Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

“No mourners. No funerals.”

— Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

         -We opened a shop! Stay tuned at the end of the post for more info ;)-

       Where do I begin? Leigh Bardugo has concocted one of the most amazing caper story of all time. From the moment I read the blurb, I knew I had to give this a try. A bunch of teenage anti-heros who plan on carrying out an impossible mission? Sold.

      Now lets scour through a world of darkness and acquaint you with an instant masterpiece. Set in Ketterdam, one of the many places that the author Leigh Bardugo has masterfully constructed for her Grishaverse, only the darkest, the most mysterious and the truly conflicted individuals roam the streets. A macabre underbelly where hope and greed are the sole strings that run the society, Kaz Brekker, criminal prodigy and master of deception, is offered a handsome sum of money upon the completion of the most hopeless and suicidal heist. Greed might be his servant and his lever, but even the blindest man knows that this is not a one man job.

       Six of Crows assembles a nifty and complex cast of characters. They might have had distinct pathways in life and known different facets of misery, deceit and loss, but their faith will collide and give them an opportunity like none other.

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

— Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

       If you’ve read this novel, then let’s take a moment to appreciate this masterpiece. You know it’s made out of jurda parem, cause I know for a fact that there’s no other explanation to the addiction and then withdrawal I experienced upon completion. Now. If you haven’t read this book…

What are you waiting for?!

         I do love a good book with great writing. The best part is when I lay my hands on one that falls in the young adult category. Then, I’m truly impressed. In my books, what makes the difference between an excellent young adult novel and a typical one lies in its ability to snipe the soft spots of any—I’d like to emphasize on the word “any” here— audience. It’s as if the world was its target and no one could escape the grasp it has on them. If a book can keep its level of intrigue, execute a clever plot, develop multidimensional characters while prompting reactions and emotions from readers, then, ma’am and sir, we have discovered gold.

“The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive.”

— Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

        Six of Crows delivers an addictive and breath-taking story. Not only does it revolve around drug, alcohol, gambling, money and crime, it also explores vengeance, deceit, addiction, friendship, family and love. Although the foundation of the story rests upon a heist mission that could lead to a humongous cash reward, the novel continues to bring depth into the fantasy elements that are present in Leigh Bardugo’s Grisha trilogy. Beautifully tailored into the plot, readers are likely to never be disturbed by the abnormal elements. The universe is so well sewn together that the moment you crack open the book, you’re bound to be lost in it. The fantasy adventure and the crime thriller just perfectly blend together.

        If the past was never used to forge a better future, only darkness would wait us. Leigh Bardugo implements flashback sequences to incorporate intriguing sub-plots and to give readers a better insight into the characters past and personalities. If anything, I’m going to vouch for the incredible use of these flashback moments. They’re used in such meticulous fashion and build just as much page-turning action than the main plot itself. Amazing thing is, these past events are never remotely futile. They drive the characters and compliments the suspense by building plot holes. Not the bad kind of plot holes. Plot holes that serve as mini-cliffhangers just to keep you hooked to the end.

As if we were getting teased with a healthy dose of an unknown substance.

*cough* jurda *cough* parem.

         No good book can go a long way without great characters. Six of Crows is far from being unsuccessful in that department. Logically, when you’re up against a plot like this, your team needs to excel in diverse fields. Giving them each the opportunity to excel in what they do and show-off their talents. It’s what gives a good caper story its edge. Six of Crows does this perfectly. Every single character had their own persona, their own past, their own habits, their own motivations. None of them were perfect. They were all flawed in more than one way. That’s where the book shines in its darkness. As the story progresses, the flaws are overlooked and readers learn more on each member of the crew. Readers are sucked into the book, engaged to the characters mission, and become attached to them.

“You love trickery.”
“I love puzzles. Trickery is just my native tongue.”

— Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows

         Honestly, the diversity and the originality in the characters helps tremendously in building a beautiful adventure. For a crew of teenagers who have matured way beyond their age thanks to their respective trials in life, you can’t help yourself from cheering every single one of them in their actions and their pursuit of happiness. Their search for purpose beyond the dirty and crime-infested life of Ketterdam is a fascinating evolution to follow throughout the novel. What’s even more amusing in Six of Crows is the different dynamics that are built from ground up. Every interaction gives a great idea of the different attitudes and attachment that exist between everyone.

Kudos, Leigh Bardugo. Kudos.

         Giving Six of Crows a chance is a must. This fantasy caper story brings new heights to story-telling as well as a new set of characters that literature will quickly forge into history. From an unbelievable cast of intriguing character to a page-flipping plot, this new series set in the Grisha universe is bound to keep you tied to the novel until the very last sentence. The main storyline, the sub-plots, the action sequences and the romance are all absolutely perfectly balanced out. In fact, the novel stays clear from all the typical easy way out. It plunges into depths that authors wouldn’t dare to peek at and finds its powers to hook you through exquisite writing skills and world-building. The best part of it all is in the amount of research put into developing the concepts that hide behind the raw charm of this book. When you seek to understand the underlying variables behind behavior, behind heists, behind relationships, you’re surely going to succeed in making a precious gem in literature.

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You can purchase a copy of Six of Crows by clicking on this hyperlink !

– WE HAVE A SHOP  FEATURING SIX OF CROWS ITEMS- 

Check out our newly opened shop @Society6 ! We’re (Trang) definitely going to come out with some pretty awesome designs for fun, so make sure to check it out and support her in her efforts! Thank you to @BookedSolid for showing us what it is and how it works! 😀

MY OVERALL RATING: ★★★★★/