"Six of Crows" (Six of Crows #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book was beyond exciting - it was enthralling, thrilling, and satisfying all at once! I could not put it down, and I barely made any notes to refer to for my review, because that would have meant I had to stop reading for a moment... so sorry if this review is terrible, everyone.

I went into this book with high hopes - I loved Bardugo's first series, I personally love books featuring thieves, and of course, the hype surrounding it was palpable. That's a major part of why I put off reading it for so long, because so often when I read a book with such high expectations, I am let down... but not with Six of Crows! This book had me hooked from the first page, and barely let me breathe for its entire story.

First of all, the pacing was relentless in the best way possible. Six of Crows is action-packed, jumping from one scene to another with ferocity. It did not slow down for even two or three pages, which is saying something considering how long this book was. One thing I must say, though, is that while I think you could read this novel without having read Bardugo's first series, having read the Grisha Trilogy definitely enriched my experience of this book. I'd recommend reading those first if you can, as Bardugo has some fabulously detailed world-building in the Grisha trilogy which she builds on in Six of Crows.

Often times when there are multiple protagonists, I find myself groaning when I see one of their names at the start of a chapter - but I loved all the protagonists in this book. I definitely had my favourites, though (Kaz and Inej, anyone?) Bardugo's characterization was flawless, and I felt that I understood each of the characters and their intentions equally. This is an especially impressive feat considering just how many characters this novel follows. I also loved the tiny bit of romance in this book - there was barely any, but enough to make my heart hurt (sidenote: Jesper & Wylan better happen in the next book!)

Well, you are probably thinking "she seems to love this book - why hasn't she given it a 5 star rating?" Thanks for asking! This book was so close to a 5 star rating, but one thing held me back. The actual thievery plot did not feel particularly unique to me. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed reading it, but I was not wowed by its originality and ingenuity. For this reason, I only gave Six of Crows 4.5 stars.

Overall, this book was a stunning, fast-paced, and action-packed novel with a brilliantly imagined world and great characters. I would recommend this to anyone who is new to the fantasy genre or just loves a fast-paced novel.

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