Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows is a duology by Leigh Bardugo set in the GrishaVerse and I have to say it is worth all the hype it's received.

Books are my one true love in life. As a bookworm I read various genres but one of my favourites is fantasy.

I envy how fantasy authors can create a whole new world and society, input different characters into the world and hook the reader from the first page. Some of my favourite books/book series are fantasy/dystopian novels including the Shatter Me series and A Court of Thorns and Roses series.

However, I now have another series to add to that list and it's the Six of Crows duology.

My friend gave me the paperbacks of the duology, which I was grateful for as I'd always wanted them but wasn't sure I'd like them, hence me not buying them myself. But then my cousins, who have read the duology, recommended them to me and so I decided to read them. Beware, a spoiler about the ending of book one is mentioned below.

My Review of the Six of Crows Duology by Leigh Bardugo

Fantasy world: 10/10

Action: 9/10

Romance: 8/10

Found family: 10/10

The Six of Crows duology consists of two books, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom. The two books are to be read together as book one ends on a cliffhanger leading onto book two.

Six of Crows introduces you to the world of the GrishaVerse and Ketterdam. We meet the protagonists of the duology and discover the aspects of the fantasy world Bardugo created.

Book one follows the story of six misfits as they attempt to pull off an impossible heist. Each chapter is written in a different character's perspective allowing the reader to get an insight into each of them and see their point of view. The third-person narrative allows the reader to feel like an observer, watching the events unfold in real time.

The premise of an impossible heist is one that captured my attention because after being introduced to each of the main characters and seeing their "status quo", the action begins and we see the characters planning and plotting.

The male protagonist of the duology is Kaz Brekker. Brekker is portrayed as a ruthless, cold and dangerous man. He's notorious and nicknamed 'Dirtyhands' and 'Demon'. But from the chapters told from his perspective, we see that there is more to Kaz than ruthlessness. He has many layers to his character that he keeps hidden to maintain a sinister reputation. I personally loved Kaz's character because yes he is morally grey and sinister, but he is troubled by his past and trying to escape the trauma from his past; the mission he and his team of Dregs embark on brings his trauma back and adds more conflict into the narrative.

Inej, to me, is the second protagonist. She is the one person who has probably seen more sides to Kaz than anyone else. Essentially, he saved her from a horrific path in life and as a result the two work side by side. Inej is his Wraith and is one of the most skilled people in Ketterdam who doesn't have the use of magic to aid her. I liked Inej's character because she was so controlled, so specific in her movements and actions but she was also a survivor. Throughout the book, we learn what each character has gone through and I felt so much empathy when it came to Inej and Kaz, actually, and I loved how Leigh portrayed these characters and their stories.

Nina, Jesper, Matthias and Wylan are the other four misfits that make up the crew of six for the heist. Nina is a strong Grisha woman, fighting to survive after a past where she was captured and nearly killed. I liked Nina's humour and personality as a whole, especially the change in it when Matthias came into the story; their enemies-to-lovers vibes were so good and whilst Matthias isn't my favourite character - there was one scene where I wanted to punch him - he does have a good heart when it comes to Nina.

Jesper was one of the more comedic elements throughout the novel and I enjoyed seeing how he fits into the group, his hidden talents and the way he interacted with Wylan as if he likes him but didn't want to like him. Wylan was a bit of a 'meh' character at the beginning for me; he was quite innocent to the horrors of Ketterdam and the Barrel but towards the end of the novel, his character arc was clear and you could see he was starting to embrace being a Dreg.

The entire plot of book one kept me hooked all the way through because the way Bardugo wrote the prose keeps you wanting to know whether the team manage to pull of the heist. Obviously, as it's a fantasy book we know there'll be conflict throughout the novel, so the problems that kept cropping up just made it even more exciting but also added to the suspense.

All edits are mine, images are not

And now onto Crooked Kingdom

Crooked Kingdom was very much the same. After Inej is captured at the end of book one, Kaz and the team create a plan to try and get her back. But nothing is as simple as it seems...obviously.

I loved book one and couldn't wait to start book two because I needed to know what happens.

Leigh's writing style is very poetic but it also has clarity that conveys the images she wants you to see off the page clearly and the narrative will hook you in until the last word. Crooked Kingdom follows on from Six of Crows and so, you already know the characters and what's happening.

But I felt that throughout Crooked Kingdom, I actually got to know the characters better as individuals on a deeper level. In the first part, the focus is mainly on Inej and her safety, which means that as a reader we learn more about her character and the relationship she has with Kaz and within the dregs. I loved her character even more in book two because of the emotional connection Leigh creates between her and the reader.

Similarly, Kaz became less of a villain and more of a tortured hero in Crooked Kingdom. In the first book, you do learn about his past but in book two, you see Kaz try to overcome what holds him back and it was refreshing seeing his vulnerable side as well as the 'dangerous Dirtyhands' that was primarily in book one.

There is a lot of action happening in Crooked Kingdom. The conflict is not an easy conflict to resolve, hence the thickness of the book, but whilst reading it, I didn't feel that it was too long-winded or complex to follow. Leigh wrote the narrative in a way that flows well and isn't too fast or slow-paced - it was just right.

However, towards the end, there is something that happens that I was not expecting. Looking back now, it makes sense why it happened and did seem logical but at the time, I wasn't happy because it was a sad moment and an emotional one for the characters of the story. But I do think it strengthens the narrative that bit more.

Choosing my favourite book out of Six of Crows or Crooked Kingdom is difficult. Six of Crows introduces you to the world and the characters and you get immersed in their lives. But on the other hand, Crooked Kingdom is more action-packed, perhaps more emotional, and you have that stronger connection to the characters because you know who they are from book one.

What I can decide, however, is that the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo is one of my favourite series to read. I will never forget the stories, the characters and will - definitely - reread them.

Have you read the Six of Crows duology? If so, let me know your thoughts down below.

Until next time...