Six of Crows Duology Review
One of my new favorite authors is Leigh Bardugo. I enjoyed her Shadow and Bone Trilogy a couple years ago, but had not read the duology set in the same Grishaverse until this year. Big Mistake on my part, as these books are both highly entertaining and really well crafted.
The Quick and the Dirty:
Spoiler Free Short Reviews
Six of Crows 5 Stars
I have had this book on my shelf for a while *cough years cough* and I am a bit embarrassed about it now. If I had known how amazing it is, I would have delved into it immediately!
Set in the time after the Shadow and Bone Trilogy, Six of Crows introduces an even grittier side of the Grishaverse. Set mainly in Ketterdam, it features a cast of crooks and misfits entrapped in a life of crime to pay off debts or get ahead. This unlikely crew comes together to pull off an impossible heist whose payday will enable their wildest dreams to come true.
Filled with rich characterization, a complex plot, and beautiful description, Six of Crows is an excellent introduction to this different side of the Grishaverse. It was my second venture into this world, and I found its darker tone and setting, as well as its mature themes, enthralling. The large cast of characters still managed to keep my attention as it switched POV’s as I became invested in each of their lives. Overall, this was a 5 star reading experience for me.
Crooked Kingdom 5 stars
After finishing Six of Crows I needed to jump into Crooked Kingdom immediately. With a cliff-hanger like Book 1 delivered, I wasn’t going to wait another moment to find out what would happen next.
Crooked Kingdom picks up in the aftermath of the crew’s return to Ketterdam. Kaz is focused on one thing: getting back what belongs to him. As we follow the crew, Bardugo throws one complex heist after another at us. The crew is beset with the consequences of their choices not only from recent events, but from their mysterious pasts. They battle their inner demons even as they struggle against a city turned against them.
This was a fast-paced and great read full of twists and turns, as well as emotional moments. I did not see several elements coming, and I felt like I was taken through an emotional wringer. In the best way, of course. What I love most about this book is the development of the characters. We learn more about their histories, how it has shaped their choices and their personalities, and we witness as they strive to overcome their issues. Bardugo takes us deeper into her world and into the hearts of her characters, and I found myself not wanting to come back to reality afterwards.
The Long and the Rambling: Further Analysis
Here there be Spoilers
My favorite part of this duology was the characterization. Bardugo does such a wonderful job not only in creating a complex and believable world, but also every character she creates inside of it seems real, developed, with a detailed history and plenty of potential.
For these books, I actually spent half the books listening instead of reading. They were my companions on my work commute. The audiobooks for this series are unique in that they have multiple narrators, both male and female. Each POV character’s chapter is read by that character’s narrator. So Inej’s chapters are read by Lauren Fortgang, and she has different character voices for each of the other characters; Kaz chapters are read by David Ledoux, etc. For me, this underscored Bardugo’s impressive ability to develop her characterization. In each pov chapter, the observations and descriptions are shaped by that character’s thoughts, experiences, and mood. Their dialogue is distinct, not just because of the talented voice actors, but because of the words they choose and how they express themselves.
Can we take a break to admire these Maps real quick? They’re gorgeous.
Illustrations by Keith Thompson. Ok break over.
Six of Crows sets the stage for readers by introducing the characters. Each one has a quirk or flaw and their interpersonal conflict is both amusing and compelling. It pulls us through the complicated heists and their preparations as we wait breathlessly to figure out how, exactly, the crazy group of misfits is going to pull this off.
In Crooked Kingdom, she expands on the foundation of the readers’ understanding of these characters by then developing the histories of each while also allowing us to see them struggle against their inner demons: addiction, gambling, prejudice, fear, insecurity, etc. This adds a layer of complexity and suspense to the story because in addition to wondering if the characters are going to pull off the various jobs, we are also left wondering if our characters will fall prey to their demons or conquer them and thus earn their happy endings.
Will Kaz overcome his inability to stand the touch of another person’s hand in order to develop his relationship with Inej? Will Matthias and Nina overcome their mutual prejudices against one another’s culture or fall apart because of it? Will Nina overcome her addiction to Parem? Will Jasper save his Father’s farm from his bad choices? Each character has a central struggle that affects every decision they make, and as the odds mount against them, their weaknesses could be the very thing that makes everything they’ve worked for fall apart.
Overall, this series has become one of my favorites because of the beauty of the writing and the complexity of the plot and characters. I’ll be studying this one for a while to see if some of Bardugo’s writing magic will rub off on me.