Six of Crows (2015) Crooked Kingdom (2016)
⚡ Pace: fast · 🎭 Emotions: tense, dark · 🚪 Entry threshold: medium · ⭐ Why read: characters, plotting
Leigh Bardugo’s Six of Crows is far more than a fantasy novel – it’s a powerful, atmospheric tale that masterfully blends gritty realism, high-stakes heist drama, and raw emotional depth. Set in the richly imagined world of the Grishaverse, this story introduces a new cast of characters while standing fully on its own, making it a perfect entry point for newcomers.
The plot unfolds in Ketterdam – a corrupt port city teeming with vice, ruled by greed, gangs, and back-alley deals. Here operates Kaz Brekker, a brilliant and ruthless schemer with a haunted past. When offered an impossible job with a fortune at stake, Kaz assembles a crew of outcasts and misfits: Inej, the Wraith – a deadly spy with a silent step and scarred soul; Jesper – a sharpshooter with a gambling problem and infectious charm; Wylan – a seemingly clumsy runaway hiding explosive secrets; Nina – a powerful Grisha capable of manipulating the human body; and Matthias – a former Grisha hunter torn between duty and conscience.
Bardugo constructs a multi-layered narrative through shifting points of view, allowing readers to explore each character’s fears, loyalties, and growth. This is a journey of survival, redemption, and unlikely connection. Themes of trust, trauma, power, and found family run deep, resonating well beyond the fantasy genre.
The book dives into social issues like systemic inequality, exploitation, and identity, all woven into a fast-paced, emotionally charged plot. The dialogue is sharp and often humorous, the stakes are high, and the world-building is immersive and cinematic. Critics have likened Six of Crows to “Ocean’s Eleven in a fantasy world” – but with greater emotional depth and darker edges.
Bardugo’s prose is vivid and rhythmic, full of rich detail and subtle character work. The novel deftly balances literary sophistication with gripping momentum. Praised by critics and readers alike, it became a New York Times bestseller and a cornerstone of the Netflix series Shadow and Bone.
This is a must-read for fans of both fantasy and thrillers – a story of daring, resilience, and unlikely bonds that proves the most dangerous heists require the most extraordinary misfits.
📚 Did you know 📖
The novel was inspired by the legend of the “Great Ice Heist” – Leigh Bardugo’s own fantasy of what might happen if daring adventurers in her universe attempted an impossible job, Ocean’s Eleven style but with magic and shadows.
Bardugo finished the book while facing severe health issues – she suffers from osteonecrosis, and she openly admits that her characters’ physical struggles and vulnerabilities reflect her personal experience.
Publishers dubbed the novel “the fantasy heist of the century,” and it instantly gained popularity, landing on the New York Times Bestseller list and staying there for over a year.
Fans often describe the book as having a “synesthetic” atmosphere – Bardugo drew on her Yale School of Drama training to give the text a theatrical quality: bright lights, heavy shadows, and almost cinematic pauses.
The duology is part of the larger Grishaverse, alongside the Shadow and Bone trilogy and the King of Scars duology.
Fun fact: Bardugo has said that while writing, she constantly listened to heist-movie and dark noir soundtracks, with Hans Zimmer’s Inception score being her ultimate mood-setter.