Six of Crows

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

First Published: September 29th, 2015

Series: Six of Crows #1

Genre: YA, Fantasy

Available As: Hardcover, paperback, ebook

Pages: 462

My Copy: Ebook

My Rating: 9/10

Goodreads Summary:

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.

How do I even begin? This book was amazing! In Six of Crows, we get a completely different view on the world of Ravka, where we see new places, new people and a more in-depth understanding of the different nationalities and cultures.

Kaz Brekker, the sharp-tongued criminal who seems to be in complete control every second of every day. But he's vulnerable too. I thought his backstory was really strong, especially since it made me feel very sorry for him. His past fuels his need for revenge. When sneaking into the Ice Court and posing as prisoners in the caravan, it was at that moment where we could see Kaz as the young, frightened boy he was and not the steely-eyed convict. We can really see where his fear comes from, and how deeply it's rooted in his soul.

Inej (how do you pronounce her name? I hear it as ee-neh, like the Spanish 'j') is one of my favourite characters! She's a great fighter, using stealth to her advantage. Known as the Wraith, she's well known in the Barrel. I feel that there is a potential relationship between her and Kaz, but the two are just too stubborn to come out with their feelings for each other. Kaz definitely likes her, Inej definitely likes him back. But I think that they may have to work on dealing with their feelings for one another, especially Kaz. He's not very good at showing his emotions, isn't he?

Nina, the Heartrender. What do you think of her actions at the end of the book? I think it was really brave of her, and I hope she will be alright. I think Nina and Matthias will make a cute couple. At the beginning, I really wanted to trust Matthias, even if he was a drüskelle. His past with Nina made me skeptical of a romance between the two, but now we know that it's not true. They will make a cute couple.

At the beginning, I didn't care much for Wylan as a character, but I changed my mind towards the end of the book. He's smart and loyal, twice the man his father will ever be. When Wylan finally heard what his father thought of him, I felt sorry for the boy. However, it's better he knows than harbour false hope. Anyone else think that Wylan and Jesper have something going on between them? Ah, six is such a good number!

I thought that the plot was pretty strong. I thought it would be too confusing with so many different points of views, but in the end, it turned out okay. There was a main plot that Bardugo focused on, with a couple of small backstories along the way, which was good. My favourite backstory was Kaz's, because we could really understand how he became who he is today. Inej's was pretty interesting as well, because we don't get a lot of books with a character involved in that line of work. It still affects her pretty heavily.

Each character has a complex story, forming who they are today. None of them are fearless; each has a dark past that changed who they once were. This is what makes the story so realistic. They are already hardened against the world, unlike many other YA novels, where we can see the character development from naive to cold.

I can't wait to read the next book, and I definitely recommend the series! I don't think there's a problem with reading this book before the Grisha trilogy, but it would be a nice introduction.

I can't help but remark that the title, Six of Crows, sounds like playing cards. I guess it's fitting, since gambling was present in the book. Crows were also prominent. Nice title. I like it :) Plus, the cover is beautiful!

My Chosen Quote:

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