Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows
(Six of Crows #1)
Leigh Bardugo
Release: September 29, 2015
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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.

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Review:

First things first: Damn! All of the hype for this book is so deserved! I loved every minute reading it! I NEED THE SEQUEL!

I'm going to be honest. I was hesitant to pick up Six of Crows even though I had heard nothing but amazing things about it. I liked Shadow & Bone but I didn't love it like many others did. I still haven't gotten around to finishing that series yet. I just couldn't get into Siege & Storm despite all the rave things I had heard about a new character who is introduced later in the book. Alina and Mal just rubbed my nerves the wrong way so I put it aside and never felt like picking it up again.

While this book is set in the same world as the Grisha Trilogy, it didn't rely on the characters and events from it to tell the story. I actually LOVED that this book was not directly connected to the original series. According to my friends who finished the original series, there were some references here and there but not enough to require reading it before this series. Six of Crows is its own story with its own unique and interesting characters and setting. Although, it does feature the same magic system for the Grisha and I found that it was easier to understand it after having read Shadow & Bone.

The plot is set after the original series and it is obvious that the people are still feeling the effects of the war in Ravka but this book focuses more on the dirty underworld of the Grishaverse. We get introduced to a great cast of characters, who honestly have such amazing relationships with each other. The story is mostly told from five out of the six characters' perspectives. This style allowed us to see glimpses of those characters' pasts and how they got to where they are today. The book is the perfect blend of darkness, magic, action, humor, and romance.

The crew is essentially a gang of misfits. Powerful, intelligent, courageous misfits, but misfits nonetheless. In this world, they would have been all on their own if they didn't have each other. Personality wise they were all very different but they worked well together as a group. All of them have their demons and their secrets but that matters little because they have an understanding. None of them will ever be a heroes. They're all survivors.

I really loved how the plot moved between each character’s perspective. The small flashbacks for each character gave us a little insight into how they all ended up together on this mission. It also allows the reader to get to know each character and try to determine their individual agendas. What I wasn't really expecting was how many times I literally laughed out loud. The dialogue was hilarious in parts despite the serious nature of the heist. I need more Jesper and Wylan in my life!

There are some delightful romances in different stages in this book and I ship them all! Also, I loved that there were no love triangles in this book and I don't foresee any in the future. As much as I loved the romances, what I really struck me was the friendships. The relationships between these characters are varied and unique. I loved them all but I absolutely adored Nina and Inej's friendship! They're supportive of each other and have each others backs without the cattiness that we see between female characters in a lot of YA books. I seriously want to see more friendships like this one in all books.

I was hooked from the first page and this book took over my life. I seriously did nothing but read this book until I finished it. The story is so well-paced that there aren't really any dull moments. And that ending! I need Crooked Kingdom in my hands ASAP! This book was everything I wanted and then some! If you want fantasy, adventure, friendship, romance, a little bit of espionage, some darkness, and intrigue then this is definitely a book you should pick up!

Recommended for fans of:  
The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Graceling by Kristin Cashore

    

  5 / 5 Stars!