Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (14+)

Get to know Kaz Brekker’s heist crew and their intricate plans to break into the heavily-guarded Ice Court in Six of Crows.

This intense fantasy novel begins in the dangerous streets of Ketterdam, a fictional city loosely inspired by Dutch Republic – era Amsterdam.

You may be familiar with Israeli-American author Leigh Bardugo through her 2021 Netflix series Shadow and Bone, adapted from two of her book series – including this one!

Six of Crows is the first part of a duology that takes place in Bardugo’s Grishaverse, a fantasy world where Grisha (similar to witches) are humans that practise magic.

There are three main types of Grisha: Corporalki, Etherealki and Materialki. All orders of Grisha can specialise in specific types of magic. For instance, Heartrenders are Grisha of the Corporalki order – those who can heal.

This spellbinding read is split into the alternating perspectives of the diverse group of misfits that take part in the grand heist: Kaz Brekker (the strategic leader who mysteriously never takes off his gloves), Inej Ghafa (the seasoned spy known as the Wraith), Nina Zenik (the bold Grisha Heartrender), Jesper Fahey (the sharpest shooter in Ketterdam), Matthias Helvar (the hot-headed former Grisha hunter), and Wylan Van Eck (the shy demolitions expert who doubles as the crew’s hostage to receive the lavish reward!).

This character-driven novel is propelled by revenge and greed. As the bravehearted protagonists succeed and fail in their dreams of vengeance and greedy goals, Six of Crows carefully examines the ethics of these actions – especially in the context of the Grisha’s persecution in the fictional nation of Fjerda.

Though no character truly concludes that revenge is meaningless, each narrative pays close attention to the crew’s personal transformations and how their aims – as well as their moral compass – shift throughout the novel. This thrilling series is a must-read for all!