Reviews with content warning for Racism - Six of Crows

Reviews tagging 'Racism'

milesofsmiles's review

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

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orionmerlin's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

Characters: 8/10

The characters are engaging, but they are also built around familiar archetypes. Kaz is the cold, calculating mastermind; Inej is the haunted yet noble spy; Jesper is the wisecracking gunslinger; Nina is the flirtatious but emotionally intelligent Grisha; Matthias is the brooding warrior with a tragic past; Wylan is the innocent yet brilliant demolitions expert. While each character has depth and complexity, some of their arcs feel predictable, particularly in their interpersonal conflicts. I enjoyed their interactions, but there were moments when they felt overly tailored to be a “cool ensemble” rather than fully organic individuals. The secondary characters, especially the antagonists, lacked nuance, which made the world feel slightly less lived-in.

Atmosphere/Setting: 7/10

Ketterdam is vividly described, dripping with grime, corruption, and danger. However, its inspiration from real-world Amsterdam felt surface-level at times, and despite the book’s attempt to create a fully realized world, I felt certain aspects were more aesthetic than substantive. Other locations, such as the Ice Court, should have been more fleshed out, given their importance to the plot. Instead, the heist setting felt more like a video game level, designed for the story’s convenience rather than a breathing, unpredictable environment. The atmosphere was strong, but it wasn’t always immersive.

Writing Style: 7/10

Bardugo’s prose is solid, but there are moments where it tries too hard to sound edgy or clever. The alternating points of view generally work, but at times, they slow down the pacing by over-explaining a character’s backstory in the middle of the action. While the dialogue is snappy, it can occasionally feel artificial, as though characters are performing for the reader rather than speaking naturally. Additionally, while the book prides itself on being dark and gritty, it doesn’t fully commit to that tone—characters miraculously survive extreme situations, and consequences are often softened, undermining the supposed realism of the setting.

Plot: 7/10

The heist premise is fantastic, but the execution is sometimes too convenient. Kaz is almost supernaturally competent—his plans seem to account for every possible failure, making him less of a believable character and more of a plot device. The obstacles the crew faces are compelling, but they often feel more like narrative detours rather than meaningful challenges. While the twists keep things exciting, some rely on information being deliberately withheld from the reader rather than genuine surprises that arise naturally from the story. The pacing is generally strong, but the book’s back-and-forth structure, constantly dipping into character histories, sometimes interrupts momentum.

Intrigue: 9/10

Despite its flaws, Six of Crows is undeniably gripping. The high-stakes nature of the heist, combined with the complex character relationships, makes for an engaging read. Even when I found the plot predictable or the world underdeveloped, I wanted to see how everything played out. Bardugo does an excellent job of making each chapter end in a way that keeps the reader turning pages. However, the book’s reliance on Kaz’s omnipotent scheming sometimes reduced tension—when the protagonist always has a secret plan, the stakes don’t feel as high as they should.

Logic/Relationships: 6/10

While the interpersonal relationships are compelling, some of them develop too quickly or too neatly. For instance, Matthias’ arc, while emotionally satisfying, feels rushed given his deep-rooted hatred for Grisha. Similarly, Jesper and Wylan’s dynamic, though fun, follows a predictable pattern. Some character motivations, particularly those of the antagonists, are thinly drawn. The rules of the world, especially regarding Grisha powers and security at the Ice Court, are sometimes bent for narrative convenience. Kaz’s near-superhuman ability to predict every outcome also stretches believability.

Enjoyment: 8/10

Despite my criticisms, I still found Six of Crows to be an enjoyable read. The dialogue, action, and character dynamics make it fun, even when certain elements feel contrived. It’s a book that delivers on entertainment, even if it doesn’t always hold up under scrutiny. Would I recommend it? Yes, but with the caveat that it works better as a fast-paced, stylish adventure than as a deeply immersive or wholly original fantasy novel.

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tiredtori's review against another edition

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adventurous lighthearted fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.25

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pagesofsonny's review

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I adored this book and it got me out of a really bad reading slump

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r3nst3r's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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bibliophile002's review

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

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hazeydaze24's review

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adventurous emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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ashmeanything's review

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Wow, this book. I haven't taken so long to read something in quite a long time, but it was worth it. Immediately, the prose and command of the world hooked me, and the qualities I initially loved were fleshed out and present throughout the entire story. Bardugo clearly has an amazing ability to weave discrete and complex storylines together, disrupt and reset the status quo, and keep secrets from both the characters and the reader. Finishing this book was like unraveling more and more depth, making the painful and wonderful parts all stronger. The only things keeping it from a perfect rating are the sheer number of details that I had to remember and the very graphic descriptions of injury and bodily harm. Overall, though, this was excellent. I can't wait to read the next one.

Content warnings for xenophobia/racism, trafficking, child abuse, injury and medical content, violence, war, betrayal, genocide, addiction, slavery, and murder (all frequent) as well as bullying, guns, addiction, confinement, illness and child death, sexual harassment, and brief ableism and drug use.

Used for 2024 r/Fantasy Bingo (criminals, hard mode); also fits for first in a series, entitled animals, multi-POV (hard mode), character with a disability (hard mode), survival (hard mode), judge a book by its cover, and book club.

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angorarabbit's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.25

TLDR: I really have enjoyed some YA Lit, this wasn’t one of those though.

Context: I am aware that there is controversy regarding this author. I am not on X nor have I watched the Netflix series so there are others who can talk about that with more knowledge than I have. My rating of the book does not reflect these controversies.

Written in 3rd person with the pov changing from chapter to chapter. Chapters are titled with the pov so it is easy to keep track of whose head you’re in. We come to know the characters by their actions and the flashbacks we are privy to. Unfortunately there are no chapters for Wylan. (We find out why in the next to last chapter.) The action is clear and exciting. Ketterdam and the Ice Court are well described including sounds, colours and odours. So what’s my problem?

Ketterdam is basically Amsterdam sometime is a hazy past. The words are Dutch or bastardised Dutch, the port, the rich merchants all of that was basically no work at all to imagine. The Ice Palace is a little better, but is still mainly a rip off from the many fantasy novels before it. At best this is lazy world building.

The crew is diverse as far as their ethnic backgrounds, but what is ethnicity in the context of a fantasy novel? Is Inej coded Roma because she is a talented acrobat as well as a cat burglar, assassin, and a former forced sex worker? Or is she simply given a certain colouring so that the novel ticks the diverse box? And talking of former sex workers, given the criminality of the Barrel, why is it only female characters who were involved in sex work? The lqbtqaa+ diversity is only hinted at.

And then this whole Grisha thing. A deus ex machina supremo. In a jam?, get the character who isn’t doing much to be a hidden Grisha. Need healing?, presto your Heartrender can mend too. No wonder everybody and their maiden aunts are enslaving them. Question is why are they so bad at defending themselves when they can stop a heart before you even see them?

It was the ending that really burnt my toast though. A novel needs a beginning, middle and end. I expect the first book in a duology to leave open endings but I need some sense of completion too. Six of Crows ended with all cliffhanger and no satisfaction. And the truth is I really don’t care enough about this band of teenage thugs to read another 500+ pages to see how they finally get themselves out of the jams they keep putting themselves into.

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