Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Book 1 of Six of Crows duology)

Book Review: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo (Book 1 of Six of Crows duology)

by The Book Pup on May 20, 2026

Blurb for the book (on Goodreads):

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone...

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums


A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

My Summary:

Kaz Brekker, criminal mastermind of Ketterdam, is offered an impossible heist with an enormous payout. To pull it off, he assembles a crew of six dangerous outcasts, each with their own skills, secrets, and motivations.

As the crew embarks on their deadly mission, they must navigate political intrigue, magical warfare, and their own complicated relationships. But with so much at stake and trust in short supply, survival is far from guaranteed.

Heist adventure meets fantasy in this highly acclaimed story that's supposed to be unputdownable.

My Review

⚠️ MAJOR DISCLAIMER: I can already hear the pitchforks being sharpened and the tomatoes being loaded. ⚠️ 🍅🍅🍅

I KNOW this is basically BookTok's sacred text. I know saying anything negative about Six of Crows is like committing book crime. I'm fully prepared for the virtual tomatoes coming my way, but hear me out—I'm just as surprised as you are that I didn't like this book. I went in ready to join the fan club, and somehow ended up...not joining. 😅💔

This was a 2-star read for me, and I'm honestly shocked at myself. With all the hype, I expected to be OBSESSED. Instead, I was just...bored? Confused? Desperately Googling things? Let me explain before you start throwing things. 🙈

The Boring Problem: 😴 For a heist book, this was shockingly uneventful for long stretches. I kept waiting for the "unputdownable" part everyone talks about. Instead, I could very much put it down. In fact, I did. Multiple times.

The Worldbuilding Avalanche: 🌍💥 Listen, I appreciate good worldbuilding. But this? This is worldbuilding that shows up to your house uninvited, brings seventeen suitcases, and refuses to leave. You literally cannot read two sentences without being hit with a new term, a new magic system detail, a new political structure, or a new currency that sounds like someone sneezed.

Grisha? Fjerdans? Kerch? Dregs? Jurda parem? I'm sorry, WHAT? 🤯

The info dumps came at me like I was standing under a waterfall of fantasy Wikipedia articles. I felt like I needed a glossary, a map, a PhD, and perhaps a nice cup of tea just to make it through a chapter. ☕📚

The Shadow and Bone Problem: 🤦‍♀️ Here's the thing nobody told me: apparently you're supposed to read Shadow and Bone FIRST. Even if the series is not related to Six of Crows, it's supposed to make you understand the world better? 

But you know what I was doing instead of enjoying this book? GOOGLING. "What is a Grisha?" Google. "Who are the Fjerdans?" Google. "What is this magic system?" GOOGLE. At first, I thought Fjerdans was a PERSON, which really messed up the reading experience. 🤦‍♀️

I spent more time on Google than actually reading the book, which is the opposite of what a good reading experience should be! At one point I genuinely considered just reading the Wikipedia summary of Shadow and Bone to understand what was happening. This book does NOT stand alone, despite what anyone says. 🆘

The Character Chaos: 😵‍💫 There are SIX Crows (Six of Crows? 😏). That's a lot of names being thrown at you! The beginning was just NAME DUMP after NAME DUMP, and I kept mixing everyone up. "Wait, who's Jesper again? No, that's Wylan. Or is it? WHO ARE THESE PEOPLE?!"

It took me way too long to sort out who was who, and by then I wasn't sure I even cared anymore. Six main characters are 3 main characters too many.

Character Takes That Will Get Me Thrown Out of Book Club: 🎭

Wylan: Look, I'm saying this respectfully—this boy is... not that strong at the beginning. 😬 He's supposed to be part of this elite dangerous crew, but he reads like someone's little brother who tagged along and everyone was too polite to say no. I kept wondering why they brought him. For moral support? To carry snacks?

Matthias and Nina: MATTHIAS... She BETRAYED you. Massively! And you're just...gonna trust her again? Just like that? The logic isn't logicing here, sir. 🤨 Their whole dynamic made no sense to me. The relationship development felt forced.

Jesper and Wylan (?): So apparently these two are being set up as a potential couple, but here's my problem. I always imagined Wylan as a CHILD and Jesper reads like a GROWN MAN. The maturity gap is HUGE in my mind. Jesper is out here being confident and capable, and Wylan is...well, being Wylan. I cannot picture any romance between them without feeling weird about it. 😬👶➡️🧔

The Romance (or Lack Thereof): 💔 If you're picking this up for romance, STOP RIGHT THERE. Everyone hyped up the ships in this series, and I was ready for swoony moments. What I got was...vague hints? Potential tension? A whole lot of nothing actually happening?

For a book that's supposedly full of amazing relationships, there's shockingly little romantic payoff. It's all setup with no delivery, and that's just frustrating! 💕❌

The Pacing Rollercoaster: 🎢 This book doesn't know what speed it wants to go. It's either moving at the pace of a snail doing yoga, or suddenly racing ahead so fast you get whiplash. There's no comfortable middle ground! Long boring planning scenes, then rushed action, then back to boring, then suddenly something happens, then back to—you get the idea. ⏰

Why I'm (Reluctantly) Trying Book 2: 📚 Here's the thing: SO many people I (especially on Goodreads) love this series. Like, REALLY love it. So I'm willing to give Crooked Kingdom a very reluctant second chance. Maybe once all the worldbuilding is established, things will click? Maybe the characters will grow on me? Maybe I'll finally understand what everyone sees in this series?

But right now? I'm baffled. Genuinely, truly baffled at how much I didn't like this. I wanted to love it! I was READY. Instead, I got confused, bored, and spent more time on Google than I care to admit. 🤷‍♀️

2/5 pawprints 🐾🐾

You can find the book on Goodreads here!

Who I think this book is for: People who've read Shadow and Bone and actually understand what's happening, readers who LOVE being buried under worldbuilding details, fans who have the patience of saints, and anyone who doesn't mind Googling every third word.

Not recommended for: First-time Grishaverse readers (PLEASE read Shadow and Bone first and save yourself), people who want romance, anyone looking for fast-paced heist action, readers with low confusion tolerance, or people who get motion sick from pacing whiplash.

My honest recommendation: Read the Shadow and Bone trilogy first, or you'll end up like me—confused, bored, and wondering why everyone else is at a party you can't find. 🎉❓

Cheers, and happy reading!

The Book Pup

P.S. To everyone who loves this book: I tried! Please aim your tomatoes at the feet. 🍅👟

P.P.S. If Crooked Kingdom doesn't improve things, I might have to accept that the Grishaverse and I just aren't meant to be. Not every book is for every reader! (But I'm still surprised because I REALLY thought this would be for me!) 🤔📖