Name: Hanna Rybchynska's review of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Item: Six of Crows
Rating: 4
Author: Hanna Rybchynska

Leigh Bardugo

Lauren Fortgang

Elizabeth Evans

Jay Snyder

Brandon Rubin

Clark, Roger

David LeDoux

Tristan Morris

Six of Crows

The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times-bestselling Six of Crows. 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 of Crows by Leigh Bardugo returns to the breathtaking world of the Grishaverse in this unforgettable tale about the opportunity--and the adventure--of a lifetime. "Six of Crows is a twisty and elegantly crafted masterpiece that thrilled me from the beginning to end." -New York Times-bestselling author Holly Black "Six of Crows is] one of those all-too-rare, unputdownable books that keeps your eyes glued to the page and your brain scrambling to figure out what's going to happen next." -Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra "There's conflict between morality and amorality and an appetite for sometimes grimace-inducing violence that recalls the Game of Thrones series. But for every bloody exchange there are pages of crackling dialogue and sumptuous description. Bardugo dives deep into this world, with full color and sound. If you're not careful, it'll steal all your time." --The New York Times Book Review Praise for the Grishaverse "A master of fantasy." --The Huffington Post "Utterly, extremely bewitching." --The Guardian "The best magic universe since Harry Potter." --Bustle "This is what fantasy is for." --The New York Times Book Review " A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp." --NPR "The darker it gets for the good guys, the better." --Entertainment Weekly "Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down." --USA Today "There's a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo's original epic fantasy that sets it apart." --Vanity Fair "Unlike anything I've ever read." --Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent "Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery " --Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series "This is a great choice for teenage fans of George R.R. Martin and J.R.R. Tolkien." --RT Book Reviews Read all the books in the Grishaverse The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (previously published as The Grisha Trilogy) Shadow and Bone Siege and Storm Ruin and Rising The Six of Crows Duology Six of Crows Crooked Kingdom The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic

kristin :)

The ache in his lungs was unbearable. He needed to tell her...what? That she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. That he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn't pull himself together into some semblance of a man for her. That without meaning to, he'd begun to lean on her, to look for her, to need her near. He needed to thank her for his new hat.

She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and got drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.

I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath.

 to Fjerda. And now it was Matthias' promise to her.

Matthias pressed his forehead once, briefly, against Brum's. He knew his mentor could not hear him, but he spoke the words anyway. "The life you live, the hate you feel - it's poison. I can drink it no longer."

Matthias locked the cell door and hurried down the passage towards Nina, towards something more.

"If only you could talk to girls in equations."

Jesper restrained a grin. "No. Not just girls."

wylan is so unhinged at times and i'm so here for it

Wylan gestured to the guards. "Is it safe to leave them, you know —"

"Alive? I'm not big on killing unconscious men."

What bound them together? Greed? Desperation? Was it just the knowledge that if one or all of them disappeared tonight, no one would come looking? Inej's mother and father might still shed tears for the daughter they'd lost, but if Inej died tonight, there would be no one to grieve for the girl she was now. She has no family, no parents or siblings, only people to fight beside. Maybe that was something to be grateful for, too.

She was not a lynx or a spider or even the Wraith. She was Inej Ghafa, and her future was waiting above.

"This isn't... it isn't a trick, is it?" [...]

"If it were a trick, I'd promise you safety. I'd offer you happiness. I don't know if that exists in the Barrel, but you'll find none of it with me."

"Foolish. Every last thing needn't be a joke."

"So why do your eyes keep searching the crowd for her?"

," Matthias protested. [...] "Nina is everything you say. It's too much."

"It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand."

Money. Vengeance. Jordie's voice in my head silenced forever.

 But a different reply roared to life inside him, loud, insistent and unwelcome. 

"Kaz is... I don't know, he's like nobody else I've ever known. He surprises me."

"Yes. Like a hive of bees in your dresser drawer."

[...] "Hoping for honey, I guess. And praying not to get stung."

Inej bumped her shoulder against his. "Then at least we're both the same kind if stupid."

"I don't know what your excuse is, Wraith. I'm the one who can never walk away from a bad hand."

[...] "That makes you a rotten gambler, Jesper. But an excellent friend."

"They just said the same thing again and again: 

If you're reading this, then you know how much I wish to have you home.

I pray that you read these words and think of all you've left behind.

"Nina Zenik, as soon as I figured out where you've put my knifes, we're going to have words."

'Thank you, oh great Nina, for dedicating every waking moment of this miserable journey to saving my sorry life'

sometimes i forget they all all just teenagers

"Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I'm going to get Wylan's ghsot to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so I can annoy the hell out of your ghost."

[...] "I'll just hire Matthias' ghost to kick your ghost's ass."

"My ghost won't associate with your ghost," Matthias said primly.

"I loved your laugh, Nina. And your fierce warrior's heart. I might have loved you, too."

"Keep talking, Wraith. Don't slip away from me."

He clutched her tighter. "Just make it to the schooner. Open your damn eyes, Inej."

[...] "Great. This is just like shooting clay pigeons, but they make a different sound when you hit one."

Jesper always felt better when people were shooting at him. It wasn't that he liked the idea of dying (in fact, that potential outcome was a definite drawback), but if he was worrying about staying alive, he couldn't be thinking about anything else.

Just this minute, I'll settle for an apology,

And I won't board the boat without one. Even if Kaz isn't sorry, he can pretend. He at least owes me his best imitation of a human being.

The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.

"What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"

Kaz rolled his eyes. "The easiest way to steal a man's wallet is to tell him you're going to steal his watch."

Jessica Gagliardi

The Grishaverse will be coming to Netflix soon with Shadow and Bone, an original series! Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times–bestselling Six of Crows, Book One of the Six of Crows Duology. 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 of Crows by Leigh Bardugo returns to the breathtaking world of the Grishaverse in this unforgettable tale about the opportunity—and the adventure—of a lifetime. Praise for Six of Crows: “Six of Crows is a twisty and elegantly crafted masterpiece that thrilled me from the beginning to end.” –New York Times-bestselling author Holly Black “Six of Crows [is] one of those all-too-rare, unputdownable books that keeps your eyes glued to the page and your brain scrambling to figure out what’s going to happen next.” –Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra “There's conflict between morality and amorality and an appetite for sometimes grimace-inducing violence that recalls the Game of Thrones series. But for every bloody exchange there are pages of crackling dialogue and sumptuous description. Bardugo dives deep into this world, with full color and sound. If you're not careful, it'll steal all your time.” —The New York Times Book Review Read all the books in the Grishaverse! The Shadow and Bone Trilogy (previously published as The Grisha Trilogy) Shadow and Bone Siege and Storm Ruin and Rising The Six of Crows Duology Six of Crows Crooked Kingdom The King of Scars Duology King of Scars The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic The Severed Moon: A Year-Long Journal of Magic Praise for the Grishaverse “A master of fantasy.” —The Huffington Post “Utterly, extremely bewitching.” —The Guardian “The best magic universe since Harry Potter.” —Bustle “This is what fantasy is for.” —The New York Times Book Review “[A] world that feels real enough to have its own passport stamp.” —NPR “The darker it gets for the good guys, the better.” —Entertainment Weekly “Sultry, sweeping and picturesque. . . . Impossible to put down.” —USA Today “There’s a level of emotional and historical sophistication within Bardugo’s original epic fantasy that sets it apart.” —Vanity Fair “Unlike anything I’ve ever read.” —Veronica Roth, bestselling author of Divergent “Bardugo crafts a first-rate adventure, a poignant romance, and an intriguing mystery!” —Rick Riordan, bestselling author of the Percy Jackson series

Hanna Rybchynska

I was so excited to come back to this world! And happily, it has so much story and great characters. For me, everything worked out in this book - the gang, the plot, twists, and the ending! Really excited to read the next one.

Riley Bell

I read a few of the reviews before I started and the ones that jump out are the ones about the characters seeming older than they are. I definitely have to agree because they act so much harder and tougher than their age and certainly don’t seem like they should have the skills they do for only a few years of developing them. But I guess that’s how it is with YA right? Overall the story was intriguing, a bit confusing at first while trying to understand who the characters are and the world they live in. I like that there were hints of relationships and possible romance but nothing that took too much time away from the story. The twists, turns, deals and sprouted plans kept things interesting and of course I definitely expected things to go wrong but didn’t see the way they actually went wrong coming from a mile away. Great addition to the Grisha universe and can’t wait to start Crooked Kingdom!!

brie

I'M NOT SOBBING , THE AIR IS JUST SPICY ! 
 I am sure by now y'all have read enough six of crows reviews to last you as long as Kaz loves Inej lmao. So i am going to keep this short and not go on a crazy rant. The book was awesome. We all know this. The characters were awesome. The world was awesome. But can I just ask what the hell kind of teenagers are these ? I'm sure other people have probably said this or asked it in their reviews and updates. Hell, if these characters are teenagers then i'm a fucking toddler because again, what the actual hell?? That's one of the reasons why i did not give this book 5 stars . I have to say the dregs do remind me of the droogs from A Clockwork Orange. The characters were just not realistic for me at all. I really can't be out here reminding myself they are teens all the damn time because that's disconcerting. The only thing believable about their age is Kaz's childishness because ugh. Keeping important shit from your friends is not mysterious or trying to be smart to survive. Man, I'd smack him a thousand times if i were a member of their group. He still daddy as heck though so.


Strong female characters who can handle their shit? Check. Strong descriptive writing that intensifies the action ? Check. Amazing moments where you hold your breath because you can almost imagine the frustration of the characters in love and how difficult they find it to express how they feel? Check.
To be honest i ship Nina and Matthias more than i ship Kaz and Inej. Bite me. Actually yeah Matthias can totally bite m-- Ahem. Again, is Matthias' gruffness adorable or what??

Me whenever Van Eck decided to be audacious and fuck up the group's plans or thought he was all that:


I am sure we can all kindly agree that FUCK VAN ECK.

If you're debating reading this book, don't debate. Please just pick it up to read and save yourself the agony of not being included in the gem this is. Can't hurt. I did like it very much and I have started the second book so fingers crossed!

Most frustrating moment for me : When Inej asked Kaz what he wants and he decided to be indecisive like i am when i am asked what food i want to eat. Not cool Kaz.

See you in Ketterdam.

karo

this is just perfect. every single line is perfect. there was no part that annoyed me, no part that made no sense to me, no part where i thought it could unfold differently. it was all calculated, and all perfect. it has twists you never expect, and Kaz Brekker is always 10 steps ahead of everything else. and it reads so so sooooo good. i was sceptical about multiple POVs and the very beginning but it makes the whole experience even greater. just chiefs kiss. no amount of words or praises will be enough to describe this book. the vibe is on point, the setting is on point, the CHARACTERS are /on/ POINT. in no book ever did i care about every single character this much, sometimes not knowing who i am rooting for the most. they will live in my heart forever

I refuse to believe that kaz brekker is 17 years old.

Mary

james

Lila Roberts

literally cannot contain the amount of love i have for this book, especially the duology 

the crows are precious to me 😭

Fun. Fun world, good characters, great story. Would (and will) definitely reed again. 

Tove Söderberg

Christine

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH

HI I SCREAMED INWARDLY ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE REREAD DJAXNAFIJEOF:AFJIEJS I LOVE THE CROWS THAT'S ALL BYE

puroi

first few chapters bore me ngl but as i read it, it got me drawn to it very quickly. love collecting kanej interaction crumbs <3 but i’m very excited to read the second one

Meg Ma. Guerrero 

edit: just wanna give myself a good ol' pat on the back for asking (making) my sister buy me the collector's edition for christmas despite me not knowing how much i'd actually enjoy the book. i just wanted it for the kevin wada art. but now i definitely have no regrets.

screams cries screams some more !!!!!!! i haven't finished a (physical) book that fast in so long -- don't judge me, i've been in a slump for YEARS -- it's thrilling, actually. 

i couldn't put it down last night even when i knew i had to sleep early and for good reason! the characters, no matter how flawed, are so lovable. even wylan, who admittedly wasn't my favorite when he's first introduced in the book (i had my reasons!!!), had my heart by the end, just like everyone else did.

the amount of times i screamed about kaz and inej is wild ... and honestly every pairing in this book was just MWA YES 

i suppose i've always enjoyed heist movies (though i don't think i've watched ENOUGH tbh) but i never realized i'd love it so much in book form, though i'd have to say that i enjoyed the build up to the heist more than the heist itself... but i think that's just because i'm a natural worrywart and i hate seeing my faves fail. 

i realized at some point that i should probably finish reading the s&b trilogy before reading crooked kingdom because lol i was sort of spoiled with this book jadlskfjwe ... whatever i get my hands on first, i guess

i'm just rambling at this point but i love all of them, i love the story, i sort of wish i read this when i was in high school but also so glad that i'm reading it now when i can be entirely open about my feelings (because high school me wouldn't have been screaming about this as openly, as vulnerably even LMAO she would've hid and pretended to be unaffected) 

now i need more of it ... and i can't wait for s2 of s&b !

(side note: going back to what i said in my s&b review, i realize that the story of crows in the show isn't what happens in this book but i'm so happy they inserted nina and matthias' backstory in there!)

Loved this book full of twits and the plot is amazing and i love how all the characters have some form of interaction throughout the book. 

Kenzie Carlin

I really enjoyed this book and am very excited to start the second one. I used to be a romance reader before this, but this book has shifted my interests into fantasy novels with hints of romance in them. I would have loved to see a little bit more romance between specific characters, but I’m sure Leigh Bardugo will give me more in the second book. 

Razen Ouled Khlaf

Vicky  Nuñez 

I LOVED this book.

Six of Crows, for those of you hiding under a rock, is a book about a heist between six characters. All renegades with different talents: a thief, a sharpshooter, a spy, a heartrender, a convict and a runaway. They are not exactly friends, but the reward unites them all.

I was new to the Grisha World. This is my first book by Bardugo, but I loved the ease and subtlety with which it was all introduced to the reader. I loved the depth of the history of each country and I immediately want to look for the other books just to get another glimpse of the world.

I loved the intricacies of each character, how they all have their own story. I really liked the different POVs because it allowed us to get to know each character and fall in love with each of them individually.

And I loved the story, how it evolved and allowed each character to mature.

Really good story, it was fun and exciting to read. And I look forward to reading the rest of the series. 

If you like heists, fantasy or slow-burn romances, you will probably enjoy this book .

Six of Crows is the first installment in Leigh Bardugo¿s new series which takes place in the same universe as her immensely popular Grisha trilogy. If you are unfamiliar with her debut series, this one might be a little confusing as it is written with the understanding that the reader already has a grasp on the world involving Grisha. Bardugo¿s writing immediately drew me in, her world is rich, her characters are complex, and the story line provided plenty of twists that kept me guessing till the end. Though the characters in this novel are in their teens, they could have easily been written as older characters with burdensome backstories and intelligent personalities.

Nabila Azahra

It’s time to return to The Grishaverse and after Enjoying the Shadow and Bone trilogy last year I finally decided that it was time to return and pick up the Next Leigh Bardugo book in my collection and what an enjoyable journey this one was – I felt that I was drawn right back in from the start and despite the break I had between books It was easy to get lost in the story and Characters!

'Six of Crows' tells the story of a group of street kids, working together to pull off a dangerous heist. The leader of the group, Kaz Brekker, is infamous in Ketterdam. He has feared and respected on the streets, climbing his way to the top of the criminal hierarchy through sheer force and determination. To mess with him is to meet a swift end.

Right from the start I was drawn into the book, the world and the character and being able to buddy read this one provided the chance to chat and enjoy this book together which really helped me get lost in the story! This Book has it all from paranormal adventure/fantasy. There was never a dull moment in this one from the Prison escape to some complex heist I was on my toes throughout the book and never knew what was round the corner.

Normally I’m not a fan of a multiple POV as I find them really confusing with the jumping around but I have to give full credit to Bardugo for not making me feel like that as it was nice to follow the story from all the perspective, but I will say that I wish with the looking at the past would have been broken up from the present story.

Ian Brakspear

It’s time to return to The Grishaverse and after Enjoying the Shadow and Bone trilogy last year I finally decided that it was time to return and pick up the Next Leigh Bardugo book in my collection and what an enjoyable journey this one was – I felt that I was drawn right back in from the start and despite the break I had between books It was easy to get lost in the story and Characters!

 

'Six of Crows' tells the story of a group of street kids, working together to pull off a dangerous heist. The leader of the group, Kaz Brekker, is infamous in Ketterdam. He has feared and respected on the streets, climbing his way to the top of the criminal hierarchy through sheer force and determination. To mess with him is to meet a swift end.

 

Right from the start I was drawn into the book, the world and the character and being able to buddy read this one provided the chance to chat and enjoy this book together which really helped me get lost in the story! This Book has it all from paranormal adventure/fantasy. There was never a dull moment in this one from the Prison escape to some complex heist I was on my toes throughout the book and never knew what was round the corner.

 

Normally I’m not a fan of a multiple POV as I find them really confusing with the jumping around but I have to give full credit to Bardugo for not making me feel like that as it was nice to follow the story from all the perspective, but I will say that I wish with the looking at the past would have been broken up from the present story.

 

Now it’s Time to continue with Book 2!

I wasn't aware this was YA when I started, and had I known that, I wouldn't have given it another glance...largely because YA is written for people who like YA, a group to which I do not belong. How do you criticise a genre for lacking in areas that it simply doesn't care about? It wouldn't be fair to complain about all the teen angst and melodramatic one-liners when that's the point. So I'll focus on the literary basics: 

Leigh Bardugo writes bad action. She writes Hollywood action. The characters are wrapped in plot armour and the enemy pawns are utterly dyspraxic, fragile stick figures. Slow, cinematic attention is afforded to the protagonist's feats of combative excellence that they unleash upon their unwitting foes. In her world, physical fights are determined by how stern one's resolve is and how lumbering, brutish and bovine the enemy is, not on any realistic measure of...anything. What's worse, these slim-fingered teenagers and waifish girls are masterminds of athletic skill, reaching their apotheosis at tender seventeen...

Far be it for me to criticise a mainstay of YA fiction, but if your cast of characters have a median age of sixteen and a half, surely they some similar emotional and mental semblance to their age? I had to age up Bardugo's cast by about 6 years each just to inject some credibility into the story. Kaz was perhaps the most guilty of being a "just...one...more...gimmick" type character, as if he was written for a play-by-post forum RPG. I have no clue how he found all the time to gather all those personal quirks and perfect all those skills by 17, but colour me impressed.

The worldbuilding was lacklustre. I wanted to make a concession here: a deeply complex, compelling world isn't necessary if the story is plot or cast-driven (which this is). But Bardugo's worldbuilding is complex, and takes up a fair bit of wordcount...it just isn't compelling. The pages are flush with descriptive interjections about the Grishaverse and its geopolitics, but they're rarely interesting or well thought-out or satisfyingly deep. I can forgive the cringey fake-Dutch, but I can't forgive the lazy, trope-filled caricature that is Fjerdan. Half the book is spent up there yet absolutely nothing of interest returns with the cast to Kerch. They're written as typical faceless frozen brutes centered mindless martial zealotry, despite the insinuation that they're an entire, thriving kingdom. They have an entire warrior caste of elite...teenagers? They have a completely contradictory social code of anti-magic yet their sacred castle is riddled with obviously Grisha-made artefacts? They keep a bunch of tanks just lying around with the keys in, fueled up, ready to burst through their walls whilst the entire nation's military complex does what, exactly!?

(Minor spoiling tangent - I have absolutely no fucking clue what was happening with the tank scene in the Ice Court. The teenagers can just...drive tanks? Fire it's various guns? Drive through stone walls? Also, when driving into a stone wall, people are thrown FORWARD Leigh, not backwards!!)

Anyway, the plot was written to a solid tempo despite the flashbacks, which were kept relatively short and entertaining. Quick-paced enough to keep you reading. I didn't find the (as another review mentioned) sitcom-style, cheesy humour to be too difficult to swallow. At times both the good and bad guys couldn't help but force in exposition about their cunning plans into their dialogue (often at very awkward instances), but this can be forgiven. Because its YA. 

(caveat: I'm aware there is plenty more Grishaverse books. Maybe the worldbuilding is more complete in them, but I won't hold my breath. Bardugo has shown herself to me to not quite get what I consider to be good worldbuilding. It should leave you wanting to know more; woven deftly into the story; exhibit uniqueness and originality; be coherent and informed and consistent. This ain't all that). 

Lastly, a fitting soundtrack to how I imaged much of the events unfolding: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kJGcO...

river

kayla 

Isabella 

I loved it so much. Every chapter got me hooked, and I was so shocked at every part. There were so many things happening, but not in an overwhelming way. It was perfect. I loved the crows so much. They were so well-written; everything was well-written. I was kind of scared to read this because these are not my type of books, but it definitely did not disappoint. I'm excited to read the next book!!

Sidney Schaffner

akynn 

I knew this was a 5 star read the second I felt the urge to put Kaz Brekker as my phone background.

Second time reading this and I no longer feel the urge to put Kaz Brekker as my phone background.

Danielle Annika

THE CHARACTERS, THE PLOT, THAT ENDING?!!!! MWAH! CHEF'S KISS

Jessica Gagliardi &
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Jessica Gagliardi &Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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Jessica Gagliardi &
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo