Title: Six of Crows
Series: Six of Crows #1 | Grishaverse #4
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA, high fantasy, adventure
Publication date: September 2015
Published by: Henry Holt & Company
Source: Borrowed hardcover from library
Add it on Goodreads
Buy it: Amazon | B&N | Thrift Books
Synopsis: 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.
Six people, but a thousand ways this insane plan could go wrong.
I’ve been in such a rare mood for high fantasy lately. For the last couple of years, I would read maybe one high fantasy book a year, and that’s it. But last year I read FOUR and I enjoyed them all!
Idk what it is about high fantasies that I used to find so intimidating... no, that’s a lie. I do. It’s the worldbuilding and just stepping into a whole new world. And these books tend to be huge! Big books intimidate me! Plus, I struggle with the unpronounceable names 😅 I swear, every time I came across the name of a town, I pronounced it differently every subsequent time 😂 But I digress. Lol. My point is that I think I have finally overcome this and have entered my high fantasy era! And I am so glad I did because I keep finding great books! I’ve known about these books for forever and I know Leigh Bardugo is a popular author, but I never had the intention of reading anything from the Grishaverse, but boy am I glad I did because this was SO good! I can see why these books and this author are so popular!
(Also, yes, I am reading the Grishaverse out of order. Sue me 😆) Last year three of the high fantasy books I read were by Astrid Scholte, and her books are described as being fantasy thrillers. I love a mystery thriller, so my ending up loving fantasy thrillers is not surprising. But I didn’t know that that subgenre was a thing!! And now I want to read ALL the fantasy thrillers! What piqued my interest about Six of Crows, and the reason why I started the Grishaverse with this book instead of Shadow and Bone, is the heist. This book revolves around a group of six outcasts and their attempt at a dangerous heist of something very valuable. I love books with action, and this book absolutely delivered and satisfied my craving for an action-packed fantasy!
The whole thing with the heist, Kaz’s scheming... it was SO well done!! From Kaz getting the job to him assembling the crew, planning the heist, and actually putting those plans into motion... it was so good! I enjoyed every second of it! Even the moments when everything went wrong and the characters were in peril and I was filled with anxiety...
Another thing about this book that appealed to me was the found family trope. This is one of my favorite tropes! Especially when the characters don’t exactly get along in the beginning. I loved all of the characters in this book and how complex they were and how complicated their relationships were with one another. A lot of them had really sad and horrifying backgrounds, Inej and Kaz in particular, and I nearly cried and the horrible things these kids went through.
Kaz and Inje’s relationship was something I enjoyed watching develop. In the beginning of the book, their relationship is seemingly strictly professional, but as the book goes on you see that they care for one another more than they let on. Especially at the end omg 😭 I’m still not okay!
The relationship between Nina and Matthias was another one I was intrigued by, especially because they had history 👀 History that was very interesting and very complicated. Nina is a Grisha, someone who can wield a certain form of magic, and Matthias was essentially a witchhunter, someone who hunted down these Grisha 🫠
So when I say their history was complicated, I’m not even joking. But listen, I do love an enemies-to-lovers moment soooo 😆
One thing I appreciated about this book was the flashbacks. We really got to know the characters and see why they are the way they are and what led them to be where they are now. It was so interesting! I was especially intrigued by Matthias and Nina’s relationship because boy did Matthias hate Nina! And it was very interesting seeing Matthias grow as a character throughout this book. I really enjoyed his character arc in particular. What is it about broody, angsty guys that I love so much?? 😆
Wylan was another very interesting character because upon first meeting him he seems like the outcast among the outcasts. And then you find out his background and you’re like, “What the hell is this kid doing here??” But then you get to know him a bit more and you find out the reason why he left home and you’re like, “Oh...”
That poor kid 😭 I cannot with the awful people in all of these characters' lives 😭 Jesper’s past isn’t as tragic as some of the other characters, but he still made some bad calls that landed him where he is today, and I really felt for him. He was also the comic relief, so I automatically loved him. Lol.
Speaking of, the banter in this book once all the characters got together... it was SO good! I love me some fun banter between characters!
And the story itself was really good too! I don’t want to go into it too much because spoilers, and I actually like that the synopsis is super vague. And you do find out what’s happening in the first chapter, but still 😆 It was good though! I was intrigued from the start! But the thing that Kaz and the crew were hired to retrieve... I was SHOCKED. But I understood why it needed to be retrieved. And the place it needed to be retrieved from? Kaz really had his work cut out for him.
I think I have rambled long enough 😅 I just really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I decided to pick it up because it really hit the spot! This author is a really good storyteller! I loved all the action—the climax was insane and stressful and I enjoyed every second of it! 😆The characters were flawed and amazing—Inej, despite her horrifying background, was a good person and an absolute badass (I love her and she did not deserve what happened to her 😭). Kaz was ruthless and downright mean sometimes, but he’s incredibly smart and cares more than he lets on. Nina was fun and brave, plus her Grisha magic is pretty cool. Jesper was another cool and fun character who made mistakes but was loveable nonetheless. And Wylan was endearing and totally useful! 😭 (Iykyk 😆) I just love these characters and am looking forward to seeing how their relationships evolve in the next book.
Speaking of which, I am so glad I had the second book ready to go because that ending was BRUTAL! 😭 And this book just had me hooked! I might even go back and read Shadow and Bone 👀 Upon starting Six of Crows, I didn't really have an interest in the Shadow and Bone series (I wanted a heist!), but once I stumbled through mispronunciations of words at the beginning of this book and got comfortable in this world, I completely enjoyed it and want more! The Grisha are just so interesting and their powers are intriguing, and I’m thinking Shadow and Bone might satisfy my curiosity in finding out more about them.
I’m sure everyone and their mother has read the Grishaverse at this point, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend you check it out!
(Also, yes, I am reading the Grishaverse out of order. Sue me 😆) Last year three of the high fantasy books I read were by Astrid Scholte, and her books are described as being fantasy thrillers. I love a mystery thriller, so my ending up loving fantasy thrillers is not surprising. But I didn’t know that that subgenre was a thing!! And now I want to read ALL the fantasy thrillers! What piqued my interest about Six of Crows, and the reason why I started the Grishaverse with this book instead of Shadow and Bone, is the heist. This book revolves around a group of six outcasts and their attempt at a dangerous heist of something very valuable. I love books with action, and this book absolutely delivered and satisfied my craving for an action-packed fantasy!
The whole thing with the heist, Kaz’s scheming... it was SO well done!! From Kaz getting the job to him assembling the crew, planning the heist, and actually putting those plans into motion... it was so good! I enjoyed every second of it! Even the moments when everything went wrong and the characters were in peril and I was filled with anxiety...
The knowledge that they might never see each other again, that some of them—maybe all of them—might not survive the night hung heavy in the air. A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.
Another thing about this book that appealed to me was the found family trope. This is one of my favorite tropes! Especially when the characters don’t exactly get along in the beginning. I loved all of the characters in this book and how complex they were and how complicated their relationships were with one another. A lot of them had really sad and horrifying backgrounds, Inej and Kaz in particular, and I nearly cried and the horrible things these kids went through.
Kaz and Inje’s relationship was something I enjoyed watching develop. In the beginning of the book, their relationship is seemingly strictly professional, but as the book goes on you see that they care for one another more than they let on. Especially at the end omg 😭 I’m still not okay!
The relationship between Nina and Matthias was another one I was intrigued by, especially because they had history 👀 History that was very interesting and very complicated. Nina is a Grisha, someone who can wield a certain form of magic, and Matthias was essentially a witchhunter, someone who hunted down these Grisha 🫠
So when I say their history was complicated, I’m not even joking. But listen, I do love an enemies-to-lovers moment soooo 😆
One thing I appreciated about this book was the flashbacks. We really got to know the characters and see why they are the way they are and what led them to be where they are now. It was so interesting! I was especially intrigued by Matthias and Nina’s relationship because boy did Matthias hate Nina! And it was very interesting seeing Matthias grow as a character throughout this book. I really enjoyed his character arc in particular. What is it about broody, angsty guys that I love so much?? 😆
Wylan was another very interesting character because upon first meeting him he seems like the outcast among the outcasts. And then you find out his background and you’re like, “What the hell is this kid doing here??” But then you get to know him a bit more and you find out the reason why he left home and you’re like, “Oh...”
That poor kid 😭 I cannot with the awful people in all of these characters' lives 😭 Jesper’s past isn’t as tragic as some of the other characters, but he still made some bad calls that landed him where he is today, and I really felt for him. He was also the comic relief, so I automatically loved him. Lol.
Speaking of, the banter in this book once all the characters got together... it was SO good! I love me some fun banter between characters!
“Just trust me, Nina.”
“I wouldn’t trust you to tie my shoes without stealing the laces, Kaz.”
“I wouldn’t trust you to tie my shoes without stealing the laces, Kaz.”
And the story itself was really good too! I don’t want to go into it too much because spoilers, and I actually like that the synopsis is super vague. And you do find out what’s happening in the first chapter, but still 😆 It was good though! I was intrigued from the start! But the thing that Kaz and the crew were hired to retrieve... I was SHOCKED. But I understood why it needed to be retrieved. And the place it needed to be retrieved from? Kaz really had his work cut out for him.
I think I have rambled long enough 😅 I just really enjoyed this book and I am so glad I decided to pick it up because it really hit the spot! This author is a really good storyteller! I loved all the action—the climax was insane and stressful and I enjoyed every second of it! 😆The characters were flawed and amazing—Inej, despite her horrifying background, was a good person and an absolute badass (I love her and she did not deserve what happened to her 😭). Kaz was ruthless and downright mean sometimes, but he’s incredibly smart and cares more than he lets on. Nina was fun and brave, plus her Grisha magic is pretty cool. Jesper was another cool and fun character who made mistakes but was loveable nonetheless. And Wylan was endearing and totally useful! 😭 (Iykyk 😆) I just love these characters and am looking forward to seeing how their relationships evolve in the next book.
Speaking of which, I am so glad I had the second book ready to go because that ending was BRUTAL! 😭 And this book just had me hooked! I might even go back and read Shadow and Bone 👀 Upon starting Six of Crows, I didn't really have an interest in the Shadow and Bone series (I wanted a heist!), but once I stumbled through mispronunciations of words at the beginning of this book and got comfortable in this world, I completely enjoyed it and want more! The Grisha are just so interesting and their powers are intriguing, and I’m thinking Shadow and Bone might satisfy my curiosity in finding out more about them.
I’m sure everyone and their mother has read the Grishaverse at this point, but if you haven’t, I highly recommend you check it out!
No mourners.
No funerals.
No funerals.
I am so glad you loved itttt 🥰 The sheer amount of GIFs in this post tells me so much about your feelings for this book 😂 Everything you said is on point - the found family trope, the layered characters, the banter and the soft romance ❤️ I wish I could read this book for the first time again 😂
ReplyDeleteIt was soooo good 😭
Delete