six of crows: one heist-six fantastic characters
- paigenherbooks
- Jan 29, 2022
- 7 min read
Rating 4.5/5
To be quite honest...I'm obsessed. Leigh Bardugo has become one of my favorite authors and Six of Crows has become one of my favorite universes and books. This book was almost perfect. The plot? amazing. The characters (I will literally rant about them later don't worry) amazing. The world building? A-MAZ-ING! Stellar book with everything a fantasy lover could want. A heist, chaotic good characters, banter incomparable, and just the right amount of romance.
I l o v e d.
Synopsis: Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price-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 is wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off along... 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 are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction- if they don't kill each other first.
Where to even start! I'm going to go ahead and get the cons out of the way so that I have free reign to just go on and on about how much I adored this book.
First, the book was told in multiple POV's which I ADORE! The story was also set in third person, which again, I am all for. The only issue is that sometimes I couldn't quite remember whose point of view I was reading from. All of our characters are very different and vast in the way that they think and act, but due to the lack of "I" statements, sometimes it was hard to follow along. Especially in scenes where a lot of dialogue was happening with limited thought. I honestly just would flip back to the beginning of the chapter and figure out who I was at the moment.
My only other small "complaint" I have is that the beginning was just a little slow. I didn't realize there was a whole different set of books that were of the same universe (Shadow and Bone trilogy...did I purchase the first book today...yes, yes I did.) I've been told that in the Shadow and Bone trilogy it introduces the "Grishaverse" (I'll explain this). So, the beginning of the story was just a little slow. I kinda had absolutely zero idea what was going on. This is my second Leigh Bardugo book and I think that might be her trope. She loves semi confusing her readers in hopes that they keep reading and then they are hooked! Though I will say, the book picked up pretty quick and I was fully invested.
Now, onto the things I ADORED! The world building was so interesting! The whole concept of the Grisha is so refreshing. The Grisha are essentially people with genetic mutations that give them powers. Think Logan from the X-Men. There are all kinds of different Grisha, and that was so intriguing to read. I want a whole history of them. I want to spend countless hours scoring their history and everything because they are SO INTERESTING. Some kind control people's bodies (close their throats, dull their pulse.) Some can mess with the weather or metal, the list goes on and on. I enjoyed the fact that Bardugo's fantasy and world was something new. She really dives into creating her own unique world. No magical schools, long lost parents. Just characters, a great world, and just a little magic.
The characters were honestly amazing. I have never actually enjoyed reading from every single characters point of view. Like even in Heroes of Olympus (Percy Jackson fans unite) sometimes I would dread reading Jason's point of view. THERE I SAID IT, and you know you're all thinking it. But not here, NOT HERE. I loved every single one of these characters, fiercely. They are all invited to my wedding. I am going to now tell you why I love every one of them, so if you don't want to listen to that, scroll a bit to my conclusion about the story and the plot...
Kaz Brekker: KAZ FREAKING BREKKER. He is the definition of chaotic good. A bad boy but not in the overdone classic way. In a way that he legitimately hates human touch, feasts on the need for revenge, and loves tricks. But oh does this boy have a h e a r t. He wants no one to know, but I loved him. His character is so intelligent and charming, with the perfect amount of mischievousness, that you honestly had no idea where or what he was going to do next. His backstory= me crying at work. I just adored him. I loved that he didn't have a change of heart at all. He is himself through and through. He has his code of things he does and he does them. Gives 0. I also loved the legends that surrounded him, as this thief of the city. Loved loved loved.
Inej: Talk about a strong female! Inej was another character who I thought was written very well. She was interesting and I was invested in her courage and pure strength. I loved her acrobatic background. I thought that was so cool honestly! It aided to her crazy stealth that made her just a weapon of mass destruction at times. She was a woman character who was motivated by starting her own life and the proverbs her family had raised her with. It was such a power move when her and Kaz had her moment and she told him straight up that she deserved ALL of him, or she didn't want any of it. MIC DROP!
Nina and Matthias: I LOVED THEM. The enemies to lovers troupe will always hold a special place in my heart. Nina is such a fun character. Witty and intelligent, as well as a Grisha with some kick ass powers. She honestly reminded me of myself at times. She always thinks she is "too much" and people tell her that a lot. But she literally just doesn't care. I admire the confidence that she has, she is fully authentic herself.
Matthias: he was so perfect. I didn't romantically engage with Matthias but he really was just the perfect soldier on the outside. A man with a conscious. He was constantly battling love for Nina and duty. I honestly really didn't know which way he was going to swing until the end of the book either, which made it interesting trying to figure out if I trusted him or not. Nina and his personalities compliment each other so well that it's honestly just adorable. Their banter was hands down some of the funniest and cute things I have ever read.
Jesper and Wylan: Jesper is one of my favorites. He is so quirky and cute and just AGH! I loved that he had that good ol boy attitude and way about him, but was an amazing addition to the team. He also had some great gun skills. I love when authors make characters have that one thing that is theres. Jesper's is his gun slinging skills, and sometimes her pure stupidity.
Wylan: I actually really enjoyed Wylan's character. A character that I didn't expect to fit in with the "misfit" group he was rolling with. Wylan was so sweet, and I enjoyed Jesper and his banter as well. The back and forth was heartwarming as it was funny.
I loved that anyone reading the book could easily identify with someone in the cast of characters, the range was fantastic. The whole concept of the story was also *chefs kiss*. I loved that we had this rag-tag group of criminals coming together to pull of this crazy heist. WHICH WAS GREAT! At first I was a little skeptical but as the story progressed and every character added new layers to the story, it just kept getting better. I was clutching the book hoping they survived every time a small detail went wrong. I was so fascinated, again, with the world building. Our cast travels to a different region to commit this large scale crime, and the detail to each individual country was done SO well. Bardugo is a fantastic writer, that's just the truth of it.
Now, if you know me, I am occasionally a sucker for romance within stories. Twilight is one of my all time favorite books. That being said... I despise books that are only romance plot driven or if it's thrown in there for no reason. ( I will go on and on about this troupe in media). This book, this amazing book... D E L I V E R E D! There was romance but it was done so perfectly! It was minimalistic enough that it gave the reader a taste of the sweet, sweet sounds of falling in love, but it did not, not ONCE, drive away from the original plot, nor become the sole focus. of the book. It was minimal but impactful. I ate it up. I loved that there was stolen glances or underlying things going on, but the true point of the story was still there, and it didn't get blasted out by heart eyes at each other. This goes back again to characters. They all have their own reasons for doing this job and that's their main focus. Even if they do have a love interest, they honestly shove it down and continue their work. Phenomenal.
In conclusion, I loved this book. It was such an interesting read and I sped through it in about a week. I've already started the second one and I cannot wait to see what happens to our beloved criminals with a cause. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy and action. Characters that are diverse and encompassing of a lot of unique backgrounds and qualities. To anyone who likes a good chaotic good centered heist.
Leigh Bardugo, you've done it again!
Happy reading! I know I will be (Crooked Kingdom here I come!)
xoxo,
paige :)
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