Review: Six of Crows (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

I absolutely loved the Grisha Trilogy, I love this world Bardugo has created, but I must say, Six of Crows was even better! It beat the Grisha Trilogy, right along with all of my expectations. I have no idea why I waited so long to read this.

Title: Six of Crows

Author: Leigh Bardugo

My rating: 5 stars

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy

Pub. date: September 29th 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Synopsis: 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 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. (synopsis from Goodreads)

   I loved all the characters!

   When I started reading, I was a bit worried I wouldn’t like all the different perspectives, that it would be hard to follow or just too much with so many different characters, but I was so wrong. In fact, this book probably wouldn’t have worked so well without so many characters. It made the book impossible to put away.

   I’m not going to talk about each character separately, because no one wants to read that, but I loved all the characters. They were all so different, with different, complicated stories and backgrounds, but one thing they had in common was that you just couldn’t help but root for them. They all had a unique voice, and they were fun to read about.

   The plot, though.

   The characters were awesome, and so was the plot. The plot was another thing that made it impossible to put away. In any other book, I’d probably say it was a little too fast-paced, because there wasn’t a moment of quiet. Maybe one page, and then something was happening again. But it worked in this book. It kept me on my toes and it was great.

   The world-building was amazing!

   I am actually impressed with this, because I read the Grisha Trilogy, I already know the world, but Six of Crows can also be read without having read it. I was worried there would be too much focus on the world-building, for those who didn’t read the Grisha Trilogy, and that it would get boring for me, but it worked, it even felt new and different. It took place in Kerch and Fjerda, not Ravka. I loved getting this new glimpse of this world.

   Six of Crows was darker than the Grisha Trilogy.

   I really liked this. I mean, I loved Bardugo’s other series, but Six of Crows was more unique, better characters, better banter, and just better everything! It was unlike anything I’ve ever read, and I can’t tell you enough how good it was.

   With a dark plot, complex characters, and a world that will put any Fantasy lover in heaven, Six of Crows really impresses. It’s the kind of book you can’t put away and want to re-read as soon as you’ve finished it. If you were disappointed with the Grisha Trilogy, you should give this one a go, because it’s so much better!