Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

After much anticipation, I was able to grab a copy of Six of Crows while at BEA2015 in NYC. The lines were long, so I knew that others shared my love of Leigh Bardugo's alternate Grisha world. This book definitely lived up to the hype, but first timers need to beware of a few things. 1. You really need to read at least the first book in the Grisha trilogy (Shadow and Bone) in order to understand some of the characters and the underlying conflicts present in Six of Crows. Grisha are a completely different type of being with seemingly supernatural powers and their own hierarchy and limitations. Reading Shadow and Bone will allow you to better understand this critical background before plunging into a world where this knowledge is taken for granted. 2. This book is set in the same world as the Grisha trilogy, albeit a different location, but it's flavor is totally different. This is not a book where the characters are fighting merely to survive. Rather, this is a book where the characters are fighting for a better future, and that's what I like about this book.

Faced with an impossible, almost Herculean, task, this team must somehow overcome their distrust of each other and utilize their unique gifts in order to succeed. However, as in real life, each character has some hidden, disabling secret that could jeopardize the job for all. It is this character background that gives the story its wonderful flavor and adds depth to each of the characters. Slowly revealed throughout the course of the novel, each new revelation not only makes sense and better explains what has happened before, but it also provides a new plot twist that complicates the future and the potential success of the "mission."

Bardugo's storytelling is compelling and her plot is masterfully confounding and simultaneously intriguing. The protagonist, Kaz, is a bottom dwelling con artist/trickster who has risen through the criminal ranks as a mastermind of planning and control. Just when you think you've figured out what is going to happen, Kaz flips you over and knocks you sideways. His planning genius and the related surprises make this story a true page-turner. I was hooked and unable to put it down until I finished it.

Also compelling were the characters themselves and the tenuous relationships they built with each other. There is a wraith of a spy, a sharpshooter with a gambling problem, a rich runaway, etc. Their disparate and unique abilities would ordinarily seem incongruous to a storyline, but Bardugo manages their interaction in a manner that seems real and not contrived. Their development just makes sense.

My only problem was my dismay at the ending. Clearly, there is a sequel forthcoming, but the ending was just not satisfying or compelling enough to keep me going. I'm a fan of Bardugo's storytelling, but lesser fans may be disappointed due to the sudden thud of the ending. Forewarned is forearmed, right?

My overall suggestion? Definitely read this book, but become familiar with the Grisha world first. Enjoy, my friends.