I entered into a slump and this book pulled me out of that successfully with flying colours. What a huge leap it is from Shadow and Bone trilogy, kuddus to the author. As I never give plot descriptions of widely popular books, let me straight start with my thoughts on the first in the duology: Six of Crows.
First, The character sketching: The book features diverse set of characters. I loved each of the six crows. Strong bubly Nina, hot-headed Matthias, impulsive Jesper, emotional Wylan, mysterious Inej and charismatic Kaz. Each of them are from different races and background. They have totally different perspectives and thus, have contrasting life approaches. I loved how the author not only focused on the relationships of the three couples but the connection each individual have with eachother. I loved Nina and Inej's relationship that exemplifies how women can hype eachother up. I loved Matthias and Kaz's approach towards eachother that represents how one can respect other even if they have a complete different mindset. Kaz's big brotherly approach towards Wylan and Jesper is also demands mention. Next, plot and setting. The flow of the plot is interesting as it keeps one hooked from the very first chapter. I loved the gloomy setting of Ketterdam and the ways of people's life and survival. Language and style of writing demand appreciation as it's really gripping and definitely a page-turner. There are some awesome quotes too that I enjoyed annotating. I would have liked a little bit more exploration of emotional side of the characters to understand better what made them what they are now. But, one should not forget it's a duology and a lot has to come. Guess what, Bardugo grants this wish in the sequel Crooked Kingdom. I will discuss this area in the review of Crooked Kingdom. Overall, I loved Six of Crows. I really enjoyed it. After being disappointed by Shadow and Bone trilogy, I am glad I gave this one a chance. I don't regret it at all.