Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

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leahmklsn
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Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Post by leahmklsn »

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

I think I am in love with this line. Never have I read anything so beautiful.

My only regret is that I picked up this book too soon. Now I have to anxiously wait every year for Bardugo to release one book at a time.

This will be torture.

Six of Crows is about a heist; a heist so daring and ludicrous that you would probably die trying to pull it off and yet our amazing characters dare to try. There are six complex, crazy, kick-ass, rebellious and mid-boggling characters and five unique perspectives. I can’t bring myself to pick a favorite. I can honestly say that I loved all of them. They are all criminals of one kind or another. They are gamblers, thieves, pickpockets and murderers. They occupy the lowest ranks in society.

Did I mention how young they are? They are all seventeen, give or take a few. I think that was the only unrealistic thing in the book, other than how they <spoiler>actually managed to complete the heist</spoiler>. Every character has their own unique back story that explains why they are the way they are. I think that was the most interesting part of the book, treading through the past of these complex characters.

The story is fast paced and action packed. It may be a young adult book technically but the characters are far more mature than any other YA protagonists I’ve come across. They don’t whine or brag or do any one of the thousands of pet peeves I usually come across in most YA books. I am honestly shocked that I read a YA book this enjoyable, especially since I had written off all YA books from my to-read list.

Once in a while a good book comes along with a unique plot and an amazing story line. It makes you forget why you hate YA, why you think that the whole genre is corrupted by wannabe authors trying to sell their debuts with recycled storylines and recycled characters with new names. <i>This</i> is one of the books that make me believe in YA again. I am in awe of this author.

“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.

. . . He needed to thank her for his new hat.”
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Emma-Louise
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Post by Emma-Louise »

I have this book on my September challenge list and I can't wait to read it:)
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Post by MerryLove »

published: September 2015 by Henry Holt & Co.

pages: 480

genre: YA fantasy

series: Book 1 of 2 in the Six of Crows duology

Wow. I was so amazed with this book. I was in love with it from page 1. The writing was magical and eloquent, the story was fast paced, and the back stories of the character were strong and well laid out. I am so in love with this book, and I can see why there has been so much hype for it,

Brief Summary from Goodreads:

“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...”

There were so many points about this book to discuss that a list is required.

1.) I loved the characters in this story. I felt like I knew about and could care about each character. As the story switched perspectives, there weren't any characters that I was groaning to see and rushed past. I also loved the way their stories and past lives unfolded throughout the whole book during their journey. It was so well done. There are 6 main characters:


Kaz is the leader of the Dreg gang. He's cunning, clever, and always a step ahead. He keeps things close to his chest, and rarely fills anyone in on his plans until necessary. (Sometimes not even then). He's a funny, snarky character who isn't afraid to get dark and has trouble letting others in or his emotions show. I was immediately enamored with his character, and I loved how he was both awesome and vulnerable.

Inej is known as the Wraith for her stealth. She is part assassin, part spy for Kaz and his right hand woman. She's grateful to Kaz for all he's done for her, but is a bit frustrated with him for trusting her with some things but not others.

Jesper reminds me a lot of Jayne Cobb from Firefly. He's the gunsman and loves to shoot things. He's fairly loyal,but seems to pretty much be in it for the money and the free gambling. He has a more minor back story compared to a lot of the other characters.

Nina is a Grisha Heartrender. She can heal those who are shot or wounded and can stop someone's heartbeat with a wave of her hand. Originally a soldier, she joined the Dregs to be near Matthias. In the beginning, her past encounters with Matthias are unclear but slowly unfold to make a great side story.

Matthias is a warrior trained to hunt and kill Grisha by trial for their witchcraft. He is not a member of the Dregs, and only agrees to help Kaz in exchange for a pardon that will allow him to go back to his people as a warrior again. He's a rather grumpy character, but it's interesting to see his training and how it affects his mindset of the world, as well as the unfolding about his past experiences with Nina.

Wylan doesn't play a very huge role in the beginning. He is brought along as collateral and is good at making bombs for the team. He gets a little bit of story, but not as much as some of the other characters.

2.) I loved how rich the story felt. I always felt that the book was moving forward. Nothing felt too slow or long. There was plenty of action and suspense, and even the slower parts were so full of character development and back story that they never felt slow. The writing was beautiful and so well done. I can't stop gushing about it.

3.) I loved the universe. Learning about the different countries and their differences was fascinating. I also loved the fact that though this series takes place in the same universe as the Grisha Trilogy, I never felt like I was missing something that I should have read there. (I haven't read the Grisha Trilogy yet, but it is on my to read list!) It was still its own, separate series.

4.) The only thing that was even slightly “meh” about this book was the ending. While there is an ending, it wasn't 100% satisfying. The series is clearly meant to be read together. The ending felt like a “to be continued” more than a finale. The rest of the story was too great for me to really mind (and I have the second book all ready to start) but I would have been much more frustrated if I'd picked up this book before the second one was released. (Edit: After reading the second book, I can give this no less than a 5. The ending worked out well for the second book.)


Rating

I'd rate this book a 4 out of 4. This book was amazing, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy and can handle a couple of dark scenes. I'm so excited to read the sequel!
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Post by Keereader »

SIX OF CROWS is a Y/A fantasy written by Leigh Bardugo contained in 480 pages . It was published in September 2015 but I read it a year later.. I know pretty late..
So the story is about these teenagers ,are all around seventeen years old (give or take) who are a part of a gang "DREGGS" . The leader of the gang is a seventeen year old Boy who is known as Dirty Hands aka kaz brekker.
There is a spy aka Inej who works for him and she is known as Wraith and she is kaz's love interest (but ofcourse there are not many romantic encounters between them because they both are reserved) .. Now comes the fantasy part
GRISHA . Grisha are the people with special powers .. They can control your heartbeat, they can manipulate elements and so much more ...In this gang the grisha part was met by Nina who can manipulate your heart in all possible ways. There is a dropout Jesper who is addicted to gambling but is very handy with guns . Waylon is the son of a rich merchant and also a runaway who is good with all things intellectual. And last but not the least we have a convict (former soldier) Matthais to complete the circle ..
So the story takes off with them going on a heist to kidnap a scientist ... And it is the most amazing heist I have ever read or seen ( movies I mean) . It is thriller and interesting journey that you feel like you are with them .
My favorite line from the has to be ..
" I WILL HAVE YOU WITHOUT ANY ARMOUR KAZ BREKKER OR I WILL NOT HAVE YOU AT ALL "....
My favorite YA so far .. Can't wait to read the next part...
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Post by Fu Zaila »

leahmklsn wrote: 26 Aug 2016, 02:27 “She'd laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and gotten drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.”

I think I am in love with this line. Never have I read anything so beautiful.

My only regret is that I picked up this book too soon. Now I have to anxiously wait every year for Bardugo to release one book at a time.

This will be torture.

Six of Crows is about a heist; a heist so daring and ludicrous that you would probably die trying to pull it off and yet our amazing characters dare to try. There are six complex, crazy, kick-ass, rebellious and mid-boggling characters and five unique perspectives. I can’t bring myself to pick a favorite. I can honestly say that I loved all of them. They are all criminals of one kind or another. They are gamblers, thieves, pickpockets and murderers. They occupy the lowest ranks in society.

Did I mention how young they are? They are all seventeen, give or take a few. I think that was the only unrealistic thing in the book, other than how they <spoiler>actually managed to complete the heist</spoiler>. Every character has their own unique back story that explains why they are the way they are. I think that was the most interesting part of the book, treading through the past of these complex characters.

The story is fast paced and action packed. It may be a young adult book technically but the characters are far more mature than any other YA protagonists I’ve come across. They don’t whine or brag or do any one of the thousands of pet peeves I usually come across in most YA books. I am honestly shocked that I read a YA book this enjoyable, especially since I had written off all YA books from my to-read list.

Once in a while a good book comes along with a unique plot and an amazing story line. It makes you forget why you hate YA, why you think that the whole genre is corrupted by wannabe authors trying to sell their debuts with recycled storylines and recycled characters with new names. <i>This</i> is one of the books that make me believe in YA again. I am in awe of this author.

“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.

. . . He needed to thank her for his new hat.”

I absolutely loved this books and its characters! And wonderful review.! Haven't read Crooked Kingdom yet, but I will read it soon :) And I love the quotes you've pointed out.
"Create your own identity. Let it be unique for yourself yet identifiable for others." :tiphat:
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Post by TGreg02 »

Thanks for the reviews, I have this book on my bookshelf to read. I'm looking forward to reading it and I will have to look for the next book (which I didn't know existed).
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Post by Sweetp120 »

seems pretty interesting. and definitely something I wanna look into. I think you picked some pretty good quotes to use to help intrigue your review readers.
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Post by Monet_va »

Leigh Bardugo is an absolute genius. This book was so refreshing and really stood out in its genre of young adult fantasy. I loved the concept. I loved the plot. Mostly though, I fell in love with the characters. They were all so unique, and none of them held that typically "Mary Sue" status. If you're looking for something different in YA Fantasy, then this is a must read.
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Post by S Mishra »

Six of Crows has amazing characters who all come together and develop so much through the course of the book.

The plot is also spectacular, I was really impressed with the plan for the heist and how they managed even with so many unforseen obstacles.

All the friendships and pairs in the book is also heartwarming. I can't get enough of Kaz and Inej!
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Post by J3nni315 »

I listened to it on Audible, and I wish that I got to hold this masterpiece in my hands. I liked her Shadow and Bone series, but I loved this book! I also love how it is two books instead of a trilogy because it makes you appreciate every page.
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Post by AntonelaMaria »

I absolutely adore this book. I am curious to know have you read book two?
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Post by Fu Zaila »

AntonelaMaria wrote: 28 Jun 2019, 16:53 I absolutely adore this book. I am curious to know have you read book two?
Yep. I have. And suffice to say, it is even better!
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Post by gali »

I loved the first book and plan to read the second one.
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Post by Monet_va »

This was one of the few Young Adult Fantasy books which I actually fell in love with. It didn't read like a book aimed at teenagers which focused on tropes and fan-pleasing but rather was a story about real people. LOVED IT!
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Post by Flygirl117 »

I've read this one and its sequel and I absolutely loved both!

The plot line of many young adult novels are so similar, making for a predictable and frustrating reading experience. However this one kept me guessing and the characters skills and personality really make the story!
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