Book: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

★★★★/★★★★★

“Kaz had taught her to crack a safe, pick a pocket, wield a knife. He'd gifted her with her first blade, the one she called Sankt Petyr―not as pretty as wild geraniums, but more practical, she supposed.”  

I finished this book a month ago but only able to write a review now.

Six of Crows was my first book of Leigh Bardugo and oh my god I loved it! I'd been hearing about this book while reading A Darker Shade of Magic (some comparing them) last year and I'm glad I listened when people told me to read this one if I loved ADSoM. I'm a big fan of ya fantasy and the world Bardugo created in this book is brilliant. The characters are also amazing, unique in their own way and you can't help but love them all! Especially cunning Kaz. :)

Six of Crows is set in the dark and violent city of Ketterdam, a trading hub where everyone wants to make money and is ruled by street gangs. Among these gangs is Kaz Brekker, the leader of the Dregs and a prodigy when it comes to thievery and secrets. When Kaz is offered a job that could help him speed up his revenge plans for the person who ruined his life, he knew he needs to take this job no matter how impossible it is. And for that, he needs a crew that can make impossible possible.

Kaz assembles his team of misfits; Inej, a spy known as the Wraith; Jesper, a sharpshooter who loves to gamble; Nina, a Grisha who can kill by just twisting her hand; Matthias, a convict who has thirst for revenge; and Wylan, a runway with privileged past. All six of them will try to do the impossible, trusting and depending on each other. And if they get lucky, they might just get the fortune and freedom and revenge they mostly desired. 

“No mourners. No funerals. Among them, it passed for 'good luck.” 

Gosh! I really enjoyed this book. The characters are all well-developed and they complement each other. It was hard not to like them because they're all cunning and funny and I liked that Inej and Nina are as competent as the boys. Of course each of them has their own unique personality and they might not get along well at first but along the way they learn to put aside their dislike for each other and just focus on the big heist they must pull off.

With everything happening in this book, I'm impressed that Bardugo managed to thread everything in the right place. I mean, I was hooked from the very first page until the last because it was so intense and the switch in POVs made it more exciting! The emotional tension between characters also made it more interesting and suspenseful. I think I was actually waiting for someone to snap and just, I don't know, quit or something because, hey, that would be a good twist but of course, something else happened. 

Kaz leaned back. “What's the easiest way to steal a man's wallet?” 
“Knife to the throat?”  asked Inej.“Gun to the back?” said Jesper.“Poison in his cup?” suggested Nina.“You're all horrible,” said Matthias.

There's action, suspense, a lot of comedy and of course a little romance in this book! I was actually very satisfied and happy with what little romance this book have because Oh my god! I ship them all!! I think Kaz and Inej are epic and I love them together!! Inej is fierce and lovely at the same time, I adore her! Kaz may not be the showy type and he may be cold at times but he cares for Inej. He wants her and that's so hard to say!

“He needed to tell her...what? That she was lovely and brave and better than anything he deserved. That he was twisted, crooked, wrong, but not so broken that he couldn't pull himself together into some semblance of a man for her. That without meaning to, he'd begun to lean on her, to look for her, to need her near. He needed to thank her for his new hat.”

Nina and Matthias, on the other hand, are intense! There were times I wasn't sure if they were going to rip each other's heart or what. They had a bad history so Matthias isn't that thrilled to join Kaz's crew even if the reward is his freedom. Matthias is stubborn but he's rational and loyal. I wasn't sure about his at first but I came to love him towards the end. I like Nina because she's kind and a loving friend. She's also funny and like Matthias, she's loyal. And of course there are Jesper and Wylan who bicker a lot, and I say a lot! They're both hilarious and I think they complement each other well. It's like where Jesper lacks, Wylan supplies. Lol. In short, I love them both!

Overall, Leigh Bardugo surely did a great job with this book and now I want more! The world-building was amazing, the characters were well-rounded and the plot was well written! I'm reading Crooked Kingdom now (only few pages in) and I'm so excited to read the rest! I hope it live up to my expectations.