Review of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Reviewed by Nivin Khan, 2023.

Six of Crows is the first in a duology set in the Grishaverse, the same fantasy world as in the popular series Shadow and Bone. Readers who did not read the Shadow and Bone series will still love Six of Crows. This novel tells the riveting story of the notorious teen criminal Kaz Brekker and the team he assembles to pull off a seemingly-impossible heist. A captive scientist is being used to produce an extremely addictive substance that amplifies Grisha powers to dangerous levels threatening trade and security across the world. A merchant offers to pay Kaz an enormous reward if he can break into the Ice Court, the most high-security fortress known, and release the captive scientist. Six of Crows follows six teens, each with very different strengths and dark histories, as they plan and pursue their high-stake mission. While this story is filled with action and thrills, what is most noticeable and special about Six of Crows is the twists and trickery, and the focus on the characters. The characters form strong relationships and readers will end up loving the characters, feeling all of the same joy, sorrow, and suspense that they do throughout the novel. The novel also contains plenty of exciting tricks and baffling twists for readers to enjoy. For anyone who wants to immerse themselves in a heist, or a promising young-adult story, this novel should not disappoint.

This novel can be found in the Fantasy section of Laurier’s Library and Learning Commons.