REVIEW + DISCUSSION: six of crows, by leigh bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Published by Macmillan on September 29th 2015
Genres: Young Adult, Action & Adventure, General, Fantasy & Magic
Pages: 480
Format: Hardcover
Source: Purchased
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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.

warning: i really enjoyed this book and i tried to be critical about some stuff but it’s mostly just going to be fangirling SORRY.

leigh bardugo outdid herself and this book makes me scream in all-caps and weep.

you know when you read a book and the only thing you can say is, “THIS IS SO GOOD.” and don’t know how else to explain? that was SIX OF CROWS for me. i want to shove it in everyone’s face and say, “GO READ THIS RIGHT NOW.” it was so good.

the plot was nonstop and so interesting! it was really intense and i was on edge the entire time. plot twists! crazy things happening! incoherent screaming! (that last one was from me, btw.) some people said the beginning was a bit slow, but i thought it was fine since i read the GRISHA TRILOGY, which are leigh’s other books based in the same world. it definitely gets a lot better and picks up after a a hundred or so pages. if you keep an open mind, the world will be easy to grasp.

“Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache.” (pg. 1, first sentence)

i fell hard for leigh bardugo’s beautiful writing. i was continuously pausing to admired and reread a sentence that spoke wonders. it matched the world perfectly and i don’t think she could’ve executed it better. i grew to love all the characters. the thing about this book is that it grows on you. my friend described it as a caterpillar slowly crawling in the beginning; it begins to crawl a bit faster and faster and faster and suddenly it’s running for its life and it turns into a butterfly before you know it. the characters were no different. by the end, i was hopelessly obsessed.

i like how it wasn’t solely focused on romance. it’s there, it’s subtle, and it brings out all the feels but it’s mostly focused on the task at hand and the action. there aren’t any annoyingly stupid actions from the characters based on their “love.” View Spoiler »spoiler for shadow and bone: echm when alina summons light to save mal, in like the first chapter, for her “LOVE” !!!!! « Hide Spoiler

“Better terrible truths than kind lies.” (pg. 308)

the physical copy of this book is glorious (i have the US hardcover edition). if you didn’t know, the page edges are stained black and the book is HUGE. the size of it is like the THRONE OF GLASS US editions, which are ginormous. i also really like how easily the book opens and stays open. i could easily multitask and allow the book to sit on a table, not having to worry about the book falling closed. also there are TWO maps!! and i can’t stop stroking/staring/touching it. okay, i’ll stop now.

overall, i love this book to tears. it makes me weep with emotion.

[rating-report]

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spoiler-filled discussion beginning!! please do not read unless you’ve finished the book. you’ve been warned.

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can we talk about these characters because i just

kaz kaz kaz. i fell head over heels for the snarky, closed-off, intense boy with a troubled past. he was definitely my favorite (along with inej and nina OF COURSE). all my favorite chapters were with kaz because he was a legend among the other dregs; no one truly knew who he was, and that made me more curious to get to know his true thoughts. kaz was super complex and such a well written character. THANK YOU LEIGH BARDUGO FOR RUINING MY LIFE HAHAHA.




inej was honestly SO COOL AND EPIC. (wow, i know such a lame comment, but that’s the best i can come up with because HONESTLY SO COOL.) how does she even?? WHAT??? it started with her watching as kaz meets geels and she gets to the second shooter just in time. it continues on throughout the book and towards the end, she scales up the burning chimney shaft?! INEJ. WHAT. (sorry, lots of screaming and all caps) then she dresses up as one menagerie and gets caught and it’s ALL PART OF THE PLAN?! (okay, now i’m REALLY screaming)

nina was a character i really did not expect to like. i found it hard to trust her, but eventually i learned to love her because wow GIRL POWER. she was so undeniably fierce! i love her. the part where nina decides to sacrifice herself (i suppose) and take the drug was like OHMYGOD SO EPIC. (more screaming) side note: nina and inej were friendship goals.

although these relationships were subtle, they hurt

inej and kaz were SO PAINFUL. they filled me with lots of frustration and tears, but they were my favorite. when kaz saves inej? *squeals* when he’s pacing and constantly worrying over her on the ship, afraid she won’t make it? *melts* when he refuses to admit ANY feelings for her and says she’s disposable? *glares daggers at kaz because he’s being frustratingly idiotic* these two were a handful.

jesper and wylan were cute and unexpected. but they made me so happy! the lightheartedness! the teasing! *more screaming* their chemistry was beautiful and so natural. it added such a nice cheerful ambiance to the story. nina and matthias were the “forbidden love with complicated history” one. i honestly wasn’t sure what to feel about these two.

the plot made me screech

as you can see, there was a lot of internally screaming involved while reading this novel. it was seriously a struggle reading in public because i have no self control of my facial expressions and i would literally slam the book shut to stop myself from doing something regretful. ANYWAY, the plot twists in this novel were INSANE. like, WHAT THE ACTUAL EFF?!

i love how we slowly got to see the character’s backstories through flashbacks. like kaz when he went to hunt down pekka rollins. speaking of which, did you predict that kaz DIDN’T kill pekka?? i was in so much shock when i read the last chapter to find that pekka was still alive and made a deal with kaz! (god, kaz is so unpredictable IT’S THE BEST). another one was when nina transformed wylan to kuwei! also before that when we find out that kuwei’s dad is actually dead! and that van eck was a complete flop! ohmygod the plot twists i cannot.

what was your favorite part of the book? let me know your thoughts!! (let’s fangirl together. seriously.)