So, I know I’ve mentioned a good…five hundred times how much I love Leigh Bardugo, but let me say it once more…I love Leigh Bardugo. Like. A lot. That’s basically this review tl;dr…nonetheless, let’s venture on.
Bardugo has the ability to create incredibly dense, vibrate, detailed worlds, that somehow flow quickly and lightly, with no sense of world-building weighing it down. Like, seriously. Her ability to write dark-fantasy will never fail to amaze me. I have such a hard time describing the overall style of her writing, other than purely saying, I wish it was my aesthetic. She has a very unique and beautiful style in all of her writing, and Six of Crows was no exception to this.
Six of Crows takes place in the Grishaverse, in the time following Alina Starkov’s famous trilogy. However, the two have little relation, other than the world itself. Six of Crows has a completely different dynamic, “vibe,” and overall theme. However, the connection is enough to make any Shadow and Bone fan unbelievably happy.
Although I am not typically a fan of changing POVs, the way Bardugo did it here was perfect. With every chapter, we saw the story unfold from different characters, and we also saw how their backstories brought them all together and allowed them all to overlap. Not only did this allow for some really interesting insight into the group’s dynamic, but it also allowed us to see much more detailed and in-depth character development, as our understanding of the protagonists was not limited to the span of the “main” plot. I was surprised how much I enjoyed the changing POVs. Granted, I had my favorites (#Nina), but they were all very insightful, unique, and dynamic.
After reading this, I understood why so many Bardugo fans claimed this duology as their favorite from the author. Although I don’t thing SIx of Crows topped the original Grisha trilogy for me, I 100% understand the fan hype, and this comes in at a close tie with the story of Alina. I am honestly embarrassed it took me so long to read this because I am a fan.
4.5 out 5 stars.
Maddie