
Six of Crows
- Leigh Bardugo
- Henry Holt and Co. (Macmillan Pub)
- Source: Purchased at Amazon
- Photography by K. Aragon
- Blurb (Goodreads)
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 is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
To date, I have read all of Ms. Bardugo's works and each hold a special place in my heart. The Six of Crows duology is integrated with charismatic characters who all embody some facet of a psychological or mood disorder. Engrossing and tortuous world-building hold the reader hostage, flipping page after page. I am thankful I decided to read Six of Crows after Crooked Kingdom had already released. The ginormous cast of characters proved to be a bit confusing in the beginning. You can see all of my little sticky notes in the picture. Each had a distinct personality rife with goodness and flaws, though at times they only seemed criminal. And, they were criminals, every single man and woman. Yes, perhaps boys and girls sounds right, but all Ms. Bardugo's books hang on the edge of adult fantasy. The criminality of this particular duology is definitely for a more mature reader.
Kaz is an anti-hero. Every defining characteristic was born from the first time he washed up on Ketterdam's shore as a young child. He thieved, lied, and schemed his way to a comfortable position among the gangs surrounding the docks. He is business savvy and knows the types of individuals he needs to complete any mission. The largest problem is knowing who to trust. Six of Crows is a luring tale of deviance, trust, crime, and especially friendship. Ms. Bardugo's ability to craft twisted but ultimately redeemable villains sets the stage for quite the drama. The story is written in third person with each chapter told from a different point-of-view. As is my usual opinion, multiple point-of-views allow a deeper understanding of the characters. I highly recommend this gorgeous read to those who love beguiling fantasies with the allusion of a crime drama. Finally, I will leave you with a couple of my favorite quotes.
Jesper knocked his head against the hull and cast his eyes heavenward, “Fine. But if Pekka Rollins kills us all, I’m going to get Wylan’s ghost to teach my ghost how to play the flute just so that I can annoy the hell out of your ghost.”
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo; page 181
Jesper just grinned and whispered, “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.”
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo; page 181
Looking at the quotes I tagged, I will go on record as saying Jesper is my favorite character. Trigger warning: violence and language
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