Six Of Crows Full In-Depth Book Review
Six of Crows completely rocked my socks off. Please don’t think that because it took me months to finish this book I didn’t like it.
I loved it… I just happen to be a very slow reader.
This book was recommended to me in the beginning of 2020 after seeing multiple booktubers rave about how amazing it was to read.
Although I was skeptical there was no way I couldn’t pick up a high fantasy novel this good.
This book, though amazing, is not a fan favorite for everyone. This is why I want to personally review the book for you, if you’re skeptical like myself.
Don’t forget to let me know what you thought of this novel in the comments below!
Summary (Without Spoilers)
The Six of Crows duology is novel with a plot unlike one that I have read before.
The novel takes place in an Amsterdam inspired place called Ketterdam. The city is overrun with prostitutes, gangs and overall not so great people. Many people live on the streets and many survive by gambling and conning their way around.
Our main protagonist is Kaz Brekker. Though some may argue that the book revolves around multiple protagonists. We are introduced to multiple characters at once including Kaz Brekker and their living situation.
Kaz is part of one of the four powerful gangs that roams the streets of Ketterdam, he is not someone you would want to mess with. We are introduced to him, as well as some of his trusty gang members including Inej and Jesper.
It’s important to note this is a high fantasy novel. Besides the everyday gang members that roam Ketterdam, there is a special kind of individual that are abused for their gift.
Grisha.
Grisha in this novel are people with extraordinary gifts. Some are healers in which they can heal or tear down anyone from the inside out. Others are able to control different elements.
The plot revolves around a drug that has been illegally created that heightens the powers of Grisha to the point where they are no longer themselves. They crave the drug after one drop so much so that that they are under the control of whoever has it.
This is where our loving group comes in.
Kaz Brekker is given the opportunity of a lifetime by an extremely wealthy business man.
Brekker is to break into the most heavily guarded prisons near him and kidnap the man who invited Jurda Parem (the drug that heightens Grisha powers).
Though Brekker knows he cannot complete this task himself, he calls upon a group of individuals he knows will help him get the job done. This group includes a Grisha, an escaped prisoner and a fighter with cat like reflexes.
This is where the fun begins and because I don’t want to spoil anything for you, I’m going to let you read it for yourself!
Overall Review
The vibrancy of this novel and the area it is set in is what drew me in.
Though, if I am honest the reason this book took me so long to finish was because the first 30 pages of the novel are a little slow, and hard to understand.
Instead of books in which the environment is explained from the get-go, Leigh Bardugo thrusts us into the Grisha universe with no explanation of anything.
This duology has prequels in a world that explains more about Grisha and Ketterdam. It is NOT necessary to read the prequels, as this novel contains completely different characters and plot.
After getting through the first few pages of confusion (and slight boredom) the action starts to build.
This is where I truly fell head over heels.
The novel is fast paced and the chapters are broken into the 6 different character point of views as they plan out their heist and roll into the adventure of a lifetime.
The group consists of … *drumroll*
- Kaz
- Inej
- Matthias
- Jesper
- Wylan
- Nina
Each with characteristics that make this a kick-ass group of fighters. I soon finished the book in a matter of days and swiftly moved to the second book, Crooked Kingdom.
Six of Crows was phenomenally written and the relationships that were built, both friendship and romantic, is what put this book on my top favorites of all time.
This Book Is Best For..
People who love Fantasy
If you’re a fantasy fanatic, this book duology is for you! The novels entire premise takes place in a high fantasy world where individuals with superhero like powers exist.
People who love angsty romance
One of the qualities of Bardugos writing that makes her so exceptional is that this novel contains a very strong friendship between unlikely allies and angsty romance.
Instead of you craving for the main characters to kiss, within this book you’ll be yearning for them just to hold their damn hands together.
Or other simple things like grappling at the fact that character A doesn’t notice how character B is looking at them.
Angsty as hell.
People who love reading and watching films on heists
If you’re a fan of any movie, television show or book in which the main character is tasked with an incredibly difficult heist…read this book.
If I have not been blatantly honest already, this book REVOLVES AROUND A HEIST.
A big and very dangerous one.
So, if you crave danger…you know what to read next.
Favorite Character
One word. Kaz Brekker.
Kaz Brekker, throughout Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, was and still is my favorite character in the book. He is the main character, but one of who’s character development grew from the first sentence to the last.
He’s a powerful boy, with tramau that still haunts him today. And because of this he became the one many fear on the streets of Ketterdam.
I loved all the characters within the series, good and bad, but Brekker will always have a special place in my heart.
Memorable Quotes
“No mourners, no funerals” – a quote commonly seen in the book that the characters say to one another. It is a way for them to assure each other that they will be safe and see each other soon.
“I would have come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together-knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”
“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.”
“She smiled then, her cheeks red, her cheeks scattered with some kind of dust. It was a smile he thought he might die to earn again.”
Similar Book Recommendations
If you’re looking for similar books to read after Six of Crows because like me you violently made your way through the first and second (it’s okay to cry), here are some ideas.
- The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch – Genre: High fantasy/Heists
- The Diviners by Libba Bray – Genre: Supernatural/Fantasy
- Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson – Genre: Fantasy
If you’re looking for more recommendations, I wrote a post HERE!
Final Rating
My final rating for this novel is…
10/10
This is due to the plot, character development, relationship and the world of Ketterdam.
Let me know what your thoughts on the book are! I would love to hear if you liked it or not.
