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A review by baknata
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*warning, minor spoilers ahead*
This book was, first of all, a total emotional rollercoaster. Leigh Bardugo is very good at getting you invested in the characters and story, she also likes to switch from funny, happy scenes to sad or tense scenes often, which keeps the reader engaged but also throws your emotions around like crazy. Overall, the plot was engaging and adventurous. It had enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes while still feeling grounded. The world-building isn't as in-depth as other books, but that's because most of it is done in the previous series (Shadow and Bone) so the reader is assumed to know about the world. I think it was very smart of Leigh to explore the places in the world that weren't as focused on in Shadow and Bone, it makes you really feel like part of the world, as well as giving context to the motives and lives of those in the rest of the world. Overall, the story was highly enjoyable to read.
The part of this book that stood out most to me was the characters, specifically the main six characters. Each of the characters was completely flushed out. They each had unique backstories and personalities that informed their decisions and drove the plot. Each of their backstories was consistent with their choices throughout the story, which made them feel very genuine and real. To begin, Kaz Brekker. I knew from the first time we meet Kaz that he would be a favorite of mine. I really loved seeing the comparison between how others talked about Kaz and how his actual internal monologue was. I especially loved learning more about his backstory throughout the book and seeing how it affected him both at the beginning and further along in the book. Learning about how his behaviors throughout the book are informed by his childhood trauma is heartbreaking but so well done. I think my favorite thing to see is how everyone assumes Kaz only cares about the money, but time and time again he shows he truly is fiercely loyal to his friends. Another top-notch character, Inej. Inej also was a favorite from the beginning. She is pretty much a superhero, she is so powerful and cool. Inej really took the worst life could give her and rose above it, and maybe she's a criminal, but she hasn't lost who she is and that's admirable. Seeing Inej grow throughout the book and stand up to her abusers is so powerful and inspiring. Next, another of my favorites, Jesper. I want to give Jesper a hug, honestly. He is just so precious and clearly uses humor as a coping mechanism, but also wants to impress Kaz so bad, and he just wants to be liked. He knows how to make people happy, and I think he tries so hard because he doesn't want to let anyone down because he feels like he already has. I honestly usually love the comedic relief character, and Jesper is one of the best ones. I also really loved Wylan. The only thing Wylan has ever done to make me not like him, is say he doesn't like chemistry (I am a chem major) but I can excuse that since he's so precious. I really loved seeing how Wylan went from being some kid they brought along as insurance to being a crucial member of the team. Seeing him flourish in the last several chapters was so exciting. Also, Wylan and Jesper are in love, I will be taking to comments. Next is Nina, who is also awesome. When she was introduced, I didn't really see her as an awesome warrior lady. She seemed hung up on the whole Matthias situation, and we didn't know much about her past. As the story progressed and we saw her being a total badass, and also learned about what she had been through, she became one of my favorites. She is so strong and she lets her emotions motivate her instead of holding her back. Finally, Matthias. I really didn't expect to like Matthias by the end of the book. He had a bad attitude, poor motivations, and his personality wasn't one I usually like. I started warming up to him, but couldn't actually say I liked him until very close to the end when he turns against his people to protect his new family. I think the main reason that I didn't like Matthias was that I couldn't trust him. I was pretty convinced throughout the whole book that he would betray the team, which made it hard to connect with him. What I really liked about these characters was how they were each so different, yet their unique personalities and histories blended so well together. They were each so deliberately crafted to suit one another, while still representing a plethora of different stories. Leigh did a phenomenal job creating a gang of characters that different types of people could see themselves in while integrating them into a realistic and entertaining story.
I am so glad I read this book and I cannot wait to read Crooked Kingdom, though I'm sure my emotions will be a wreck. This is officially on my list of favorite books! I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
This book was, first of all, a total emotional rollercoaster. Leigh Bardugo is very good at getting you invested in the characters and story, she also likes to switch from funny, happy scenes to sad or tense scenes often, which keeps the reader engaged but also throws your emotions around like crazy. Overall, the plot was engaging and adventurous. It had enough twists and turns to keep you on your toes while still feeling grounded. The world-building isn't as in-depth as other books, but that's because most of it is done in the previous series (Shadow and Bone) so the reader is assumed to know about the world. I think it was very smart of Leigh to explore the places in the world that weren't as focused on in Shadow and Bone, it makes you really feel like part of the world, as well as giving context to the motives and lives of those in the rest of the world. Overall, the story was highly enjoyable to read.
The part of this book that stood out most to me was the characters, specifically the main six characters. Each of the characters was completely flushed out. They each had unique backstories and personalities that informed their decisions and drove the plot. Each of their backstories was consistent with their choices throughout the story, which made them feel very genuine and real. To begin, Kaz Brekker. I knew from the first time we meet Kaz that he would be a favorite of mine. I really loved seeing the comparison between how others talked about Kaz and how his actual internal monologue was. I especially loved learning more about his backstory throughout the book and seeing how it affected him both at the beginning and further along in the book. Learning about how his behaviors throughout the book are informed by his childhood trauma is heartbreaking but so well done. I think my favorite thing to see is how everyone assumes Kaz only cares about the money, but time and time again he shows he truly is fiercely loyal to his friends. Another top-notch character, Inej. Inej also was a favorite from the beginning. She is pretty much a superhero, she is so powerful and cool. Inej really took the worst life could give her and rose above it, and maybe she's a criminal, but she hasn't lost who she is and that's admirable. Seeing Inej grow throughout the book and stand up to her abusers is so powerful and inspiring. Next, another of my favorites, Jesper. I want to give Jesper a hug, honestly. He is just so precious and clearly uses humor as a coping mechanism, but also wants to impress Kaz so bad, and he just wants to be liked. He knows how to make people happy, and I think he tries so hard because he doesn't want to let anyone down because he feels like he already has. I honestly usually love the comedic relief character, and Jesper is one of the best ones. I also really loved Wylan. The only thing Wylan has ever done to make me not like him, is say he doesn't like chemistry (I am a chem major) but I can excuse that since he's so precious. I really loved seeing how Wylan went from being some kid they brought along as insurance to being a crucial member of the team. Seeing him flourish in the last several chapters was so exciting. Also, Wylan and Jesper are in love, I will be taking to comments. Next is Nina, who is also awesome. When she was introduced, I didn't really see her as an awesome warrior lady. She seemed hung up on the whole Matthias situation, and we didn't know much about her past. As the story progressed and we saw her being a total badass, and also learned about what she had been through, she became one of my favorites. She is so strong and she lets her emotions motivate her instead of holding her back. Finally, Matthias. I really didn't expect to like Matthias by the end of the book. He had a bad attitude, poor motivations, and his personality wasn't one I usually like. I started warming up to him, but couldn't actually say I liked him until very close to the end when he turns against his people to protect his new family. I think the main reason that I didn't like Matthias was that I couldn't trust him. I was pretty convinced throughout the whole book that he would betray the team, which made it hard to connect with him. What I really liked about these characters was how they were each so different, yet their unique personalities and histories blended so well together. They were each so deliberately crafted to suit one another, while still representing a plethora of different stories. Leigh did a phenomenal job creating a gang of characters that different types of people could see themselves in while integrating them into a realistic and entertaining story.
I am so glad I read this book and I cannot wait to read Crooked Kingdom, though I'm sure my emotions will be a wreck. This is officially on my list of favorite books! I would recommend this book to anyone and everyone.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and Violence