Reviews with content warning for Drug abuse - Six of Crows

A fun ride of a book, can't wait to get my hands on the sequel. Leigh Bardugo really redeemed herself of the boring protagonist of The Grisha Trilogy with this fun new cast of characters, each unique and interesting in their own way, not to mention how their dynamics play out in the crazy job they sign up for. Some parts are full of plot-armor that takes away from the cleverness of the story, but I suppose sometimes it can't be helped. My main issue was simply making one character (read: Kaz) too powerful and not really what the story set him up to be. I'm glad the author got inspired from her own experience with chronic pain, but Kaz's disability hardly affects the plot. It's just character cosmetics.
Still, I enjoyed this read and its perfect if you want to get to know a fun group of characters, read some snappy dialogue full of clever clap backs and see more of the Grishaverse.
Read more about it in spoiler section below.

So why 4 stars? I took off .25 because the last part of the book kinda started to get a bit too plot-armory for the characters and the clever plans got less and less clever and the plot twists at some points were simply because information was left out to the reader. Lame.
Another .25 is Wylan. I really liked him and wanted to get to know more of him... shame the author didn't feel the same. Not a single POV from a character who's supposedly member of the titled ensemble... For what? A cheap plot twist? Wylan's reading disability would have been just as effective in the middle as it was at the end of the book.

Half a star is taken away because of Kaz Brekker.
Let's start with this age - 17! And he's this edgy criminal mastermind at 17. Ugh, it YA, I get it, marketing and all that, but making him 20 at least wouldn't have scared the teenagers away, trust me. Age aside, Kaz is so full of edge (some other characters had straight up edgy sentences torn from a local emo's diary, but Kaz takes the cake) it actually disrupted my immersion in the story and made me snort back a frustrated laugh. I can't take seriously this edge lord, who apparently first got arrested at age of 12.
Then his whole skill set is all over the place. Okay, he's the mastermind with neat sleight of hand and lock picking abilities. How come he can take down a dude who strangled a wolf with his bare hands?? With a disabled leg?? Okay, maybe the way he did it was plausible, but that still doesn't justify making Kaz good at everything just because the author wants you to think hes So Kewl! One scene - he hardly climbes up to third floor, another- he's running around and fighting and - you've guessed it - it has no impact on the plot at all.
Kaz's weaknesses would have been so cool to explore: the touch aversion, injured leg, obsession with revenge and control, but they get swept aside to show us another clever triumph of Kazzle Dazzle. I really want to like him, but so far his comebacks, thieving tips and romance with Inej are the only fun part of the character, otherwise he's an edgy killjoy that course-corrects the plot just when it's about to get interesting.
Man just look at that paragraph.

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claire_not_rebecca's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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jestareader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Fantastic Read!

If I had read it when I first got it as a teenager, it would have been perfect. However, now that I am out of my teenage years, the characters felt uncomfortably young for their stories in a work fiction which discussed sex, SA, violence, and murder. So in my head, they're older.

Inej and Waylan - 22
Kaz, Jesper, Nina - 23
Matthias - 24

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adalina_xox's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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tinyjude's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

After watching the tv show I was really interested in this part of the story and characters, and they didn't disappoint at all. I had the books on my shelves for a long time and I finally found the right timming to appreciate them.

Since I already grew fond of them watching on the screen, it was easier to follow everything and appreciate the nuance in each character and story arc. It was enjoyable, especially getting to know more about each characters' backgrounds and wills.

If the screen adaptation sold Kaz and Inej romance with ease because of both actors' incredible work, I was even more invested into their interactions and the slow burn going on in the book. Damn, those final words they exchange... still hitting the right spot. Inej and Nina are my queens, I love them dearly, especially Inej.

The age of the characters is one of the things that makes it quite unbelievable; even just aging them two years could have helped solidify their prodigious nature and talent, but I guess some people will find it cooler if they are that young and proving to be such a threat.

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angelo_vossen's review against another edition

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adventurous funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

"Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo is a greatly crafted heist novel that seamlessly blends elements of fantasy, adventure, and mystery into an enthralling narrative which reminded me of an interesting blend of the plot of the show „Money Heist“ set in a „Game of Thrones“-esque environment with a bit of „Harry Potter“ magic sparkled in. Set in the bustling city of Ketterdam, the story follows a diverse group of outcasts and criminals as they embark on an impossible mission to infiltrate the impenetrable Ice Court and rescue a valuable hostage.

Bardugo's world-building is immersive and richly detailed, painting a vivid picture of the bustling streets, dark alleyways, and seedy underbelly of Ketterdam. The city itself feels like a character, with its complex social hierarchy, intricate politics, and simmering tensions between rival factions. As the name implies, the names of Ketterdam‘s locations and places seem to be strongly influenced by the language Dutch - finally my three years of Dutch classes came in handy!

At the heart of the story are the six main characters, each with their own distinct personalities, motivations, and secrets. From Kaz Brekker, the cunning and ruthless leader of the crew, to Inej Ghafa, the skilled and enigmatic spy known as the Wraith, each member brings something unique to the table, and their interactions are filled with wit, tension, and unexpected moments of vulnerability.

The heist plot is intricately constructed, with layers of deception, betrayal, and several unexpected twists that keep readers guessing until the very end. Bardugo masterfully ratchets up the tension as the stakes grow higher and the obstacles more daunting, leading to a thrilling climax that will leave readers breathless - and kind of overwhelmed at times, to be frank.

But "Six of Crows" is more than just a gripping adventure story. It's also a character-driven narrative that delves deep into themes of loyalty, friendship, redemption, and the search for identity and belonging. Each character is grappling with their own demons and struggles, and watching them grow and evolve over the course of the story is both moving and satisfying. Additionally, I‘m always here for an enemies-to-lovers trope - and this book series appears to give me two at once (and even more love stories)!

I adore how Bardugo chose to write from the different perspectives of the main characters alternating in each chapter. Since the protagonists are not always huddled together, this caused me as reader to be highly excited and wanting to rush to the next chapter to see what everyone is up to. That being said, I would have loved to read some chapters from Wylan‘s perspective. That perspective kind of was missing for me and I wonder how Bardugo decided to use everyone‘s perspectives (even an additional surprising one at the end) except Wylan‘s - but I‘m keeping my hopes up for the second book in this duology.

Overall, "Six of Crows" is a brilliantly executed novel that will appeal to fans of fantasy, heist stories, and character-driven narratives alike. With its richly imagined world, complex characters, and pulse-pounding plot, it's a book that will keep readers glued to the page from beginning to end.

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bakerindale's review against another edition

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adventurous funny fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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a_islandcriptid's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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