Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price―and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge.
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.
A runaway with a privileged past.
A spy known as the Wraith.
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.
Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction―if they don’t kill each other first.
Amazon Link: Six of Crows (Grishaverse #4)
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Genre: YA Epic Fantasy
Rating: 5/5 stars
I enjoyed the first three books, but as many people have said before me, this is where the Grishaverse series really picks up. You can easily start reading this book first without any knowledge of the world because it starts in a new location with new characters, about two years after the events of the original trilogy. It’s an amazing and exciting ride from beginning to end.
Just a note: Like the Shadow and Bones trilogy, this book was long and didn’t feel quite YA to me. Not all of the characters seemed that young and they were dealing with some pretty serious topics. In particular, the references to underage sex trafficking are frequent and a little hard to stomach, even though there is nothing explicitly described.
But I loved the characters and their found family dynamic. Since I’ve seen the TV series now, I can really appreciate how great the casting is for them. I already loved Kaz, Jesper, and Inej from the show (and I love them even more now that I know more about them). I didn’t like Nina before but she warmed up to me in the book, but I hated Matthias even more. I don’t understand or like his relationship with Nina. She can do so much better than him.
I liked the hint of queer representation with Jesper and Wylan, but I want more. It was a little weird that there are six main characters (even in the title!) but Wylan doesn’t get any scenes from his POV. He felt like a sixth wheel. (You know what I mean.) There was more screen time dedicated to Nina/Matthias and Kaz/Inej.
The cliffhanger ending was a shocker so I will definitely read the next book soon. Pekka Rollins better get what’s coming to him!
I can see why this is more popular than the original series because of the action, the diverse characters, and the extra humor. Lots of fun!
LGBT+ representation: two of the main characters are queer, there’s a hint of queer romance.
Here is the book in my reading journal:
