[Book Review] Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo

Book: Six of Crows

Series: Six of Crows (duology)

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Publishing Year: 2015

Introduction

Honestly, I’m glad I went into this book blind. Other than Kaz Brekker I literally had zero knowledge about this book which is super great because the story was lit. 

As much as I don’t mind spoilers, I also don’t mind reading a book without knowing anything about it. I was hooked almost immediately and the fact that I had zero expectations made this book even more fascinating.

I watched a lot of booktube channels and this book was mentioned SOOO MANY TIMES. The funny thing is that even though this book was pretty much everywhere on booktube, I had no idea what it was about which struck me as weird because usually, I would get a rough idea of the content (or the genre at least) but this one? None.

Anyways, this book is a duology and I am currently reading the second book. Despite knowing what’s gonna happen to them in the sequel (because of the spoilers on Twitter) I’m still gonna continue reading this series anyway because it is THAT good. But more of that later. Let’s focus on Six of Crows for now.

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

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

The Way the Story Was Told

Timeline and flashback.

Voice of the Book

Multiple POVs. Mostly the main characters of the book. There were 6 main characters here (six of crows) but one of the crew wasn’t included in the POV of this book. I was questioning it myself but then after reading the second book, it kinda explains it. His backstory was essential in the sequel hence his POV being absent in Six of Crows.

Other POVs (minor characters) were Joost and also Pekka Rollins.

Discussion

I’m a sucker for a group of misfits coming together to fight evil and do some badass stuff kind of story and this book was THE definition of that trope, though I think the fighting evil part was not necessarily true (you’ll understand when you read it I think).

Okay so basically, this book was about a group of people with different skill sets coming together to kidnap a very important person. Think of it as Ocean’s 11 but darker. Each of the crows had their own role in the crew in order to pull off the heist. 

Kaz Brekker, he was the mastermind. Basically, he was Danny Ocean. Then we have Inej, she was the spy for the group. Next, Jesper the sharpshooter. Then we have Nina. She had supernatural abilities. Then there was Wylan, in charge of demolitions and explosives. Lastly, of course, Matthias. He was a soldier like Nina and a very important member of the crew as he had knowledge on how to break into the Ice Court.

Anyways, this book was set in the same universe as The Grisha trilogy but it’s not necessary for you to read the trilogies first before reading this though. There were a few references from the trilogy but it did not affect the whole vibe of the book much which was great because I didn’t finish reading the trilogy yet.

Al though some said that the starting of the book was a bit slow, for me I was okay with it. I don’t mind slow world buildings though because those kinds of books give me time to digest and process.

Anyway, kalau nak cerita pasal characters pulak, usually I would have trouble reading a book with a lot of names drop on one page (for example Renegades) because I like to be introduced to the characters one by one (sebab senang nak digest and tell them apart) but weirdly enough I had no trouble with this book. Everything was pretty much smooth sailing and during the first few chapters of reading I had fun trying to figure out who in this book was part of the six main characters and who was not.

Speaking of the characters, one thing I like about this book is the fact that the main characters were not perfect people. 

Each and every one of them was flawed and yet benda tuh bukan something yang jatuhkan dorang as a person but it made them even stronger.

I like reading about strong characters who embrace themselves as they are despite their shortcomings. Specifically Kaz Brekker. Walaupun dia tempang, it did not affect his confidence. And no. He wasn’t the “hero” type in this book. He had issues and he wasn’t entirely a good person either but I do admire the way he carried himself.

All of these characters, in general, had their own weakness and strength and the dynamic between them was just a chef’s kiss to me. Like sometimes when you read a book or fanfiction in which features a group of people or clique as the main characters, kadang-kadang it’s very hard to tell them apart kan because they kind of lack variation, but for this book, each of them had a very distinct personality which made it interesting to read.

For me the ending was a cliff-hanger though but not in a bad way of course. 

It made me excited to continue the series. I’m currently reading the sequel which is Crooked Kingdom and so far it’s a great book. I’m already halfway through and after finishing this maybe I will continue with The Grisha trilogy (my tbr pile is a mess and I’m a mood reader so no promises hehehehehe).

Rating

The plot? Phenomenal. The world-building? Perfect. The characters? Divine. This book is easily ⭐ 5 out of 5 stars ⭐ for me.

This book is one of those books where you can’t find any flaw and it is “overhyped” for a reason. Like, it deserves all the love it is getting and I am certainly not complaining.