Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1) (Grishaverse, #4)

by Leigh Bardugo

Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times bestseller Six of Crows, coming April 23 to Netflix as part of the original series, Shadow and Bone. This edition features exclusive cover art from the show!

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.

• ISBN10: 1250777909
• ISBN13: 9781250777904
• Publish Date: 20 April 2021 (first published 29 September 2015)
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Imprint
• Edition: TV Show Tie-In
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 496
• Language: English

Reviews

[thepunktheory]

Full review on my blog!

I really liked the Shadow and Bone books, but I am in love with Six of Crows. One of the quotes on the back of the novel described the story as Game of Thrones meets Ocean's Eleven, so how could that not be brilliant?
First of all, I adore all of the characters. Yes, they may be outcasts, murders, thieves, and gangsters, but they are my precious little murder babies.
I am seriously impressed by how intricate each of the characters is and with how much depth Leigh Bardugo managed to imbue them.
Every single one of them is unique, special and relatable. Can't wait to read more out them!
Anyways, as much as I loved the characters, the most important thing here is the story. Bardugo really outdid herself with this one. The heist they pull off is meticulously planned and I still can't believe that she managed to craft this story in a way that it all makes sense.
This was the most thrilling book I've read in a while, and I read a lot of great books recently! It was absolutely impossible to put the novel down and I kept holding my breath so many times.
I'm really excited that there is another book to continue the story as I want to follow these characters a little while longer.

[moraa]

It was okay.
I mean everyone keeps saying that this book was amazing and pretty close to perfect but it was really just OK.

[ladygrey]

Definitely 3.5 stars. 3.75. There was so much I liked about this book but it didn't quite cross over into a rampant desire to reread it (which is usually my threshold for 4 stars).

This book was grittier than I expected, so grounded in Victorian style slums it was almost unnerving (deservedly so) but it also gave the story such authenticity. This was a very real, very rough world with characters who do what it takes to survive - to more than survive.

And even in the midst of that world, these characters are likable, they're interesting and dimensional. They fear and they hate and they betray each other sometimes themselves and yet they're very easy to care about and to root for. And that's the key to any good novel - you have to love the characters.

I also really liked the multiple povs and that they weren't first person. They provided so much depth in getting to know the characters and the intricacies of their relationships and the close third person kept it from getting confusing at all to know whose pov you were in.

More than that, I loved how it ended. I waited so long to read it that I already knew it was a two book series. So, obviously the last page wasn't going to be the end of the story. I wasn't sure if she'd leave us off mid-heist; with the characters plans gone awry and in terrible danger. But this isn't a cliffhanger. It's a story that begins and ends. That opens the world up to new challenges and new possibilities without leaving the ones in this book unfinished. That's a fantastic series.

I was a bit confused going into the last chapter - of where it fit in the timeline and what was going one. I had to read the first few pages of it a couple of times to sort out where we were, but once I got that... it ended really well.

 

REREAD: I think the thing that makes heist stories really great is when you enjoy them even when you know the turns. The characters in this one sustain it well. I like that theres so much going on within each of them and that the really interesting turns have nothing to do with the heist. 

But… reading it right after Ruin and Rising, I miss the magic of the world. I miss the feel of the other books and of Ravka and the fantasy of the stories. I’m not quite enamored with the gritty world of these books, however much I like the characters. 

[Vicki]

Wow...what an amazing cast of characters. Every single one was so different with their own demons and troubled pasts, but you come to love them all. The multiple POVs and flashbacks throughout the book made me feel like I really knew each of them. Kaz was the most interesting character...he's not your typical protagonist. He's a criminal mastermind and morally questionable, but I found myself rooting for him. There's just something about him, like I was waiting for him to crack.

The world was wonderfully crafted. It's been so long since I read the Grisha books that I was nervous to pick this up because I don't remember much, but you don't need to at all to enjoy this. You see another side of the Grishaverse in this book and it was the dark slummy side.

The story was like Ocean's Eleven with darker characters and magic. After the opening scene I was hooked and it set the tone for the rest of the book....fast paced, twists (some were predictable and some surprised me) and just awesome. There was a splash of romance (although not as much as I personally would have liked) that had me rooting for them. Overall, an awesome read.

[Stephanie]

This time I listened to this on audiobook (totally worth it with the six different narrators for each character) and it's just as good. Ahhh. Time to re-read Crooked Kingdom, I guess!

[Emma (SCR)]

This review was originally posted on Star Crossed Reviews If you saw my reviews of The Shadow and Bone Series you know that I wanted to read this book for a little while but I also wanted to read the books in chronological order. I'd seen this book a lot on Instagram but the main reason I picked it is because the audiobook has a full cast. I recently enjoyed Illuminae which had a full cast so went looking for more audiobooks like this.

I found the first few chapters of this story quite confusing and I think I was a good 40% in before it all clicked. There are multiple POV in this book which is always something I enjoy but it did make this more confusing, to begin with. It takes quite a while to get to know each of the characters and learn their backstory but its definitely worthwhile.

My favourite characters were Inej and Nina. Both have harrowing backstories and are still so brave. I loved seeing these two develop throughout the story.

The pace is quite slow, to begin with, but really speeds up about halfway through. There were a few twists and turns along with a few heart-stopping moments.

This was an epic story that I can see myself listening to again and still enjoying it just as much.

[Amber (The Literary Phoenix)]

I've owned this audiobook for two years and I should have read it immediately. IMMEDIATELY.

Six of Crows starts off as a simple job. It's a retrieval job - get the man who invented a powerful drug out of the Ice Court and bring him back to Ketterdam where he will be put into sanctuary. The best part? It's going to pay 30 million. But things like that are never really simple, are they?

This book is incredible. The plot keeps you hooked - even the slower-paced moments are not dull and the high action is wonderful and immersive. There are love stories for every taste. There's diversity. There's well-layered characters and an amazing magical system and settings that feel so real that you can smell the streets of Ketterdam.

I really loved all the characters - the good and the bad of them. Even Jesper at the end. My favorite is Nina. She has such vivacity, such passion, and was an absolute delight to read. Give me a book all about Nina and about her time with Matthais and I will give you my heart. I think that to have a well-rounded character, you need to have layers like that - things that make you cringe, and things that make you want to hug them. It's difficult to find that balance, and I believe Bardugo did it perfectly.

I have a lot to say about this, but most of my feelings about Six of Crows are comprised of excited babbling. The characters stole my heart, the relationships were good. The plot kept twisting in ways I didn't expect.

There is a LOT of hype around Six of Crows, but it is absolutely deserved. I am so impressed. If you are waffling about picking this one up, don't hesitate. It's a wonderful read.

"Kaz leaned back. "What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?"
"Knife to the throat?" asked Inej.
"Gun to the back?" said Jesper.
"Poison in his cup?" suggested Nina.
"You're all horrible," said Matthias."

What did I just read?! I didn't realise how much I needed a book like Six of Crows in my life.

The characters in Six of Crows are unique and unforgettable. Kaz Brekker is the leader of the Dregs and the Bastard of the Barrel and he's a liar, a thief and a murderer. He's cold, ruthless and terrible, but I love him so much. He's such a dark and disturbed individual, but his plans are epic and I was rooting for him to succeed. In order to gain a huge amount of money, Kaz assembles a crew to complete a heist. The crew consists of:
🗡 Inej - The Wraith. An acrobat. She's serious, stealthy, perceptive and religious
🗡 Nina - A Heartrender. She's brave, bold, loud, flirtatious and fabulous.
🗡 Matthias - A convict. He's angry, brooding and decent.
🗡 Jesper - A sharpshooter. A gambler. A comedian who can't stand still.
🗡 Wylan - The demolition guy. A precious cinnamon roll who likes to see things go boom.

The characters in Six of Crows are extremely well developed. There are five PoV's in Six of Crows and all six characters have backstories. I was engrossed in the each of the character's pasts, the circumstances that led them to become who they are and their motivations for going on a deadly mission. I don't even know which character is my favourite because I'm in love with all of them.

Also, I ship ALL the ships! Nina and Matthias, Kaz and Inej and (hopefully!) Jesper and Wylan.

The plot of Six of Crows is EPIC! There are so many plans, twists and turns. For the most part, the reader is kept in the dark and it's so awesome to see how everything unfolds. We also get to see other parts of the Grisha world in Six of Crows and witness different places, people and cultures. Leigh Bardugo has created such a rich world and her descriptions are so atmospheric.

Six of Crows is one of the best books I've ever read!

"The water hears and understands. The ice does not forgive."

[Ashley]

Second read (June 2018)

Soooo good!! It's funny how these things work out - I DNF'd after ~130 pages the first time, but this time I loved it! It was very Mistborn-esque.

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First read (June 2015)

DNF'ing for now. I doubt I'll pick it back up again, but I don't want to officially write it off completely.

I got like 150 pages in and just wasn't feeling it. It wasn't a bad book, but I couldn't click with it. There was no attachment, I didn't feel super invested, and I just had no desire to keep reading.

[alindstadtcorbeax]

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

*RE-READ*
April 4th, 2021
Upped my Star Rating to Fiveeee! This series. Is just... life.