Book Review: Six of Crows

This rising author's bestselling book swallowed me into another world. It's a mind blowing book. Thank you, Leigh Bardugo.

Age Rating: 15+

Pleasure Rating: 9.4/10

Leigh Bardugo is the newest J.K. Rowling, she's a rising New York Bestselling author who's description, story lines and humor is absolutely mind-blowing. The way she writes is so incredibly captivating that I stayed up until 3:00 am on a school night just to finish the book. She has written over 20 other books, each of which I loved just as much as this one, but since this was the first one I read, I figured I'd write about 'Six of Crows' first.

Summary

"No mourners, no funerals." - Six of Crows, Leigh Bardugo

Criminal prodigy, Kaz Brekker has been offered a chance at a deadly heist: break into the Ice Court - a military stronghold that has never been breached - and retrieve a hostage whose knowledge could change Grisha magic forever. To succeed would mean riches beyond Kaz's 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. Together they might just be unstoppable - if they don't kill each other first.

What I Like:

Where do I even begin? Well, first off, the story line itself takes immense amounts of imagination. Leigh Bardugo created a world that is so vividly expressed and unique, and yet so close in many perspectives to our world. The Grishaverse provides so much to look at, it's almost overwhelming.

I also liked the beginning, which didn't immediately start with descriptions but with an encounter that clearly built upon the reader's view on Kaz Brekker, how he was always scheming and how heartless he really was. However, through the book we get a look at the slightly humane part of Kaz Brekker. In fact, this is true for the rest of the crew as well. No matter how tough they seem, throughout the book Ms. Bardugo establishes that they are actually kids that can't be described as naive but rather that they are in way over their heads.

This is especially essential because in the end they somehow manage to achieve their goal while at the same time failing (no more spoilers, read the book to figure out what I mean.)

I also like that the author has managed to incorporate a bit of everything in the novel. Humor, near-death experiences, dark history, and amazing description.

What I Didn't:

“How do you get your information, Mister Brekker?" "You might say I'm a lockpick." "You must be a very gifted one." "I am indeed." Kaz leaned back slightly. "You see, every man is a safe, a vault of secrets and longings. Now, there are those who take the brute's way, but I prefer a gentler approach - the right pressure applied at the right moment, in the right place. It's a delicate thing." "Do you always speak in metaphors, Mister Brekker?" Kaz smiled. "It's not a metaphor." He was out of his chair before his chains hit the ground.

There's not much that I didn't enjoy in this book. Crazy science fiction plot, check. Impossible odds, check. Extremely cocky quotes, check. Lots and lots of twists and turns, check. And, flashbacks, check. I did, however, miss Jan Van Eck's point of view. We do see his point of view (at least partially) in the sequel "Crooked Kingdom" but not in Six of Crows where he plays an essential part in the plot of the second book. It may have been Ms. Bardugo's way of leaving something for her readers to imagine themselves, but I felt as though something was missing.

Be sure to check out Leigh Bardugo's site: https://www.leighbardugo.com/ and her book website: https://grishaverse.com/.

That's all from me,

"The Book Keeper"