Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Book Review:  Six of Crows by Leigh BardugoSix of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) by Leigh Bardugo
Also by this author: Crooked Kingdom, Wonder Woman: Warbringer
four-half-stars
Series: Six of Crows #1
Published by Henry Holt and Company on September 29th 2015
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult Fiction
Pages: 462
Also in this series: Crooked Kingdom
Source: Purchased
Amazon
Goodreads

Goodreads Synopsis:  Criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker has been offered wealth beyond his wildest dreams. But to claim it, he’ll have to pull off a seemingly impossible heist:

Break into the notorious Ice Court (a military stronghold that has never been breached).  Retrieve a hostage (who could unleash magical havoc on the world).  Survive long enough to collect his reward (and spend it).

Kaz needs a crew desperate enough to take on this suicide mission and dangerous enough to get the job done – and he knows exactly who: six of the deadliest outcasts the city has to offer. Together, they just might be unstoppable – if they don’t kill each other first.

 

MY REVIEW

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

four-half-stars

About Leigh Bardugo

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling and USA Today bestselling author of the Six of Crows Duology and the Grisha Trilogy (Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising), as well as the upcoming Wonder Woman: Warbringer (Aug 2017) and The Language of Thorns (Sept 2017).

She was born in Jerusalem, grew up in Los Angeles, and graduated from Yale University. These days, she lives and writes in Hollywood where she can occasionally be heard singing with her band.

She would be delighted if you followed her on Twitter, elated if you visited her web site, and fairly giddy if you liked her selfies on Instagram.

25 replies
    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      I’m glad I’m not the only one who has waited so long to read Six of Crows. It’s definitely worth the wait though so I hope you’ll be able to read it this year. 🙂

  1. Angela
    Angela says:

    I have yet to read the Grisha trilogy or this series, but now I feel like I really need to move it up my TBR because I am seeing them around blogs even more than normal! Great review, this sounds like such a fun book!

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      I definitely recommend it! For me, it was the perfect combination of complicated characters with lots of tension between them, tons of action-packed scenes, and just a tease of possible romance. I was entertained in every way.

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Thanks! It’s a great story and even though the main characters are teens, they’ve gone through so much that they really seem much older than they are. I had to keep reminding myself that they weren’t technically even adults yet.

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Yay! I hope you love it as much as I did. I’ve just reserved the second book and I hope it becomes available soon.

  2. Greg Hill
    Greg Hill says:

    Nice review! I have Crooked Kingdom sitting on my shelf, I just need to get Six of Crows and give it a shot. the thing I like about your review is you talk about the characters individually, so I have a much better sense of what to expect and what it’s about. That makes the review super helpful.

    Glad you liked this! Can’t wait to read it. 🙂

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      I can’t wait to see what you think of it. In a lot of ways, the team in this book reminded me of some of the characters in The 100.

  3. Geybie's Book Blog
    Geybie's Book Blog says:

    Awesome, detailed review, Suzanne. I’ve heard of this book and the series for a while. Yay, glad that you enjoyed it so much. I’m planning to give this a try someday. Looking forward to your review for the next books in the series. 😁👍🏻

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Thanks! Yeah, this was such a great read for me. Such amazing characters and an exciting storyline. If you read it, I hope you love it as much as I did.

  4. sydneyeditor1
    sydneyeditor1 says:

    I haven’t yet got to this, and I don’t quite know why yet. hm, you have given me much to ponder.

  5. Di @ Book Reviews by Di
    Di @ Book Reviews by Di says:

    Yaaaaassss! I was so looking forward to this review and as usual, you didn’t disappoint!

    Kaz was amazing, wasn’t he? I LOVED him. He’s really written so well and I found myself drawn in hard.

    I found myself also a bit lost in the beginning and I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t read The Grisha series first, especially as I’m reading it now! It would have enriched the experience so much.

    Wonderful review! And I’m so pleased you loved this.

    I also have to say that I’m now DYING to read the Shades of Magic series… 😉

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      Yes, I LOVED Kaz so much. Seriously cannot wait to get my hands on the next book. Oh yes, you definitely need to read Shades of Magic. It’s so good! I’m reading the last book now and as much as I’m loving it, I’m also so sad to be saying goodbye to the characters because they’re truly some of my most favorite characters ever.

  6. Poem Fanatic
    Poem Fanatic says:

    It sort of reminds me of the plot of Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder. In that series as well a young criminal was offered a longer life in exchange for her dangerous service to her nation. Great review- it really clearly highlighted the ups and downs of the books!

  7. lindseyhabets
    lindseyhabets says:

    Ah I’m so happy to hear you loved this one!
    I can only agree with everything in your review! The characters especially are one of the (many) highlights of this book. They may have become some of my all-time favorite characters! Can’t say no to anti-heroes 🙂
    I did have the same ‘problem’ as you, as in it took me a little while to really get into it, but once I got hooked I just flew right through it!
    Hope you’ll enjoy Crooked KIngdom just as much (and maybe even the Grisha trilogy 😉 ).

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      It was so amazing! I’ve already got Crooked Kingdom on order because I can’t wait to see what happens next. I’m right there with you on them being some of my all-time favorite characters. It actually surprised me just how quickly I became invested in all of them. I’m still considering that Grisha trilogy. Maybe once I knock some of the other lingering series off my TBR, I’ll circle back and give that one a try. 🙂

  8. Zoe
    Zoe says:

    I completely agree! This is such an amazing book and I’m so glad you enjoyed it as much as I did. 🙂 The writing, the characters, and the romance are all absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! <3

    • Suzanne
      Suzanne says:

      It was sooooo good! I wish my copy of Crooked Kingdom would hurry up and get here so I can continue the amazingness.

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