Location
Birmingham, Uk
The books Six of Crows and Crooked Kindom form a duology, part of a wider universe of books, the Grishaverse. I began this book after many recommendations and seeing the impressive overall 4.9-star rating. And the strange fact that this book is everywhere despite being published over 10 years ago? The plot of the book, in very vague terms, centred around a group of characters embarking on a mission which proved potent and intricate, although I had expected it to be slightly cliche. The focus is therefore mainly on characters and their development of which there is a lot to devour.
My impressions of the first book are decidedly positive. What stood out most to me were the characters, six main ones which were so diverse and unique. The found family trope established their situation pretty well so it was mainly how such intriguing characters interacted that designed the wit of the story. The protagonists are tasked with an impossible, high-stake heist, and their uncertain futures. The perspectives are primarily of those characters, each one perfectly individualised and the experience of the book was suspenseful and deceptive. After reading the Shadow and Bone series the skill of Leigh Bardugo to craft such detailed, dazzling words is prominent.
The pacing of this book was fast with enough urgency so the way everything is revealed, about characters or their plans is purposeful and revealed, in my opinion with better timing than some other books, leaving you with wondering but not overly. This heightens the atmosphere immensely, to add to the already immersive world. The characters are not perfect, they can sometimes seem overly-choreographed for the purpose of their respective stock characters and so their actions, while the whole purpose is their moral greyness making them act in unpredictable, but loveable ways, are sometimes perplexing.
Something that stands out about this particular book is the massively diverse characters spanning different races and ethnicities, statuses, abilities and disabilities as well as their overarching trauma and resilience which bring together the band of rogues. I am about to begin Crooked Kingdom so I look forward to understanding and just revisiting the uncertain characters.
After reading that, I can say the second book, Crooked Kingdom is just as exciting. The plot is as intricate and there it is also completely entertaining. The development each of the unconventional characters goes through is realistic and poignant. The best thing about this series and the whole universe of it that intrigues is how developed it is. The settings are gritty and nuanced and the themes span from power and corruption to friendship and redemption.
I would recommend this book to YA readers who are fans of heist fiction and complex, fascinating characters, fast-paced action and diverse representation. So if you love a well-crafted book with unforgettable characters and a thrilling plot, this is definitely worth the read and if you enjoy it as much as I did, there are other series, intertwined with this, that are just as captivating, the Shadow and Bone and the Rule of Wolves series as well as the Netflix show, merging the two. I would even recommend reading the Shadow and Bone series before the Six of Crows, as it offers a deeper insight into the world.
