Going off of how vibrant and tangible this world is, it's the same way with her characters. They are all so fully-fleshed out and wonderfully executed (not literally) on paper. She uses the perfect amount of description to make us feel like we know them really well by the end of the book but also knows how to avoid over-saturating each chapter with too much dialogue or too much characterization (which I think is a common folly that just ends up making characters feel flat and boring) - I don't know everything just felt so well-done. Like if I was a teacher and if I was grading her work, damn I would send in my recommendation for some kind of special award right away.
So the book is told from multiple perspectives and it surrounds six characters, embarking on this crazy heist. The plot flashes from present time to the past and gently weaves in the background context to how they all end up in this scenario and why they are the way they are. I really appreciated that the plot was never predictable; I don't think I could ever figure out what was going to happen next and that proved to be something that kept me hooked 'till the very last page. I do want to say though that because this was my first taste of the Grisha universe, a lot of new information was thrust in my face and I didn't really know how to wrap my mind around it until a bit later when I thankfully forced myself to keep going. It took my 153 pages to really get invested and involved in the story (I think a big part of that was because Avengers: End Game had been on my mind since I saw it, along with stress of school so it's all to say that reading this book was not really the first think I wanted to do but this is actually dipping into another topic that I will probably write about very soon so let's veer back before I get way too off track) and OF COURSE me being me, the one thing that nicked my attention in place was the teeeeeeeensiest tiiiiiiiiniest bit of romance that Bardugo dangles subtley over our heads from page 153 onward. Ugh, I'm sorry I'm such a sucker for that stuff I can't help it.
I'm going to agree with 2015 Lys and say that my favorite character was definitely Inej as well, specifically because she made being invisible feel FRICKIN COOL. Not being seen or heard when you enter the room? It's a potential point of insecurity that she turns into a superpower. My next favorite is Nina because she's sassy but badass and then Kaz because I can always believe he has the upper hand even when he doesn't (and I love those spurts of sudden vulnerability sprinkled throughout the story) then comes Jesper and Wyland tied with one another and then finally, Matthias.
I don't know why it took me so long to read Six of Crows but this is leading me to back track and say: I should've taken all of Lys's book recommendations to heart. In addition to Leigh Bardugo, I've devoured books that I didn't even realize Lys already wrote reviews for: from V.E. Schwab (This Savage Song) to Sarah J. Maas (ACOMAF series) to Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles and I am constantly in awe of how powerful and comforting stories like these can be. Plus, they're written incredibly well and definitely worth keeping on your shelf to refer back to whenever you want to know what good writing is like.
Rating: 5/5
