Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Joost had two problems: the moon and his moustache. 

He was supposed to be making his rounds at the Hoede house, but for the last fifteen minutes, he'd been hovering around the south-east wall of the gardens, trying to think of something clever and romantic to say to Anya.

Published by Indigo in September 2015

Pages - 465

Summary

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can't pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can't walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums. 

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes. 

Kaz's crew are the only ones who might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

******

If you're ever in the middle of a reading slump, this is the book you want to read to get you out of it. I haven't lost myself in such an outstanding book and invested all my emotions in every character for quite some time. I couldn't read anything else while I was reading it, because I was so caught up with the characters and the world.  I think the last one might have been The Night Circus. Giving Six of Crows five stars on Goodreads, honestly doesn't do it justice, I want to give it ten out of five!

If you haven't guessed yet, I'm seriously in love with this book. I've always enjoyed fantasy but never really thought it was my thing, but after reading this I'm willing to invest all my energy in fantasy books from now on. 

I read the first couple of books of Bardugo's  Grisha series and enjoyed them but I never got around to finishing them. I will definitely go back and reread the series from the beginning. If you compare this book to the Grisha series though, you realise very quickly that Leigh Bardugo has seriously upped her game as this is the best book she has ever written. 

The book revolves around Kaz, known as Dirty Hands, who has a sinister Artful Dodger style personality. He can't be trusted and doesn't show emotion to anyone... to begin with. He pulls together the most colourful and interesting motley crue he can find, each with a past and a hidden reason why they want to help him. Each member is worth getting to know because they are all so well written. The book is told from multiple perspectives and I really think it adds so much depth to the story because you really get involved in each character's world and you are rooting each member's own agenda. 

The plot is intricate and Bardugo must have invested many months in getting it perfect, because it is flawless. As a writer, it's one of those books I want to keep re-reading and picking it to bits to see how this epic story is put together. It also makes me think, why am I bothering to write, because I  will never be able to create a book like this. 

The Grisha world is so detailed and beautifully created, you have a hard time believing it doesn't actually exist. I'm starting to wonder if Leigh Bardugo has a magical entrance to another plane where the World of Grisha actually exists. 

This book is set in Ketterdam, which has strong resemblances to a historical Amsterdam.

The first chapter surprised me, because we never see the characters in it again, which feels like it goes against everything I've been told about the set up of a story. Until you realise that the main character is there, boldly owning the first chapter, because the main character of this book is jurda parem. Jurda parem threatens to change the Grisha world forever. It is deadly and must be stopped. Kaz is only interested in the money he will receive for rescuing the creator of jury parem, but the rest of his employees have different reasons for helping him. 

I loved the relationships within this book. I don't want to say too much about these because I don't want to spoil it for you as these relationships aren't obvious or clear cut from the beginning of the story. 

 I honestly can't wait for the sequel, Crooked Kingdom, which comes out on September 27th! I've not been this excited about a sequel since the last Harry Potter book! 

If you love a good heist along the lines of Ocean's Eleven, but from a fantasy perspective, this is the duet for you!