Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist.
Let me preface this by saying that this review is fully subjective and anyone and everyone is free to disagree. This review contains mild spoilers (backstories, dialogues and minor plot details) for the Six of crows book of the Six of crows duology.
I give this book solid 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Six of crows, a 2016 YA fantasy novel by Leigh Bardugo will always remind me that literature is a tangible, captivating kind of magic, and this book is nothing short of a masterpiece. This beauty has it all: controversial characters, teeth-biting suspense, crafty humour and hilarious sarcasm, an absolutely gripping storyline, thrilling mystery, deception, power, impossible heists, intense action, and much more.
Before getting into the millions of reasons why I love this, let's start with the one thing which I didn't like about the book. I, and a lot of other readers, felt that all the characters were too young, most of them within the age range of 15-18. Yes, I do realise that this is a Young Adult book, but with the dark and gritty theme of the book it could pass off as an Adult fantasy too. While people do grow up according to their backgrounds and circumstances, the characters in this book would've been much more believable if they had been aged up a bit. I imagined them to be 22-24 years of age. It really isn't a big enough of a problem to pull you out of the reading experience.
Now, onto why is absolutely adore this book.
I'm really at a complete loss for words. Leigh Bardugo has really outdone herself with this book. Every time I thought I finally knew what was going to happen, I would encounter plot twists that left me marvelling at her careful crafting of the story. Not only that, but I fell in love with all the characters. I love the way Leigh constructs morally controversial characters and leaves you to form your own personal opinions about them. Six of crows has wonderfully portrayed, purely grey characters that jolt the reader into deep pondering. There are no heroes here: only realistic, immoral villains. But the very fact that these characters are all problematic only makes them even more human and easier to relate to. I'm so emotionally attached to each and every one of them, and I really have to applaud Leigh for making me fall in love with every single one of the characters, instead of having a specific favourite.
This story is a story about "a gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suligirl who had become a killer, [and] a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse." It follows our criminal protagonist, Kaz Brekker and his crew, the Dregs, as they attempt to break into the Ice Court, a notorious stronghold that has never been breached and near impossible to break into, and steal a high-security Grisha prisoner for a $30 million reward.
Where do I even begin to describe this book? If I had to describe this book in a sentence, I would say it was a wonderful high fantasy about six anti-heroes attempting to pull off a near-impossible heist.
🌟 THE PLOT
The plot is unlike anything I've ever read before. I’ve never read the Grisha trilogy and so it was a little hard for me to get into the book at first, but once I understood the basics, I was utterly hooked. Leigh's world building is so rich and intricate and full of details; it's so brilliant and clever and it left me breathless. For Kaz and the Dregs, things don't always go according to plan - in fact, they encounter many obstacles and enemies and just when you think this is it, there's no way they can get past this one, they're all doomed, Kaz is always one step ahead; I was wowed by the number of times he had a solution to a seemingly unsolvable problem. But that didn't discount the suspense in this book at all. By the last 40% of the book, the action was so intense and fast-moving that my heart was literally racing as I turned the pages. Characters became smarter and more dangerous, and were somehow outsmarted against all odds by the Dregs. I was left in an agony of anxiety and anticipation, never knowing what would happen next or what new plot twist would sweep me off my feet. I’m 100% amazed by the amount of intelligence and creativity shown in this book.
🌟 THE CHARACTERS
The best part of this book isn't even its extraordinary plot, it's the characters. The book is definitely more character driven than plot driven and Leigh Bardugo has achieved the tremendous task of crafting six unique characters and six different voices that give you so many different angles and insights to the story. Never once did I feel like all the characters sounded repetitive - I was always able to tell whose chapter it was just by reading the first few lines because every character had a unique voice. Yet it didn't feel confusing or unnecessary at all - every narrative was useful to the story and served to fill in gaps, describe parallel scenes or provide different perspectives. I enjoyed reading every single chapter immensely, and I can't let go of any of the characters.
Kaz Brekker, the criminal mastermind of this book, basically heads the Dregs, though he didn't grow up in the slums. He came to the city with his brother, where an unfortunate turn of events left his brother dead, and he now seeks revenge on the one responsible for it. With his gloved hands and his crow-headed cane, Kaz intends to destroy that person, "brick by brick", slowly razing his empire to the ground, and the money he'll earn from this dangerous job is exactly what he needs to do it.
Inej Ghafa is the Wraith. She was a slave before Kaz rescued her and is now the best spider in the Barrel, climbing rooftops and scaling buildings on her soundless feet and gathering information for Kaz. Inej is quite a delightful mixture of opposites: she's silent but tenacious, shy yet renowned, delicate and occasionally kind, yet deadly; rational and wise, yet not without her own faiths. She's honestly a complete badass, and one of my favorite characters in this book.
Nina Zenik is a Grisha Heartrender, charming and beautiful, and the character I loved most. She has a huge kind heart, is infinitely brave and courageous, extremely feisty, and very loyal to her friends. She also loves food and has the best comebacks. If I really had to pick a favourite, I'd pick Nina. I wish I were best friends with her.
Matthias Helvar is a Drüskelle, one of the Fjerdan witch hunters, who is believed to be dead by his Drüskelle brothers. He is an escaped convict from the Hellgate prison, but he was not thrown in there for committing crimes. He's fierce and full of honour and patriotism, and is constantly filled with self-loathing for betraying his country and helping the Dregs break into the capital. He's brooding and honourable but secretly such a cinnamon roll. Matthias’ character arc is honestly the best in the entire crew. He literally unlearned years of internalised prejudice and overcame his personal bias.
Jesper Fahey is an amazing sharpshooter who loves gambling. He's very restless and loves it when there are enemies to shoot at, but if there aren't, he also loves the sound of dice rolling and wheels spinning in the gambling parlours. As a result, he's run up a huge amount of debt. He's confident, brave, sassy, has a great sense of humour and is a very loyal friend. I think Jesper is like the friend you count on to keep it real with you while lightening the mood of the conversation.
Wylan Van Eck is a really adorable character. A wayward son who ran away from his rich merchant father's home, he joins the Dregs at first because Kaz wants some sort of leverage for his 30 million. But in the end, he found true friends in these people and I loved seeing him finally fit into the group. While is definitely softer character, he is not an “adorable cinnamon roll” cardboard cutout. Wylan is an excellent chemist and can cause brilliant explosions with almost any given materials
I loved how Leigh weaves each character's past and present so seamlessly into the story. Flashbacks of past events are well placed and don't feel like interruptions to the plot at all. In fact, they give the reader insights into the characters’ backstories and enhance the scenes playing out.
Leigh also has a very effective way of telling the story through six narratives: not only are the characters' pasts inserted at exactly the right time, but the plot seems to change perspective exactly according to the reader's whim. I’d be reading and wondering "What is Nina thinking now?" and lo and behold, the next chapter would be from Nina's point of view. It's honestly like Leigh was in my head herself.
Throughout the course of the book, we are shown each character's backstory and we gradually get to know them as we read. Slowly, we come to learn and realise what heart-wrenching circumstances drove them to become part of the gang performing this impossible, highly suicidal heist and it makes you root so deeply for them, because you realise they have a hope of redemption. I felt so deeply for each character as I read their heartbreaking stories, full of betrayal, loss, hurt and pain.
"When everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing."
"No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.'"
Sometimes you read a book, a work of literature that is beyond beautiful, and from then on it's magic sings in your blood and thrums in your head and it is permanently etched on the canvas of your soul and you might read many good books after that but this book will always hold a special place in your heart.
If you enjoy fantasy novels with heists, scheming, and one of the best character casts you’ve ever seen, don’t hesitate to pick this one up.
