Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Reviewed by: Cassie

Summary (from Goodreads.com)

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.

Greetings, readers! Welcome to Fiction Fairies and thank you for stopping by.

Today I'll be reviewing the much anticipated book Six of Crows by the fabulous Leigh Bardugo. Yes, that's right, you heard me. The one and only woman who brought us the Darkling in all his glory, the one who wrecked my heart and destroyed all other male characters.

So yes, I was ECSTATIC when I saw she had a new series coming out. Did I dare hope for another Darkling?

With caution and apprehension, I secretly longed for another masterpiece of male speciman. I knew the chances were slim, but I STILL HOPED.

Let's get to it.


The story is, as many other people will inform you, EPIC. Like, literally epic. Long, complicated, and intense. It is action packed in every sense, and the plot is kind of confusing. Not my cup of tea, I'll let you know that right now, but somehow I still kept coming back to this behemoth of a book. Perhaps that says something about Bardugo's talent as a writer; even though I would never normally read a book like this, I felt compelled for continue... I was quite enraptured.
Fair warning: there is a cliff hanger.

(Can we admire Johnny Depp for a minute?)

Yes. In all the many, MANY pages Bardugo conjures, she felt it necessary to draw things out and then cut it all short with a cliffy.

As for the characters, I enjoyed them. I thought I wouldn't ... After all, you've got 6 main characters and therefore 6 times the possibility of me despising any which one of them... But I didn't?
That's a confusing thing for me to admit.

Because how is that possible?
The 2 females are fantastic, strong, and both possess a complicated backstory.
Inej, the Wraith... The silent girl who vanishes into the shadows, collector of secrets
Nina... A girl who fell in love with the wrong boy and made a mistake she can never take back

The 4 males are all different and somewhat lovable in their own ways.
Matthias... Honestly he reminded me of a hot viking. I have a weakness for said vikings. Even though Matthias was (for a long time) an annoying jerk who refused to give up his absurd beliefs, I couldn't stop picturing a hot viking.
Suffice to say, I forgave him for all the blasphemy spouting from his mouth.

Side note: his relationship with Nina was AMAZING. Gave me tingles, made me swoon every now and then...

Jesper... Honestly I expected him to be funnier. He was the light-hearted, wild-card, gambler of the group.
Wylan... Not much to say except I ship him and Jesper and I don't even understand why.
Perhaps because Jesper jokingly (or not so jokingly) flirted with him? There were moments, I tell you.

AND LASTLY.
Kaz.
The demon. The monster. The one closest to the Darkling... But not nearly close enough.
He's ruthless, murderous, secretive, ingenious, mad. Crippled...

Second side note: his relationship with Inej was ALSO to-die-for. Much quieter than Nina/Matthias with less drama but just as striking. Two twisted, haunted people coming together beautifully.

I SHIP THEM ALL!!!!! Refer to this gem I found online to understand my fangirling.

Inej x Kaz

Jesper x Wylan

Nina x Matthias

But... I do have one complaint.
The romance was lacking.
I must say one thing though!!! There were some very, VERY provocative snippets interspersed in the text. Sometimes a fleeting thought just got my heart racing or a vivid image seared itself in my mind.
Very subtle, very classy, very teasing. I wanted more!

The sound of her voice, pleading with him. He'd dreamed of this. Sometimes she pleaded for mercy. Sometimes there were other thing she begged for. 

 Or:

She knew she shouldn't speak, but she couldn't help herself. "And what did you do, Matthias? What did you do to me in your dreams?" ... His eyes were blue fire. "Everything," he said 

Well then.

To conclude:
I'm not sure I'll continue the series (not my cup of tea) but I do recommend you read a chapter or two and see if you enjoy this sort of book.
Six of Crows is not at all like the Grisha trilogy; it's a very different story line and writing style.

Kisses~~
Cassie