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Leigh Bardugo’s “Six of Crows” is one of the best young adult fantasy novels of this generation. Set in Bardugo’s Russia-inspired fantasy world known as the Grishaverse, the story follows crime boss Kaz Brekker as he assembles a team of six outcasts to complete an impossible heist.
Published in 2015, “Six of Crows” gained immense traction on social media after its release and remains popular today. The novel is part of a spin-off duology that broadens Bardugo’s Grishaverse, which began with the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy. Where “Shadow and Bone” mainly takes place in the city of Ravka, the events of “Six of Crows” occur in Ketterdam, a city that feels like its own character.
The characters and events in the Grishaverse were adapted into a Netflix series in 2021, titled “Shadow and Bone.”
Like “Ninth House,” the setting of the book is dark and gritty, throwing readers into an atmosphere that feels lawless. After a childhood filled with loss and devastation, Kaz grows up operating in a criminal underworld, leaving him hardened and unforgiving. When he’s presented with an opportunity to break a deadly chemist out of the Ice Court of Fjerda, he assembles a team of five outcasts—Inej, Jesper, Nina, Wylan, and Mattias—to complete the job.
One of Bardugo’s greatest strengths is making us feel close to all six personalities. Each of the Crows comes in with their own motives and intentions, and just about all of them are harboring a secret crush on each other.
In a fast-paced plot full of twists, the Crows weigh the cost of trust and empathy. Each character has a push-pull relationship with their morality, and they are repeatedly forced to weigh their personal desires against the group’s survival. While I’d love to say I enjoy every character equally, Inej is definitely a favorite of mine.
She’s not only my favorite character, either. Isabeau Levito, U.S. Olympic figure skating star, said she likes to channel Inej’s toughness during her programs on the ice.
The dialogue of the book is wonderful, including multiple iconic lines that live in my head rent-free. For readers who love found families and antiheroes, “Six of Crows” is a heart-pounding read filled with both enthralling action and emotional depth. The fallout at the end of “Six of Crows” will have you itching to find out what happens next.
Bardugo’s “Crooked Kingdom” directly follows the events in “Six of Crows,” continuing the story of Kaz and his crew. The Crows face new enemies and their own internal conflict, as a dangerous drug called jurda parem incites violence and a war for power in Ketterdam.
The Grishaverse continues with the “King of Scars” duology, which follows King Nikolai Lantsov, a recurring side character in “Shadow and Bone” and “Six of Crows.” Nikolai must rebuild his country after it has been devastated by war and magic, all while fighting a dark magic inside him.
On Monday, Bardugo announced a new short story titled “A Darker Shore: Letters From Ketterdam,” which takes place after the events in “Crooked Kingdom.” Readers assumed that after so many years, Bardugo would not return to the Grishaverse or the Crows. But, Bardugo told People, it was a way to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the duology’s release and give readers a way to check in with the characters.
“A Darker Shore: Letters From Ketterdam” will be released this year on June 30.
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