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Anne's Reviews > Six of Crows
Six of Crows (Six of Crows, #1)
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Anne's review
bookshelves: kindle-app, adventure-like-stuff, fantasy, magic-stuff, mature-ya, heist, read-in-2015
Dec 01, 2015
bookshelves: kindle-app, adventure-like-stuff, fantasy, magic-stuff, mature-ya, heist, read-in-2015
Spoiler Alert!
There are no CROWS in this story.
Nope, not even the kind who've been resurrected for vengeance.
Sorry, Eric.
So if it's not about crows, then what's this book about?
Well, it's a fantasy/heist story with a magical backdrop!
However, I didn't think this was like Ocean's Eleven or The Palace Job, because it was a bit darker than either of those. Not that this story was bleak, but the characters just weren't as quirky, fun, and lovable. Quirky, yes. Fun and lovable...not so much.
At least, not to me.
What I'm trying to say is don't go into this expecting a lighthearted romp.
But I still really enjoyed it, and I came to care for each of the flawed individuals in this story. I started the book off feeling one way about everyone and ended with a different impression of each of them. Maybe I didn't love them, but I felt like I understood them enough to like them. To root for them to rise above their problems, and maybe become better people. Even find happiness?
The group is made up of thieves, gangsters, assassins, con-men, fanatics, and one wannabe demolition man.
So what brings this band of derelicts together?
Well, to steal an impossibly powerful weapon, and the man who created it, from an impenetrable fortress in order to save the world from war and destruction.
Oh, and make a shitload of money in the process.
Naturally, there are no surprises, no one double-crosses them, and everything goes according to plan!
Or maybe not...
Ok, when I picked this up, I had no idea it was set in the same world as Bardugo's Grisha series. I was under the impression that this was an entirely new thing. I was aware of her other books, but having heard mixed reviews on them, I'd put off checking them out. So when I started reading Six of Crows, and the term Grisha came up I had a freak-out moment.
Oh my God! Why does it say Six of Crows #1 if it has these Grisha people in it?! I'm going to have to quickly read the first series if I'm going to understand what the hell is going on, aren't I?!
Whhhhhhhy didn'tI think to ask someone anyone tell me?!
Waaaaaah!
Thankfully, I have some long-suffering friends on Goodreads who managed to calm me down and set my mind at ease.
So. Here's the skinny on it for those of you who are wondering:
This is set in that same world, but you DON'T have to read the other books to enjoy this one.
There's good world building and enough explanations for newbies to dive right on in, without spending time scratching their heads over obscure references.
That was my experience, anyway.
I've also heard through the grapevine that this is actually better than the original series.
So, whether you read the Grisha stuff and didn't care for it, or you haven't read the other books at all, I'd still recommend this one if you're looking for a good YA fantasy with lots of twists and turns.
There are no CROWS in this story.
Nope, not even the kind who've been resurrected for vengeance.
Sorry, Eric.
So if it's not about crows, then what's this book about?
Well, it's a fantasy/heist story with a magical backdrop!
However, I didn't think this was like Ocean's Eleven or The Palace Job, because it was a bit darker than either of those. Not that this story was bleak, but the characters just weren't as quirky, fun, and lovable. Quirky, yes. Fun and lovable...not so much.
At least, not to me.
What I'm trying to say is don't go into this expecting a lighthearted romp.
But I still really enjoyed it, and I came to care for each of the flawed individuals in this story. I started the book off feeling one way about everyone and ended with a different impression of each of them. Maybe I didn't love them, but I felt like I understood them enough to like them. To root for them to rise above their problems, and maybe become better people. Even find happiness?
The group is made up of thieves, gangsters, assassins, con-men, fanatics, and one wannabe demolition man.
So what brings this band of derelicts together?
Well, to steal an impossibly powerful weapon, and the man who created it, from an impenetrable fortress in order to save the world from war and destruction.
Oh, and make a shitload of money in the process.
Naturally, there are no surprises, no one double-crosses them, and everything goes according to plan!
Or maybe not...
Ok, when I picked this up, I had no idea it was set in the same world as Bardugo's Grisha series. I was under the impression that this was an entirely new thing. I was aware of her other books, but having heard mixed reviews on them, I'd put off checking them out. So when I started reading Six of Crows, and the term Grisha came up I had a freak-out moment.
Oh my God! Why does it say Six of Crows #1 if it has these Grisha people in it?! I'm going to have to quickly read the first series if I'm going to understand what the hell is going on, aren't I?!
Whhhhhhhy didn't
Waaaaaah!
Thankfully, I have some long-suffering friends on Goodreads who managed to calm me down and set my mind at ease.
So. Here's the skinny on it for those of you who are wondering:
This is set in that same world, but you DON'T have to read the other books to enjoy this one.
There's good world building and enough explanations for newbies to dive right on in, without spending time scratching their heads over obscure references.
That was my experience, anyway.
I've also heard through the grapevine that this is actually better than the original series.
So, whether you read the Grisha stuff and didn't care for it, or you haven't read the other books at all, I'd still recommend this one if you're looking for a good YA fantasy with lots of twists and turns.
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Reading Progress
December 1, 2015
–
Started Reading
December 1, 2015
– Shelved
December 13, 2015
–
Finished Reading
Comments Showing 1-50 of 108 (108 new)
message 1:
by
Nidofito
(new)
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rated it 4 stars
Dec 13, 2015 09:32AM
It is rather disappointing that there are no actual crows in the book. I would've liked to see a pet crow for Kez.
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that's what we call a plot twist!
Ahhhhh. Anne, you've nearly sold me on it as a heist book. And by nearly, I mean I'd be sold at heist, but it's a 2015 book and I had little to no luck with them.
Boo for no crows. Or Eric:( But great review, Anne! I have yet to read any novels by Bardugo though I loved all the shorts I've read from her.
Good one :). Loved all the crows. I haven't read Grisha either but is on my TBR list. I'll go ahead and bump this one up then.
Nidofito wrote: "It is rather disappointing that there are no actual crows in the book. I would've liked to see a pet crow for Kez."Thank you. My thoughts exactly.
Cathy (cathepsut) wrote: "Sounds really good, too bad it's YA!"No YA for you? *gasps* ;)
*~Lan Lan~* wrote: "that's what we call a plot twist!"Right?!
Rea wrote: "Ahhhhh. Anne, you've nearly sold me on it as a heist book. And by nearly, I mean I'd be sold at heist, but it's a 2015 book and I had little to no luck with them."None? No 2015 books? Poor thing!
anjuli wrote: "Good one :). Loved all the crows. I haven't read Grisha either but is on my TBR list. I'll go ahead and bump this one up then."I've heard Grisha isn't quite as good. I actually own the 1st book in that series, b/c it was on the kids' summer reading list a few years back. I really need to break it out and find out whats going on with those.
Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ wrote: "Boo for no crows. Or Eric:( But great review, Anne! I have yet to read any novels by Bardugo though I loved all the shorts I've read from her."Do the shorts make sense without reading the full-length novels?
Anne wrote: "Rea wrote: "Ahhhhh. Anne, you've nearly sold me on it as a heist book. And by nearly, I mean I'd be sold at heist, but it's a 2015 book and I had little to no luck with them."None? No 2015 books?..."
Well... I haven't finished Winter yet, so I can't say none, but most of them haven't lived up to expectations and it's been miserable.
I usually try to lower my expectations going in to some of these books. Very few authors can live up to the hype surrounding these books. Still waiting on Winter, too! *crosses fingers*
Anne wrote: "Do the shorts make sense without reading the full-length novels"The Witch of Duva did. I thought it was really good. Hadn't read any of her books before I'd read that. I read Shadow and Bone afterwards, and I was underwhelmed.
Reading Corner wrote: "Great review :) x"Thanks, RC! Hope you enjoy this one.
Auntie J wrote: "Anne wrote: "Do the shorts make sense without reading the full-length novels"The Witch of Duva did. I thought it was really good. Hadn't read any of her books before I'd read that..."
I'll check out WoD, then. I keep hearing the word underwhelmed to describe those books, Auntie J. I'll probably end up liking them more than I think, just because I'm expecting soooo little out of them.
Anne wrote: "Auntie J wrote: "Anne wrote: "Do the shorts make sense without reading the full-length novels"The Witch of Duva did. I thought it was really good. Hadn't read any of her books bef..."
Re: Shadow and Bone I really liked the beginning, like the first chapter, then it tanked for me. IIRC I read about 2/3 then quit.
The whole, long, middle was (to me) just a mean girl high school drama thing in a fantasy setting. Plus a mysterious bad guy who those who like this book tend to think is "hot" - why they do I cannot fathom.
But, you may think differently - or, failing that, write us a very entertaining review!
I like the mean girl thing...sometimes. So, I guess I'll just see? Going in with low to non-existent expectations won't hurt, either.
Anne wrote: "I usually try to lower my expectations going in to some of these books. Very few authors can live up to the hype surrounding these books. Still waiting on Winter, too! *crosses fingers*"
Some of the books I'd been dying to read because they're by my favorite authors were letdowns.
I started Winter this week, but haven't gotten far into it yet, partly because I took it to work to read and didn't get a chance, and partly because I actually wish it was the audio version.
Anne wrote: "Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ wrote: "Boo for no crows. Or Eric:( But great review, Anne! I have yet to read any novels by Bardugo though I loved all the shorts I've read from her."Do..."
Yeah. They are more like folktales in the same world. I loved all three but The Witch of Duva was my favorite. The Too-Clever Fox and Little Knife are good too. Ive not read the other one, but I think that one's ties are closer to the grisha series.
Jess ❈Harbinger of Blood-Soaked Rainbows❈ wrote: "Yeah. They are more like folktales in the same world. I loved all three but The Witch of Duva was my favorite. The Too-Clever Fox and Little Knife are good too. Ive not read the other one, but I think that one's ties are closer to the grisha series. "Ugh. I almost hate logging on here, because i know that my never ending MUST-read pile will just grow longer... ;)
Rea wrote: "Some of the books I'd been dying to read because they're by my favorite authors were letdowns. I started Winter this week, but haven't gotten far into it yet, partly because I took it to work to read and didn't get a chance, and partly because I actually wish it was the audio version.
"
I'm just now starting to get into audio books, but it's really hard for me to find a quiet place. Plus, it's so much faster to read it, and I get impatient. :)
Anne wrote: "Rea wrote: "Some of the books I'd been dying to read because they're by my favorite authors were letdowns. I started Winter this week, but haven't gotten far into it yet, partly because I took it ..."
I read Scarlet and Cress as audiobooks (which I appreciated because of the French pronunciations) and trying to figure out who is who based upon spelling which I didn't deal with in the previous two is annoying. I liked having the nice lady read to me and tell me how those names were pronounced. I can deal with spelling later.
I listen to audiobooks when I normally would play my ipod. Which isn't often, to be honest. If I had an mp3 jack for the car, I'd be golden.
I listen to them while I exercise, so (since I'm already trapped) I try to listen to stuff I'd never in a million years read. I'm expanding my horizons!
Make it fun! Of course, your Shakespeare as performed like a radioshow is probably about as fun as books you normally wouldn't read gets. I'd really like it if all audiobooks were like a radioshow.
Some audiobooks of regular books I'd never read don't make the book any less miserable. I tried listening to The Grapes of Wrath once. It was dreadful. And while The Scarlet Letter might have been improved upon by audio (I never finished it either way), it really lost it's power because the discs were disgusting and didn't play properly.
Auntie J wrote: " Witch of Duva did. I thought it was really good. Hadn't read any of her books bef..."Re: Shadow and Bone I really liked the beginning, like the first chapter, then it tanked for me. IIRC I read about 2/3 then quit.
The whole, long, middle was (to me) just a mean girl high school drama thing in a fantasy setting. Plus a mysterious bad guy who those who like this book tend to think is "hot" - why they do I cannot fathom."
I'd say exactly the same. Shadow and Bone had a good start and finish, lame middle. It felt like the middle was added to make more YA-generic a story that wasn't especially YA.
Witch of Duva is better, and stands alone.
Yay! I 've been wanting to read this but I had some of the same reservations you did. Glad to see it was good! :)
But I love crows! Or are they ravens? Aren't they the same thing? No? OK great review nonetheless despite the absence of crows ••• and ravens!
Miriam wrote: "I'd say exactly the same. Shadow and Bone had a good start and finish, lame middle. It felt like the middle was added to make more YA-generic a story that wasn't especially YA. Witch of Duva is better, and stands alone.
"
Ok, I'll eventually<./i> get to Shadow and Bone, but I'm bumping Witch of Duva waaaaay up.
Anna (Yoda Is My Spirit Animal) wrote: "Yay! I 've been wanting to read this but I had some of the same reservations you did. Glad to see it was good! :)"Yeah, go for it! If I can do it, you can definitely 'get' what's going on.
Ana wrote: "I love you for mentioning The Crow! :) Great review Anne."
I was obsessed with that movie when it first came out. My best guy friend and I saw it in the theater multiple times. Amazing movie (at the time)!
Bill wrote: "But I love crows! Or are they ravens? Aren't they the same thing? No? OK great review nonetheless despite the absence of crows ••• and ravens!"Ha! I can never tell the difference between the two birds. I googled 'crows', so you'll have to blame the search engine if I've got a pile of ravens up in this review.
Unless they're the same thing, then we're ok!
Rea wrote: "Make it fun! Of course, your Shakespeare as performed like a radioshow is probably about as fun as books you normally wouldn't read gets. I'd really like it if all audiobooks were like a radioshow..."
I've been less than impressed with some of the audio, but a full cast of characters really makes a big difference.
Some books do better when read in book format. Some audiobooks have bad narrators. I've had a few that I hated because of the narrator (Series of Unfortunate Events' Bad Beginning was not a narrator that I agreed with, while other people liked it). I'm definitely going to check out some Shakespeare playaways in the new year. If my library lets me. I'll ask nicely.
It's such a different experience from what I've listened to in the past. I really hope you get a chance to listen to them. They may be available as a regular audio book, I'm not sure. Good luck!
I think I'm one of the few that actually liked the Grisha series but I agree that this book is better than the series. I got to go to a book signing and she's really nice and funny in person. I've read The Witch of Duva and Little Fox and they are good. You don't need to read the series to enjoy them.
Cathryn wrote: "I think I'm one of the few that actually liked the Grisha series but I agree that this book is better than the series. I got to go to a book signing and she's really nice and funny in person. I've ..."Crap! Little Fox, too?! Guh. You ladies are killing me!
I always love to hear that authors are nice in person, though. It makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.
She actually started out with this book wanting to write about characters who aren't the chosen one. That's a big reason why all of the characters have flaws. And she had some interesting comments about how the sci-fi world looks down on YA because there is usually romance in it.
Well, if this and WoD are anything to go by, then I'm going to be reading a lot more of her stuff in the future. Damn! Witch of Duva was fantastic!
Anne wrote: "Ana wrote: "I love you for mentioning The Crow! :) Great review Anne."
I was obsessed with that movie when it first came out. My best guy friend and I saw it in the theater multiple times. Amazi..."
So this is why I ended up seeing Weekend at Bernies 2 by myself...
Nice review, buddy!!
*choke*Yeah, sorry. I was too busy watching that movie over and over to see anything else. *cough*
Martin wrote: "Was there a lof of action?"Yes, in a heist-y sort of way. I'm a very action-oriented reader, and it kept me entertained. If it's just people standing around talking, I get bored.
What?! There are no crows??! I feel cheated...
Mila wrote: "What?! There are no crows??! I feel cheated..."I KNOW! Glad it's not just me...
I think that crows should be mandatory with that title.
I could have lived without any actual crows in the story, but to dis Eric like that??? Simply unforgiveable!!! ;)(completely tongue in cheek)
Great review with PERFECT crow gifs - my favourite (although the choice wasn't easy) is the one with the dog. Muhahahahahaha.
