Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows
Six of Crows: Book One
Written by Leigh Bardugo
Young Adult, Fantasy, Magic
Published September 29th 2015 by Henry Holt and Company
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★★★
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.
Located in the slums of Ketterdam is a crew notorious for crime. At the forefront of said crew is Kaz Brekker, dubbed Dirtyhands for his willingness to do just about anything for the right price. Behind him is Inje, otherwise know as the Wraith for her skill of being stealthy and efficient with her knives. Nina, the magical Grisha who can both kill and heal. Waylan, the son of a rich merch who knows how to make things go boom. Jesper, the sharpshooter and gamble addict. Lastly, Matthias - a Grisha hunter and the muscle. This band of criminals must join forces to pull off an impossible heist.

A deadly drug has been created that enhances Gisha's powers. Were it to fall into the wrong hands, the world would surely be thrown into chaos and ruin. In order to stop that from happening they must go to the source. A scientist is being held within the Ice Court, and is the only man who knows the chemistry behind the drug. Kaz is offered thirty million to break this scientist out and return him to Ketterdam. In order to do so, he must form a crew that will be able to do the impossible. Their journey takes them across the sea down a perilous road which is riddled with treachery, greed and betrayal.

Kynndra's Thoughts

I'll be 100% honest. I had a love hate relationship with this book. It took me forever - and I mean forever to get into it. I was so ready to DNF it because I was so frustrated with the pace. It took me up until 83% of the book to understand why so many people have raved about this book - even then I don't entirely understand the hype surrounding it. Nonetheless, I'm happy I kept with it because the second half of the story got really crazy and exciting and I loved seeing the plot take off.

Bad bits first. This book felt long as fuck. I don't know if it was the writing, or if I just wasn't feeling the characters at first but damn it was like swimming in mud. Probably because I hated the first 37% of this book (yes I kept checking my progress because I felt like I was crawling). I understand this may just be me - it very well may be. I wouldn't doubt it, I'm not all that into really slow builds. Good thing is that I adjusted, I sucked it up and plowed on forth.

The plotting was extraordinary. Wow, it was so good. I was swung left and right. I love nothing more than when little puzzle plot pieces start falling into place. I got a lot of that throughout the stretch of the book. This was definitely the highpoint of the book for me. I'm convinced that Leigh is one of the best plotters I've come across in the YA genre, even though this is the only book I've read of hers.

Six of Crows is very telly and little showy. You are constantly getting info dumps and mini-flashbacks to the characters past. There are six characters, five of which get POV's (I forget, does Waylan get one? I don't remember) and if you know me, I'm not huge on anymore than three POV's. I have a small and tired brain and hate the flip flopping. But thankfully the more interesting characters got more chapters than the lesser characters. I think that was this books saving grace for me.

When it comes down to the characters I was only really into Kaz and Inje. Kaz is such a complex, mysterious and heart wrenching character. I rooted for him every step of the way and cheered when he won and booed when he failed. I was really invested in seeing how his persona would evolve from the first page to the last. I really look forward to seeing how Leigh molds him in book two. As for Inje - she was quiet and all around intriguing, not to mention she kicks some serious ass. I loved the depth behind both these characters and didn't mind their background stories. I also ship the hell out of them.

That's not to say I didn't enjoy the other four. I liked seeing the interactions betwixt Nina and Matthias - their banter actually brought a lot of life to the story. And I appreciated their interesting history with one another but I wasn't attached at all. Jesper and Waylan were just necessary tools for the mission - I didn't really care for either of these two. I know, I'm probably terrible but they can't all be winners. I do have faith that these guys will get a bigger spotlight in book two, so maybe I'll love them then!

In Conclusion

I loved the world, the plot and the magic that Leigh Bardugo so passionately invested a lot of time into creating. While I wasn't a huge fan of all the profiling of the characters, she put a lot of thought into who she needed them to be for the story. I'll be the first to admit that I'm a black sheep when it comes to this book (its average on GR is 4.41). I wasn't gaga about it - I loved some parts, hated others but in the end I'm happy I gave in and read Six of Crows. I honestly can't wait for the sequel. The cliffhanger will probably have already killed me come fall.

Kynndra is currently browsing tumblr and getting ready for bed.


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33 comments

  1. You're right, you do hear really good things about this one. I appreciate your honest thoughts though! I still want to read Shadow and Bone and the rest, and we'll see if I get to this one depending on what I think of the author's previous books.

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    1. You really do hear a lot of good things about SOC! I'm iffy on reading the Grisha series (maybe one day though). I'm just not sure if Bardugo's writing appeals a whole lot to me, but I still adore the plotting. Thanks c:

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  2. Aww, I do understand the pain of being the black sheep. *pats shoulder* Although I DID like this one a lot. *flails* But I agree there were too many characters. It would've been better if it just focused on Kaz/Inej for this book? Maybe more on the others as it went on? I mean, they were all stunning complex and interesting characters but....TOO MUCH. TOOOOO MUUUUCH. Way too much backstory too *nods* I felt a little drowned by all the stuff I had to remember. :P But still...afjdksalfd I loved how dark and awesome it was. XD

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    1. Ahh it is such a pain, Cait xP but I'm okay with it. I'm glad you liked this one! I didn't mind it, but I wasn't blown away but I still have appreciation for the story! The characters had so much depth which was great, but I only really liked Kaz + Inje. You're right though, it was TOO MUCH. I hope I like the sequel better.

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  3. Bummer you didn't like this more. I thought it was really good (i think I gave it 4 stars) but I do think it was overhyped a bit. I listened to audiobook so it didn't seem as long to me, but it probably would have if I would have read it. I loved Nina and Matthias!

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    1. I think it was overhyped a bit as well. Not that that's a bad thing, it just didn't meet my expectations based on all the hype. I laughed at Nina! She was a good comedic relief c:

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  4. I've been looking for tons of reviews on this book, finally I think I've made my decision. I'll pick it up. I know I'm probably going to be with you on this, with the whole black sheep thing, just based off of all the reviews and synopsis. Lovely review Kynndra, your reviews always blow me away <3

    ~Noor

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    1. It's not a bad thing to be the black sheep! Not every book can be a winner, but I look forward to hearing what you think about it Noor! Maybe you'll love it, you never know. Aww, thanks so much hun <3 it means a lot.

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  5. Mm, it's a pity you didn't like this more - I've heard so many people raving about it! Oh well - at least I know that if I don't love it, I won't be the only one!

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    1. I wish I could have got swept up in the hype and love for SOC, but I just couldn't Geraldine. So many people have loved this one though! So don't be discouraged!

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  6. I can definitely see why you were a bit meh about this Kynndra - the pacing at the beginning was my main criticism too. But I'm glad you liked it besides that! Thanks for sharing and, as always, fabulous review! ♥

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    1. Yeah, the pacing was just really off for me Zoe! But I ended up enjoying some bits and pieces of the story and will read the second. Thanks so much, hun! <3

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  7. 83 % is a lot to start enjoying the book. I would probably DNF, I don’t have it in me to wait so long lately. And It was so hard to DNF a book for me in the past. I guess the reason is busy real life schedule.

    Have you read Grisha trilogy, Kynndra? I’ve heard it can be difficult to get into the story for those who hadn’t read it. I haven’t (because there are a lot of Russian thing portrayed wrong) and I have my doubt about Six Crows.

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    1. It really is a lot, but at that point I just had to finish it. I wanted to DNF - but I was so determined to see why nearly everyone had raved about this book. It was okay near the end though!

      No, I haven't Ksenia. I don't think I will either - the plot and world just doesn't interest me all that much. Plus, SOC didn't impress me enough to make me want to read Grisha. However, I will read book two of SOC. Sucks the Russian aspect of it is wrong :/ I can understand why that'd bother you.

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  8. I've already decided to pick this one up but it's good to know that it starts slowly! I've read a few other books that I loved that other people said start slowly, so fingers crossed this one will follow that rule. And Kaz + Inej have nearly won my heart already through sheer Tumblr edits sooo ... hoping that it will be to my taste! Thank you for the review!

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    1. Slow isn't a bad thing. But this one was slow slow. I just couldn't get into it for the longest of time which was really unfortunate. But it's still enjoyable near the end where all the action happens. Kaz and Inje are lovely - especially on tumblr edits xP I hope this one is to your liking!

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  9. It's quite unfortunate you didn't enjoy this as much. I guess with great hype comes great expectations. :D I enjoyed this one. I love the Ocean's Eleven trope set in the grishaverse. But I can see why you didn't fare well. It felt long for me at times as well, but I opted to listen to the audio so the narratives didn't feel as daunting.

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    1. Hype really is a double edged sword, Joy. I'm really happy to hear that you enjoyed Six of Crows! Maybe the narrative would have been better for me xP

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  10. EVERYONE loves this book, and I'm just praying to the bookish gods that I don't have the same experience I did when I read Shadow & Bone. I just didn't really like the book, the writing was mediocre, but the plot is what saved it. Hopefully I'll like Six of Crows much better than the Grisha series. Sorry this one wasn't a bigger hit for you!

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    1. Everyone really does seem to love this book! (Which is a good thing!). I haven't been able to read the Grisha series - I'm not so sure I'm going to. SOC didn't really make me want to read it unfortunately. I do hope you're able to enjoy SOC though, Tika c:

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  11. I think yours is the second review I've read that isn't totally gaga over the book, and I'm weirdly pleased by it. I haven't read it yet, but I'm so worried I'm not going to love it as much as everyone else :/ thank you for sharing your honest thoughts Kynndra, hopefully it's one of those series that gets better with each novel :)

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    1. Ah, yes this book has been raved about (I don't understand why, but that's just me). Don't be worried, if you don't love it - you don't love it. Not every book can be a winner :D No problem, Wattle. I sure hope I find book two better than the first.

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  12. I don't know if my comment went through before my dumb laptop decided to die on me, so I'll just type it again :) I FELT THE SAME AS YOU OMG. Didn't understand the hype at all. Yay for black sheep.

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    1. Black sheep for the win! Ahh I'm so relieved to hear I'm not the only one xP Although, sucks to hear you didn't really enjoy SOC either.

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  13. I'm definitely one of the ones that absolutely LOVED this book, but I do admit sometimes the hype gets to you! It's unfortunate that this one was a bit disappointing for you Kynn, thanks for sharing!

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    1. I'm glad you really loved it Jeann! Yes, hype is usually a hit or miss sometimes. I'm hopeful book two will be better!

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  14. Oh boo, I'm sorry you didn't love this one, Kynndra, but I completely understand why it might not have been the book for you. The first few chapters were a bit rough for me too, but it was the promise of Nina & Matthias that kept me moving. I agree that some of the book felt telling v/s showing. I really liked the characters though and I'm excited to see where the story heads to next. And it also looks like the hype got to you. I avoided all reviews of the book because I know how crushing hype can be at times. Wonderful review, Kynndra! <3

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    1. The first few chapters were hell for me Dx It was chapter 13 where I finally got adjusted to the story/writing but it still was slow for me until the ending portion. Although I wasn't gaga about SOC, I too really look forward to seeing where the story heads to next. Hype is sometimes great, other times bad. Thanks a lot Nick <3

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  15. I KNEW I loved you for a reason :) Seriously, your thoughts are my exact thoughts, pretty much! I feel less alone in the world. I want to sing "Wind Beneath My Wings" to you, because I felt like I was crazy for awhile because I didn't loooooove this book. I liked it! But like you, I liked the end. Maybe a little more- the last 30% or so? I feel like I was finally getting to know the characters (which are by far the best part of this book- and like you, I loved Kaz and Inej the best!) and then things started happening. But I also had a problem with the ummm ease of some of the events.

    And it took me like, 2.5 weeks to read. Which is SO unusual for me. It was during kind of a rough time, so I kept wondering if it was just ME, and considered rereading it but... goodness it took a long time. I mean, I liked it still, but didn't looove it. So glad I am not alone!! Fabulous review :D

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    1. BAHA! AWW I love you too, Shannon c; Ahhh I'm so happy knowing that I wasn't alone in my 'meh' feeling about this book! It's certainly uncomfortable not loving a book that nearly everyone is obsessed with. But alas, us creatures can't adore every book we read. The last 20-30% was definitely the peak of the book for me. I get what you mean though, I felt like some of the events that took place were either too easy or too quickly done :/

      2.5 weeks to read a book is exhausting. I've been there SO many times unfortunately. Mostly because things in my life make it so by the time I sit down to read - all I want to do is sleep. No worries, bub - you are not alone <3

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  16. I will try not to be heartbroken because I freaking loved this book! I do agree that aside from Kaz and Inej (and IMO Nina), the rest of the crew was a little lacklustre, especially Wyland who did not get a POV. I really enjoyed the writing though and tbh I got side tracked shipping Kaz/Inej that any criticism I may have had flew out the window XD I am sorry to hear it didn't work for you, hun!

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  17. Ahh, that's a shame you didn't like this one loads! It's always hard being the black sheep when it comes to books that have SO much hype surrounding it - I loved it, but I was so scared I wasn't going to. I'm glad you read it and gave it a try! :D

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  18. Awh, no. Shame you didn't love it! Though I get why, it does take a while to get into (took around a 100pg for me) but damn it is definitely plotty, and I love when all things come together AND I AM SO WITH YOU WITH KAZ AND INEJ. WE'RE DOOMED.

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