Six of Crows

I did not read The Grisha trilogy. Are you ok with that?
Then I’m going to say that I loved this book from the bottom of my heart to the edge of yours and back.

Long story short, because my young bundle of joy doesn’t let me stay away from him for too long, the Six of Crows is unique, vivid, unpredictable, and the characters are notorious young criminals, with six different perspectives and as many complex reasonings for what they did and/or choose to do.

A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse.

As much as I adored the storyline I loved the back stories, as I found so much depth in them all, and if you think that six main characters seems like too much for one book… just trust me, it is not. You’ll get the difference between them in no time (as distinctive as their voices are) and you will cherish the moments spent with each one of them, because they are a team and the story seems to be a teamwork on its own.

Kaz – the ruthless group leader or to whom my heart belongs to. He is deeply – emotionally and also physically – scarred, with a daunting past. He’s built wall upon wall surrounding him and his heart, and we watched some of them break down step by step.

Inej – or his right hand, has a bit of contradictory traits. She is the wraith, silent as a shadow and she still shines so bright. She is soft but also tough. You should never underestimate her. Also, it was enlightening to see Kaz (to whom she owes her freedom) through her eyes, though at times also a bit  frustrating but in a delicious way.

Nina – or the Grisha. If you read the other series you might know more about her kind. I was delighted by how rich this fantastic world actually is and I loved every element from it. Back to Nina, she is haunted by her past mistakes, but what takes a second to break, takes a life to build back again.

Matthias – the honorable one. He’s been wronged by one of the above and that’s a back story that keeps pushing through the pages wanting to be told and be made right again. Passionately seeking revenge he tries to keep his head straight, but now we can focus only on the first word and cross our fingers, shall we?

Jesper – the adventurous or the hilarious one. His guns don’t miss the target and he has a bit of a gabling problem, but his layers reveal someone that we want to know more about.

Wylan – is he the soft one? Well I am not sure if that’s the case. He is still under development, but some moments that involved him and Jesper put some big smiles on my lips.

Each character is fleshed out and one can’t help rooting for them, even with their dark sides. The dynamic between them is also incredibly well crafted. There is friendship, camaraderie and there are snippets of romantic gestures, of shivering chemistry. Yes, I loved the subtle romances (if I can even call them that.. yet) with the fire of a thousand suns.
It’s been a while and I’m filled with longing, but my own flame still burns hot and I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book and know more about these guys. Their diversity and their backgrounds, along with their trust as well as their mistrust, makes for a wonderful journey, one I can’t wait to dive into again someday.

Last, but not the least important, there is nothing as rewarding as having a good villain in a story. In fact, our heroes are not pure and innocent (not at all), but extremely flawed and walking on a thin edge between good and bad – they are OUR heroes, but if you go asking around plenty will mark them as villains in their own stories (they cheat and steal and do whatever it takes to survive a rough life, there is no black and white for them, not in such magical world), and so it was fitting to have a layered villain. Will see what surprises might come with the sequel.

Conclusion…

In an ocean of twists, banter, humour and excitement (not to mention the beautiful prose and the incredible world building and character development), there is nothing I felt lacking when it comes to this book. I can only complain about having to wait for the next one, with the shadow of that mean cliffhanger still hovering over my heart. Everything else was perfect.

Happy midnight reading!