Will I love Six of Crows?

Now, I understand most people would consider Six of Crows a “heist book,” but can I just say… Inej is a goddess.

Her backstory is truly heartbreakingly powerful and has stuck with me even years after finishing. I loved this duology so much that I got my mother and two sisters to read it, and could rave about it for hours. 

Although heists and team-driven stories are difficult to mess up, I rarely find a gem with fun, snarky, and interesting characters like those delivered by Bardugo.

Clever banter effortlessly drives the storyline from beginning to end. When you start to feel the characters are proving to be one-dimensional and predictable, they begin to change and evolve (albeit a bit slowly for my tastes), which made for a surprisingly satisfying read (I’m including book two in this observation).

Worldbuilding is intelligent enough to keep you trusting the author when you grow concerned that the ending will be unrealistically implausible. Okay, maybe… show more.

The world here is so real you can almost smell it, and while the romances are subtle, they are critical to the plot.

The story is set in Bardugo’s Grishaverse, but with a different pace and feel from Shadow and Bone. Think Peaky Blinders meets Ocean's 11. This book is fast-paced, clever, funny, and character-driven. 

The obvious attraction between Kaz and Inej is based on loyalty, begrudging respect, and love by any other name. Their relationship isn’t resolved here, but it sets up a huge payoff in the concluding book in the duology. (I also like the other… show more.

Awesome band-of-thieves story set in the GrishaVerse with a strong Peaky Blinders vibe. Great characters full of light and shade, tight writing and rich world building. (These characters were woven into The Shadow and Bone TV series, but the show - while good - didn't do these characters true justice. So much more depth on the page.)

The characters are so distinct that the author barely uses action tags or dialogue tags to identify who’s talking—you just know based on their word choices and punctuation. Even when all six of them are having a conversation. It’s amazingly well done and makes for a more immersive reading experience.

This is about a heist, and it was super interesting to see the story from each POV, including the one who knew the whole plan and the others who only knew parts. The author shows the POV of the mastermind behind the plan without revealing the plan to the reader… show more.

This book will always stick with me because of the amazing thought put behind one of the main character’s plotting. Kaz easily has one of the best minds in any book I’ve ever read. Along with Kaz, though, there are multiple other POVs which are equally as important to the story.

It had more POVs than any book I had read previously, but the way Bardugo wrote them had me wanting more of them all and unable to pick a favorite. Each character has a unique voice and story that perfectly complements the overarching plot.

Even when I wasn’t sure… show more.

This book is part of the Grishaverse series, and though it is not the first book, I think it’s a good place to start for new readers. Bardugo builds an intricate dystopian world in which a group of six misfits, thieves, and gangsters come together when given a huge offer for a near-impossible heist.

Elegantly written, this book entices and thrills readers through a fast-paced action sequence told from multiple viewpoints. 

No list of queer-found family fantasies would be complete without mentioning the Dregs. Leigh Bardugo’s book, set in a gritty city called Ketterdam, is the first book that made me fall in love with a found family.

If I could join any fantasy-found family, it would be this one. If you’ve ever wanted to join the ultimate heist crew, you’ve got to read Six of Crows.

The main thing I loved was Leigh Bardugo’s writing. She has a way of being elegant yet succinct with her writing which makes it easier for me to get lost in the intricate world she creates. And what a world she creates!

I fell in love with all the characters in this book. They had deep flaws and the vulnerability made me love them so much – it made them so real. There’s a powerful female lead in Nina, a passionate, voluptuous grisha (type of witch) who loves food, making her immediately relatable. The plot had me hooked and I… show more.

Even though it’s set in the same universe as Bardugo’s Shadow & Bone trilogy, Six of Crows tells a very different story. I am a massive fan of Bardugo’s ability to blend humor, romance, and danger with sharp dialogue and intriguing characters, and Six of Crows did not disappoint.

It features a gang of six outcasts who tell their story from five perspectives, with interspersing flashbacks throughout. No small undertaking for an epic crime heist, but Bardugo does it effortlessly.

The tale takes place in an alternate Amsterdam where dark magic and the criminal underground try to subvert the team… show more.