Series Name:
Six of Crows, #1
Review By Veronica
Get ready to return to the Grishaverse.
Favourite Quote:
“Kaz Brekker didn’t need a reason. Those were the words whispered on the streets of Ketterdam, in the taverns and coffeehouses, in the dark and bleeding alleys of the pleasure district known as the Barrel. The boy they called Dirtyhands didn’t need a reason any more than he needed permission—to break a leg, sever an alliance, or change a man’s fortunes with the turn of a card.”
Goodreads Synopsis:
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 is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
I was excited to read Six of Crows. I love reading YA fantasy books, and this one has been on my TBR list for a while. Many of you may have heard of the Shadow and Bone book and Netflix series. Six of Crows is the first book in the next Grishaverse series (or duology in this case). If you are like me and like reading the books before watching the TV show, you will want to read both the Shadow and Bone series and the Six of Crows duology before diving into the Netflix show.
I like this book better than Shadow and Bone. I found it more interesting, and I just loved the cast of characters in this book. Leigh did a great job bringing her readers back to the Grishaverse. She created this new and exciting adventure that ensures readers will still have that sense of excitement when reading this book.
Six of Crows follows the story of six unlikely characters who find themselves working together to sneak into a foreign government building to smuggle out a man who has created a drug that can amplify a Grisha’s powers. I love a good heist adventure book. Leigh did a great job making this fun, exciting, and complex heist plot. She puts those twists and turns at the right spot, and everything just flows at the right pace. I love how Leigh incorporated flashbacks into the storyline. It was an excellent way for readers to know these new characters and understand what motivates them.
The cast of characters in this book was the highlight for me. They were just so much fun, diverse, and cunning. They all had such compelling and engaging backstories, and it was fascinating watching as they navigated their world and interacted with each other. This book is told from Kaz, Inej, Nina, Matthias, and Jespers POV’s. I actually really enjoyed reading the story from this group’s POV’s. They are all such different characters, so it was really great experiencing this heist adventure from each of their perspectives. I have to say that Nina, Inej, and Jesper were my favourite characters in this book. Nina and Inej are strong, smart, capable ladies who have learned to survive the harsh world they live in. The friendship they formed during this book stuck out. I loved how they helped each other, and there was none of that bitchy cattiness between them.
The only issue I seem to have with this book is that I felt lost and confused at times. It was the same feeling I had when I read Leigh’s Shadow and Bone novel. Leigh has created this complex world, but for me, she doesn’t explain the world to her readers as well as I’d like. I wanted to know its history, the caste system, why these countries were fighting each other, and why some people had these mysterious powers. But none of this was explained. I felt like I was just thrown into this book without fully understanding the bigger picture, which left me feeling a bit frustrated.
Six of Crows is a fantastic fantasy adventure read that will leave you on the edge of your seat.
