Reviewed by EBookObsessed on
Six of Crows is a story of six teens with nothing to lose, and thirty million kruge to gain, if they can break into the most impenetrable fortress to rescue a scientist making the most atrocious drug imaginable.
The gang is made up of Kaz Brekker, a boy from the Barrel, the poorest and most dangerous place in the Ketterdam. Kaz rose from a naive boy to a talented thief and leader the gang known as the Dregs. There isn't a lock he can't pick or a job he can't plan. While most believe Kaz wears gloves because there is so much blood on his hands they are permanently stained, there is a crueller story behind Kaz desire not to touch other people.
Inej, the pretty Suli girl with her lovely coffee skin, abducted from her acrobat family by slavers and sold to the Menagerie, the pleasure house also known as the House of Exotics. Inej was rescued from that life by Kaz Brekker who convinced the local boss to buy her indenture since Inej's unique skills were better suited to collecting the dirty secrets of the rich and powerful. Her performance upbringing gave her ability to move silently and climb across the tops of buildings which has earned her the name of the Wraith.
Nina Zenik is a former Ravka soldier and spy. Nina is one of the Grisha, those born with supernatual powers. As a heartrender, Nina can stop a heart with a wave of her hands. Nina was captured by the Fjerdan drüskelle, who believe it is their purpose to hunt down and kill the unnatural Grisha.
Mattias Helvar one of the Fjerdan drüskelle who captured Nina and was taking her to Fjerda for trial until he was arrested as a slaver and thrown into Hellgate prison. Nina and Matthias are trapped in a love/hate cycle; enemies who try to fight their desires. The Fjerdans and their propaganda of hate against the Grisha and their witch hunters known as drüskelle remind me of Nazi and the Hitler Youth Groups raised in hate to become the SS soldiers.
Jasper is a member of the Dregs. A former farmer who makes a better sharpshotter than cardshark.
Wylan Van Eck is a demolition expert and son of the man who hired this crew. Kaz keeps him as much an insurance policy as a needed member of the team. As the youngest member (only 15) and the son of a rich merchant, Wylan makes us realize that while we might like some of the others, such as Kaz, some of the things they do tread over the line into a darker world.
In Six of Crows, every country is going to send a team to try and break out the scientist out of the Ice Court. No one would bet on this ragtag bunch to make into the inpenetrable fortress, let alone out again. But then again, they aren't a mercenary team. They are a group of thieves and killers who might just do the impossible. The question isn't if they can; it is if they should.
The scientist Bo Yul-Buyur has taken a relatively harmless stimulant drug, jurda, and created jurda parem. Jurda parem enhances the power of the Grisha in inimaginable ways, leaving fabriaktors able to change lead to gold or healers who are able to control minds but can anyone really control those Grisha under the influence. Yet, the most horrific part is the immediate and unstoppable addiction which jurda parem creates. The Grisha waste away chasing the need for more of the drug.
With thirty million kruge on the line, can Kaz and his team break the scientist out of the Ice Court, and even if they can, do the turn Bo Yul-Buyur over to someone who will make him create more of the most dangerous and addictive drug ever created?
This story is a favorite with my teen so I decided to give it a try. It was captivating story of how this bunch of teens figure out how to get into the Ice Court and then back out again. Not all their plans go smoothly, and in between the action, we get backstories on everyone.
This story is geared towards the younger teen crowd but it still held my attention. While some parts can be violent, most other things such as the fact that Inej was abducted and sold as a prostitute are more glanced over. We don't hear graphic descriptions how creepy, old men touched 15-year-old Inej. Just that she was forced to work in a pleasure house and no real discussion of what that means.
Inej was my favorite character while my daughter favored Wylan. It was also interesting to discuss plot and characters with her and see the story from a younger person's perspective. The romantic in me was appeased with the awkward teen feelings between Kaz and Inej and Nina and Matthias, and there was even a hint of something between Wylan and Jasper. It was almost a Nora Roberts romance trilogy set up.
Each chapter is from another character's POV and the audiobook uses different narrators for each which was good as a distinction, except then each narrator has difference voices for the other characters who were talking so that we hear Kaz interpreted in several different voices.
This story does end in a cliffhanger, but thankfully the second part is already out so you don't have to wait to continue.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 9 December, 2017: Finished reading
- 9 December, 2017: Reviewed