jesper- the sharpshooter, who added so much to the story. The chapter told from his point of view are really great, because you see the other characters how he does, and I think he sees them how they truly are.

“Take good care of my babies,” Jesper said as he handed [his guns] over to Dirix. “If I see a single scratch or nick on those, I’ll spell forgive me on your chest in bullet holes.”

Wylan- He was this adorable, innocent, little boy at first. But his character changed/revealed as the story went along, and I LOVED it. I wished we could have gotten chapters from his POV, but Leigh said there will be in the 2nd!

“Always hit where the mark isn’t looking.” “Who’s Mark?” Asked Wylan.

Matthias- I loved how he struggled with loyalty to his country and his love for Nina, and I also loved seeing the backstory of how him and Nina met.

“And what did you do, Matthias? What did you do to me in your dreams?” “Everything,” he said, as he turned to go. “Everything.”

the romance!

I loved how the story was not overpowered by the romances in this book. It was a side plot that made the story more interesting. It wasn’t as prominent as the action part, but it was there. And it was amazing. I won’t spoil anything, but let me just say, I have 3 new OTPs just from this book.

the setting

In Bardugo’s previous trilogy, which I loved, we get to know the world a little, but it’s mostly set in Ravka, one country. Six of Crows was in a different country in this world, Kerch, and the group travels to a new country, Fjerda. I loved getting to know this world better. Also, the characters are from different countries so we get to know their view on their country and the others.

the writing

Her writing, like always, was incredible. It flowed beautifully. Some people have said it starts out slow, but once you pass the first 100 pages, things start picking up and getting really interesting. (I was interested the whole time, of course. I loved it from the very beginning.) But if you’re not enjoying it as much, I’m begging you. Keep trying. It’s SO worth it. There’s so many amazing quotes! I literally have notes and notes full of them.

This book is funny! It made me laugh out loud a lot (and I was in public, so people stared at me.)

“Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward. “Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost. Brekker’s lips quicker. “I’ll just hire Matthias’ ghost to kick your ghost’s ass.” “My ghost won’t associate with your ghost,” Matthias said primly, and then wondered if the sea air was rotting his brain.”

This book is so gorgeous! The cover is beautiful, but my absolute FAVORITE thing about it has to be the black edged pages. And the maps!! There’s two beautiful maps. TWO!

what I didn’t like

I honestly can’t think of anything I didn’t like in this book. I tried to come up with something, but I loved it too much.

I highly, HIGHLY recommend you check this book out. It brings all the feels. I need the second book, Crooked Kingdom, NOW. Also, if you haven’t read Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy, you should. A lot of people have asked me, “Do I have to read the Grisha Trilogy before Six of Crows?” My answer has been: No, you don’t have to. Of course I would recommend that you do, as it is one of my favorite trilogies. If you don’t, you might be a little lost in the world, and there are some characters mentioned in here from that trilogy that you wouldn’t understand, but you could understand the story. There are minor spoilers of the end of Ruin and Rising in Six of Crows, but there is also some misleading. If you read the Grisha trilogy, you learn more about Ravka, where Nina is from, which helps you understand her better. Plus, it’s just an amazing trilogy. You SHOULD. But no, you do not have to.

Okay, I’ll just conclude my ramblings now. Go read this book, please. This review took so long to write, because I had so many good things to say, and I reread Six of Crows while writing it.

Ava Bookishnessandtea.wordpress.com

I went in to this book, as we all do with books of this magnitude, a little apprehensive. I didn’t want to hate it or find that it wasn’t nearly as good as most people were claiming, but dear god guys the hype for this book is so well deserved! It is AMAZING! This is my first Leigh book and my god did she deliver. I’m seriously going through so many withdrawals right now that I just need the second book right this instant. The beginning half of this book is a bit slower, but I liked that Leigh took so much time introducing characters. As well as adding in some flashback scenes so we got a better sense of who each character was and the motivations that drove them to agree to this crazy scheme. And man were these some amazing characters! I’m not going to go in to detail but I loved each and every one of them. Usually when reading a book with multiple POVs there’s always one or two characters you don’t connect with/don’t like/just outright hate, or there are some authors who just can’t do multiple POVs, but with these characters I found I loved each one. And I came to find, for me, while each character was written by the same author, they all had their own unique voice. It is amazing what some authors can do and I just have to applaud Leigh right now for writing such interesting, diverse characters. One’s that I miss now that I’ve finished the book and am seriously tempted to reread just so I can spend some time with them again. And let me just say this feeling has only happened to me one other time and that was with The Raven Boys.

And the world! It was fantastic. It was so beautifully developed and done that I couldn’t help but picture myself in there right alongside the characters. I didn’t want this book to end at all. For those of you that don’t know (like that’s possible) Six of Crows follows six criminals who have been tasked to retrieve something. A mission they might not come back from. There’s Kaz the leader, Inej the spy, Jesper the sharpshooter, Nina the heartrender, Matthias the convict, and Waylan the runaway. Can’t you just picture this in movie form? Because I definitely can! This is a group that can barely stand each other, but has to learn to trust each other if they hope to make it out alive. I could not have asked for a better cast of characters. Kaz is someone who seems horrible and like someone you could hate, but as we delve deeper and deeper in to his past you see just why he does what he does. Inej, well I’m just gonna say this I loved her right from the very start and same with Jesper. They are two of my favorite characters. Nina was amazing! She was funny and sarcastic and always had such great banter with the other characters, but mostly Matthias. Who by the way I love. He is a man of honor who only wants to get back to his home, and the only way to do that is to help Kaz in this scheme. And while he may do things that make you question him, he always comes through at the end of the day. Waylan, now I thought he was geeky and adorable and I loved that he and Jesper became friends. It’s such a great friendship and I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book!

I AM ABOUT TO HAVE A MOMENTARY FREAK OUT.. PLEASE SKIP IF NEED BE…

Another thing I need to say this moment… I SHIP the hell out of Nina and Matthais, their interactions were some of my favorite parts to read, Inej and Kaz, I mean YASSSSS GIVE IT TO ME, and Waylan and Jesper, the adorableness.. I just can’t even deal. Are you guys with me on this one?

ALRIGHT FREAK OUT DONE…

I have never been more in love with a setting or a cast of characters then I am with these six. I am so glad that I have this one pre-ordered. Not only was this world amazing and so brilliantly done, but the set up and the way that Kaz always seemed to have a back-up plan for his back-up plan was awesome. This is definitely a world I see myself visiting time and time again. I did hear that this was going to be a duology, but I’m not sure if that’s true or not? Have you guys heard anything about that. Anyways, this one hasn’t come out yet but I suggest going and buying it if you haven’t already or putting in a request at your library. Any way you can get your hands on this book, as long as it’s not illegal, DO IT. The hype surrounding this book is very much deserved and one that I think will be a favorite on many many many peoples list. So do yourself a favor and buy it. You will not be sorry!

Wow. I was so amazed with this book. I was in love with it from page 1. The writing was magical and eloquent, the story was fast paced, and the back stories of the character were strong and well laid out. I am so in love with this book, and I can see why there has been so much hype for it,

Brief Summary from Goodreads:

“Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...”

There were so many points about this book to discuss that a list is required.

1.) I loved the characters in this story. I felt like I knew about and could care about each character. As the story switched perspectives, there weren't any characters that I was groaning to see and rushed past. I also loved the way their stories and past lives unfolded throughout the whole book during their journey. It was so well done. There are 6 main characters:

Kaz is the leader of the Dreg gang. He's cunning, clever, and always a step ahead. He keeps things close to his chest, and rarely fills anyone in on his plans until necessary. (Sometimes not even then). He's a funny, snarky character who isn't afraid to get dark and has trouble letting others in or his emotions show. I was immediately enamored with his character, and I loved how he was both awesome and vulnerable.

Inej is known as the Wraith for her stealth. She is part assassin, part spy for Kaz and his right hand woman. She's grateful to Kaz for all he's done for her, but is a bit frustrated with him for trusting her with some things but not others.

Jesper reminds me a lot of Jayne Cobb from Firefly. He's the gunsman and loves to shoot things. He's fairly loyal,but seems to pretty much be in it for the money and the free gambling. He has a more minor back story compared to a lot of the other characters.

Nina is a Grisha Heartrender. She can heal those who are shot or wounded and can stop someone's heartbeat with a wave of her hand. Originally a soldier, she joined the Dregs to be near Matthias. In the beginning, her past encounters with Matthias are unclear but slowly unfold to make a great side story.

Matthias is a warrior trained to hunt and kill Grisha by trial for their witchcraft. He is not a member of the Dregs, and only agrees to help Kaz in exchange for a pardon that will allow him to go back to his people as a warrior again. He's a rather grumpy character, but it's interesting to see his training and how it affects his mindset of the world, as well as the unfolding about his past experiences with Nina.

Wylan doesn't play a very huge role in the beginning. He is brought along as collateral and is good at making bombs for the team. He gets a little bit of story, but not as much as some of the other characters.

2.) I loved how rich the story felt. I always felt that the book was moving forward. Nothing felt too slow or long. There was plenty of action and suspense, and even the slower parts were so full of character development and back story that they never felt slow. The writing was beautiful and so well done. I can't stop gushing about it.

3.) I loved the universe. Learning about the different countries and their differences was fascinating. I also loved the fact that though this series takes place in the same universe as the Grisha Trilogy, I never felt like I was missing something that I should have read there. (I haven't read the Grisha Trilogy yet, but it is on my to read list!) It was still its own, separate series.

4.) The only thing that was even slightly “meh” about this book was the ending. While there is an ending, it wasn't 100% satisfying. The series is clearly meant to be read together. The ending felt like a “to be continued” more than a finale. The rest of the story was too great for me to really mind (and I have the second book all ready to start) but I would have been much more frustrated if I'd picked up this book before the second one was released. (Edit: After reading the second book, I can give this no less than a 5. The ending worked out well for the second book.)

Rating

I'd rate this book a 5 out of 5. This book was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and can handle a couple of dark scenes. I'm so excited to read the sequel!

SIX STRONG POINTS

1.) Setting・Worldbuilding: Ketterdam and Djerholm, the two main cities where she sets the story, come to life in scene. Description only goes so far, but Leigh brings her world to life by the actions, reactions, and customs of groups: the gangs and merch of Ketterdam with their cleverly named gambling parlors and brothel houses, the initiation rites of the Fjerdan drüskelle, and the magical powers of the Grisha. The world unfolds never in an info dump or description binge, but rather gradually and generously through vivid scenes, where characters interact with the clash of cultures that is Ketterdam.

2.) Dialogue: The dialogue is both witty and revealing without ever seeming pedantic, over-the-top, or on-the-nose. The retorts the main characters use to poke fun at each other’s vices made me laugh as I learned new barbs. Most of the banter had a purpose, which meant even the funniest insults carried a side of seriousness or truth vital to the plot or matter at hand; it was never just talk to pass the time, but rather verbal jousting that advanced the plot. Furthermore, Leigh Bardugo creates her own slang native to the Grisha universe, with its own curse words and turns of phrase, but the foreign terms always come with enough context or explanation, without ever seeming forced or excessive.

3.) Voice・POV: The story is told from the third-person limited perspective of five of the six main characters and a couple of side characters at the beginning and end. Normally, head jumping can be confusing for the reader, but Leigh pulls this off masterfully because of how unique the characters sound. In short, Six of Crows is a clinic in filtering, a textbook on how to reveal character and conceal plot and backstory through third-person perspective. Kaz’s dry humor and pragmatic efficiency. Inej’s search for meaning and inner tenderness, coated with a tough exterior. Nina’s shameless flirtation and effervescent energy. Matthias’ modesty and soldier honor. Jesper’s carefree thirst for action and danger. (Sheltered Wylan doesn’t receive a POV chapter.) Every character imbues his or her dialogue with a unique, distinctive style and way of speech or viewing the world, that reading the story, told from different perspectives, with little to no overlap in time, was a joy in and of itself. This experience was so good it convinced me to try writing my own fiction from multiple third-person limiteds.

4.) Characters: Each of the six main characters has some redeeming quality that makes his or her vices all the more realistic, tolerable, and relatable. Kaz is a merciless demon content to treat his team members as investments or pawns, but it is his sentimentality - which proves to be a weakness - in the book’s final act that redeems his ruthless pragmatism. Moreover, he is just a cool customer, never blinking or showing any weakness through the early scenes. Matthias, too, is hardened in his ways and outlook on life, but as Nina and the others save his life time and time again, he begins to question his own upbringing and soften up. The bonding and trust that characters form with one another - but always with the edge of the task at hand, and the threat of betrayal from muddy pasts - give the entire story a positive, redeeming vibe despite the prevalence of vice in the characters’ pasts and world looming as a possible excuse. Each character has a volume of backstory, but the author never dumps it on the reader; instead, she parcels it out in flashbacks throughout the plot, interleaved skillfully between as interludes between the action. Only Wylan and Jesper don’t reveal much backstory in this book, but their pasts receive ample attention in Crooked Kingdom.

5.) Plot Twists: In a world where loyalty changes as quickly as money changes hands, it is remarkable that the six characters collaborating on the heist actually grow closer as the plot unfolds. So much betrayal and surprise happen from page 1 — and even before, with Matthias and Nina’s past — that it isn’t always a given that the characters have any virtue or loyalty. Like a house of cards, every single character experiences a moment — sometimes several — where a well-timed betrayal could end the heist then and there. We learn through early plot twists that anyone could be a traitor, and anyone can be bought or bribed with money. These loyalty plot twists set the stage for a different level of plot twist on the heist, when unforeseen obstacles force the characters to trust each other to stay alive. Finally, the plot twists crescendo toward a final betrayal in the end, further layered with the protagonists’ own counters. In brief, everyone in the story is always trying to stay a step ahead of his peers and rivals, and often that level of gamesmanship - thinking two or three plies ahead - thrills the reader when they are revealed in rapid succession.

6.) Action: The action scenes are surprising and well-paced. Not a single character is spared any blood or challenge; everyone faces a demon at some point, and it is those difficult moments of action where the characters truly come to life. Even our introduction to Kaz, where he encounters a rival gang, rings with vivid action, complete with a surprising betrayal and moments of doubt. What Leigh does particularly well is keeping the outcome in suspense: We’re not always sure who will win the battles, and Kaz or one of his characters must often improvise despite maniacal preparations. The amount of stabbing, gunfire, punches, eyeball-ripouts, and Grisha magic (a well-conceived system) rarely seem gratuitous, but they convey the mortal danger these characters face around every corner, and their reactions build character and bring us closer.

NEGATIVES

Besides the obvious complaint of Wylan’s lack of chapter time — remedied in Crooked Kingdom — I would say the book is like many of its characters: seemingly incomplete and unsalvageable on the outside, but truly substantive and attractive in the middle. Unlike many other books, which are the opposite in how they operate, Six of Crows doesn’t begin with as much relevance, or close with as much closure as I would have liked.

Most if not all of the prologue characters never play a tangible role in the rest of the story; they certainly don’t appear in the flesh, only as bits of conversation. Though the beginning sets the stage of the prized drug jurda parem, the characters that first dance on that stage never see the spotlight again.

Likewise, the ending, after a sequence of breathtaking plot twists and grand reveals, leaves the protagonist group of six separated, without any sense of closure or accomplishment. Two of them falter, leaving their relationship at a low point, while a third is kidnapped, and the book ends without any firm resolution or plan, although we sense comeuppance is on the horizon. Fortunately, the second book resolves those loose ends and brings much more satisfying closure.

Like many of her characters, Leigh Bardugo more than makes up for this by the strength of the novel’s interior. When I started reading, I wasn’t sure how badly I’d want to follow Joost, or when I’d see Anya again, but the farther I read, the more the true main characters came to life, and once I got past Chapter 2, I knew I was experiencing something special. In that sense, the novel itself is like a lesson to look beyond the surface, at the interior, because sometimes the beauty of a person (or book) is in the redeeming qualities inside.

As a writer working on my craft, I can't think of a better paragon or more inspiring read to offer hope -- much like hope for Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Matthias -- and affirmation that this market still has room for a story well-told and prose well-written.

“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.” ― Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

(4.5/5⭐️) Kaz Brekker is somewhat of a criminal prodigy on the streets of Ketterdam. He’s seemingly untouchable, until a rich merchant captures him and offers him the deal of a lifetime—more krug than he knows what to do with. The catch? He must break into a notoriously impossible prison and free a man whose recipe for a new drug has the power to rip the Greshaverse apart. What Kaz needs is a band of misfits. Who better than his right-hand-man sharpshooter Jesper, his Wraith Inej, a boy with a tendency to blow things up, Waylen, an ex-witch hunter, Matthias, and a Grisha woman with healing powers, Nina? Together, this band of six must pull of an unthinkable heist. But what happens when the person they find isn’t the one they expected? And what happens when the deal goes sour? Can Kaz hold his band together? Is four million krug really worth their lives?

What an excellent introduction into the Greshaverse! Leigh Bardugo fills the pages with characters that are unique, memorable, and full of flaws. Her portrayal of Ketterdam was rich and descriptive. She swept me away into a world that was easy to follow and took very little adjustment. The streets of Ketterdam are brutal. You could feel it in the writing, in the struggles and pasts each character portrayed.

I loved the way she handled the plot. You see each character in his/her current state, yet, their obvious flaws make it clear that there’s more beneath the surface. Bardugo is excellent at showing small glimpses into each character’s past as the story progresses. You see just enough to leave you desperate for more. The longest flashbacks didn’t happen until the second half of the book, during much of the action. But I didn’t even care that the action was interrupted because I was so invested in each character.

My favorite was Nina. I felt that her past was more tortured than many, though each had his/her own struggles. She made some heart wrenching decisions, yet, she was capable of forgiveness and able to look past the flaws of others. Yet, all the characters were incredible.

“When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.”

Kaz has so many demons. He’s morally gray, yet, you understand each of his decisions. You realize that beneath his stony exterior, there’s someone hurting. It takes him an entire book to work out what he really wants, and even then, he doesn’t fully succeed.

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.”

Now, I’d love to get deeper into the world building. The streets of Ketterdam were so rich with description. Yet, I never felt overwhelmed. Bardugo had a way of sprinkling the right information at the right time. I learned about paintings, and gangs, and establishments, and locations, and...you get the point. All of these detailed facets of the city that might be unnecessary in some books was critical in helping me understand the lives that these six misfits were a part of. Why they did the thing they did. Why they were the way they were. It was excellent!

I considered giving this book five stars because it seems perfect in nearly every way. The only thing that it was missing was a certain riveting flare that keeps me thinking about a book even when I’ve set it down. For me, I try to reserve five stars for the books that consume me both while I’m reading, and while I’m not. You know, those books you can’t stop thinking about ALL DAMN DAY while you’re going about your routine? This one didn’t do that for me. While I thoroughly enjoyed it, I didn’t find it all-consuming the way other books have been for me. So I’m subtracting half a star, which seems a fair distinguished between the books that simply take you over the top.

Do I recommend it? Hell yes! I can’t freaking wait to dive into Crooked Kingdom. This book has everything. Magic. Misfits. An impossible heist. Political intrigue. You name it. Go read it!

It took me quite some time to get to this book, mostly because I never managed to read the original Grisha trilogy, I tried several times to get started with it, but there was something about it that didn’t quite suck me in. Eventually though, I gave up that series and decided to dig into Six of Crows even though I had not read the Grisha trilogy in advance. And I am happy that I did because Six of Crows was an easy read that pulled me in rather quickly.

In Six of Crows we follow a group of six criminals from a gang called the Dregs, and when their leader, Kaz, gets a job that would change their lives forever, he can’t say no, despite the job being as impossible as it gets. So, in this book, we get to come along on the quest as they set out to break into one of the most secure prisoners in Fjerda.

There’s a lot of things that I really enjoy in this book, but also a few things that slightly annoyed me. But for the most part this is a great read and the way the author has managed to keep the reader invested in all three characters and their separate POVs is impressive, not once did I feel like any of the characters were unnecessary or flat. Every character is well developed with interesting backstory and there’s also a lot going on in their relationships and thanks to the separate POV’s you get a very intimate connection to each an ever characters emotions and reasons to what they do. It’s, like I said, beautifully crafted and the writing too is beautiful and vivid.

The wordbuiling is great and Bardugo manages to incorporate details of the world and the scenery in the story without it feeling heavy with information. It all flows very well, and as I read it was easy to picture the scenes.

The plot was interesting, full of twists and turns and seeing the team’s job take shape from the eyes of multiple POVs made for a very interesting read and also gave the heist that sense of mystery and surprise that we’re used to seeing on tv and in movies.

As for the things that I didn’t quite like it was not bad enough to really make a difference in the overall rating, but it was still things that stuck out to me. The first being that I felt like the heist sometimes got overshadowed by massive bits of backstory. The backstory itself didn’t bother me because they were interesting and great, and they made me understand and connect with the character a lot more, but I didn’t feel like they were necessary for the story in that elaborated manor they had been written in, less information had been enough and kept the pacing of the main plot more consistent. So, even though I enjoyed learning about the characters pasts and the reasons they ended up in the gang, I would have preferred more focus on the heist itself.

The second thing is the beginning. It was unnecessary and pointless. Why make us invested in Joost and Anya just to basically never mention them again? I get the point of showing what the drug could do, but there must have been a better way to do it.

The third thing is related to the Fjerdans and primarily their language. The Fjerdan’s are, according to what I’ve read from interviews with Leigh Bardugo, heavily influenced by Scandinavia, and more specifically Sweden and Norway. As a swede, I can totally see that, and I knew that it is a fictional language and that my own language has been used as inspiration. But I couldn’t help feel a bit thrown off when there was suddenly words that I knew from my own language being used when there was so many other words used that didn’t fit at all with the way we’d use those words. It’s hard to explain, and truly it doesn’t really matter since it’s fiction and not real, but it was something that stood out to me, like a hiccup that broke the flow of my reading. I think it would have bothered me less if the Fjerdans had actually spoken any of the Scandinavian languages, or at least had a more reasonable structure to their sentences and words that would have fit well with the use of actual words from our language. And in this same line are the names of the Fjerdan Drüskelle. There were typical Scandinavian names at a lot of the times, but then there were these names that stood out and didn’t fit in with the rest we’d been told. But, I’m not going to let any of this affect the rating since this is just a personal thing that most likely wouldn’t bothered anyone else, and if does not in any way affect the intensity and greatness of the story.

So, overall, this book will get a solid 4/5 stars from me, and I can’t wait to dig into the sequel. I can also highly recommend this book to basically everyone, it’s a great read and the way Leigh Bardugo handled all six POVs is reason enough for every author to pick up this book.

This is going to be a very long review. I’m sorry ahead of time, but I knew it wouldn’t be a short review after I finished the book. Lots needed to be typed, but I promise no spoilers.

Six of Crows is set in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse, but this time readers will get to follow six different characters on a mission to pull off a very dangerous heist together. This book will pull you in different directions because all six characters get to tell the story from their point of view before, during, and after the heist. It’s crazy how Leigh Bardugo managed to keep up with all six points of view while building the storyline to this new epic adventure in the Grishaverse.

Storyline/My Thoughts: First, if you read the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, then I will let you know now that Six of Crows doesn’t take place simultaneously as the trilogy. It’s set further in the years after the war has happened. Unfortunately, the Grisha are still treated horribly, and most are hidden or at Ravka helping the King rebuild, but this book is not focusing on that storyline. Instead, it’s focusing on six different characters, which each have a different personality and background. They are all supposed to be in their teens but come off as maturer in age. If you lived the way they did, then you would be much wiser in years to deal with the issues they have had to succumb. Readers will get to read some of their backstories when they tell their points of view in Six of Crows. (It’s amazing how authors can keep up with everything. I can’t even remember yesterday sometimes due to memory issues.)

I’m going to try to break down what I liked about each character without going overboard. I loved how Leigh Bardugo wrote each character differently. This is one reason why I was interested in the book.

Kaz Brekker has a heartbreaking back story, but he has managed to fight through everything thrown at him. He has a disability that requires him to have a cane, but he’s stronger than ever. He’s one scary character, even to his team, because he plans things that will put himself and everyone at risk. I enjoyed his character, especially after finding out what happened to him. He’s on a mission for revenge for what happened to him, and he will do anything to get that revenge. One thing that drove me crazy about him is his feelings for a particular character that he would rather deny than tell the truth. Just tell her!!!! Inej Ghafa is by far my favorite character of the six. She’s been through a lot too, and Kaz saved her from the life she had at the Menagerie. She became known as the Wraith since she’s able to sneak up on people. She’s a fighter. She puts Kaz in his place a couple of times, and only she can do it to him. I could go on and on about her character. I loved getting to read her point of view. Jesper Fahey has a secret that he’s unwilling to share with anyone on the team until he has to on the heist. He has a gambling issue, but he’s an excellent sharpshooter. I loved how even he questioned Kaz, but he also became friendly with another person on the heist. Nina Zenit is a Grisha Heartrender who uses her magic to survive the slums. Her abilities include controlling someone’s breathing, heart, and cells in their bodies. She’s one Grisha you don’t want to mess with, and in this book, she ends up putting herself at risk for everyone else to survive. Matthias Helva is a former druskelle and a Fjerdan witch hunter. Both Nina and he are dangerous together because he can’t stand what she is, and Nina is trying to make it right by Matthias. They have a complicated past and relationship that could put the others at risk. Matthias is one person you either could trust or not, and there were times I didn’t feel I could trust him with the group during the heist. Wylan Van Eck is someone that Kaz brings to the crew for leverage since the person who requested Kaz’s help happens to be Wylan’s father. Wylan, though, has his own tricks up his sleeve, and I hope I get to know him more in the next book. He fit right into the crew during the heist. All six are on a dangerous heist to break out a scientist from an impenetrable prison and put themselves at risk of being put in jail or, worst, being killed. (It’s all Kaz’s fault, but it was a deal that no one could turn down.) The heist reminded me of the movie Ocean’s Eleven, but much more risk to it, and instead of stealing money and gold, they have to steal a person. This person is someone everyone wants for themselves since they have created something that will change the odds.

The thing that drove me bonkers about this book was how slow it started for me. It took me a while to gain my interest in the story. I’m used to reading multiple POVs, so that was not an issue. It was the issue of getting to the heist, going through everything, and then how it ended. It took a while to get through it all. I also was bothered by how Kaz did not get the revenge he wanted in this book. He had a chance but didn’t take it. He deserves revenge for what happened to him. He also didn’t share his feelings with a specific character that he should have in this book. I hope he starts sharing them in the next book. I know Kaz will be out for revenge even further in the next book, but for something else entirely. Overall, this book receives four stars from me. I think if the book would’ve grasped me from the beginning and not been slow to start, then I would have given it five stars. There was a lot to take in the beginning.

Leigh Bardugo is a master at storytelling, though, and I can’t wait to see the Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows books be brought to life in the Netflix series. I already love the actors/actresses they chose to play the book characters.

Now I need to make time to read the Crooked Kingdom because this book left me with a cliffhanger.

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Six of Crows Duology. It’s also part of Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. (If you read the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, then you will read about certain characters in this book from the current characters. There will be a moment of clarity of who Nina is and where she came from, and why she ended up with the crew. I don’t think you have to read the Shadow and Bone Trilogy to read this book, but I feel readers will miss out on some connections between the books.)

Cliffhanger: Yes.

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are a fan of YA Fantasy involving a dangerous heist with six different characters, you will enjoy this book. I also would recommend the audiobook if you enjoy listening to books. The narrators were fantastic at having the characters come to life when I listened to the book instead of reading it.