Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
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. Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. {Goodreads summary}
“Six people, but a thousand ways this insane plan could go wrong.”
Following my initial disappointment that All of the Above wasn't told from multiple perspectives, it was great to be able to move onto one that was! Six of Crows follows the adventures of a crew of criminal masterminds in the making, written from the perspective of five of them. The varying perspectives gave the novel a unique and exciting twist, and I was never disappointed when they switched as they were equally interesting. I'm not entirely sure why the sixth member didn't get chapters of his own (I spent most of the novel expecting him to die at any moment as a result!)
“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.”
When I started Six of Crows, I didn't actually realise that it was a companion novel to a trilogy; I'm not sure how, but Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy has managed to completely pass me by, but that's something I plan on correcting very soon. However, I would definitely say that you don't need to have read the previous series to enjoy Six of Crows; the world building is so fantastic that I never felt as though I was missing information or back story.
“How are you finding our country?” “It’s a magical place,” Nina gushed. If you like ice and more ice.”
The writing in this novel is beautiful. Spending a lot of time in GCSE English lessons means that my brain is subconsciously on a constant lookout for 'literary techniques' and there is some beautifully constructed imagery in this book:
“The heat of the incinerator wrapped around Inej like a living thing, a desert dragon in his den, hiding from the ice, waiting for her. She knew her body’s limits, and she knew she had no more to give. She’d made a bad wager. It was as simple as that. The autumn leaf might cling to its branch, but it was already dead. The only question was when it would fall.”
I could definitely write a PEEL point on the imagery in that paragraph. But literary analysis aside, it's just so nice to read.
"Being angry at Kaz for being ruthless is like being angry at a stove for being hot. You know what he is.”
“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”
One of my favourite things about Six of Crows was the relationships between the different characters. Not just romantic ones, but friendships and, with a melting pot of different personalities and beliefs, the tensions. I particularly loved the arguments.
“It's not natural for women to fight."
"It's not natural for someone to be as stupid as he is tall, and yet there you stand.”
Trying to narrow down quote options for this review was really hard. I could have posted a review entirely made up of my favourite quotes, but at that point, you may as well just go and read the book.
Go on. You really, really should.
"Well, we've managed to get ourselves locked into the most secure prison in the world. We're either geniuses or the dumbest sons of bitches to ever breathe air.”
