Thursday, November 19, 2015

5 Star Review: Six of Crows by @LBardugo w/o spoilers!!!

Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)

Six of Crows
Leigh Bardugo

New fav of 2015.

Leigh Bardugo's writing wraps around my brain like a comfy blanket. The words disappear and I just breathe the story. I was almost irritated with the exciting action because it made the pages fly by too quickly. I read the story slowly over a week during my commute to and from work and each time I picked it up, it was like snuggling back into the story.

The story takes place from all 6 crow's perspectives, which took me a bit to get used to, but they were all my favorite character eventually. In that way, it reminded me a bit of the ol' A-Team. Only better.

The A-Team
Kaz is the fearless leader with surprising twists leaving everyone guessing, including his crows. He's a disturbed individual with some nasty haunting memories. I know him, pity him, fear him & respect him, he's that vibrant... or shadowy, more like.  Brilliant.

Jasper is the funny guy who means well. I would swear he's got ADHD... he's hyperactive and easily distracted. He's more comfortable in the middle of a gun fight than anywhere else and he doesn't miss his target. I love his history, too... I also pity him and I'm cheering him on. He needs to face himself and his past.

Nina is dreamy... like my kind of dreamy... gorgeous, confident WARRIOR!  :-D  Trained as a Heartwrender, her country, Ravka, comes first. She makes me the most nostalgic for Bardugo's previous series, since this takes place around but not in Ravka.

Matthias would be the Nordic version of Mr. T, I suppose, but with more grumpiness and an overpowering sense of right/wrong. He would cut off his own hand for a cause he believes in. He and Nina have some history... but their loyalties make them enemies. The resulting tension is delicious

Wylan is downright hilarious. He's like the bumbling failure that has talent his own self-esteem won't recognize. His history is important and probably the most filled with spoilers, so I'll leave it out. I will say, though, that he can take something apart, figure out how it works and then put it back together however he wants to make it do whatever he needs it to. Genius in very deep disguise. Lol.

Inej is my favorite character otherwise known as "The Wraith". She is the one I got to know first and I am head-over-heals in love with her sneaky abilities. Trained as a gymnast, she's the best thief in the slums and she faces the greatest heartache, loving someone who might not be able to allow himself to love back. Her character doesn't waiver, though, watching with open eyes and heart. I love her.

characters of six of crows
Ellen Baldwin's Review

It resolves beautifully, btw, except for one detail that sorta sets us up for the next book and all those lingering emotions from everyone (assuming they all make it, which I'm not saying they do). "It" is an awesome heist. There are moments of "what?!" throughout, but at least I felt consistently left in the dark and double-questioning things, so I was ready to trust and read on even when things didn't make sense. Just, go get it already. Buy a hard copy for your library. I picked it up at the library, so I'll get the delight of purchasing and re-reading. :-D

5 Stars with enthusiasm