Monday, October 5, 2015

Review: Six of Crows

SIX OF CROWS
Six of Crows #1
Leigh Bardugo
Young Adult/Fantasy
480 pages
Henry Holt
Available Now
Source: ARC from publisher for review

THE STORY (from Goodreads)
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...

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.

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.


MY THOUGHTS
Six of Crows is everything we've come to expect from Ms. Bardugo; an extraordinary cast of characters who shine brightly from the darkness of their world to ensure their memory is forever seared into our minds and hearts. This tale could have been pure chaos, five distinct character perspectives as well as sporadic flashbacks to their varied histories ingredients for a jumbled storyline, but in the hands of Ms. Bardugo this dark adventure unfolds smoothly and richly, a gorgeous reveal of a seemingly endless series of layers that keep us on our toes throughout.

While there are six members of Kaz Brekker's team of uniquely talented gutter rats, we get the perspectives of only five of them, and each is given what feels like equal time in the spotlight. What's so impressive about Ms. Bardugo's ability to craft her characters is that none outshine the rest, instead they're all nuanced to a degree that we'll never learn all there is to know about them (Kaz especially), but we'll be damned if we don't want to spend hours on end trying to do just that. All six have their shadowy corners, their secrets and shames. All have pasts riddled with varying degrees of brutality; privilege turned into poverty, dreams turned into dirt and filth, and wishes turned into weapons used for money and revenge, and we're nothing other than spellbound by each and every single one of them.

Ms. Bardugo also possesses an uncanny gift for writing characters to whom we should easily be able to affix the villain label, but yet we find ourselves repeatedly rationalizing their actions, finding ways to excuse the pain they cause in our need to see them redeemed. A need that remains a far cry greater than their own desire to achieve redemption. Kaz is one such character, a young man capable of monstrous actions and cruel words that cut to the bone, yet we latch on to his rare moments of vulnerability and use them to further tint our rose colored glasses. He's absolutely magnetic, a mystery whose motivations we've barely started to grasp by the time we reach the final page, and who will likely continue to surprise us at every turn as this series progresses.

Overall, Six of Crows is stunning from beginning to end, a true triumph of characterization that leaves us in tears over the fact that we must wait a full year to be reunited with these six men and women.

Rating: 5/5
 

Find Leigh


This book was sent to me by the publisher free of charge for the purpose of a review
I received no other compensation and the above is my honest opinion.

40 comments:

  1. I'm a fan of multiple pov's when done well and the characterization in SIX OF CROWS sounds like it was done really well and easy to follow. I'm so excited to read this story and experience the fantastic writing. I'm completely intrigued by Kaz's character now!!
    Lovely review, Jenny :)

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    1. I was a little worried about all the POVs when I first learned of them Kim, but I loved all of these characters so much that bouncing around from one to the other was something I really looked forward to:)

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  2. wow I love your enthousiasm for this one, it sounds like a really great story and it's a good thing to know we have some characters like that. thanks for the review!

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    1. Thanks Melliane! I absolutely adored this book:)

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  3. Hmmm, maybe I could get the library to get book 1....

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  4. OOh nice! Have heard basically nothing but good things about this one! I own it, just haven't had time to read it yet! Hopefully soon though! Great review!

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    1. I hope you get time to read it soon Jessica, I thought it was fantastic:)

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  5. Wow! Awesome review! I have liked Leigh Bardugo's books in the past, so I really should check this one out. Your review has me excited.

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    1. I hope you love as much as I did Christina!

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  6. YES, Jenny! I loved this book so much. You know how I am with multiple POVs, but in this one, I absolutely loved them. And I agree with you. I love how Leigh gave everyone equal importance. I can't wait for more. :)
    Fantastic review! :)

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    1. We are basically the same reader Nick:) Multiple POVs are typically not for me, but this was just so well done and I loved each and every person I got to spend time with:)

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  7. I still need to read this book! It sounds so good! Great review!

    Carrie @The Book Goddess

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  8. Yay! I'm so excited you loved this Jenny and I love how you said the characters shined in their world of darkness. Truly sounds perfect!

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  9. i do love a good character development so i am glad to hear that this book seems to deliver that. I hope I can read it this month

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    1. Definitely:) All the characters in this book were outstanding I thought.

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  10. Oh gosh! I love a good character driven story, and I have been itching to read this, your five star makes me want to drop everything and read this now, heck I just might.

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    1. I really hope you enjoy it as much as I did Heidi. I was so drawn to Kaz and all the various relationship between the 6 main characters. LOVED it:)

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  11. *flails* Bardugo develops characters that make me fall over myself in love, and I'm excited to get to know this cast of characters! I swear Jenny, you always read the best books!

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    1. HURRY UP AND READ IT SO WE CAN COMPARE NOTES AMBER!

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  12. "Ms. Bardugo also possesses an uncanny gift for writing characters to whom we should easily be able to affix the villain label, but yet we find ourselves repeatedly rationalizing their actions, finding ways to excuse the pain they cause in our need to see them redeemed." YES!!!! I still need to read the third book from the previous trilogy but I'm DYING for this book. I think I just get afraid. These books just really bring SO MUCH EMOTION!

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    1. She writes such amazing morally ambiguous characters Candace, I love it so much. I want to call them villains, but I can't help but be drawn to them and hope the next chapter brings about some action or gesture that shows they're really good at heart ;-)

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  13. I cannot wait to dive into this one. I think I made my library get it. Yes, I'm guilty! :D I also love villains like that! I'm so glad that this one seems to be on par with her last series. I need to get this one soon!

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    1. I want everyone to read this Melissa, I just adored it!

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  14. Damndamndamn... I so regret not grabbing this ARC, but I am for sure making it mine when it comes out. I love villains like that.

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    1. YES! Kaz has so many layers, I loved him, hated him, and wanted more of him all at the same time:)

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  15. This book must be really good if you gave it a 5!!!!! Must put it on my list

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  16. I am so glad I read your review, early reviews kind of scared me away..and I wanted to love this..so yay Jenny!!

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    1. I really hope you love it Kim, I thought it was brilliantly done:)

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  17. Great review! I've heard such amazing things about this one. Need to try it!

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  18. Now. You know fantasy novels aren't my thing, but man, I'm dying to read this one. I like the mishmash of characters. I'm curious to see how the dynamics of characters work.

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    1. Aside from the Grisha abilities, this one doesn't feel as fantasy as the previous trilogy. It's much more character-driven, I think you'd enjoy it Joy!

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  19. YES YES YES!! I knew you'd love this one and have no issues with the multiple POVs because I didn't have any problems either!! Well done multiple POVs can enhance a book so much and in this case it DID!!
    I'm now re-reading it and cannot wait till the sequel is out!!

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  20. I'm hoping I get to read this soon because I am so excited! I know it's going to be amazing and I'm so relieved to be seeing 4 or 5 Stars from readers because that means I am going to love this one too. Lovely, lovely review, Jenny! :)

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  21. I’m looking forward to read this book. To create a story with so many narrators is not a simple task. I’m so glad to hear you loved it. Wonderful review, Jenny!

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  22. "Six of Crows" is an extraordinary masterpiece that takes readers on a thrilling and unforgettable journey into a world of complex characters, intricate heists, and breathtaking suspense.

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