Six of Crows

Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo

My rating: ★★★★★

ISBN: 978-1627792127
Publisher: Henry Holt
Date of publication: September 29, 2015
Age: Grades 8 and up
Genre: Fantasy

Themes: thievery, camaraderie, revenge, science/magic

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. His recruits his crew carefully: 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; and 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.

It's like Ocean's Eleven in a kick-butt fantasy world. But SO MUCH better. This may all come as a surprise, given my less-than-stellar review for Bardugo's other series, The Grisha Trilogy. Technically, I liked her writing, just not the story. And I was a little skeptical of this, because it's technically a companion novel. So imagine my happiness at discovering a down-right fantastic story.

First, the format: Bardugo tells the story through alternating points-of-view each chapter—switching between five of the crew members. Five different POVs could get confusing, but in this case, it works wonders. Not only does this narrative provide intimate depth and detail for each character, but actually moves the plot along quite rapidly, making it hard to put down.

Speaking of characters, they're EXCELLENT. Each have their history recalled through various flashbacks during the story, providing needed depth and understanding without detracting/distracting from the story in the least. Kaz Brekker is my favorite hands down because he is simply fascinating. Multi-layered, talented, scarred, cruel, broken, and just believable. I don't want to say too much because it will give stuff away, but man, he is a beast.

Also, can I just say that the romance in the story was spot on. Which is to say, there are hints of it, due to shared pasts between characters, but none of the insta-romances or random love scenes that seem to pop up in other YA books. It acts as a motivator in a believable way, not a reader pleaser.

Finally, and what I probably appreciate the most: the ending wraps up enough but leaves the reader wanting the sequel. It's not a total drop-off cliffhanger (which seems to be the trend nowadays, UGH), but not a perfectly tied up package either.

It's just brilliant.

There, it's all summed up in three words. Go and read; it is extremely well done. I can't even think of a good readalike. So you'll just have to read this and understand.

Warning: Explicit Content
Language (once)

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The Grisha Trilogy

Three-for-one! What a deal! Okay, I thought I'd try something new and review an entire series at once.

ISBN: 9780805094596
Published: June 5, 2012

ISBN: 9780805094602
Published: June 4, 2013

ISBN: 9780805094619
Published: June 17, 2014

The Grisha Trilogy

Leigh Bardugo

My rating: ★★

Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.

Age: Grades 9 and up

Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Themes: dark vs. light, betrayal, uprisings, power, loss, heartbreak

Alina Starkov has just discovered her new power as a Sun Summoner. The only one of her kind, the country has begun to worship her because she alone may be able to finally banish the Shadow Fold, a completely dark void that cuts the country in half and is infested with monstrous creatures. Of course, the Darkling takes special interest in her. As the ruler of the second army and a darkness summoner, he may have finally found his equal. But instead of aligning herself with him, she flees, seeking to strengthen her power against him. And so the Darkling begins his uprising against the king, releasing untold evil into the land and reigning with darkness and terror.

It's hard to review these books. I'm conflicted. Obviously, the reason that I am reviewing all three at once is that it took me less than a week to read through all of them. So there was a part of me that had to find out what happened. Thus, it has the excitement/grip factor. But now that I've finished, I don't feel better about myself. I never want to read them again. So what does that say? Let's try going through this book by book...

In Shadow & Bone, I was pulled in. The characters that were introduced were intriguing--betrayal and lies, a deeper purpose to their actions. They weren't the best I've read (like, say, Throne of Glass, which had very similar characters and situations, and played it out in a way I liked more), but I still wanted to see what happened to them. I finished the book in a day or so.

And so I start the second, Siege & Storm, and it was. So. Hard. To read. I can't quite put my finger on it... The story was so depressing. Alina is soooo conflicted and troubled. It was hard to read. And SO so dark. Evil. And the ending! My gosh, blood and fury everywhere. So disturbing.

And so I read the third, Ruin & Rising, so that I could see the good triumph over the evil. Because that is how the story must end, right? And so it did. But HOLY COW it took a lot out of me to get there. Am I glad I read it? Probably not. My rating reflects my preference.

But would I tell someone not to read it? Really, as a librarian, if there was someone who preferred these types of stories, I would recommend it. The writing is good (enough) and enticing. You do get attached to characters. It draws out your emotions. Some people would really enjoy these books. So...to each their own!

Warning: Explicit Content
Sexuality

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