Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Class Blog Assignment #1) - Oksana

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.

If there was ever a book that seamlessly combined vivid world-building, a fast-paced plot and beautiful writing, it's Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, and its sequel, Crooked Kingdom. What really takes the cake, though, is the duology's characters, so that's what I'll tell you about. (Without spoiling. Mostly.)

The characters are so flawed and multilayered that you can't help but get attached to them. They all have their strengths, they all make mistakes, they all love and are loved and have pasts and ugly feelings and hopes for the future. One of the things that anyone could appreciate about them is that none of them were born special. Their stories all begin with various misfortunes.

There's a soldier who was accused and imprisoned for a crime he didn't commit, a girl who was forcibly taken away from her family and sold into slavery, a rich merchant's son who can't read and is abhorred by his father for it, a young woman who got into a sticky (read: life-or-death) situation, a gunslinger with a gambling problem, and an orphan who was a dealt a very bad hand of cards.

What makes them special is that they not only survive their misfortune, they come out stronger on the other side. The orphan made his name feared in the city that took everything away from him. The gunslinger quits gambling and makes peace with his dad. The young woman grows fierce and powerful in her own way. The runaway merchant's son overcomes his fear of his father and comes to terms with said father's true character. The kidnapped girl finds her dream and goes after it. The soldier unlearns all the hatred and prejudice he had grown up with.

The point is, they save themselves. And from the point of view of their world, every one of them are pretty much nobody important. Among them, there are no princes, magicians, or heroes. Leigh Bardugo turns the "Chosen One" trope on its head. As far as I'm concerned, her work of fiction is a masterpiece, and if I ever have the honour of meeting her, I won't just shake her hand. I will bow.


Comments

  1. Holly Hiscock27 September 2017 at 07:49

    Wow this seems like a really interesting read! The summary draws you in and the way you explained the characters wants to make me get to know them better. Maybe i'll have to check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Unknown28 September 2017 at 08:43

    I've been dying to read this series forever! It just sounds so interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Kim Kamminga28 September 2017 at 09:55

    You hooked me--now on my list!

    ReplyDelete

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