Six of Crows

 

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Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is the first in the six of crows duology published by Henry Holt and Company in 2015. Bardugo has previously published The GrishaVerse including The Language of Thorns, Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. Six of Crows and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom, takes place in the same world as the others. This is a dark fantasy series in an urban setting. I imagined it as a gritty, Victorian-era setting, though I could be wrong about this. Bardugo said in an interview the inspiration for this book came from the Oceans 11 movies and it shows. 

Kaz Brekker is the second in command of a slum gang, called the Dregs. He is considered a criminal prodigy, known for taking on any job, considers himself a business man. After an accident left him crippled, he walks with a limp and carries a cane that he uses as a weapon. Part of his reputation is just rumors, but he does prove himself to be a formidable foe. Despite keeping his distance from others, he is determined to overthrow a rival gang leader and get revenge for his brother’s death.

Inej is known as the Wraith. She is a Suli girl who was kidnapped from her family and sold as a sex slave to a brothel in Ketterdam. After Kaz helped her escape her slavery, she started working with him as a thief and informant. She is able to scale almost anything and is completely silent. Despite her small size, she is more than capable at holding her own in a fight, and she has Kaz’s trust and friendship, a rare thing. She wants to return home and find her family but has yet to do it, partly because she must pay off her debt to the Dregs, and partly because she is not sure if she can settle back into her old life.

Jesper is the Dreg’s sharpshooter and a trusted companion of Kaz. Unfortunately, Jesper is a gambler. The thrill of a game of chance is nearly as exciting as the life and death risk of a shootout. In a fight, he hardly ever misses his target, but his luck does not always hold at the gambling tables. Despite being a trusted second to Kaz, he often wonders just how much Kaz trusts him. 

Wylan is the son of merchant Van Ecker who ran away from his father’s house and has been living on the streets under the watchful eye of Kaz. He’s included in the crew because of his ability to draw excellent maps based on description and memory alone as well as his knack for demolitions. Kaz also reminds him he is a useful hostage in case Van Ecker tries to double cross them. 

Matthias was a druskelle, a soldier from Fierda who hunt down Grisha and take them back to "face trial." His parents were murdered by Grisha and so he took to his work with passion until he was saved by Nina. Their friendship was betrayed, however, when she accused him of being a slaver and had him locked in the prison in Ketterdam. Now spiteful and vengeful, he has to resist the urge to kill her and betray his homeland to Kaz if he wants to earn his pardon. He’s not thrilled with this idea and is constantly plotting his escape or a way to stop Kaz’s plan from succeeding. 

Nina is a Heartrender Grisha from Ravka, the enemy of Fierda. She was training to be a spy when she was captured by druskelle. Surviving a shipwreck with Matthias, she now lives in the slums of Ketterdam, using her gifts to help clients with physical or emotional pains while trying to find a way to free Matthias from prison. She is a bit more emotional than the rest of the crew but she is also the one who feels the most guilt for her past. As part of the crew, she’s more useful in getting Matthias to cooperate, helping hide everyone’s identities, and as a distraction, though she can use her powers in combat but not efficiently. 

The story takes place in Ketterdam, the center for international trade. Kaz Brekker is hired by one of the local merchants, Van Ecker, to rescue a scientist from an impenetrable prison. Not only is this job impossible, if Kaz can pull it off, he and his crew will become notorious and rich. The problem is, the crew is not one that can get along. Everyone has a troubled past—ranging from an ex-convict to a slave turned thief, a runaway, and a Grisha using her powers to survive in the slums. On top of this, Kaz is not trusting, even of his closest companions, and everyone’s personal defenses are up. The only way they’ll succeed is if they face their pasts, put aside differences, and trust each other with their lives, if they don’t, the world could be in serious danger. 

My sister got this book for her birthday and she loved it, insisting I read it as well. I’ve finally gotten to it and I have to agree with her. The idea of a magical prison break is amazing. The antiheroes are fascinating. And the final twists force you to pick up the next book. 

I did find the beginning to be a little slow. Characters have to be built up and the shifting perspectives each chapter mean it takes a little longer for everyone to be on the same page. Once Kaz starts getting the crew together, things start to pick up. There are points where I could see how Oceans 11 influenced the story but anyone who hasn’t seen those movies might not pick up on it. I did also feel like the plot was a little too easy. Every setback didn’t feel unplanned or impossible to fix; in fact, a lot of it seemed easily dealt with even though the Ice Court is supposed to be the most secure fortress in the world. How is it then, that a bunch of seventeen year olds are able to break in, wreck havoc, retrieve their prize, and escape, without serious opposition or major failures and setbacks? I’m willing to forgive all of this, however, because of the characters.

Nina and Matthias’ interactions were interesting but not gripping. They’re very much the story of politics and beliefs versus love and humanity. They do bring up some interesting themes of religion and beliefs and racism in regards to wars and who is to blame for what.

Inej is fun because she’s a thief and assassin but she isn’t cold-hearted. When a Dreg card dealer is caught cheating, she gives him warning to leave before Kaz returns since he is a good person. Yet she’s not afraid to fight back and is more than capable of dealing with threats even though she isn’t big and strong. She is also dealing with the physical and psychological abuse she received in the brothel before being rescued by Kaz. I also liked seeing how patient she is with Kaz and how she does not let her feelings for him stop her for doing what’s best for her first. 

Jesper and Wylan are more background characters but their banter and relationship is amazing and adorable. I love seeing them go from insults to friendly teasing, to admitting there is an attraction between them, even though they come from two very different backgrounds.

Finally, Kaz Brekker. I love Kaz’s character. At first, he’s the cold and calculating businessman who plans on becoming the greatest gang leader in Ketterdam. He refuses to do anything unless there’s something to gain from it and he isn’t afraid of using theatrics in order to get what he wants. Once the prison break is underway, however, readers get to learn of his childhood trauma that led to his personality. Kaz dresses so well in order to protect himself from being touched; when he’s forced to let others lay hands on him, he has panic attacks but forces himself through them. He’s cruel and cold but damaged and uses his reputation as armor, even though it also prevents him from pursuing relationships with others. 

Once I finished Six of Crows, I knew I needed to get the rest of the GrishaVerse. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy worlds, antiheroes, or prison break stories. Be aware of some hard hitting traumas and some politics when going into this book. I loved Six of Crows and I look forward to reading the sequel, Crooked Kingdom.