Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo
Published: September 29th 2015 by Henry Holt and Company
Rating: 5 Stars
Genre: Fantasy, Young Adult.
Source: Purchased from Waterstones
Find: Goodreads | Amazon | Waterstones
Goodreads Summary
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.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Mind blown, simple as that. I honestly did not know what to expect when it came to this book, especially seeing as I haven’t read the Grisha trilogy. However, I had absolutely nothing to fear. Everything about this book is on point. I love it.

If I were to describe this book I would say that it’s dark, intense, fast paced and complex. The combination of all these elements makes for one epic journey. The plot itself is very intricate and the third person narrative only serves to further heighten the tension and air of mystery to the book as you never know who to trust and you’re constantly questioning the motives of the characters. Every single one of these characters have their own desires and motivation for joining the crew.

Now the character themselves are all complex, dark and fascinating. We have Nina, the Ravka born Heartrender who’s been living in Ketterdam for the past year trying to find a way to right the wrong she made. Matthias, a former Drüskelle from Fjerda who’s torn between his heart and loyalty to his homeland. Jesper, who is a member of The Dregs gang that loves to gamble and take chances on the impossible, even if it ends with his life. We also have Wylan, a curious man that has some very interesting connections.

Now we come to the two characters that stole the show for me. The first, Inej Ghafa, a Suli girl that has been forced to live a life of crime in order to survive. What I love about this character is that despite all the hardship she’s had to endure, her faith is still prominent and she holds on to the hope that she believes in. Every character in this book has made some awful, dark and sinister decisions yet Inej seems to have the purest heart out of the group.

Finally, I could not write this review without mentioning the one and only Kaz Brekker. Kaz is known to be the most dangerous criminal in Ketterdam. He’s ruthless, sinister, conniving, crafty and very dark. I wasn’t expecting to love him as much as I did and I’m glad we got to see some insight into his character. When I found out about some of the things he’s had to endure, my heart well and truly broke for him. There is no doubt that his past experiences have hardened his heart and as a result he has emotionally cut himself off to everyone. The only person that seems to have any influence on him is Inej. These two make an interesting duo. They are well and truly a team and Inej is the only person Kaz feels like he could trust. There’s a vulnerability to his character and it’s when he’s with Inej that this side of him seems to surface.

The romance in the book is limited but there are several hints as to where these romances are heading. There are three distinct pairings and thankfully no love triangles. Each pair have challenges they must face and overcome if they are to be together and I’m very hopeful that we get to further explore the connections between them in the next book as some of the characters are left in some pretty tough situations by the end of this journey.

Overall this is a fast paced, mysterious, intense, dark and character driven book. You’ll be hooked from beginning to end. It’s the perfect autumn read. Now I’m going to go get my hands on the Grisha trilogy to fill in the gap until we get the next book.