Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Pages: 465

Intended Audience: Mature Teens

Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy / Adventure

Notes for Parents: Contains violence (sometimes graphic), and mature scenes.

The Back Cover

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…

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’s crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is the first book in a duology. The second book is called Crooked Kingdom. The books are set in the same world as the author’s Grisha trilogy.

What’s good?

There is plenty of action in this alternative world adventure about a group of criminals tasked with abducting a scientist who holds a formula that turns people who already have extraordinary gifts into unstoppable weapons. The characters are very well drawn with excellent character development. The world building is strong. The pace varies, but the action is full of risk and tension and there are many heart-stopping moments. The plot is somewhat complex, but it’s easy to follow with many interesting subplots. Friendship, morality, trust, and grief are among the themes.

Best Part: Nina.

What isn’t good?

It was longer than necessary and there are too many characters, making them difficult to keep track of. Kaz was a strong character, but impossible to like. Nina and Matthias were an awkward couple whose relationship was annoyingly inconsistent. Inej, who is meant to be a strong, female character was adept but too reliant on others. Her relationship with Kaz was strange.

Worst part: There’s nothing terrible.

Recommendation ☺☺☺☻☻ (3/5)

This is a typical “heist” story set in an alternate world. It has a good pace (in most parts) and plenty of twists and turns fraught with tension and danger. I found the relationships between the characters were awkward, but the characters themselves were very interesting. It was a fun read.

Bardugo, Leigh. Six of Crows. New York: Henry Holt & Company, 2015.