6 of Crows review

This book is a stunning amalgamation of fantasy and action and the story unravels in a universe in which magic users exist known as the Grisha. One thing that should be noted is that this book and its sequel are connected to the Shadow and Bone trilogy but can be read separately.

Our story starts in Ketterdam, a place where anything can be gained for a certain price. One of our protagonists, Kaz Brekker, is kidnapped by a merchant. Kaz is a renowned thief and leader of a gang known as ‘the Dregs’. The merchant hopes to use Kaz to kidnap a scientist responsible for creating a variant of a street drug known as jurda parem, the variant can enhance a Grisha’s magic and is highly addictive after a single dose. The only issue is, the scientist is locked away in a well-known impenetrable prison in the country Fjerda. Kaz considers this the opportunity of a lifetime especially considering the money the merchant is willing to drop.

Kaz goes on to recruit Inej, Nina, Jesper, and Wylan. He comes to realize that while he has a good team on hand, he still needs someone who knows how the prison works. This is why they set off to break out Matthias, a Fjerdan soldier who was imprisoned on the grounds of slave trading.

As you read the book, you not only get to see how this band of mismatched criminals carry out the heist but you also get to dig through each of their stories. Each one is an intriguing puzzle and the connections they form with each other as you read are exciting.

To start us off we have Kaz, a criminal gang leader nicknamed “Dirtyhands”. He is a cunning individual with a sharp mind and a closed-off personality. The only one we see relatively close to him is Inej, who he saved from a brothel. Kaz is rather ruthless and has a personal vendetta against another gang leader who was responsible for his brother's death. One of the reasons he risks the heist is because he was made aware of the fact that the gang leader in question was locked in the Fjerdan prison and to him, it was the perfect opportunity to exact revenge. Another aspect we learn about him is that he has a phobia of skin to skin contact, which is why he is always seen wearing gloves. This action has led to rumors surrounding his hands.

Inej is another notable character. When she was young, she was kidnapped by slave traders and sold to a brothel. She was brought in unwilling and made to sign a contract in which conditions she unknowingly agreed to, as she did not know the language. She would have ended up spending all her years in that brothel if she had not managed to impress Kaz by sneaking up on him. Inej is extremely light on her feet to the point that she is later nicknamed ‘The Wraith’ due to her ability, and Kaz makes use of her as a thief and a spymaster. Kaz also gave her a knife which she later expands to a collection she hides on her person. As the story progress, we also see a budding romance between her and Kaz.

Jesper is the sharpshooter of the group. He is the son of a farmer and ends up stuck in Ketterdam due to debts he has attained by gambling. Jesper’s character is not explored as much as the others in this book, but we get the sense that he is has a lazy and laid back attitude. He is loyal to the people he considers his friends and has a surprising ability that is revealed during the heist.

Matthias and Nina have a fascinating history together. She is a Grisha and he a Fjerdan witch hunter, trained to imprison and kill Grisha. Their story starts with them as bitter enemies when Matthias captures Nina and locks her up on the ship that was meant to take her and the other prisoners to Fjerdan. However, they were shipwrecked and reluctantly end up helping each other instead. Days forced together, trying to survive, leave them both starting a hesitant friendship that leads to an ember of romance. All good things come to an end and when they reach Ketterdam and Nina ‘betrays’ Matthias leading to him being locked up. There are very good reasons why she does so as you later come to find out.

Wylan is the odd one among the group. He is both the youngest and the only one who doesn’t pose any relation to the members. It brings to question why he was recruited. The only skillset he brings is his minor ability in making bombs. A skill he admits that he’s not a professional at. But Kaz proves his cunning once again, by bringing Wylan who serves as leverage to their employer in case he doesn’t pay up. Though there is more to that story that is revealed.

Overall, I have to say that this was a truly enjoyable read. I love how well the author managed to bring the fast-paced action into the story without forsaking the dialogue or the plot. It has a unique sense of humor and an enchanting tale weaved in each character. Their interactions with each other are so enjoyable that you can’t help loving each of them in different ways and overall loving how the author managed to bring such an impressive dialogue and narrative in her book and for those reasons it deserves a place on your shelves.