Chapter by Chapter

First thing’s first: if you haven’t read Six of Crows, please get your life together and go read the book. With that in mind—Six of Crows is everything that it has been hyped up to be. I’ve been seeing a lot of posts showing up on my Tumblr dashboard regarding Six of Crows. I literally can’t go a day without seeing something Leigh Bardugo related showing up (which is totally fine considering how amazing her novels are), but Six of Crows is by far the best thing since sliced bread. If you’re a fan of the author’s Grisha trilogy and want to immerse yourself even further in that fictional world then strap yourself in for a ride into Ketterdam alongside Kaz Brekker.

A notorious thief in the streets of Ketterdam, Kaz Brekker is known as ‘Dirtyhands’. There’s no job that’s too much for Kaz and so long as he’s getting paid for his efforts, he’s pleased. When the opportunity to pull off an impossible heist is presented before him alongside a hefty sum of money, Kaz knows thatthis is the heist of a lifetime. The job? Break into the Ice Court and break out a prisoner harboring dangerous knowledge. Pulling together an unlikely team of six renegades, criminals and thugs alike, Kaz has his work cut out for him. But in the Barrel, nothing is ever what it seems, and breaking into the Ice Court could easily become the worst of Kaz and the Crows’ problems.

I could honestly just scream at the top of my lungs over Six of Crows and sing the novel’s praises. But, because I think typing in caps lock is time consuming (don’t ask me how) and definitely isn’t easy on the eyes, I’ll attempt to calmly convey my feelings for this book. I feel that I should mention right now that Six of Crows is written beautifully in the third person. If there is one thing that I should commend Bardugo for, it is how phenomenal her writing has grown. There wasn’t a moment where I skimmed a page or rolled my eyes at her prose. Every single thing about the way that Six of Crows is written just works. It’s an amazing read and definitely showcases her craft.

As a novel that is told between varying points of view, I fell in love with every single member of the Kaz’s team (the Crows, as I will reference them, for the purpose of this review). No two characters were alike. Each character had a unique voice and a refreshing, original presentation. This a group of flawed, well-written, morally ambiguous teens who are all so easily relatable. From Inej—the spy known as the Wraith—with her tragic backstory, to Jesper (a sharpshooter with a gambling problem), to Nina the Heartrender who is just trying to survive—I adored every single one of these characters. If you’re a reader who loves becoming invested in the protagonists of a novel then for the love of all things good, read Six of Crows. It will give you that and then some.

There was never a dull moment while reading Six of Crows. When the novel wasn’t throwing badass action sequences or pivotal scenes that deal with character development my way, it was giving me backstory. Typically, I’m not the kind of reader who likes having backstory given to me through flashback-esque storytelling, but I loved the way that Bardugo executed it. From the moment that we first meet Matthias, I knew that I was going to fall in love with the snippets of backstory that we’re offered.

And because I’ve decided to mention Matthias, I need to mention Matthias and Nina. If you are a reader who loves romance and loves slow burn romance in particular—read Six of Crows. Imagine this: two characters who have a romantic history together, giving you backstory regarding how their romantic history formed, while also potentially rekindling said romance. Matthias and Nina offer double the almost-romance, double the slow burn pain, and double the feels and angst. What I’m trying to say is that I came to Six of Crows for a story about a crazy heist and amazing characters, but I stayed (in partial) for the amazing story told between Matthias and Nina.

I would recommend Six of Crows to readers who want a novel that is very Suicide Squad meets Heist Society by Ally Carter. To any readers who want a novel that is high fantasy and kickass, look no further than this book. If you’re a reader who is looking for a story that is filled with romance, action, adventure, and turmoil—Six of Crows is for you. Overall, if you’re somebody who reads, I’m going to tell you to pick up Six of Crows. It’s that simple.