When deciding to read a fantasy book, I’ve always looked for a few things: character growth, world building and a plot that is easily digestible. And though I have read hundreds of books in my life, a good majority of them being fantasy, none of them have compared to the beauty of “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo.
The author rose to popularity in 2012 when she wrote the first book in her hit series “Shadow and Bone,” and she only furthered her popularity when “Six of Crows” was published in 2015. Since then she has published many companion series to the trilogy and duology, but none have rivaled the beauty of “Six of Crows.”
The story follows a cast of six characters, all of which are criminals on a mission to break a prisoner out of the elusive ice court. Being a fantasy book, certain characters called Grisha, have special powers such as metal or blood bending. These Grisha can enhance their powers with a drug created by the man the very criminals are trying to break out of the prison. The book follows a multi-perspective format, which I absolutely adore because each character gets as much development as possible.
The first character we are introduced to is Inej Ghafa, also known as the wraith. She is the spy for the group, and is incredibly good at it as she was originally an acrobat before being kidnapped and sold to a menagerie in Ketterdam, the city the story takes place in. She is silent and isn’t afraid to kill anyone who gets in her way.
Secondly, we’re introduced to Kaz “dirty-hands” Brekker. Having spent most of his fundamental years in Ketterdam alone and poor, Kaz is eager to get revenge on the man who wronged him throughout the story. He is ruthless, cold, and calculating but is also scarily protective of those he loves. Kaz serves the role as the ‘leader’ of the group, coming up with all of the strategies to pull off the massive heist.
Moving on to my all-time favorite character, Jesper Fahey is the sharpshooter for the team. He is a charming and reckless character who has a bit of a gambling addiction. Despite his need for comedic relief, he holds a deep secret from the group which gets revealed in a desperate moment causing him to become one of the most fundamental characters in the book. Jesper remains my favorite character because of how sassy he is. No matter the situation, he consistently has a sharp quip at the ready and it makes him an easily lovable character.
Next, the first character to be introduced with a Grisha power is Nina Zenik. Her biggest character trait is the fact that she is a flirt, which always adds a touch of comedy to the dark moments of the book. She was originally training to be a soldier, but after being captured and shipwrecked with a man called Matthias Helvar, she learns to love and trust others, causing her to be a much needed asset for the team.
Logically, the next character introduced is in fact Matthias, who could be referred to as Nina’s “FOIL.” While Nina is flirtatious and emotional, he is stoic and disciplined, causing tension throughout the plot for the two characters as he was raised to think Grisha are evil. Despite this, he still agrees to help on the mission and becomes the muscle of the group.
Finally, the last character is Wylan Van Eck. Wylan is the demolitions expert and also coincidentally happens to be the son of a very influential individual in Ketterdam, the very individual who gave Kaz the job in the first place. Though he starts off as the “baby” of the group, Wylan grows into his confidence and learns how to be resourceful and helps the group substantially.
The plot follows the six characters as they traverse the city and learn about crime and themselves. If you ever find yourself in need of a good fantasy book with an amazing plot and spectacular character development, “Six of Crows” would be the perfect book for you.
