You know that feeling when you pick up a book and realize within ten pages that you’re absolutely screwed? That’s Leigh Bardugo’s specialty. Honestly, when people talk about the six of crows series books, they usually start with the "no mourners, no funerals" line, but the real magic is how a story about a bunch of traumatized teenagers somehow feels more adult than half the "literary" fiction on the shelves today.
Kaz Brekker isn't a hero. He’s a nightmare in a tailored suit.
The duology—consisting of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom—is set in the Grishaverse, a world Bardugo first built in her Shadow and Bone trilogy. But here’s the thing: you don't actually need to read the original trilogy to get what’s happening in Ketterdam. Ketterdam is basically 18th-century Amsterdam if it were run by magical gangs and fueled by a terrifying drug called jurda parem. It’s cold, it’s wet, and it’s dangerous.
The Crow Club and the Art of the Impossible Heist
Most people describe the six of crows series books as Ocean's Eleven meets Game of Thrones. That’s a decent elevator pitch, sure, but it misses the heart of why these books work. The plot kicks off when Kaz is offered an insane amount of money to break into the Ice Court—the most secure fortress in the world—to rescue a scientist who created a substance that can turn magical Grisha into gods or corpses.
Kaz rounds up a crew of outcasts. There’s Inej Ghafa, the Wraith, who can climb anything and sees everything. Jesper Fahey, a sharpshooter with a gambling problem and a secret. Wylan Van Eck, the runaway demo expert who can’t read a map but can blow up a building with chemistry. Nina Zenik, a Heartrender who can stop your pulse with a thought, and Matthias Helvar, the witch-hunter who hates her almost as much as he loves her.
It's a mess. They all hate each other, or they're in love with each other, or they're trying to figure out which one it is.
Why Ketterdam Feels Real
Bardugo spent a lot of time researching the geography and the "vibe" of Dutch trading hubs. The Barrel, the slum where the Crows live, feels tactile. You can smell the salt air and the rotting fish. You can feel the dampness in Kaz's bones—a detail that’s actually super important because Kaz lives with a physical disability. He uses a crow-headed cane because of an old injury that never healed right. It’s not a gimmick; it’s a fundamental part of how he moves through the world and how he perceives power.
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What Everyone Gets Wrong About the Grishaverse Timeline
There is a weird misconception that you have to slog through the original Shadow and Bone books to understand the six of crows series books. You don’t. In fact, many fans (myself included) think starting with the Crows is a better entry point.
The magic system, known as Small Science, is explained naturally through Nina’s eyes. It’s not "magic" in the wand-waving sense. It’s the manipulation of matter at its most basic level. Tidesmen control water. Inferni manipulate combustible gases. Fabrikators work with metal and glass. It’s grounded, which makes the introduction of jurda parem—a drug that heightens these abilities to an apocalyptic degree—so terrifying. It’s a literal arms race played out in the veins of the characters.
The Complexity of Kaz Brekker
Kaz is the "Dirtyhands" of the Barrel. He’s ruthless. He’s cruel. But he’s also a kid who suffered a massive trauma involving his brother and a plague, which left him with haphephobia—the fear of being touched.
This makes the romantic tension in the books unbearable in the best way. When Kaz and Inej are in a room together, the air is thick with everything they can’t do. It’s not a typical YA romance. There are no swooning declarations. Instead, you get lines like, "I will come for you. And if I can't walk, I'll crawl to you, and no matter how broken we are, we'll fight our way out together."
It’s raw. It’s messy. It’s why people are still making fan art of them years after the books came out.
The Impact of the Netflix Adaptation
We have to talk about the Shadow and Bone show. Netflix made the bold—and honestly, kind of confusing—choice to mash the Crows into the storyline of the first Shadow and Bone book. While it was great to see Freddy Carter, Amita Suman, and Kit Young bring these characters to life, the show’s timeline is essentially a prequel to the six of crows series books.
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If you watched the show and then picked up the books, you might be surprised by how much darker the prose is. The show softened some of the edges. In the books, these kids are cold. They have to be. Ketterdam doesn't give out second chances.
Addressing the "Young Adult" Label
Is this series for kids? Technically, yes, it's shelved in YA. But the themes—addiction, human trafficking, systemic racism, and the cycle of revenge—are heavy. Bardugo doesn't pull her punches. The dialogue is snappy and sharp, often masking the profound grief each character carries.
Take Jesper, for instance. On the surface, he’s the comic relief. He’s funny, he’s charming, and he’s a brilliant shot. But he’s also struggling with a crippling gambling addiction that puts the entire crew in danger. His journey isn't just about learning to aim better; it’s about confronting the hole inside himself that he tries to fill with risk.
Formatting the Heist
The structure of Six of Crows is a masterclass in pacing. It shifts perspectives between the six leads, giving us a 360-degree view of the plan as it falls apart. And it always falls apart. Kaz is a genius, but he’s not a god. He makes mistakes. He gets outplayed.
The Ice Court heist itself takes up a huge chunk of the first book, and it’s exhausting in a good way. You’re holding your breath through the prison break, the infiltration of the embassy, and the final, desperate scramble to the docks. By the time you hit the cliffhanger at the end of book one, you’ll be reaching for Crooked Kingdom immediately.
Why Crooked Kingdom is Actually the Better Book
A lot of sequels fail. They lose the momentum of the first installment or they try to go "bigger" in a way that feels hollow. Crooked Kingdom goes smaller. It brings the fight back to the streets of Ketterdam.
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It’s a story about a bunch of kids taking on the wealthiest, most powerful men in the world. It’s about the "meritocracy" of a merchant city being revealed as a sham. The stakes are higher because they aren't just fighting for money anymore; they’re fighting for their right to exist in a world that wants to sell them or kill them.
The ending is... well, it’s polarizing. Some people find it devastating. Others find it perfect. Without spoiling it, I’ll just say that it respects the reality of the world Bardugo built. There are no easy victories in the Barrel.
Navigating the Grishaverse Today
If you’re looking to dive into the six of crows series books now, here is how you should actually approach it to get the most out of the experience:
- Don't over-research the Grisha types. You’ll pick it up as you go. Just know that Etherealki handle elements, Corporalki handle bodies, and Materialki handle stuff.
- Pay attention to the chapter headings. Since the POV switches every chapter, it’s easy to get lost if you’re skimming. Each character has a distinct voice, but the headings are your best friend.
- Check out the maps. The physical books (especially the hardcovers) have incredible maps of Ketterdam and the Ice Court. They actually help you visualize the heist's logistics.
- Read the King of Scars duology later. If you finish the Crows and want more, move on to Nikolai Lantsov's books. Some of the Crows make appearances, and it ties the whole world together.
The legacy of the six of crows series books isn't just in the sales numbers or the TV show. It’s in the way it changed the "ensemble" dynamic in fantasy. It proved you could have a cast of six "main" characters and give every single one of them a complete, heartbreaking, and triumphant arc without losing the plot.
It's a story about the family you choose when the world decides you don't deserve one. It's about the fact that even if you're "monsters," you can still be the heroes of your own story.
Actionable Next Steps for Readers
- Start with Six of Crows: Skip the Shadow and Bone trilogy for now if you want a tighter, more character-driven experience. You can always go back for the lore later.
- Listen to the Audiobook: The Six of Crows audiobook uses a full cast (a different narrator for each character's POV), which makes the distinct voices of Kaz, Inej, and the others really pop.
- Track the Themes: As you read, look for how each character's "flaw" (Kaz’s touch-aversion, Jesper’s gambling, Wylan’s reading disability) actually becomes a pivot point for the plot. It’s a lesson in brilliant character-driven writing.
- Explore the Fandom: Once you’ve finished Crooked Kingdom, look for the "Liveship" references and the connections to the wider Grishaverse lore—the community has mapped out the connections between the Crows and the Grisha royalty in exhaustive detail.
The world of Kaz Brekker is unforgiving, but it’s one of the most rewarding journeys in modern fantasy. Just remember: no mourners, no funerals.