Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo is a beautifully told story about love and finding a family when you don’t have one of your own. I originally found this book while searching for something new to read – I stumbled onto BookTok, a small sub-community on the app TikTok where authors, writers, and book enjoyers all come together. The book popped up. The video reviewer talked about the queer romance, the found-family elements, and other heavy topics the book deals with such as depression, sexual assault, isssues with family, and the feeling of not belonging. I knew I needed to read it. I asked for it for Christmas, and when I got it, I read it all in a week, and then watched the TV show as well. I love the topics in this book because I find them to be relatable, and they make me feel good about my own situation.
This novel tells the traumatic story of the six main characters, Kaz, Inej, Jesper, Wylan, Nina, and Mattias who live in a fantasy-like, dark and steampunk world called Ketterdam. These characters face many hardships as they try to survive by going on heists to make money. But despite the poverty they live in, they never let these hardships blind them, and they never lose sight of the ones they love.
Our main character, Kaz Brekker, leads his team on a life-changing heist for a huge sum of money, something that would get them all out of debt, and this is enough to persuade the characters to follow Kaz. During this job, they encounter many hardships, learn secrets about each other, and deal with the constant fear of losing each other, on top of all of the physical trauma they deal with.
This book drew me in due to its emotional backstories and the complex, morally gray characters scattered throughout the story, most notably, Kaz Brekker. Kaz makes a lot of decisions, and you could argue he is a good person or a bad person, and neither would be necessarily wrong. The whole point of his character is that he is neither, and it helps show that human nature isn’t just black and white.
Throughout the book, the characters will often say to each other. “No mourners. No funerals,” a phrase that “passed for ‘good luck.’” The characters don’t like to even imagine that the others could be in any danger, but they know the risks that come with being thieves. So, they came up with this phrase, a way of saying “Don’t die,” without actually saying it. I think of this phrase often as it connects me deeply to the found-family aspect of the novel and shows their care for each other.
If you’re looking for stories with more queer representation, you’ll find that in this book. Jesper and Wylan are a confirmed couple by the end of book two. This book also has disability representation, as Kaz is physically disabled and uses a cane. I believe that this attention to diverse stories is one of the reasons this book stands out to younger audiences, especially considering my generation is a lot more invested in disability and queer representation.
The book Six of Crows is an amazing novel with incredible representation. Leigh Bardugo does a great job with her cast of characters, making them complex and interesting, while also creating an unforgettable and moving story. I recommend other books from her as well, such as her prequel to Six of Crows, Shadow and Bone!