| Title | : | Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 465 |
| Publication | : | First published September 29, 2015 |
| Awards | : | Pennsylvania Young Readers' Choice Award Young Adults (2017), Rhode Island Teen Book Award (2018), Evergreen Teen Book Award (2018), Milwaukee County Teen Book Award (2017), Lincoln Award (2018), Goodreads Choice Award Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015), Gateway Readers Award (2018), Premio El Templo de las Mil Puertas Mejor novela extranjera perteneciente a saga (2016), Hea Noorteraamat (2017) |
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. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) Reviews
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Edit update or whatever I watched the Netflix show I'm on episode four and oh my god it's really good. It's really really fun and I can feel my brain leaking out of my ears whenever I see Inej and Kaz interact with each other.
__________________________
Five solid stars. This book pulled me in from the beginning, to the point where I knew I'd found a favorite before I was halfway through. Here, Bardugo integrates a creative plot, interesting and morally grey characters, group dynamics and banter, a great writing style, and some really, really prime romance plots. Goddamn, can Leigh Bardugo write romance. There are very, very few books that I love so wholeheartedly. This series truly is my favorite fantasy series of all time. There's no competition whatsoever.
PLOTTING AND WORLDBUILDING
Bardugo tosses you right into the main plot from the beginning and keeps you engaged all the way through, even when her focus is on character work. Her plotting is incredibly engaging, with so many twists and turns that the book is hard to put down. This book focuses on mind games and clever plotting. The dregs need to have a thousand backup plans, and everything is brilliantly planned by Bardugo. The Grisha's worldbuilding is very engaging, even though we're thrown in without context; I remember thinking that I would have appreciated a proper map of Ketterdam, and then we GOT a good map in book two!
Bardugo's prose is awesome, and there are some truly gorgeous quotes from here. Then again, it doesn't feel as if she's trying too hard or using purple prose.
CHARACTER WORK OF PERFECTIONA gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.
Bardugo nails character work here. Every single character grows, every single character develops, every single character owns my heart.okay maybe not Matthias quite as much but w/e
Inej is a member of a gang and a murderer, but she desperately wants to do the right thing and liberate slaves like herself. She's gone through hell and she's come out strong and in control. She feels so real on page; she has a heart but she only lets it out around the people she cares about. I like that combination.
Kaz is the most manipulative, terrible, morally black protagonist I've ever read about, and I love him to pieces. He's absolutely an antihero; yes, he's on a mission to save the world, but does he care about saving the world? Nope, he cares about getting his cash. He still manages to be a complex, dimensional character, who genuinely cares about his friends not dying (though he'd never admit it).
Jesper is witty and an absolute delight to get a POV chapter from, but he's also incredibly sympathetic as a former farm boy who fell from grace. He likes living on the edge, and he's aware of the pain his own actions have caused him, and he's trying to work through it.
Nina is hilarious and idealistic and clever and can go from flirting to making speeches within ten seconds. She's such a great character because she's so earnest and positive despite everything that's happened to her. She's also one of the most badass characters ever.
Wylan doesn't actually have pov chapters here, but he's getting a shoutout from me anyway because of his pov chapters in CK. He's entertaining here, too, coming off as a blushing do-gooder but with rumor and intrigue swirling around his actual past.
Matthias is honestly my least favorite. He's dynamic enough and he's got a great character arc, but I don't feel as if he's nearly as original a character as my five. Whatever, I still like him.
BANTER AND DOING CHARACTER DYNAMICS RIGHT
The Dregs are such an amazing squad all together. Their banter owns my heart. Jesper and Inej especially have one of my favorite friendship dynamics of all time; their banter and their genuine trust in each other and their lowkey joking about their mutual crush on Kaz. Inej and Nina stand out as well; extra credit for passing the bechdel test with flying colors.
Also, the dialogue here absolutely rules. You have no idea how many times I had to hold in laughter.
“When we get our money, you can burn kruge to keep you warm,” said Kaz. “Let’s go.”
Jesper consulted his compass, and they turned south. “I’m going to pay someone to burn my kruge for me.”
Kaz fell into step beside him. “Why don’t you pay someone else to pay someone to burn your kruge for you? That’s what the big players do.”
“You know what the really big bosses do? They pay someone to pay someone to …”
HOW TO WRITE ROMANCE: A GUIDEBOOK BY LEIGH BARDUGO
Seriously, I felt the need to give this an entire section of its own, because the romance here is SO good. But the romance plots never overtake the book; I have an annotations list for these books, and there are twice as many good character moments and gorgeous quotes as there are romantic moments.
Kaz and Inej are one of my all-time favorite book couples. I used to consider them my third favorite, but they've quickly become my favorite of all time. They have so many small moments and such slow-build romantic development. And then, as if I weren't invested already, they have that one declaration scene which honestly made me swoon.I will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.
Jesper and Wylan are just cute for most of the book. They got some cute relationship build, but I wasn't that invested. And then that One Line at the end of the book shows up and they KILLED me. Really, Bardugo? You could've left me heart intact instead, but?? not so much. Also, side note, but I don't understand how anyone was surprised they're a thing in book two. I know heteronormativity is a thing that exists, but how can you read "not just girls" and mutual blushing in a heterosexual way?
Matthias and Nina were honestly not that big a ship for me here. I absolutely understand what's appealing about their dynamic; they're sweet and have amazing relationship development. But they don't appeal to me personally; I don't have to lie down for twenty minutes when I read their scenes.
DIVERSITY: YOUR FAVE COULD NEVER
Something that gets ignored a lot is how diverse this series is; not just in terms of nonwhite characters, lgbt characters, and badass girl characters, although it does have all of those. But Six of Crows also has some of the best rep of a disabled character EVER. It helps that this is ownvoices disability rep. Kaz' disability affects his life in a realistic way, and there's no magical cure for it, BUT he's still a huge badass and the disability never becomes a consuming part of his character!! There's also the fact that a chubby main character is portrayed as the most beautiful member of the group, while also not being reduced to her appearance. There's even a dyslexic character (in FANTASY!) and part of his character arc is learning that his learning difference doesn't make him stupid. There's a major character with ADD as well.
This series handles emotional and physical trauma in the best way. Some of these characters have trauma and it's never portrayed as a detriment to who they are as people. It's an aspect of who they are as people, but their background never takes over their characters. It's a balance. Recovery is also portrayed in a great way; none of these characters can be "fixed" but that's okay. The entire topic is handled in a better way than most contemporaries that focus entirely on trauma. I appreciate it so much.
TL;DR: I was never bored by this book, and I love the characters more than my own life. Highly recommended.
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A Bunch of Random Spoilery Notes / Crying
UPDATE: I actually got my mother obsessed with my favorite book? in related news I still have to lie down for 40 hours whenever Kaz and Inej interact
// three chapters into reading this with my mother and she says "it's official: I'm in love with Kaz" and honestly if that isn't the mood for today
• remember when we all thought Wylan had gotten kicked out for banging his tutor? is it even canonically confirmed that he didn't? i need answers
• I BRed a second reread of this (yes, I've read it three times, shut up) with
Amy, whose review you should definitely check out!!
• every single moment of banter is my favorite but my underrated fave is probably "If I see a single scratch or nick on those, I'll spell 'forgive me' on your chest in bullet holes" and the ensuing debate over whether 'I'm sorry' would be better
• "Close your eyes!"
"You can't kiss me from down there, Wylan."
• or maybe it's "my ghost won't associate with your ghost"
• every time Kaz and Inej interact I have to lie down for 40 hours
• Jesper and Wylan are probably angstier in this book than book 2?
• I don't even understand how it's possible not to love this book. With most of my faves, I love them, but I get it if you don't love them. I flat-out don't understand how anyone could not love this book. It's a masterpiece. -
Side effects of reading Six of Crows are, but not limited to: Shortness of breath. Heart palpitations. Nausea. Weak knees. Dehydration. Dizziness. Headache. Heartache. Constant sweating. High blood-pressure. Congestive heart failure.
“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”
Six of Crows is 185th book I've read this year. Yes, that means this is the book that put me at my goodreads reading goal this year. I am so happy that this is the book that made me hit my mark. It was the perfect book to reach my goal with. The world has been shouting, praying, and calling for diverse reads... Leigh Bardugo has answered. I liked but didn't love the Shadow and Bone trilogy, but it has nothing on this novel. With how much hype is surrounding this book I was oh so worried about reading it. However if Six of Crows isn't my top pick for the year, it will without a doubt at least be in the top five. It was amazing.
SoC is a novel with six main characters, depending on how you look at it five plus perspectives, breath-taking flashbacks, seamless world building, and twists that will make your tits drop.
"A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who has become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse."
A direct quote and the most perfect sum up of the characters. Each one is so different from the other. Each one is a different race, different background, and has so many layers. Each one has a handful of amazing different aspects, and things about them that will constantly surprise you. I can't believe I'm about to say this but... Squad goals! We have Nina this wild-loud-in your face-curvy firecracker who will have you in stitches. Matthias who is this perfectly wounded warrior who will surprise the crap out of you. Wylan who is this lovable nerdy cutie-pie that had me blushing for days. Jesper the comic relief. And then there are my two favorites... Kaz and Inej. Ahh just loved these two so much. These two gave me everything I wanted in characters and more. Inej background story is lovey, her physical appearance sounds both breathtaking and unique, and her set of skills are completely bad-ass. She is basically a freaking ninja. Oh God, and the stories and quotes from her father!!! Break my heart why dontcha.
“Many boys will bring you flowers. But someday you'll meet a boy who
will learn your favorite flower, your favorite song, your favorite
sweet. And even if he is too poor to give you any of them, it won't
matter because he will have taken the time to know you as no one else
does. Only that boy earns you heart.”
Kaz though. Oh Kaz! He was my favorite of favorites. His thought, his flashbacks, his story, his composure, his street smarts, his everything. I have none-zero-zip-nada complaints about him. How did Leigh managed to give us such a naughty character, make him have a limp, "force" him to wear gloves all the time, and still managed to have me swoon over him was beyond me. I want to have his babies. His bad-ass babies. I really have no complaints character wise. All these characters and their personal stories will shock and then steal your heart. Each will give you a taste of who they are and what they have become and it is truly stunning. I need to shut up about them before I spill all their secrets (which I really want to do right about now). I do really want to comment on my favorite part of this book. This is something that others might have over looked, but it is something that meant a lot to me. That's Inej and Nina's friendship. They aren't two girls that hate each other then become friends. They aren't two women who see each other as fierce competition or having to fight over a man. These two women see each other as equals AND THAT is how all women should see each other. Real women pick each other up not tear each other down. I don't think people realize how important that truly is. This needs to be highlighted in more books.
Even if the characters would have faltered (they don't) it wouldn't have mattered because the plot and world building are so solid. I heard a few people/reviews say the "middle of the book is kind of slow"... WHAT THE F ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?!?? Every part of this book is flawless and demands your respect. There wasn't a moment I wasn't on the edge on my seat. Leigh gives you all these twist and turns without leaving you guessing on what your surrounding look like. She's built a world with so many stunning features. SoC is go go go, nonstop action novel that wont let you up for air. It is a roller-coaster ride of emotions and Wtf just happened moments. The first three parts of this book set the bait out, parts four and five has you snapping for the treat, and part six hooks and pulls you in. My jaw was on the floor for 99% of this book.
You might think you know what coming, BUT YOU WILL BE WRONG! So many well planned out plot twist. So many ground shaking moments. So many heart crushing scenes. And that ending!!!! YOU CAN'T DO THAT TO PEOPLE!!! You can't leave us hanging like this!!!! OMG and I didn't even get to mention the romance!!!! I want to talk about it. Oh goodness do I want to talk about it! But I wont, and if you've ever read any of my review you know this is unheard of. I love love and not wanting to talk about it must only mean one thing... That it's really really good! Even with the massive amount to sexual tense and stolen glances it still doesn't even overshadow the plot. I'm not just talking about the romance with a certain pair, I'm talking romance among several. Like I can't even believe how much gooey lovey dovey moments she gives us and yet didn't drown us in it. Perfect just perfect.
This book was EVERYTHING it was hyped up to be. I laughed, I cried, I fell in love, and I have been left a mess.
This review was a lot longer than I ever imagine it would be. It is filled with cut off and run on sentences... I don't care either. I just had to get my jumbled thoughts down. This book is epic and everything. I already want to re-read it and I could quote it all day long. If Arrow wasn't coming on in a few I would just keep going on about it. If you read Six of Crows and didn't like it then there's only one thing to say about you... You have bad taste.
Edit: can people please start fancasting the shit out of this!!!! I want a movie or tv show like now. Thanks
Double edit: my wish was granted. -
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.
^ That’s me screaming.
This has been: my full review of Six of Crows. Bye.
I guess I can elaborate on that, but really it’s going to boil down to the same thing. Which is me screaming.
https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co...
I’m only, like, 17% joking. I have no idea how to review this book. I barely even knew how to read this book, due to the fact that it was so devastatingly cool and exciting and unique and addictive that it almost made me illiterate.
When I first read this book, I loved it. Absolutely aDORED it. I five-starred it and participated in the hype and probably googled fan art exactly one time, which is as far as I ever get in terms of joining a fandom.
However. That guaranteed absolutely nothing.
As I have said 3467824628 times, any opinion of mine older than approximately 18 months cannot be trusted. I am on a continual process of growth and I am very stupid. Here is where I always list a hot take younger me had (such as thinking the television program "Degrassi" was the apex of cinematic art), or something dumb younger me did (such as literally never eat a salad even once), in order to illustrate just how stupid that was.
This is the person who read and loved Six of Crows.
That version of me was also #new to the book-internet scene and, ahem, DESPERATE TO FIT IN. I think I initially four-starred A Court of Thorns and Roses despite not liking it at all just to seem Hip and Down With The Teens.
Obviously I went back and surreptitiously changed that rating.
Anyway, what it’s coming down to is that it’s absolutely possible that then-me could have tricked myself into liking this book just out of a desperate desire for popularity, and that even if I did actually like it it wouldn’t matter because I was (and continue to be) a fool.
Luckily, THAT WAS NOT THE CASE.
This book is fan-f*cking-tastic. It blows all other YA fantasy out of the water (okay except The Raven Cycle I see you Maggie Stiefvater I would never forget about you Gansey).
It’s everything the genre should be. It’s creative and immersive and unique. It’s stylistically great without being overly stylized. The plotline is nearly nonstop exciting. There is a MAP.
Nearly most importantly of all, there is a HEIST. Everyone who’s anyone knows that the best trope-y plotline is a heist. We get squads and excitement and scheming and risk and THEFT. And just yesterday someone asked me earnestly if I’m a kleptomaniac, to which, after a bit of reflection, I answered “Yes.”
But there is a lil thing I mentioned in there that I need to talk more about. And it’s not my potential kleptomania. (Although maybe I should talk more about that too. In a different format.)
That thing is: THE SQUAD!!!!
The characters in this book are so fantastic. Our gang is made up of six people, whom I will now list here as if it’s even slightly possible that anyone hasn’t read this book yet. They are: Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, Matthias.
Is that a ranking? I don’t know. You decide. (Yes it is a ranking.)
I LIKE THREE OF THOSE CHARACTERS. THREE!! OUT OF SIX!!! To anyone else that may sound like a fairly low number. You know. Fifty percent. A failing grade. But I’ve always been a glass-half-full kind of person, and by “always” I mean “exclusively in this exact scenario for the sake of my argument.”
What it comes down to is the fact that I rarely truly like even a single character in a book. So to like THREE!! IN ONE NOVEL! Unbelievable.
Kaz is a dark nightmare boy who threatens to be a Hot Boy With A Tragic Backstory And So He Is Allowed To Be Mean To Everyone Especially Girls He Likes And You Can’t Say Anything About It, but he subverts that trope gorgeously. (By which I mean: Leigh Bardugo is the queen of YA, and also literature and being a person in general.)
Inej is a spooky lil sneaky gal who climbs around stuff and is the single most powerful creature in all of fictional humankind. Also Inej is just a cool name. EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK AND ITS WORLDBUILDING IS COOL.
Jesper is a hilarious f*cked up lil monster who is trying his damn best and being a sarcastic sweetheart while he’s at it. Plus shooting at stuff, which adds some excitement and flair to the whole thing.
The other three...they’re just pretty boring. Wylan is Nice but that’s not enough to make me like a character. Nina is just like “Food!!! Yum!!! Love to eat, and also be sexy!!!” And if anyone could show me actual proof Matthias has one (1) trait besides liking Nina and being strong, I’d fall out of my chair. Because I’d be surprised. And also statistically speaking I’d probably be sitting.
BUT ANYWAY this is a five star review and that means I don’t have to complain!!! Who knew!! All new to me.
This book united stupid me and current me, which means that people who are dumb and have bad taste and people who are very very cool and like good things only can be united in liking this book.
It is literally so good that it’s impossible to not like it, even if you’re an idiot or picky. PICKY IDIOTS: UNITE!!!
Bottom line: Can anyone give me Leigh Bardugo’s mailing address? Not for anything creepy, I just want to blow a kiss into an envelope and ship it to her.
Oh, that is creepy? Got it. I would still like that address though.
--
PRE-REVIEW
REREADING THIS BOOK WAS THE BEST DECISION I'VE MADE IN RECENT MEMORY.
and just last night, i decided to rewatch Fantastic Mr. Fox while eating peanut butter cup ice cream. so that's a high bar.
review to come!!
--
CURRENTLY-READING UPDATES
me: okay. school's amping up. extracurriculars are starting. the internship search is well under way. what should we do first?
also me: ...idk sounds like the perfect time to reread Six of Crows imo
--
this reread brought to you by the generosity of
lily
was wondering why i felt sad and realized it's been way too long since i last read six of crows. so this'll probably solve it
buddy reread with
my best buddy [reader] and
my best mate innit -
Trickery is not my native tongue, but I may learn to speak it yet.
I was scared to start
Six of Crows. The hype surrounding it has been HUGE, the blurb sounded intriguing, I've been eagerly anticipating it, and I liked but didn't love
Shadow and Bone. Honestly, though? I needn't have worried. This book is fantastic.
Shadow and Bone has been called fantasy-lite, but there is absolutely nothing about
Six of Crows that warrants such a label. It's a sweeping epic tale with six main characters, five perspectives, complex and detailed world-building that is seamlessly integrated into the story, flashbacks to the characters' histories, and a wonderful blend of darkness, magic, action, humour and romance.
In the hands of a less skilled author, this could have been a mess. But Bardugo crafts each of her characters with love and sensitivity, allowing them to be extremely badass, wicked sometimes, and unlikable in that multi-layered way that actually makes them completely likable.“When she looked up at him, the expression on her face was a bleak map of loathing and fatigue. In it, he saw the shame that came with gratitude, and he knew that in this brief moment, she was his mirror. She didn’t want to owe him anything either.”
It's set in the same Grisha universe as her other books (this time in an alternate Netherlands instead of Russia), but it's much darker and more adult. These characters are thieves, convicts and runaways. Street gangs compete for territory and power. The author takes all these dark "real world" factors and infuses them with the supernatural.
The comparisons to Oceans 11 are spot on. The plot is essentially about an action-packed, fast-paced heist. They must first break into a heavily-guarded prison and smuggle a convict out and then, with his help, they will attempt to break into the Ice Court - a place that has never been breached - all to get their hands on a LOT of money. But all these characters have their own personal agendas too (and because of the third person narrative we don't always know what they are).
As I mentioned, the characters are so so good. We have the leader - Kaz - who is an intimidating criminal prodigy with a secret past. We have the mixture of drama and humour offered by Jesper and Wylan. And there's the totally badass Inej:“You may still die in the dregs."
Inez’s dark eyes had glinted. “I may. But I’ll die on my feet with a knife in my hand.”
I think the use of third person was extremely effective in
Six of Crows. It allows us to view all these characters equally and also allows us to be constantly surprised.
I want to be clear that the romance never takes over the story; it feels natural and welcome when it surfaces, which isn't too often. In fact, I'd say Bardugo is a bit of a tease for most of the novel and I found myself shipping Matthias and Nina so hard. Gah:“And what did you do Matthias? What did you do to me in your dreams?”
The ship listed gently. The lanterns swayed. His eyes were blue fire. “Everything,” he said, as he turned to go. “Everything.”
Dark, action-packed, beautifully-written, and yes, even sexy. When can I get the next book?
My Six of Crows playlist
Broken Pieces by Apocalyptica
Shots by Imagine Dragons
Sick by Adelitas Way
Heaven Knows by The Pretty Reckless
Perfect Life by Red
Sprinter by Torres
Pure Morning by Placebo
SAIL by Awolnation
Precious by Depeche Mode
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The heat of the incinerator wrapped around Inej like a living thing, a desert dragon in his den, hiding from the ice, waiting for her. She knew her body’s limits, and she knew she had no more to give. She’d made a bad wager. It was as simple as that. The autumn leaf might cling to its branch, but it was already dead. The only question was when it would fall.
My mind is spinning. I tend to prefer simplicity in books. I hate a ridiculously complicated plot. I hate unnecessary characters. For the Young Adult genre, this book can best be described as epic, because. It. Is. Huge. It is complicated. It's like Ocean's Eleven for the YA fantasy crowd in the very best of ways.
Let go, Inej. Her father had taught her to climb, to trust the rope, the swing, and finally, to trust in her own skill, to believe that if she leaped, she would reach the other side. Would he be waiting for her there? Let go, Inej. Should she jump now or simply wait for her body to give out?
There are 6 main characters. Typically, that's 4 more than I'd like. The book's downfall is also what makes it great, and it's why I docked a star. It's epic. Perhaps too epic. Too complicated books tend to confuse me and let's face it, a large cast with different POVs tend to make it extremely confusing for the reader - and it is, to an extent, true in this book. It is nonstop action with nary a moment to breathe. There is a cast of characters in the beginning, and by god, you'll need it. Sometimes I felt like I was memorizing things for a test.
But the good is that the characters are all bad-ass. The packleader is an anti-hero, which, in my opinion, is the best kind of character.Kaz narrowed his eyes. “I’m not some character out of a children’s story who plays harmless pranks and steals from the rich to give to the poor."
I like them dirty. And the book moves at a breakneck speed that'll guarantee the reader's interest.
There's magic - naturally. But a different kind of magic than such was found in the Grisha. The characters are well-written, they're a ragtag band of misfits, and not exactly friends, but all are united for a common mission, and most importantly, they each have a purpose. There are no redundant, extraneous characters, but each character is doing this for their own reason.Four million kruge, freedom, a chance to return home. She’d said she wanted these things. But in her heart, she couldn’t bear the thought of returning to her parents. Could she tell her mother and father the truth? Would they understand all she’d done to survive, not just at the Menagerie, but every day since? Could she lay her head in her mother’s lap and be forgiven? What would they see when they looked at her?
The female characters are kick-ass. They're feminine, but not useless. They don't try too hard to be rebels to be bad-ass, to deny their own nature to prove they can play with the boys, they're just themselves...that's confusing, I know, but I can't describe it any other way.
There is romance, but so little of it, and what little there is felt natural and unobtrusive. A blossoming from grudging tolerance to like, to possibly something more. But I consider this a great book, because the romance is not intrusive in any way.Every time she moved, the reindeer cloak parted, revealing a flash of round calf, white skin, the shadow between her breasts. It was deliberate. He knew it. She was trying to rattle him. He needed to focus on the fire. He’d almost died, and if he didn’t get a fire started, he still might.
HALLE-FREAKING-LUJAH! Survival + rationality > romance!!!!!! *wipes away tear* I never thought I'd see the day.
Nina snorted and lay down in the nest of pelts, propping herself on one elbow. “For Saint’s sake, drüskelle, what’s wrong with you? I just wanted to be warm. I promise not to ravish you in your sleep.”
“I’m not afraid of you,” he said irritably.
Her grin was vicious. “Then you’re as stupid as you look.”
He stayed crouching beside the fire. He knew he was meant to lie down next to her. The sun had set, and the temperature was dropping. He was struggling to keep his teeth from chattering, and they would need each other’s warmth to get through the night. It shouldn’t have concerned him, but he didn’t want to be near her. Because she’s a killer, he told himself. That’s why. She’s a killer and a witch. -
"The deal is the deal."
Wow! I did hope for the hype to be real with Six of Crows but this is incredible! Everything about this book was awesome: plot, characters, world-building, writing. I'm having a hard time imagining Six of Crows ever getting a critical review from a reader of any taste. The never ending scheming of Kaz Brekker, supported by the most unique crew imaginable, unfolds one of the most entertaining and original stories I've ever read.
"Kaz Brekker didn't need a reason."
The plot begins in a somewhat confusing manner (at least for me, as I haven't read S&B Trilogy), and it does take a couple of chapters to put everything in place. But once beyond that, there aren't any more slow-moving parts in this 'well-oiled-machine'. The exhilarating story is full of suspense and mind-numbing plot twists right till the end. There's also a nice bit of magic, complemented with a little darker atmosphere to make things even more entertaining. The set of characters consists of some of the best I've ever come across, each contributing their own diverse and interesting fictional traits to help move along the plot. Irrespective of their shady morals, you are going to love all of them.
"Pride is a perilous thing."
Bardugo's world building is delightful. I didn't know that Shadow and Bone series shared the same world (which probably would've helped make an even more complete world), but it didn't feel like I'm missing out on anything. Everything's put in place using a seemingly simple but thoroughly enjoyable manner. It's the simple, yet quite impactful narrative that helps visualize everything beautifully.
"That's what he wants, not what he needs. Leverage is all about knowing the difference."
And the writing... It is so good... Rowling good... Took me only a couple of pages to fall in love with the smooth narrative and I devoured every sentence. The intentional gaps in narrative are anxiety-causing at times, but things did fall in to place in a most satisfying way later on. The use of humor is subtle most of the time, but well handled overall to complement the setting of the plot. However, it was a bit cruel to leave things off with that ending cliffhanger but I hope everything will come together in the second book.
"You have to know where you want to go before you get there."
I'm no longer surprised that this being an all-time-favorite of so many readers. It certainly made it to mine. Cannot wait to start Crooked Kingdom...
"Jer molle pe oonet. Enel mörd je nej agva trohem verretn"
"No mourners" - "No funerals" -
Disclaimer:I got few angry messages about my rant on this book saying that is just MY OPINION. Well I thought that text being in box with my name above made that obvious but to avoid confusion I must state that text bellow aren't words God or truths from deep universe only subjective opinion of ruggedly handsome mortal who's name and picture you can see above. I hope this avoids further confusion. /Disclaimer
So much hype surrounding this book, many positive reviews from my friends yet in the end this book was very underwhelming.
Let's start with characters. All of them are in their teen which makes little sense. They don't behave like teens (mostly) nor does their age fit the story.
I couldn't picture them as teen so I didn't. In my head Kaz as 30, Jasper 29, Mathias 32, Nina and Inej in mid-twenties. Everything makes more sense that way and I can't think of reason to put characters in their teens except to appeal to YA consumers.
Characters themselves feel very cliche, especially Kaz, who is uncharismatic Gary Stu. While book spends large amount of time in past characters feel undeveloped and I didn't care about any character not named Nina. Her and hers relationships with Mathias are bright points of this book.
Main storyline follows those characters trying to do impossible robbery and rescue person from impenetrable facility. Sounds good but story fails at multiple points. First of all pace is very slow and story keeps switching back and forth from characters past to main timeline. This has been seen before but like everything else in Six of crows we seen it done better in other books. Heist itself is also very poorly done. Imagine heist movies like Ocean's eleven if they where directed by Michael Bay. At some point Bardugo decided that subtlety is for pussies and that real heist should have explosions, fights and alarms ringing.
With all this complaints why not rate this book 1 star? Well I had fun with this book, kind you would have with summer blockbuster and I might even read the sequel but if you are looking for good fantasy book about group of thieves read Among thieves, Lies of Locke Lamora or Riyria revelations . If you are looking for a fantasy book about band of misfits set upon impossible task than read Mistborn: The Finale Empire. I would recommend Six of crows if you have exerted better options.
2.3 stars but I will round it up to 2. -
Wow..there are no words!
I WANT TO GIVE THIS BOOK 10 STARS!
This took me awhile to write, but I've been meaning to write a long review for awhile.
So here it is!
Six of Crows follows six teenagers living in the city of Ketterdam, a city of slums and crime lords.
Kaz Brekker, an infamous thief (also known as Dirtyhands) is promised a very large sum of money to kidnap Bo Yul-Bayur, a scientist from the Ice Court.
The Ice Court is the most highly protected place in Fjerda, and Kaz won't be able to gatecrash it alone. He needs a crew.
He recruits Inej Ghafa. Inej is known for her ability to climb buildings and move across impossible terrain with extreme agility. She's quiet but strong, and she's got quite an interesting background. Inej was kidnapped from her family's caravan and sold to a brothel in Ketterdam. When she eventually escaped, she entered into a contract with Per Haskell, a crime lord in Ketterdam. Inej's goal is to make enough money off of her work for Haskell to pay off her contract and return home to Ravka.
Next, Kaz recruits Jesper Fahey. He is the crew's sharpshooter. Jesper is a lighthearted and sarcastic character, who enjoys gambling a bit more than he should.
Nina is the only trained Grisha in the crew. She is stuck in Ketterdam and is unable to go home. Nina is really confident and unapologetic of who she is. She's also loyal to her friends.
Matthias a former Druskelle, soldiers from Fjerda. He has history with Nina as the two of them helped each other after a storm destroyed their ship, with the two of them developing a trust. Nina betrays him which causes him to hate her, but he also loves her.
Wylan is the son of a merchant. He serves as the brains of the operation. Wylan is an intelligent engineer and inventor. He's very shy and awkward because he's been isolated for most of his life, but slowly warms to the other members of the crew.
Can I just say, that this book is beautifully written.
Each and every character in this book were likable and bad-ass, and they literally felt like real characters.
Loved everything about this book! -
WHY DID IT TAKE ME SO LONG TO PICK THIS UP?
What a ride! This was exactly what I needed and so much more.I'm tempted to give this a 4.75 star rating, but I want to mull it over a little while longer.*EDIT* WHO AM I KIDDING? This deserved the full 5 stars. I was a little unsure about the pacing somewhere around the middle of the book, but to be fair it was due to some of the character development, and the characters were my fave part so who am I to resist a little extra time getting to know them?
Nevertheless, this was so much fun. Loved the heist. Loved the world, especially after having read the Grisha trilogy, it was awesome to explore somewhere new. Most of all, I LOVED the characters. They were all so intriguing with fascinating life stories. They were so distinctive as well, each had such a strong personality and I'm finding it impossible to narrow down to a favourite.
I cannot wait to jump into Crooked Kingdom and see where the story and these characters take me. -
you know when you read a story and you get that feeling that you just cannot shake it off, you are so happy and you feel like you are gonna miss this so much in days, months or years to come. You savior the moment between the pages. You immediately want to go back to continue reading it yet you wish the pages were longer to avoid the finish. It is your safe and happy place whenever you think about it. This story is that for me.
If you enjoy my reviews and want to support my writing journey, please consider buying me a coffee. Cheers:) -
The only thing I hate about this book is that I didn't read it sooner. There is a learning curve to get through the beginning because of all the unusual names and complicated terminology, but once I got 80 pages in and started understanding what was happening, I loved it. It's dark, moody, occasionally funny, all the while developing background stories and relationships of all 6 main characters. Oh yeah and Kaz and Inej are my fucking jam.
-
originally read this last year, but decided to re-read it before six of crows! i'm so happy i made that decision. i had forgotten how rich this story is in detail. from the characters, to the world, to the plot, everything is built up so beautifully. the ending still gave me chills and i need crooked kingdom right. now.
-
once again, came for the kaz brekker hype; stayed for the jurda crazy grisha, a heist of the century, all the nina/matthias tension, the scheming face, the ‘my ghost would not associate with your ghost’ talk, and of course, the kaz brekker hype.
in other words, i am (still) absolute trash for this book and leigh bardugo has eternal claim to my soul.
↠ 5 stars -
Mercy, Leigh, mercy. I hit myself in the head with this ARC too many times to count. Buckle up, folks, it's going be a razor-edged night.
-
This is the type of book that will blow you away with its words. IT WAS PHENOMENAL!!!!
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SO MUCH FUN WITH THIS BOOK. FANTASTIC CAST OF CHARACTERS! HERE'S MY FULL BOOKTALK/REVIEW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ufgXQ... -
THIS BOOK. I'm trying not to add to the hype pool right now, but like THIS BOOK. IT BLEW ME AWAY. It was unexpectedly brilliant! I WANNA BE IN THE SIX OF CROWS SQUAD.
-
finished this at 3:30 AM this morning crying at the line "i will have you without armor, Kaz Brekker, or I will not have you at all."
i'm addicted ????? yikes ??????? -
I don't know if I finished this book or if it finished me.
-
This book, I like it! *smashes iPad* Another!
-
I wish I could get on a time machine, go back to the day I started reading this book just so I can rejoice it all over again.
Kaz Brekker, you have my heart. -
Reread x2!
God bless my shitty memory, BECAUSE THAT ENDING!!!!! Kaz, you cunning motherfucker! I love every single one of these characters, BUT KAZ!! 😭😭😭😭😭
I’m obsessed!
It’s been a long time coming and I’m so happy to have reread it. My heart feels full and content and there’s no better mark and feeling a book can leave you with but that.
And I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: this book is poetry.
——————————————
“They're all survivors. They adapt.”
Well, damn, damn and more damns. I love it when books pretty much leave me too incoherent to write a comprehensive review. And this book just did that.
This book was genius. Is genius. Poetry. I'm in love. Head over heels. Utterly and wholeheartedly.
I wasn't the biggest fan of The Grisha Trilogy, but this book was a massive improvement in every single way. I loved the intricacy of the world, the character arcs and development were so rich and complex and the writing was just an absolute joy to read. I was wishing it much longer, or at least a trilogy when I wasn't even 100 pages in.
And I want to ramble and gush incoherently about it all, especially with regards the character, but I can't think straight right now.
My babies, I need them to be okay. I'm so attached to them and got so invested in their lives. They were some of the best set of characters created. It's impossible to pick a favourite!
This book was just perfect for me. Loved every page and I had the absolute best time reading it. -
EVEN THOUGH I HAVE TO BE AT WORK BY 8 TOMORROW I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING BINGEWATCHING SHADOW AND BONE ON NETFLIX WHEN IT DROPS AT 3 AM. I AM SO EXCITED/APPREHENSIVE ABOUT THIS SHOW I COULD BURST! INEEEEEJJJJJJJJJ!
We are all someone's monster
this is a very strong series-starter.
bardugo's tor shorts are among my very favorites of all tor shorts ever, but when i read
Shadow and Bone, i was a bit confused. no, i was actually shocked. it didn't have the sparkle that characterized her shorts and i was very disappointed. i'm glad i continued with the series, however, because i thought it got better and better as it went along. which is kind of the opposite experience from most reviewers, but i'm just me.
and maybe i will just be me in this one, but i thought this was fantastic and after a bit of a slow and slightly confusing open, it turned into one of the most fun reading experiences i have had in a while. i LOVE heist stories, and this one is a particularly satisfying contribution to the genre. it takes place in the same world as the grisha series, but instead of a magical version of russia, this one opens in a similarly transformed version of holland, in a city called ketterdam.
we have a team of six, whose directive is to break into a heavily-fortified prison and smuggle a prisoner out. for a lot of money. what will happen to the prisoner afterwards, well, the team is a little split on that decision. but that can be sorted later, for now, it is mission impossible time:
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 is the thief, and the leader of the group. some of the characters have worked with him and each other in previous enterprises, but some are new to the team, so there's already some trust issues threading suspicion through the ranks as they suss each other out. all of the characters have great backstory, including some secrets in their pasts that are affecting their behavior in the present, and some of them are operating on very personal agendas.
so there are a million things that can go wrong.
and some will!
the book is full of surprises and discoveries. everyone knows that when masterminding a heist, you can't tell the whole team the whole plan; loose lips sink ships and all. as a result, many of the characters are on the same journey of discovery as the reader as we switch from one character POV to another, reacting to situations that seem to be spontaneous accidents or setbacks, only to realize all the very calculated gears turning beneath the larger plan. and it's just so tight. nothing comes across as convenient or deus ex machina, nothing screams unfair. things don't always go according to plan, but the lives they have lived individually have made them particularly well-suited to improvisation and adapting to changes in plans. it's fast, clever, and surprising.
the heist is very well thought out, the fantasy world fully realized (although it may be confusing to people who haven't read the other grisha books), it's got a refreshingly diverse racial/gender/sexual spectrum that doesn't feel like a checklist, the romance elements are justified and never take over the main story, and the characters are immensely likable.
in short, it's spectacular. which is a relief, because if i had stood in that BEA line for over two hours with poor cranky greg (the only dude in the line), being squooshed by loud, irritating bloggers with no sense of personal space and this book had sucked, i would have been very disappointed, indeed. but thank god - it was extraordinary.
"Duping innocent people isn't something to be proud of."
"It is if you do it well."
leigh bardugo, i thank you for creating a character like inej, but i do NOT thank you for that eyeball scene on page 158. shudder.
second book NOW, please!
**********************************************
look, i know it's completely unreasonable to demand the second part of a series when the first part isn't even out for another five months, but i'm not in the business of being reasonable. i want it. now.
review TK. for now, just pleading.
come to my blog! -
How to begin this review?
How to put into words how much I loved these characters and this book?
How am I supposed to write down all those many feels?
And most importantly,
How can I live with this ache in my chest?
I have no answer to all of those questions, but I know that I have to write this review!
So here I go!
Let’s hope my voice doesn’t falter and pray that my words don’t fail.
“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”
When I first read about “Six of Crows” I thought that it would be a fun read. You know one of those books that are easy to read and make you laugh. I expected to read a story that was able to enthral me. A story I would enjoy and classify as intriguing.
“Six of Crows” was all of that and yet it was so much more!!!
I was not prepared to fall in love with all of those beautiful characters and I certainly didn’t expect to be so affected by their lives and background stories. Every single one of those six individuals touched my heart and I know that “Six of Crows” actually is supposed to be a story about a dangerous heist and an adventure. To me it was so much more than that though. It was a story about life and hate and the choices that we make. It was a tale about the people and experiences that shape us. But most of all it actually was a secret and subtle homage to love.
I can’t even put into words how much Leigh Bardugo’s book moved me, but I can tell you that “Six of Crows” is brilliantly written and left me longing for more!
Now that I got this off my chest I’m finally able to write the actual review and since you all know me you also know what to expect. ;-)
The plot:
Kaz Brekker is the right-hand man of the leader of the Dregs, one of the many gangs that live in the Barrel territory of Ketterdam and try their best to get by. One day a merchant named Van Eck offers him an obscene amount of money he can’t refuse and this is exactly the moment when everything gets into motion. To get this job done Kaz has to hire the best crew the Barrel has to offer and since they aren’t only supposed to break into the Ice Court but also aim to save a hostage, they actually got a lot of trouble ahead of them.
This is the moment where I take the liberty to inform you that the characters section is going to be full of spoilers. So yeah, tread carefully and don’t say I didn’t warn you. ;-P
The characters:
And yet they hesitated. The knowledge that they might never see each other again, that some of them – maybe all of them – might not survive this night hung heavy in the air. A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.
Kaz:
Kaz shook his head, dark hair glinting in the lamplight. He was a collection of hard lines and tailored edges – sharp jaw, lean build, wool coat snug across his shoulders.”
He is the brilliant leader of the crew and also known as “Dirtyhands” or “The bastard of the Barrel”! After reading the second chapter I was already in love with his sharp and intriguing mind and damn me but that boy’s intelligence is hot as hell!!! XD Alone his scheming face! *lol* I love characters that are driven and have some inner strength and Kaz definitely didn’t disappoint me. He’s so strong but vulnerable at the same time and I swear when I read about his past and saw how much he struggled my heart actually ached for him. It was so hard to watch him while he tried to keep his composure and whenever I read his POV it felt like his anxiety choked me. There is so much more to Kaz than initially meets the eye and I can’t believe that no one of his crew ever bothered to see past his disguise. Not even Inej…. *sigh*
”Sure of yourself, aren’t you, Brekker?”
“Myself and nothing else.”
”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.”
”It was because she was listening so closely that she knew the exact moment when Kaz Brekker, Dirtyhands, the bastard of the Barrel and the deadliest boy in Ketterdam, fainted.”
Inej:
”Her eyes were so brown they were almost black, and for once her hair was down. She always wore it tied back in a ruthlessly tight coil. Even the idea of being this near someone should have set his skin crawling. Instad he thought, What happens if I move closer?”
Oh how much I liked this brave and calm girl. The “Wraith” was awesome and considering her past I really couldn’t help but had to admire her strength. Just like Kaz she also had secrets she didn’t want to share and whenever she came across Tante Heleen I was literally able to taste her fear. It was so painful to read what she’d gone through and what had happened to her but at the same time her courage kind of threw me. I mean there is this fragile little girl that was once one of Tante Heleen’s many subjects and even though she’s so young and small, she’s still a lethal weapon who’s able to kill even the strongest man. Inej is kick-ass and I loved her for it!!! XD
”Inej – “ said Kaz.
“Nina and I can get inside,” she continued. Her back was straight, her tone steady. She looked like someone facing the firing squad and saying damn the blindfolds. “We enter with the Menagerie.”
Matthias:
”It’s not natural for women to fight.”
“It’s not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”
Haha oh man, Matthias! What to say about him? He’s a huge and stupid brute but I still love him! *lol* I could understand why he was so angry at Nina and what bound him to his people but sometimes I just wanted to shake him for his stupidity! At the beginning of the book he was so ignorant and oblivious to his faults but the more I got to know him the more I could see why Nina fell for him. He’s one of those men that have a hard shell and a soft core and even though he has his flaws, he still always tried to do the right thing. I think his main problem was that he’d been indoctrinated to hate Grisha from a very young age and to me his struggle to overcome his prejudices was visible in every single sentence and line.
”It had started with a storm, and in a way, that storm had never ended. Nina had blown into his life with the wind and rain and set his world spinning. He’d been off balance ever since.”
Matthias pressed his forehead once, briefly, against Brum’s. He knew his mentor could not hear him, but he spoke the words anyway. “The life you live, the hate you feel – it’s poison. I can drink it no longer.”
Nina:
You’re heavier than it says on this paper, I’ll wager.”
She shrugged artfully, the scales of her neckline slipping lower. “I like to eat when I’m in the mood,” she said, puckering her lips shamelessly. “And I’m always in the mood.”
God that woman is so fierce and has the heart of a lion!!! Nina is so compassionate and lovely and I immediately loved her for it! She’s never afraid to say what she’s thinking and she’s loyal to a fault. I just adored her for being so passionate and I was so sad when Matthias rejected her at the beginning. Not that this would have had any visible impact on her, after all she still had a sharp tongue and made sure to use it. *lol* ;-P Judging by what I read about this world to be one of the Grisha isn’t easy, but Nina nevertheless always somehow managed to stand her ground!
“Do not bend," Nina snapped. "Do not leap. Do not move abruptly. If you don't promise to take it easy, I'll slow your heart and keep you in a coma until I can be sure you've recovered fully."
"Nina Zenik, as soon as I figure out where you've put my knifes, we're going to have words."
"The first ones had better be 'Thank you, oh great Nina, for dedicating every waking moment of this miserable journey to saving my sorry life'."
Jesper:
“Now it was risk filling up his nose and mouth, making him feel giddy and invincible. He loved it, and he hated himself for loving it.
He’s the cocky smartass of the group and his comments always made me laugh. I loved the way he tried to ease the tension and how he worked as a buffer between all those different characters. I’m pretty sure if the crew wouldn’t have had the sharpshooter they might have been at each other’s throats in an instant and I’m really thankful Bardugo added him to the crew. I didn’t expect him to be a Grisha though and when I found out I was genuinely surprised. I think one day his countless vices will get him in deep trouble and I really hope that we’ll get to know him even better in the next book.
”You guys are going to make this really fun, aren’t you?” asked Jesper. “Usually people don’t start hating each other until a week into the job, but you two have a head start.”
They cast him twin glares, and Jesper beamed back at them, but Kaz’s attention was focused on the plans.
Wylan:
”They hadn’t even left Ketterdam, and Wylan already seemed completely out of his depth. He wasn’t much younger than Kaz, but somehow looked like a child – smooth-skinned, wide-eyed, like a silk-eared puppy in a room full of fighting dogs.”
This boy was the cutest thing ever! He’s such an adorable and innocent cinnamon roll!!! I instantly fell in love with Wylan and I’m already afraid to find out more about his past. The relationship with his father was more than just tense and I’m convinced there happened something bad that caused him to move out of his father’s house. It broke my heart when I found out that he seems to be illiterate and that his mean idiot of a father mocked him with it. =( And *lol* for someone who’s as innocent as Wylan to keep up with the crew actually was a hell of an accomplishment! Let’s take a second and appreciate this awesome, clever, courageous and smart boy!!! =)))
”I’m good at demo.”
“You’re passable at demo. You’re excellent at hostage.”
We’re not going in through the embassy,” said Kaz. “Always hit where the mark isn’t looking.”
“Who’s Mark?” asked Wylan.
The ships:
Nina & Matthias:
”A good time needn’t involve wine and … and flesh,” Matthias sputtered.
Nina batted her glossy lashes at him. “You wouldn’t know a good time if it sidled up to you and stuck a lollipop in your mouth.
Those two gave me a serious headache!!! I knew they both loved each other but Matthias vehemently refused to acknowledge his feelings for Nina and it almost drove me insane! *lol* There were moments when I was tempted to throw the book against a wall and swore that I would hate Matthias forever, but then there were also those secret admissions to his true feelings and they kind of outweighed everything else. I have to admit that I also loved the way how Nina and Matthias pushed each other and them playing cat and mouse was just so much fun to hold it against them. XD But oh my god that scene at the end when Matthias took Nina’s hand? Gosh it made me cry and smile at the same time…
”And what did you do, Matthias? What did you do to me in your dreams?”
The ship listed gently. The laterns swayed. His eyes were blue fire. “Everything,” he said, as he turned to go. “Everything.”
He took her hand and kissed her knuckles genly. She winced, but when he tried to pull away, she clutched him tighter.
“Stay,” she panted. Tears leaked from her eyes. “Stay till the end.”
“And after,” he said. “And always.”
“I want to feel safe again. I want to go home to Ravka.”
“Then I’ll take you there. We’ll set fire to raisins or whatever you heathens do for fun.”
“Zealot,” she said weakly.
“Witch.”
“Barbarian.”
“Nina,” he whispered, “little red bird. Don’t go.”
Kaz & Inej:
”Keep talking, Wraith. Don’t slip away from me.”
“But it’s what I do best.”
They killed me! Their love was so bittersweet that it sometimes even caused me to stop breathing. Their emotions were so intense and gentle and yet their circumstances made it impossible to be together. I know everyone is blaming Kaz for holding back and turning Inej down but I can’t bring myself to be angry at him. Not after I saw his struggle and know what he’s been through. To touch other people is pure torture for him, yet he still let Inej reach out to him. It cost him so much just to stand there and let her caress his cheek, but he did it because he actually truly loves her!!! Gosh! Kaz and his fear to be touched killed me and the knowledge Inej didn’t understand his inner conflict actually shattered my heart! I can’t …. Argh I just can’t seem to be able to put into words how much this destroyed me!!! It put my heart through the meat grinder and shredded it into thousand tiny pieces…. It caused me to swallow, it made me gasp for air, it simply wrenched my breath away… It caused me to feel a pang in the center of my chest and my heart is still bleeding… Especially now that they took Inej!!!
”Kaz tumbled through the dark. He was colder than he’d ever been. He thought of Inej’s hand on his cheek. His mind had gone jagged at the sensation, a riot of confusion. It had been terror and disgust and – in all of that clamour - desire, a wish that lingered still, the hope that she would touch him again.”
”She’d laughed, and if he could have bottled the sound and got drunk on it every night, he would have. It terrified him.”
”I can hear the change in Kaz’s breathing when he looks at you.”
“You … you can?”
“It catches every time, like he’s never seen you before.”
He took a deep breath. “I want you to stay. I want you to … I want you.”
“You want me.” She turned the words over. Gently, she squeezed his hand. “And how will you have me, Kaz?”
He looked at her then, eyes fierce, mouth set. It was the face he wore when he was fighting.
“How will you have me?” she repeated. “Fully clothed, gloves on, your head turned away so our lips can never touch?”
He released her hand, his shoulders bunching, his gaze angry and ashamed as he turned his face to the sea.
Maybe it was because his back was to her that she could finally speak the words. “I will have you without armour, Kaz Brekker. Or I will not have you at all.”
Jesper & Wylan:
”Close your eyes!”
“You can’t kiss me from down there, Wylan.”
I loved the slow development of their relationship. Jesper never missed a chance to tease Wylan and even though Wylan was so innocent and shy he still somehow managed to hit back at him! *lol* There were so many meaningful and short moments between those two boys and I really wanted to see that ship sail!!! Unfortunately their love story was just in the background and pretty one-sided because we never actually got a chance to read Wylan’s point of view! *lol* So yeah I hope there are some Wylan chapters in the next book and please, please, please let Wylan get back his beautiful and “stupid face”!! Haha I know it’s petty but Jesper wasn’t the only one that liked his face! *lol*
“Pull your shirt up over your mouth,” he told Wylan.
“What?”
“Stop being dense. You’re cuter when you’re smart.”
Wylan’s cheeks went pink. He scowled and pulled his collar up.
”If only you could talk to girls in equations.”
There was a long silence, and then, eyes trained on the notch they’d created in the link, Wylan said, “Just girls?”
Jesper restrained a grin.”No. Not just girls.”
All things considered this book was amazing and beautifully written! It’s a piece of art that kept me captivated from the beginning to the very end and I think throughout this journey I actually became a part of the crew!
So to all of my fellow Dregs, this is the way my review finally ends:
”No mourners, no funerals.” ;-) -
“This isn't a job for trained soldiers and spies. It's a job for thugs and thieves.”
Dark and gritty adventure. A bunch of anti-heroes. A dangerous scientist. A nation of witch hunters. Gang wars. Grisha. And
Leigh Bardugo. That's the recipe for EPICNESS.
“A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.”
The fate of the world is in the hands of six teenagers, six street rats with no family and no one to look for them. They have to break in an impenetrable fortress, free an important prisoner and try not to kill each other. Each of them has his own goals and ambitions, his own agenda, his own life story full of misery and pain. And everything depends on them.“When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.”
Thoughts
I am at loss for words. Leigh Bardugo set the standards very high with the Grisha Trilogy, and in
Six of Crows she did not disappoint. If you're looking for resemblances between the Grisha and this book you will not find any, besides the fact that both series take place in the same world. Six of Crows is way darker, more mature and a little disturbing. And that's what makes it great.
But darkness is not all you get. There is an extremely high dose of sassiness and the dialogues are witty and crack you up. There is also romance, which doesn't overshadow the story but satisfies the hopeless romantics of the world (including me, obviously). There are twists and turns, the world-building is excellent and solid and everything is woven perfectly.
The characters
All of them are fascinating. They are not righteous or noble, their motives not always pure but you can't help but sympathize with them. I love them all, especially Inej and Nina and Matthias, but I need a moment to talk about Kaz. He's the leader of this group, also known as Dirtyhands, feared by Ketterdam's underworld and not without a reason. You may cringe at his actions, even feel disgusted by them, his greed and his cruelty, but he is my favorite. Because he is brilliant, impossibly smart and daring and deep down he suffers, and he's only trying to make the pain stop.(what can I say, arrogant and tormented is my weakness)“Well, I'm the kind of bastard they only manufacture in the Barrel.”
Reactions about the ending
I am going to try harder to build a time-machine, because there is no way I am going to survive until next book is published. Anyone willing to help?
The hype about Six of Crows? It's totally worth it.
P.S. Nikolai? Darkling?
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OMG MY
THIS
IS
EVERYTHING
REREAD
REREAD
REREAD -
I need to stop telling myself I hate this book because it was actually a good three stars better than the vast majority of YA fantasy I've read, so I'll give it the four stars it deserves. Plot twist.
Inej has so many knives. I'm sure she can spare just one to use to stab me because I wouldn't even be mad.
Imagine going waffle hopping with Nina. There are least five places in my town alone where you can get quality waffles. This is the only thing I want.
Matthias is such a soft cinnamon roll. Break that internalized prejudice, we're all rooting for you.
Wylan needs three hundred (300) hugs. At the minimum.
Jesper has the sense of humor of a sad Gen Z teenager questioning the purpose of existence.
But Kaz still gets his edgy quotes from Pinterest, change my mind. -
Aaah. To hate a series everyone loves ... feels bad dude. I have been known to have unpopular opinions in the past and my friends just tell me to "lower my expectations" but please answer me : If a book has an average of 4.45 rating, If that book is in the 'favorites' shelf of almost all of your friends, If that book is going to be developed into a TV show, If you open a user on goodreads and they have their username including the words "Kaz" and "Brekker", If they have mentioned in their about section that they will only befriend you 'if' you 'love' this book, If it takes you nearly five minutes to find a one star review of a book ... HOW THE HECK COULD I NOT HAVE EXPECTATIONS?
I had so many expectations man, now I really wish I could get a refund for all the love and money that I’ve wasted like !! Anyways, i have been putting off writing this review but it was all bottled up and i nearly exploded today/i did explode today and in order to prevent a second explosion I seriously need to let out my anger.
So buckle up sweetheart, we are going to rant.
I DO NOT LIKE THESE CHARACTERS
Kaz Brekker the MC everyone in this world/universe is in love with is the male version of Alina. Yeah kudos to you. He is also known as Dirtyhands *chokes on vomit and dies* There is not a single thing i like about him. NOT ONE THING. The entire point of having Kaz there is for the readers to drown themselves in romanticized idealizations lmao.
Nina meh. She's okay i suppose. Plus the whole i-framed-him thing was actually kind of dumb.
Matthias totally not a walking stereotype yeah yeah la-di-dah. Broody type, doesn’t laugh at jokes, ken-doll hair albeit a little longer, outstandingly handsome, has abs.
Inej who is supposed to be “The Wraith” at the age of sixteen (cringefest at my home : FREE INVITATIONS AVAILABLE NOW) who is given a pass because she is a person of color. Yeah right. Look it’s good to see people of color in novels but I am freakin’ tired of “I am awesome because I had a tragic past” trope.
Jesper lol the guy is supposed to be some kind of sharpshooter who starts crying for a medic when one of his friends is shot. Real gangster right here dude.
Wylan who I forgot was even in the book most of the time tbh.
THE PLOT
The first 5o% is just filler to be honest. You just kinda have to endure it until the storyline gets some plot relevance back :/ but it is so boring that you just want to stop reading it but you can't stop like you know i wanted to close the book but i just couldn't and my brain had stopped working. uhhuh. and i just wanted it to stop like STOP !! I skimmed entire pages and tbh I wasn't even trying my hardest lol. there is literally a limit i can take until i decided i want to watch grass grow.
huh the plot follows Kaz who has to steal not money but a man from some Court and he recruits five people and they agree to this heist 'cause paisa hi paisa hoga
and then the filler starts which we have to read for half the book until the real heist begins which is less of a heist and more of a "explosions, fights and alarms ringing."
HOW THE HECK ARE THEY TEENAGERS
Kaz is seventeen and Inej is sixteen. huh believable. Absolutely. Kaz is so so so damn skilled that ... older, wiser merchants have to fear him. And a bigshot merchant also turns to him for help? I know that in a harsh environment people do grow up quickly but they cannot under any condition become "mob bosses" or if they can in this (totally) fictional world of Ketterdam then ... I would simply start laughing, right in this second.
And if Inej was kidnapped/whatever (i forget) at age fourteen and lived in a whore house for one year and now she is sixteen then SHE BECAME A SPY IN ONE YEAR AS IF CELAENA SARDOTHIEN BECOMING THE MOST FEARED ASSASSIN IN SIXTEEN YEARS WASN'T ENOUGH NOW WE HAVE INEJ AS A SPY, FULLY SKILLED AND FEARED IN ONE YEAR.
LET'S LAUGH AT DUMB THINGS
Yeah so Inej, who is supposedly a fearsome assassin leaves Kaz in the middle of the night when she is supposed to be fucking protecting him.
And how the heck is Pekka Rollins (@@) who is THE crime boss, stupid enough to leave his house, in another country, for an extremely dangerous operation instead of asking his men? WHY THE HECK WOULD HE TRICK TWO SMOL BOYS TO GIVE HIM A FREAKIN' PIECE OF FARM INSTEAD OF ASKING HIS MEN TO DO IT FOR HIM?
GIVING FAST AND FURIOUS A RUN FOR THEIR MONEY
Yeah so guess what dudes, this is the next Fast and Furious with the whole fucking you make your family. anyway, I don't even give a shit anymore lmao.
KAZZY BOY
hoO boy !! HOO BOY!! He literally LEFT other people who were counting on him in order to go after an enemy. uuhh... it sure as fuck was not okay. His reputation that he built a myth around himself is just a myth. It the same problem i had with D. Both are supposed to be powerful, awesome blah blah but do we see it even once? NADA !!
ha he is supposed to be some lockpicker whatever
WHY DOES EVERYONE HAVE A TRAGIC PAST?
Seriously why? It's overdone. Flashbacks in the middle of action scenes revealing their backstories is not a turn-on for me.
THAT ENDING
Too many flashbacks and people walking right into obvious traps are your downfall.
Plus,
*yawns* that's the ending. THAT and
THIS IS JUST MY NIGHTMARE COME TO LIFE.
Anyway that's all i can think right now. I will rant more when my sugar bowl is full. -
Excellent novel is excellent. Review to come.
----
WHAT IS THIS?
-
All the Stars
So, I’m legit four years late reading this - meaning pretty much everyone else already read this ages ago and there are tons of great reviews out there - so I'll keep this short.
I’ll just say that this was truly one of the bests books I’ve read in a long time. The plot was like a magical/steampunk/Gangs of New York meets Ocean’s Eleven and the characters were SO magnetic and well-written that I was gripped from page one. Bardugo’s writing, humor, pacing...everything, really, was just so on point. Easily my favorite read of 2019 thus far.
Side note: This actually sat on my shelf for a really long time and I intended to read it years ago, but just never got around to it. Plus, I think I was worried about the hype killing it for me. But, I’m actually happy I’m only reading it now as this has been a year of very few 5-star reads for me and this totally hit the spot for me when I needed it.
SO excited to crack open book two, which everyone says is even better.
