Review: Six of Crows

Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo (5/5)

Review written upon re-read 2 years after first read.

A high fantasy heist story…. When I hear those words, it sounds like the YA version of one of my favorite books (shout-out to Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson). I was not disappointed. Six of Crows is everything I crave in a book. A plot with clever twists and turns and plans going horribly wrong. A fun magic system (although the magic plays a fairly small role in the story, compared to some high fantasy novels).

But most of all, it has wonderfully diverse and deeply flawed characters. Most of them are criminals who have done highly questionable things. They’ve robbed people, hurt people, killed people. Yet they’re so richly developed that we can’t help but love them and root for them. When I say diverse, I’m not just talking about ethnicity. Sexualities, neurodivergence, addictions, trauma, and phobias. I adore every single one of the main six, and honestly it’s difficult to pick a favorite. I love them for different reasons.

On top of amazing characters, it’s a heist story with magic. What more could I ask for?

I spent way too long trying to write this review, thinking of all the good things I could say about it. In the end, I decided to keep it short and leave you with this: I recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy, intricate characters, and clever heists.

PS. I have to note that I was furious about the ending of this duology when I first read it, and my anger has not dimmed upon the reread. Everything else in it is so good but fair warning without spoiling anything, the a piece ending left me with the urge to throw the book at the wall. It’s one of those what’s the point? moments for me.