“Greed may do your bidding, but death serves no man.”
Human population, whether we acknowledge it or not, is a hierarchy, and everyone wants to reach the top, even if we have to beg, borrow or steal to reach the peak. This zeal to conquer the world is driven by the inherent motive of being dissatisfied with what we have, however little or much it may be. Greed caters to the whims and fancies of human beings simply because it fulfills its ultimate goal of creating division in society. Man feels invincible when controlling life in totality from the top of the hierarchy. However his true helplessness is made known when he stares death in the face. Death, ironically, is life's greatest equaliser, a force so strong, that it can render a man's entire life meaningless. At the end of the day, to death, humanity is a joke, its struggles and achievements acting as stepping stones towards the final frontier of death. While all of this may be a nihilistic perspective on things, what is worth remembering through this is that there are some things in life that are too pure or too dark to be compromised. But, how do we understand where the line of compromise truly lies?
"Six of Crows" is the first book in the duology by the same name, set in Leigh Bardugo’s Grishaverse. It is a book with six main characters whose lives are woven together by sophisticated writing, perfect world-building and well-timed flashbacks. To sum up the threadbare version of "Six of Crows", it follows "A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who has become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse." This group makes up ‘The Dregs’, a gang tasked with the daunting mission of breaking out a prisoner from the most secure prison in the land. What follows is an elaborate, action-packed heist, with each character guided by their own agendas and ambitions. At first glance, "Six of Crows" seems like Ocean's 11 meets gritty YA Fantasy, but it ends up being darker and more mature than any other similar plot, sprinkled with just the right amount of wit and romance.
Bardugo does complete justice to the epic tale with her writing, which in the hands of a lesser author could have fallen flat. At no point does a certain perspective or character feel unnecessary and no element of world-building feels clunky or out of place. "Six of Crows" lives in the same universe as the author’s previous trilogy, and Bardugo’s deep dive into the Grishaverse may confuse readers initially, but the book can definitely be read as a standalone. The action-packed and fast-paced plot-line is perfectly complemented by a third person narrative, which allows readers to fully explore the story and be exposed to all the characters equally.
To many, six characters and six points of view may seem too confusing, but this crew is definitely memorable enough. "Six of Crows" does a typical YA ensemble ‘misfit’ cast with an incredible twist. All of the characters are deemed as anti-heroes and unlike some cases where this is only true because it is written in, Bardugo does justice to fleshing out the flawed and broken elements that make up The Dregs. The male protagonist Kaz Brekker described himself aptly in this line, “I’m not some character out of a children’s story who plays harmless pranks and steals from the rich to give to the poor." The amazing writing style crafts every character in such a multi-layered way that the readers understand the borderline wicked things characters do, while also loving them despite it. Further, the female characters are truly fascinating; unlike some other books in the genre, where women are either feminine and girly or rebellious and tough, "Six of Crows" is sensitive to the complex nature of its female leads and their stories. None of the characters, including the women are written as righteous or noble and the readers are on the same confusing journey as the characters when it comes to understanding themselves.
YA Fantasy books are seldom without elements of romance, and while "Six of Crows" is no different, it has perhaps the most well-written romantic subplot, across relationships. The book stays true to executing its plot flawlessly, without letting romance overtake any other aspect. The dynamic and banter between all the characters is impressive anyway which is accentuated by the natural, non-intrusive way in which Bardugo writes romantic arcs. The book also highlights the importance of communication and transparency in relationships, specifically reflected in Kaz and Inej’s bond, which is a very healthy message to all readers.
Another unique element of "Six of Crows" is its masterful and sensitive portrayal of diversity in its characters; the message of body positivity in the form of the most beautiful member of the group being the plus size female lead, the representation for neurodivergent people by depicting the learning process of a dyslexic character and exploring the realistic way disability impacts people’s lives in the form of Kaz’s own disability. "Six of Crows" also handles trauma and distress in a real yet balanced way. These parts of them never dominate or consume everything else about the characters, and are blended in perfectly in tandem with the rest of the plot.
The whimsical Grishaverse and its magic and the breakneck speed of the plot would compensate if the characters faltered, but none of the characters feel extraneous and flat. The perfectly written twists and wholly intriguing world elevate "Six of Crows" to not just being a strong first book in a series, but an epic innovation in YA Fantasy itself. Our only complaint? Not enough crows in this book.