“They would learn to fear her, and they would know her by her name. The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true.”
─ Leigh Bardugo
“I have been made to protect you. Only in death will I be kept from this oath.”
─ Leigh Bardugo
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Book Information
Title: Six of Crows
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Publisher: Square Fish an imprint of Macmillan Publishing, New York
ISBN 978-1-250-07696-0
Genre: YA Fiction, Fantasy Paranormal
Ages: 12-18
462 pages
Book Summary:
The city of Ketterdam, the busy heart of international trade ruled by merchants. In Ketterdam, two things are sacred…anything can be had for the right price, and a deal is a deal. This follows for merchants and the criminals in the slums of the Barrels.
Kaz Brekker, a young ruthless criminal knows this better than anyone and uses it to his benefit. A desperate merchant offers Kaz a chance at his wildest dreams. There is a catch, first, he must pull off an impossible heist that offers only the possibility of death. He can’t pull this off alone, he must get the right crew. The question is whether the reward is worth the danger in the end.
Book Rating 4/5
A group of likable miscreants against impossible odds, what is not to like about the Six of Crows? A classic format for adventure, unlikely heroes against impossible odds. This seems to have a similar type of storyline but veers away from the classic format. For starters, the main characters aren’t heroes. I wouldn’t even refer to them as anti-heroes. They aren’t out to save the world, or even help anyone. Their motivations are purely selfish. The closest unifying motivation is revenge, which isn’t shared by all the crew members.
My favorite part of the Six of Crows would have to be the characters. Bardugo takes the six main characters beyond the typical likable miscreants. The six-person crew is composed of criminals, slaves, thieves, runaways, and killers. Each person has done terrible things in their short lives, some that they regret, and some that continue to shape who they are. They are broken physically, emotionally and mentally. Leigh Bardugo does a wonderful job of depicting the characters. The characters are presented in the raw forms, hiding none of their ugly flaws. You like the characters despite these flaws, knowing the cruelty their capable of doling out at any moment. Yet there is an underlying promise of hope that life and themselves can be better. The reward of the heist is the lure of the promise of hope.
The part I disliked the most would be the book ending. Can’t wait to get the sequel Crooked Kingdom. Besides the obvious dilemma, the part I disliked the most would be also a component of Bardugo’s character depictions. The “bad” characters that wronged Kaz, and other members of the crew are depicted as older father or mother figures. These depictions fit the storyline and explained why their betrayals cut the main characters so deeply with their young ages. It just seemed to draw a distinct line of youth against the adult vibe.
The Six of Crows is in the process of being adapted into part of an eight-episode series by Netflix that will be based on two novels by Bardugo: Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows. Bardugo is to also serve as an executive producer of the show. For additional information, you can view the Deadline announcement.
The Six of Crows is book one. The adventure continues in the sequel, Crooked Kingdom.
There is no official Netflix series trailer as of yet. But for those interested, there are some nice concept trailers done by fans on YouTube – Six of Crows series concept trailer by readwithcindy.
Also, if you like the book check out Leigh Bardugo’s website for other information on her books and appearances:
And for all the Grishaverse fans there is the Grishaverse site. Discover the books, learn about the Grisha, and take quizzes to discover what type of Grisha or Six of Crows character you are.
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