Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
Audience: Young Adult
Henry Holt and Company (September 27, 2015)
IndieBound | WorldCat
"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."
Carolyn's thoughts on the book:
The Grisha Trilogy is one of my favorite fantasy series, and I was simultaneously thrilled and hesitant when I received an ARC of Six of Crows - I was excited to return to the world of the Grisha series, but afraid that that it wouldn't be as fantastic as her previous books. But I had nothing to fear - Six of Crows is just as brilliant, but different. While the Grisha series is the classic "pre-destined teenager joins the resistance against the oppressive powers that be" story, Six of Crows is the "ragtag team of distrustful misfits comes together for the ultimate heist" story. It's the difference between the original Star Wars films and Guardians of the Galaxy - both are fantastic movies, but differ significantly. The first of Bardugo's newest trilogy, Six of Crows delivers just as much amazing action, character development, and romance as the Grisha series did. Each of the six team members has their own distinct background and intentions, tied together begrudgingly only by their shared interest in preventing the formula for a powerful, Grisha-enhancing drug from falling into the wrong hands. Trickery, backstabbing, unexpected attraction, and surprises abound at every turn, and though the book is paced quickly at some points, it masterfully mirrors the high-stakes situation the characters find themselves in. Leigh Bardugo's brilliance lies in how she weaves together the narrative of the six different characters, balancing their backstories and their underhanded motives against one another, all the while further fleshing out the world of the Grisha - the fraught political situations as well as the physical settings/geography. Readers get a larger picture of the world in the novels - the majority of the novel is set either in Ketterdam or Fjerda, and though the Darkling has been defeated, Grisha still face a multitude of problems - enslavement, capture, and now, the possibility of the endless power of jurda parem at the cost of crippling dependence. But Grisha politics are only one facet of the delicate political situation of Ketterdam, which is far more insidious than it might seem...
Six of Crows is perfect for fans of the Grisha trilogy and readers new to the Grisha world alike.
Carolyn is a teen blogger who shares her favorite YA reads and favorite book related finds with readers on Fridays.