Hello Rad Readers,
No, your eyes did not deceive you, and no, social distancing and quarantine has not driven me mad. Six of Crows is really just that good. I loved this book so much and I think everyone in the entire world should read it. I was surprised by how much I loved it. It was on my TBR since around August and I just didn't really care to read it, but then quarantine happened and here we are! Prepare for an entire blog post that could easily be summarized in these 3 words: READ THIS BOOK. I also see however, how it could also be interpreted in these 3 words: BEST BOOK EVER. Take it as you will...
Six of Crows follows six fascinating characters who take on an impossible mission, and we have the privilege of following their journey. The story begins in Ketterdam, a city where international trade takes place, but more importantly where anything can be had for the right price. Kaz Brekker knows this better than anyone. He's a notorious criminal prodigy from the slums with a talent for unlikely escape and impossible success. 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 on his own. He assembles a crew of fascinating talent with troubled pasts and together they take on the heist.
Six of Crows takes place in the Grisha world where Leigh Bardugo's other series took place. A frequent question when it comes to this duology is "Do I need to read the Grisha Trilogy first?" No. As evidence by yours truly! I have never opened Shadow & Bone and I understood everything perfectly fine in this. It certainly stands on its own. It's a completely different story that just takes place in the same world, from my understanding. (I will absolutely be reading the Shadow & Bone series soon though!)
The characters that are brought to life in this book are absolutely fantastic. We follow the narrative of each character aside from one (for some reason, not really sure why he is excluded?). This allowed them to each be really developed individually, not just a prop to someone else's story line. They each have such strong personalities and very interesting back stories that you wouldn't expect but get to see as the story unfolds. They are so different from one another which makes most of their interactions hilarious, but they also have the versatility to be serious and driven, and I seriously liked them all which is certainly rare for this rad reader to say! I am so happy that there is a second book in this series because if not I might just die. I loved these characters so much and no matter how many times I say that (which is probably too many by now) it will not even come close to paralleling my true excitement and love!
Kaz is my favorite character easily. He is so cold and calculated and honestly just a genius. You know how in spider man Uncle Ben hits us with that fire line "with great power comes great responsibility," our dawg Kaz takes that line and throws it in the trash. He has the power and will use all of it for evil if that means getting what he needs. Homie has 0 chill but also all the chill in the world. If you stab his homie he will throw you off a boat but he also will do so without any emotions whatsoever and will sleep like a rock after doing so. He is capital U Unfazed. Nothing gets under his skin and he is always five steps ahead of everyone else. He has a million and one tricks up his sleeve but it is never just out of no where for the convenience of the plot. Once some big shocker is revealed that Kaz already knows or that he has already done you feel like a fool for not picking it up earlier. It just shows how well Leigh Bardugo developed these characters and this world. She knows every detail about them and it is completely transparent through the way that she writes. It is genuinely so impressive. Let me also say, the ending... GAVE ME CHILLS. Kaz is the coolest, baddest, most insane and vengeful character ever adapted for literature and I love it. Inej comes in a close second in terms of the most baller characters in this story. She can do no wrong in my eyes, she is the definition of vibes, and although she has that same "out for a vengeance" energy that Kaz does she is also kind. Not too kind though, she will stab you with her collection of knives if you cross her or the gang, each knife by the way, she has named which is SCARY. She is in for the job and will not let anything get in the way of her exacting her revenge on those from her past. My favorite kind of character! The rest (Wylan, Nina, Jesper and Matthias) are all ballers but not god like characters. They are exceptional but not so much as Kaz and Inej. You will just have to read it for yourself... ;) Very exceptional that an author was able to flush out six characters so completely and immaculately when most stories barely do so with two.
The characters were fantastic and interesting and fun, but I wouldn't say that this is a completely character driven novel. They are not the only thing that makes the story interesting is what I am trying to say. The plot line is equally as incredible. The story itself, the heist, the mission, it is positively thrilling. You become so invested in its planning, and the details, and the execution of it. You are always trying to predict what comes next. Ugh! I loved it! Some of the scenes were so intense and crazy I genuinely got nervous for the characters. The story just grabs you and before you know it you have been reading nonstop for three hours and only have 20 pages left but you wish you had so so so so many more! I am getting overloaded with excitement just writing this right now because THIS BOOK WAS SO GOOD! AHHH!
The world that they live in is also so interesting. It's just such an fascinating environment; very dark, very moody, very haunting and mysterious. Certainly nothing like anything I've read before. It absolutely made me want to read the Grisha Trilogy. In fact, I must share that Shadow & Bone is in an amazon package on its way to my house at this very moment and I am about to begin reading the second book in this duology, "Crooked Kingdom!"
This book is also, just straight up, so well written. Leigh Bardugo is such a phenomenal writer that I do not even know how to put her godliness into words.
"Six of Crows" isn't going to change your life or anything, but I could easily reread it every week and never get tired of it. It's a fantastic story and a Rad Read indeed! We must make room for this on the list of Rad Reads certified bangers!
In trues "Six of Crow" fashion, I shall send you off with this: No mourners, no funerals... (You will get it after you read the book, trust me!)
- C8 ;)