Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo | Book Review

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.

Main Protagonists: Kaz Brekker– Leader of Crows, Inez Ghafa– Wraith, Jesper Fahey– Sharpshooter, Wylan Van Eck– Merchling, Matthais Helvar– Druskelle, Nina Zenik– Heartrender Grisha.

Notable Characters: Pekka Rollins – Leader of Dime Lion, Jan Van Eck – rich merchant father of Wylan Van Eck, Bo Yul-Bayur – Shu Chemist.

TW: Torture, Murder, Abduction, Slavery.

Plot:

The story starts with an introduction chapter which in my opinion was completely unnecessary. I could have done without it, honestly. But, it is a classic Leigh Bardugo move so, I knew what I was signing up for. This book is divided into 6 small parts and the first part was dedicated to world building. The author narrates the book in 6 POVs.

As I moved to the second part, I saw a lot of commotion and drama, a small heist which somewhat similar to the main heist of the book. You can say it as a mini replica or simulation of the big heist they pull off in the end. The thing you should keep in mind is that this book has less drama and more world building, also the characters are all aged between 16-21. I know it is crazy, but it is what it is!

In the third part, I came across all the characters remembering their past life and how they have ended up where they are now. It continues parallel to the main heist and hence is not boring. However, there is one character about whom the author has not mentioned in details that is Jesper Fahey. I guess it is discussed in the next book i.e. Crooked Kingdom. But, you will definitely get a basic knowledge of who he is and what he can do!

I absolutely loved the fourth, fifth and sixth part of the book which concentrated on the heist. It was so much drama, suspense and thrill.

The climax was amazing and completely unexpected. I was not expecting such a splendid twists and turns. Also, the book could have ended with the climax setting a better cliff-hanger, however, it lingered a chapter longer which made the essence of the cliff-hanger fade through my mind. It was not dragged but it lingered for a minute more than it should have which made it feel anticlimactic.

On Characters:

Kaz Brekker or Dirtyhands, a 16 year old boy, is one of the best morally grey character I have come across after Damon. He could have easily passed for someone aged 22-23. He had a troubled and traumatic childhood which has resulted him to be what he is now – the lieutenant of the Dregs (run by Per Haskell) which is a gang that operates in Ketterdam. He is the master-mind of the heist. I loved how cunning and sharp his mind was. He was always prepared no matter what & that is how he stood out of all the crows.

Inej Ghafa or the Wraith, a 16 year old Suli girl who is known to have the power of becoming completely invisible to all the senses. She was kidnapped by traders of Ketterdam and bought in as a slave to work at the Menagerie which is a brothel. She was rescued by Kaz to become a member of the dregs club. She is amazingly agile. I wanted her to have some self-love. She was really passionate about whatever she did. I liked her faith in Saints, she was the only one with lesser violence. She seemed to me like a girl who had a great presence of mind. She had issues but, anyway, who doesn’t? Right?!

Nina Zenik or the Heartrender, is a Grisha warrior of the Second Army, who used to live in the Little Palace of Ravka. One day after the Civil war while she was training with Zoya, she mistakenly went into a Fjerdian camp. As soon as they found out that she was a Grisha she was put in a cage and she escaped with the help of a Druskelle. She has been working in the Menagerie after she reached Ketterdam and also works for the Dregs whenever Kaz asks her to. She is one of my favourite character in this duology.

Matthais Helvar or Druskelle, is a Fjerdian who has been put into the Prison of Hellgate (cunningly) by Nina. He had taken the oath to be a Druskelle and work on the Fjerdian Prison against Grisha’s. He is my favourite character in this book.

Jesper Fahey or Sharpshooter, is a Zemini boy who is a member of the Dregs and apparently Kaz trusts him more than the other members. He is playful and is a great marksman who cannot part with his pistols.

Wylan, is the son of Jan Van Eck who assigns the heist to Kaz. Kaz takes Wylan ass leverage only to learn he isn’t worthy of being used as one. He is merely 14 years and is one of the funniest characters in the book after Matthais.

Heist and Suspense:

This book exceeded my expectation when it came to the Heist and Suspense part. I was a little disappointed in the beginning but it was washed over by the end. I usually love medium paced books with faster yet detailed world building which is why the world-building of Six of Crows seemed frustratingly slow paced to me. The heist was thankfully fast paced and it kinda balanced things out. There were amazing twists and turns in the plot, which I did not see coming at all. I loved the way Leigh Bardugo described each detail of the Ice Court which is the place where the heist took place and it gave me a feeling of actually being there. I absolutely adore Leigh Bardugo for writing books with such vivid details. The characters definitely seemed to mould beautifully with each other and their banters and sarcasm added to my enjoyment.

Romance:

If you are a fan of slow burn and enemies to lovers romance, you will get all these tropes in this book in plenty. I absolutely loved all the pairs, they were quite beautifully written and it was appropriate as a Young Adult novel. There was no spicy content in the book, so it is age appropriate no matter who reads. Just in case you are a lover of spicy romance, and you are looking for the same in this, you might get disappointed. So, I am just giving you a little heads up. *hihihi*

• “Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you’ll meet a boy who will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won’t matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else does. Only that boy earns your heart.”
• “No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for ‘good luck.”
• “I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath.”
• “Greed is your god, Kaz.”
  He almost laughed at that. “No, Inej. Greed bows to me. It is my servant and my lever.”
• “A liar, a thief, and utterly without conscience. But he’ll keep to any deal you strike with him.”
• “Shame holds more value than coin ever can.”
• “Just trust me, Nina.” “I wouldn’t trust you to tie my shoes without stealing the laces, Kaz.”
• “You came back for me.”
  “I protect my investments.”