I’M FIVE YEARS LATE TO THE PARTY BUT I FINALLY CAVED AND READ THIS BOOK. It’s been 23 days and I’m still not over it. That’s a surefire sign that this is a book I need to analyze.
I’ve spent some time trying to figure out exactly what makes Six of Crows so compelling. Aside from containing some of my absolute favorite tropes (band of misfits and a heist), Six of Crows does one thing exceptionally well. This one aspect of the book, if not executed well, would not have given Six of Crows the success that it currently has.
So what is the secret to this book?
The answer, my friend, is characters.
Six of Crows — Leigh Bardugo
Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .
A convict with a thirst for revenge
A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager
A runaway with a privileged past
A spy known as the Wraith
A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums
A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes
Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.
Relevant backstory
…he knew if he climbed down the ladder and waded back into the sea, he would never find his way out again. He’d simply let himself drown, and that wasn’t possible any more. He had to live. Someone had to pay.
(Six of Crows, p.296)
Six of Crows, at its heart, is a character-driven story. Yes, the plot is good, but it is the characters that drive the story, not the other way around. The Crows are active characters who all have different perspectives based on what they have gone through in the past, which also serves to help the reader differentiate their personalities and points of view.
Backstory is sprinkled throughout the book as the characters get on with planning and carrying out the heist. But it is the characters’ stories that shape each of their goals and motivations — why do they want to be a part of this team? What do they want to do with the reward money?
Backstory also affects how the Crows interact with each other. Nina and Matthias have a history together, so of course their relationship is affected by their past. Many of the main characters have gone through traumatic events, and this affects how they react to certain situations. Some of them already know each other while others don’t. This makes the overall story feel more rich, because even though the umbrella plot might be the heist, the characters bring their own stories to the table.
So instead of dragging the story down and filling the book with unnecessary information, the backstory adds to the book rather than takes away from it. It influences the characters’ decisions, thoughts, and goals, and in some cases, adds to their relationships with each other. Yet all of the things the Crows have gone through make them feel older than they actually are — their childhoods have been ripped away, after all. That’s where the next part comes in.
Banter and dynamics
Kaz leaned back. “What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?”
“Knife to the throat?” asked Inej.
“Gun to the back?” said Jesper.
“Poison in his cup?” suggested Nina.
“You’re all horrible,” said Matthias.
(Six of Crows, p.135-136)
While the Crows are certainly independent people with their own goals and struggles, they play off of each other very well. A common complaint that I’ve seen in reviews of this book is that the characters feel too old — like they’re in their twenties or thirties rather than teenagers.
That’s why all the banter between the characters helps to soften them and make them feel more their age. Six of Crows is almost chock full of banter and jokes. The characters’ unique personalities add to this, of course — Jesper, for example, is a comic relief type character, while Nina is full of sass. These pieces of dialogue are moments that show their youth.
The relationships and dynamic between some of the characters make them feel more real and make them more relatable as teens, making them more appealing to the audience since the mood isn’t always dark and grim. Their friendship shines a light within the book and makes them more memorable. Because while they do take things seriously, they are still kids, and they need to believe that there is still hope in the world.
Character arcs and “aha” moments
She was not a lynx or a spider or even the Wraith. She was Inej Ghafa, and her future was waiting above.
(Six of Crows, p.333)
Finally, what Bardugo does to really nail down these characters is that she doesn’t make them static. No, these are characters who are continuously growing, changing, and learning to navigate the cruel world that they live in. These characters are dynamic. They change like any normal person does as they go through life.
While many of the Crows seem like they have it all figured out, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Most of them are hiding internal conflict, trauma, and struggles underneath. Kaz, Inej, and Wylan all have a specific person that ruined their lives, and they all have to learn how to overcome the fears that come with that person. Some of them struggle with knowing themselves and figuring out who they truly are.
This all comes to a head as the book charges towards its climax. The Crows have to make tough decisions that they can never turn back from. With these decisions, consequences have to follow — which makes the story feel more realistic.
“Are you afraid of me?” she’d asked.
“No,” he’d said, and he’d sounded almost surprised.
(Six of Crows, p.252)
In short:
Leigh Bardugo’s characters aren’t just unique, they feel fleshed out and realistic. Each character is their own person with their own fears and motivations. As you travel through Six of Crows, you’ll find that these characters have to overcome not only external struggles, but internal ones as well. It’s an immensely satisfying and entertaining ride, and the characters will stick with you even after the last page is turned.
Bonus:
There’s a lot of SoC fan content on the web, but one of my favorites is Toasty’s animation. I highly encourage you to check it out. Also please can someone animate my characters like this when I can actually pull together a decent rewrite of my book XP
That’s all for now!
Have you read Six of Crows? What did you like about it? Do you have a favorite character? Let me know in the comments below!
Make your mark,
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