Review: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo 
Publication date: Sept 29, 2015
Publisher: Henry Holt and Company
Category: Young Adult - Fantasy
Source: Received ARC from publisher (Thanks!)
Summary: 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. 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. (greads.com)

The Good

I need to preface this review with the following: The Grisha Trilogy is one of my favorite series ever. Just thinking about Alina and Mal bring on all the feels so my expectations for Six of Crows were ridiculously high and I was more than a little nervous about starting it. I can tell you two things up front — this new series from Leigh Bardugo is wildly entertaining and The Grisha is still my favorite (as of right now!).

Six of Crows is a spin-off of the original series and centers around Ketterdam, a town of international trade and criminals all vying for schemes with the biggest pay-offs. The most notable criminal is Kaz Brekker and his band comprised of five other individuals, collectively known as The Dregs. They’re an eclectic bunch with dark pasts (criminal and personal) and Kaz has brought them together for their biggest heist yet. One that includes an inescapable prison and the Grisha, whose powers are deeply feared. But if they succeed, they will be unbelievably rich. And so, they accept the challenge and what ensues is nothing short of thrilling. The further you get into the book, the higher the stakes become and I was gripping the book in anticipation by the end.

Combined with the non-stop action are five different perspectives, meaning we get chapters told from each of those characters. Each person is interesting in their own way and bring to the book elements of  bravery, humor, strength, vulnerability, romance, fear, anger and camaraderie. But I can easily pick out my favorites: Inej and Nina followed very closely by Kaz and then Matthias. While I enjoyed the book in its entirety, I loved their chapters best, especially as things progressed in the way I hoped they would.

(Super minor) reservations

This is just a personal thing but I always struggle a bit with multiple POVs. Depending on the situation, I like dual narration but anything more than that typically leaves me wanting more of certain characters and less of others.

Do I recommend?

That would be a yes! I’m a huge fan of Leigh Bardugo’s writing and the world she’s created so it was great to be back in it. Plus Six of Crows ends on a note that leaving you want more!