I became obsessed with the Six of Crows duology by Leigh Bardugo before I had even read it. A friend texted me one morning, asking if I had seen Shadow and Bone on Netflix, because “there were some interesting characters” that I would like. So I watched episode 1. And 2. And planned my migration to Ketterdam. The Sun Summoner storyline isn’t half bad either, but I was blown away by the three crows (even though it was quite plain even to someone who knew nothing about the Grishaverse that they were just running around in a story where they did not belong…but that’s another discussion altogether. And I’m SO glad they were, anyway.).

Update: In the meanwhile, I’ve got also a spoiler-free review of the entire duology available!

No mourners, no funerals

Six of Crows tells the story of a band of young criminals who decide to pull off an impossible heist. Why? For the money, of course. Because money is what makes the world go round in Ketterdam. For some of them, it’s their only shot at freedom. For others, it’s an addiction. For others still, it’s all about getting revenge.

Their leader is Kaz Brekker, a criminal prodigy who is known as “Dirtyhands” because he’ll take any job. Then there’s Inej, the Wraith. Silent as the night and deadly with her knives. Jesper is a flamboyant sharpshooter who never backs down from a wager. These are the three Crows you get introduced to in Shadow and Bone. However, as the title already suggests, there are six crows in total.  The three companions are joined by Nina, a girl with magical powers and a passion for waffles; Matthias, a former witch hunter with a score to settle; and Wylan, a runaway rich boy with a talent for pyrotechnics. As unlikely a match they might seem, together they have all the skills needed to succeed in their mission. Or that’s what Kaz told them upfront anyway…

Adventure, friendship, and heartbreak (mostly mine)

As I mentioned, I was already in love with these characters before having opened the book. That made me a bit nervous, because what if the book did not live up to my expectations? What if I didn’t like the writing or the book version of the characters? I shouldn’t have worried.

As of chapter one, the reader is pulled into the action. The writing is fast-paced, the dialogue is clever, the characters are …even better than I hoped for. They are so real in their flaws, hopes, fears, and desires. They are not your typical main characters that are purely good and will rid the world of all evil. No. They are morally grey themselves, but the switching point of view let you understand why they are the way they are and do the things they do.

According to my boyfriend, it’s an adventure story, the romance is at best secondary. I beg to differ. Although the romance is maybe not present in a conventional way, it’s one of the romance storylines that captured my heart and is currently holding it hostage. The raw trauma, the desperation, the longing…it’s just so, so, so very beautiful in its own right.

I loved this book so much that I’ve put off reading part two. I know the entire thing by now 😉 but I don’t want to read it yet, simply because I do not want it to end. Most definitely a contender to the Jess’s Favourite Read of the Year Award.

It will not come as a surprise to you that I give this book 5 gemstones out of 5:

Age Category:  Young adult, suitable both for a younger teen audience and for adult readers.

Representation: LGBTQ+ main characters and main character with PTSD

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Warnings for trauma, mentions of past rape, addiction, parental abuse & neglect, child trafficking & graphic violence.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores. If you decide to buy it via one of the following links, I will receive a small percentage at no extra charge for you!

Amazon.nl: Collector’s Edition (English)

Amazon.nl: Duology Paperback Boxset (English)

Similar to this

To misquote Tante Heleen (one of the main antagonists in the story): “What do you have [to recommend] that could possibly be enough [to match Six of Crows]”. Indeed, this section of my review was more difficult to write than it usually is. I’ll start out with the obvious ones this time.

If you, like me, lose your heart to this story, you’ll be pleased to know that it is part of a duology. As I mentioned, I’ve not started part two yet, but I’ve been told by my boyfriend that Crooked Kingdom is every bit as good. Update: The review thereof can now be found here.

Most people will have started their journey into the Grishaverse by Leigh Bardugo with the Shadow and Bone trilogy, seeing that it comes first chronologically. However, I think it is not necessary at all to start there. If you’re more into the story of Six of Crows, you can start right away with that duology. I’ve been told that that’s not the case for the King of Scars duology though. Set a couple of years after the Six of Crows duology, there are references to both the original trilogy and the Crow books, so I would maybe not skip directly to King of Scars.

What else can I recommend you? Personally, I was most fascinated by Kaz’s story as well as the adventure of following a band of thieves on a heist. So I’ve been on the lookout for books with “similar” characters (although no-one could compare, obviously) and I’ve received two recommendations from fellow book bloggers. The first one is The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. Set in Paris, this book tells the story of an unlikely band of “experts” who are asked to hunt down an ancient artefact. The second one is Vicious by V.E. Schwab, in which two brilliant college friends decide to explore the theory that, under the right conditions, people could develop extraordinary skills. Apparently, one of them is quite similar to Kaz. I’ve put both of those on my reading list, but I’m especially looking forward to the first one (I have a personal vendetta against super heroes and Vicious‘ summary reeks of them…tell me I’m wrong, please).

Have you read either of these?