Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

9 reviews

orionmerlin's review against another edition

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 crew is cool—maybe too cool. Each member is distinct, and their banter is great, but let’s be real: they’re walking, talking archetypes. Kaz is the broody mastermind with a tragic past, Inej is the noble assassin with a heart of gold, Jesper is the charming gunslinger who shockingly has a gambling problem, and so on. It’s fun, but also predictable. And let’s not pretend the villains have any depth—they’re just there to be outsmarted. Still, the team dynamics are engaging enough to carry the book, even if some of the emotional beats feel like they were manufactured in a lab.

Atmosphere/Setting: 7/10

Ketterdam sounds gritty and immersive, but scratch beneath the surface, and it’s mostly crime-fantasy aesthetic. The city is a mishmash of Amsterdam and Dickensian London, but it never quite reaches the level of a fully realized world like The Lies of Locke Lamora or The Name of the Wind. It’s good enough to set the mood, but it often feels like the backdrop exists just to make the characters look cool rather than to function as a living, breathing place. Also, the Ice Court? Feels more like a conveniently designed heist level than an actual fortress.

Writing Style: 7/10

Bardugo’s writing is solid, but it sometimes leans a little too hard into “Look at how edgy and clever we are.” The dialogue is fun, but occasionally feels like it’s trying too hard to be snappy. The POV shifts are mostly smooth, but the frequent backstory dumps in the middle of tense scenes? Less so. And while the prose is engaging, it sometimes veers into melodrama—Kaz can’t just have a dark past, he must have the most tragic backstory of all time. Still, the book reads fast and keeps the intrigue alive, even when it stumbles.

Plot: 7/10

This is a heist story, which means it should be packed with tension, twists, and moments where everything almost goes wrong… except Kaz planned for it, because of course he did. The plot is good, but it’s also full of moments where it feels like the stakes aren’t actually that high. The crew faces obstacles, but the solutions always seem just within reach. Kaz is playing 4D chess while everyone else is playing Go Fish, which makes the whole thing feel less like a true gamble and more like a stylish flex. Fun? Absolutely. Believable? Not so much.

Intrigue: 9/10

Despite its flaws, Six of Crows is stupidly entertaining. Even when the story leans into its own clichés, I wanted to keep turning the pages. The shifting dynamics, character backstories, and ever-present sense of impending betrayal keep the tension alive. I was invested, even when I rolled my eyes at how absurdly competent these teenagers are. The book does a great job of making you care, even when it occasionally stretches credibility past its breaking point.

Logic/Relationships: 6/10

Kaz is practically a crime deity, Matthias’ Grisha-hatred gets resolved way too fast, and Jesper and Wylan’s chemistry is more because the plot says so than something that genuinely develops. Some relationships work (Kaz and Inej’s dynamic is great because it’s messy and unresolved), but others feel like they were written to fit a quota. Also, the world-building? A little wobbly. Magic rules and security protocols seem to adjust based on what’s convenient for the plot. There are moments when the book wants me to believe this crew is barely scraping by, but it’s hard to buy when their strategies always feel airtight.

Enjoyment: 8/10

I had fun. Annoyed fun, but fun. Yes, the book leans heavily on heist tropes. Yes, it sometimes feels like Ocean’s Eleven: YA Edition. Yes, Kaz’s “I’m always three steps ahead” shtick can get grating. But the snappy dialogue, high-stakes action, and found-family dynamics kept me engaged. It’s stylish, fast-paced, and entertaining, even when it occasionally feels a little too polished for its own good.

Final Verdict: 7.4/10

Six of Crows is like a high-budget action movie: full of great characters, thrilling moments, and slick dialogue, but if you think too hard about it, you’ll start seeing the cracks. If you’re here for an airtight, unpredictable heist with deep world-building, you might be a little disappointed. But if you want a fun, fast-paced adventure with a lovable crew of misfits, this is absolutely worth the ride—even if it sometimes feels like the safety net is a little too visible. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Self harm, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Murder, and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Grief, War, and Classism

Minor: Addiction, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Vomit, and Religious bigotry

mxine_'s review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark 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

4.0

One of my all time favourite books but I think i popped at LEAST 70 braincells trying to picture what the Icecourt looked like

Still an amazing book read it now. It’s got a heist, a morally grey cast of characters, and a bisexual gunslinger what more could you want?

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Hate crime, Rape, Cultural appropriation, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Minor: Alcoholism, Genocide, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent

ashmeanything's review against another edition

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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Murder, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Deportation

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Confinement, Drug abuse, Gun violence, Hate crime, Mental illness, Sexism, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment

Minor: Ableism, Drug use, and Classism

bubbly_lara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny inspiring mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

This was so fun to read! Being back in the Grishaverse was a blast, with a new set of characters that are each so intriguing but a as crew absolutely unstoppable. I loved the little hints at characters we've met in the "Shadow & Bone" Trilogy. The story kept me on the edge of my seat, questioning at every turn whether they'll make it or not. I cannot wait to continue with "Crooked Kingdom" to see hiw the Crows' story continues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Terminal illness, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Slavery and Trafficking

chloewilson_13's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Slavery, Terminal illness, Trafficking, and Fire/Fire injury

Moderate: Torture

josiee's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Ableism, Addiction, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Dementia, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Pregnancy, Outing, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Pandemic/Epidemic

readerette's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.5

First, my three complaints: I don't love plots where you find out that something that should have gone wrong is going right because of a decision a character made in secret (from the reader and narrator). I also find it irritating when a trait is "discovered" about a character just in time for it to save the day. And Kaz and Matthias had some OOC moments in the last third of the book in my opinion, which also were convenient to the plot (particularly in the sense of making room for a sequel). I can't dock the book too much for these because these are just things that I don't like but so tend to be common in thriller/mystery type books...

That said, the characters are appealing, their relationships believable (though perhaps not their ages), their faults very human and relatable, the world building deft, and the heist plot pretty fun. I definitely was glad to keep with it through the end. I'm not clamoring for the sequel but might pick it up (the cliffhanger wasn't too intense--pretty obvious what'll happen in the second book, broadly speaking).

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Child death, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Sexual assault, Slavery, Terminal illness, and Trafficking

kryzysowa_narzeczona's review against another edition

adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child death, Panic attacks/disorders, Slavery, and Trafficking

Minor: Terminal illness and Sexual harassment

ronan_lesh's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Terminal illness, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Child abuse, Homophobia, Sexual assault, and Slavery