Note: This is part of a series on BookTok and the books it features by my fall intern Kaitlin “Kait” Carmichael. We hope you enjoy it.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is not worth the hype it gets. I wanted to love this story so badly, and this read was actually my third time trying to like this book. I just can’t.
Each chapter focuses on one specific character. We are first introduced to Joost, a guard who is going about his normal business. He discovers his love, Ayna, is missing, and Joost panics. Ayna is found on the local boat dock, and we find out that she is a healer. When Joost gets to the dock, we see a little boy being used as a lab rat. The guards cut the boy so Anya can heal him; they give her a drug to enhance her powers. After taking it, she doesn’t even have to touch the boy to heal him.
In the second chapter, we turn to the perspective of Inej and meet the gang of criminals who will be the focus of the story: Kaz, Inej, Jesper, and Weylan. Kaz is offered a huge job to break a Shu scientist out of the most secure prison and take him to Kaz’s employer. Kaz takes the job, and the story takes off from there.
As most things go, two members of the group split off and decide to go against the plan that has been put in motion. They want to kill the scientist instead.
This story is filled with action, violence, love, and betrayal, which all sounds right up my alley. However, I truly couldn’t get into the story. Personally, I read to be immersed in a world to take me away from the real world. My main issue was the amount of complicated lore and world-building that really took me out of this fantasy world. I found myself rereading and saying out loud “Wait. What?”
For the record, I read the Shadow and Bone series that connects to the Six of Crows universe and my opinion was kinda the same. The first book was good and then went downhill. My main issue with this book is the amount of world-building it takes to familiarize yourself with the surroundings. If this is the first book you are reading in this universe, it is a lot to digest. It was a lot to take in. We are introduced to six main characters in the first 50 pages, and it is a lot to keep track of, especially with the world-building.
I would say Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is not worth it. I would give this story 5/10. I will say I love Kaz and his personality, however, he was the only person I cared about. Save your time and read something else.
I have high hopes for next week’s read, The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. This book has been all over my For you page, and I really hope it lives up to the hype.
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