Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
So, I have to admit this book has been on my to read list since it came out. Even after hearing all the amazing reviews, for some reason, I just wasn’t drawn to it. The summary just didn’t click with me. It wasn’t until Leigh Bardugo announced she was coming to Utah for her Wonder Woman: Warbringer tour that I finally decided that I had to read it before she arrived. So, I finally dived in. And wow, why on earth did I wait?? Definitely a five star book! And here’s why you should read Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo…
- Characters
Kaz-
Whoa there, I haven’t gone for a bad boy in a long time, but DAMMMMMMN. Watching his insecurities come out and learning about his past made my heart melt. He has so much pain, but it didn’t feel like the traditional angsty hero. He had legitimate agony in his past that helps you understand why he’s become the man he is.
Inej-
Aww, my baby!! I love her so much! Her story is sad, but in a different way than Kaz. It was so painful going into her past and seeing her gentle soul. I loved how she was so skilled in her area of expertise. It was nice seeing the female lead be genuinely more adept at something physical than the male lead. With Kaz having his leg injury and Inej being his Wraith, it makes for an interesting twist that I heartily enjoyed.
Nina-
I love when the female characters don’t feel the need to compete for attention in the group. Nina and Inej worked so well together. They weren’t intimidated by each other and they worked so well together. I also loved Nina’s abilities. It was great watching her grow and learn more about those abilities. As a reader, it was cool to see all the different things she’d learned how to do. I also liked her relationship with Matthias. She’s just so sassy and doesn’t take his shit. That was so refreshing.
Matthias-
Ugh, definitely my least favorite character. Not that I hated him, but I just don’t think he deserves Nina. Even though they both made bad choices, it was much easier for me to see why Nina did what she did. Matthies is just a brainwashed jerk that takes forever to work through it. Sorry, too harsh, but if you’ve read it, I bet you’ll agree with me at least to a point. I’m glad he grows and gets better but his chapters weren’t my favorite.
Jesper-
Jesper is definitely the character who grew on me the most. His gambling addiction was kind of a turnoff for me in the beginning. Especially after learning that he mortgaged his father’s farm because of it… But going through the story, I enjoyed him more and more. I especially liked his sarcasm and his interaction with Wylan. He reminded me of Carswell Thorne from The Lunar Chronicles. I loved his attitude and how entertaining he was.
Wylan-
Aw, Wylan. Such a precious little bean. He’s so adorable. Even though he’s only the youngest by a little, he feels so naive compared to the rest of them. I was sad that we didn’t get to see more of his past, other than the one painful part. Also, it was so cool to see a character with a learning disability. That’s so rare in books, but his added an interesting twist to the story that was meaningful.
Plot-
Such a great story.. Lots of twists and turns with only a few that were predictable. The ending I saw coming until the last little bit. I thought Crooked Kingdom was a companion novel. I didn’t realize it was a sequel! So now I’m dying and hoping that I can get a copy from my library tomorrow.
But yeah, great writing as well. It was different enough for each character without being disorienting. It was clear and I quickly figured out who the characters were.
Overall-
Six of Crows is definitely a five star read! I highly recommend it to any YA fan. It’s a fantastic blend of a heist movie and a fantasy world. It was a unique read that I am going to suggest, even to my husband. (Who only reads the very best YA books.)
What do you think? Who are your favorite characters? Let me know in the comments!