It has been a few days since I finished Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, but until now I hadn't had the time to just sit down and think about the novel. Since university has started I am getting used to the school-from-home rhythm once again. I like that I now have the feeling of being busy (the good amount of busy) and that the things I am doing have a purpose. But I am also cherishing moments like these when I can sit down and just write about the things I love: books. So today I am (finally) talking about Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.
Bardugo is a known writer in modern fantasy and yet I hadn't heard (much) of her before until I joined Bookstagram. The many pictures of Six of Crows and other books of her made me want to read one of her books. I chose Six of Crows (not knowing that these were in the same world as her earlier series Shadow and Bone). Even though not having read these books, I didn't have much trouble getting into the world Bardugo created. I will purchase and read the Shadow and Bone trilogy once I have finished Crooked Kingdom, the second book of the Six of Crows duology.
Six of Crows takes place in Ketterdam, a place inspired on Amsterdam. So while reading you come across Dutch (inspired) names and streets. This was a bit distracting for me because I am Dutch I tend to pronounce these names in the Dutch way. The name 'Joost' for example, we see in the first chapter is in my head not pronounceable in another way that the Dutch way. I hope that that is clear... :) During the first chapter, I even had my doubts about if I should continue. The fact that the names of the main characters were not as Dutch as Joost, I continued and I am glad I did.
Bardugo writes in a pleasant way, it is easy to read and I flew through the chapters. But more impressively, were the characters. Every chapter we follow a different person, and that chapter is focused on that particular person. We mostly follow them during their present journey, but Bardugo sometimes goes into their pasts, for example, to show how characters met, etc. This was so refreshing because I don't come across books that do this often. I found it good because as a reader you're not only told by them how they met, but you are taken into their memories and their experiences at that time which leaves you with more understanding of their personalities and their choices. Understanding that other characters in the story not always have. As a reader you experience a more all-knowing role, yet not always because Bardugo still kept surprising me. She slowly showed us the reader more of the characters and didn't dump all that information at once which was fun and interesting.
Six of Crows wasn't a book that brought me to tears, maybe Crooked Kingdom will because there are still a few major things that need to happen (I won't spoil it though). I did like how Bardugo gave me the feeling of wanting to know more about them and I actually found myself thinking of the book quite often when I was doing something else. For me, this is a sign that I am actually engaged with the book and enjoying it.
Something refreshing in this book was the fact that the characters already had skills and backgrounds. What I tend to see often is that the main character is learning everything during the story, but here we start with characters already in certain roles. Inej is a spy and already a member of the gang, yes we learn about her background but she starts as someone with knowledge of their own capabilities already. I like to see that and read it.
Altogether I would definitely recommend this book to you as my reader. Even if you haven't read the Shadow and Bone trilogy (yet), like me. I didn't have much trouble with getting to know the world and the characters. If you are Dutch, this is maybe extra fun because I did see some similarities with Amsterdam. I now understand why people really love Bardugo's works, this was definitely not the last book I have read of her.
Love,
Julia
*I have now also read and reviewed Crooked Kingdom, read my post about it here.
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