YA Review: Six of Crows
A tale in Game of Thrones/Ocean’s Eleven YA style…
Simply put, Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows is one of the best books of 2015 for a reason. And it felt bad for me not being able to pick up on the hype that it received when it first came out. I love YA books for its themes and storytelling, and the combination of Six of Crows’s genres with a distinct multi-perspective narrative gives it the same essence that made of Game of Thrones popular.
Set in a fantasy world with parallels to places in the real world, such as Amsterdam, Russia and China. Six of Crows is set in a world that is incredibly vivid and well developed through the course of its plot. The author reels you in, and the descriptions make you want to visit a fantasy world that you wish were real akin to how people loved the world of Westeros. The cultural differences, the lore and the politics surrounding the world of Six of Crows is just impressive.
The plot revolves around a dangerous heist involving a criminal gang of six young adolescents, led by the enigmatic Kaz Brekker, who at the beginning of the story seems distant and rather vague in his intentions. We are slowly brought to understanding on his motives, on how his character has helped built a very strong foundation of his relationships with the world and the people he interacts. He is helped by a sharpshooter, Jesper, a thief in Inez, a sorceress (Grisha) in Nina, a soldier in Matthias, and a demolitions expert in Wylan.
This is arguably Six of Crows’s greatest appeal. The characterization and distinct personalities that we get to see in the book are really well done. This combined with a really solid plot empowers Bardugo’s characters to great proportions especially with their backstories. The lore and the characterizations work great here.
The plot while slow at first, builds up and meshes at the right time when the action starts to happen. There are plenty of incredible interactions that are really memorable here. Combined with the twists and the turns that occur at certain points in the book. It is simply unputdownable.
Six of Crows also has a distinct sense of unpredictability. The very nature of political scheming, the various adaptive strategies, the very flaws of the characters affecting their decisions all have implications on the very end of the book. The massive cliffhanger at the end was not a help either.
Nonetheless, you will read this book from start to finish. Definitely excited for the next installment. Easily the best book I’ve read this year.
