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A review by applesaucecreachur
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
adventurous
funny
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? It's complicated
4.0
Readers seeking reinvigoration of their love for YA need look no further: Six of Crows is rich with classic tropes and fresh takes on a heist plotline. Granted: I am a sucker for anything that tosses in the found family trope, and was willing to make begrudging peace with some of the more Eurocentric and heteronormative aspects of the world building... Unfortunately, not enough peace to avoid a quick rant about it here:
We have the Russia-inspired Ravka, Nordic-laced Fjerda, Irish-bred Wandering Isles, and of course, [Amster/Ketter]dam in Kerch. The Grishaverse's map is rich with fantasy takes on real European nations. For the rest of the world, we've got Shu Han to represent China and Mongolia, and the New-World-esque Novyi Zem to play the role of colonized nations like the Americas and Australia (according to a ScreenRant article). Asker of pesky questions that I am, I wonder why Bardugo chose the nations that she did to tell her story, why some were cherry-picked over others, and why some nations (the reader can decide which) feel alive with history and which feel like knock-offs of the aesthetics of old empires. "Write what you know" is sage advice, and I wish Bardugo had followed it better with her non-European-inspired nations; either do your research or figure out a better way to represent different peoples. What we are left with feels cheap and low-effort.
*Ahem*, I digress. Six of Crows is a witty book whose rapid pace made me feel like I was being charmed and swindled by its unforgettable crew members. And while taking a breath between knife-sharp plot points, I got to swoon over the little romantic subplots. Kaz and Inej's teases at love have me yearning for the next installment. I was giggling and grinning and kicking my heels in public over this book. It's earned my four stars.
We have the Russia-inspired Ravka, Nordic-laced Fjerda, Irish-bred Wandering Isles, and of course, [Amster/Ketter]dam in Kerch. The Grishaverse's map is rich with fantasy takes on real European nations. For the rest of the world, we've got Shu Han to represent China and Mongolia, and the New-World-esque Novyi Zem to play the role of colonized nations like the Americas and Australia (according to a ScreenRant article). Asker of pesky questions that I am, I wonder why Bardugo chose the nations that she did to tell her story, why some were cherry-picked over others, and why some nations (the reader can decide which) feel alive with history and which feel like knock-offs of the aesthetics of old empires. "Write what you know" is sage advice, and I wish Bardugo had followed it better with her non-European-inspired nations; either do your research or figure out a better way to represent different peoples. What we are left with feels cheap and low-effort.
*Ahem*, I digress. Six of Crows is a witty book whose rapid pace made me feel like I was being charmed and swindled by its unforgettable crew members. And while taking a breath between knife-sharp plot points, I got to swoon over the little romantic subplots.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Body horror, Racism, Sexism, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Xenophobia, Trafficking, and Cultural appropriation
Minor: Death of parent