ARC REVIEW: Six of Crows by 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. 

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first. 

Title: Six of Crows (The Dregs #1)

Author: (Queen) Leigh Bardugo

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

Published: 29th September, 2015

Rating: A gigatrillion stars.

A massive thank-you to Jo Volpe for the ARC! And Louisse for jumping out and proclaiming that you were my Threadsister. 

"When everyone knows you're a monster, you needn't waste your time doing every monstrous thing."

First of all, it's no great secret that I am a massive Grisha fan. Leigh's writing is superb and intricate, her characters worming their way into your heart with ease.

Secondly, because many have asked, you CAN read SIX OF CROWS before the Grisha Trilogy! There are some spoilers, but minor ones that wouldn't affect you reading SIX OF CROWS first. The biggest spoiler for a person who has read SoC first is two words: King Nikolai. And a few other bits such as a passing mention of events that happened in Ruin and Rising. None of the characters from Grisha are, sadly, in the story. But Book Two I certainly have my fingers crossed! 

I totally put my book down at the mention of King Nikolai so I could fist-pump at the air. He rules! Literally.

SIX OF CROWS did not disappoint. I'll keep this review short and sweet for now until the book is out. There is a LOT to talk about. So. Much. Returning to the world of the Grisha was bittersweet at first.The pain of leaving behind a bunch of beloved characters in favor of another crew! But very, very quickly these new characters joined the ranks of the Grisha gang.

The story was a roller-coaster of emotions and action. There was not a single dull moment or time that you wanted to skip ahead. Each character was sublime and played their part exceptionally well. Kaz is the kind of man you both want to love but run the heck away from. Each character is so brutal, yet broken in their own way. Rough gems that, once polished, will shine and sparkle. Book Two is going to be explosive. And that's not an exaggeration. I am terribly in love with Matthias and Kaz. And Nina and Inej. And Wylan and Jesper. Whoops, I seem to have listed the entire crew. 

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.

I'll leave this teaser of a review here for now. Until September, gang! This isn't a book that you want, it's a book you NEED. No life is complete without the Dregs in it.

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY - Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY.

Game of Thrones meets Ocean's Eleven in this brand-new book in the world of the Grisha by New York Times-bestselling author 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. 

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz's crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don't kill each other first.

Expected publication: 29th September 2015

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company

--

Today I am waiting on SIX OF CROWS by Leigh Bardugo.

Basically, I am obsessed with everything and anything Grisha. The lush and vibrant world, the exquisite characters, just... gah, everything!

I bought the first book of the Grisha trilogy so long ago that I can't remember when exactly. But the book I bought was THE GATHERING DARK, the name of Shadow and Bone before it was changed. The cover of the original is so beautiful and really captures the feel of the book. I could gush forever about the Grisha trilogy to be honest.

The Grisha Trilogy shattered me apart and then glued me back together again, and SIX OF CROWS is no doubt going to have the same or similar effect. Books are like onions - there are so many layers.

New characters set in the Grisha world? Count me in! I do hope we see the ones who survived the utter devastation that was Ruin and Rising. Of course... we won't be seeing HIM, which is all kinds of agonizing and heartbreaking.

This duology is going to be amazing as its predecessors, I am sure of it. To those lucky, lucky people who will be getting a review copy of SIX OF CROWS at Book Expo America today, consider me jealous in the extreme. And very likely to assassin-swoop down on you and snag your book.

Great. Now I'm thinking about this fellow, onions and ogres.

REVIEW: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

n March 21, 2014 by Nicola in Book Reviews, Books, Young Adult // 0 Comments

Shadow and Bone
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Series: Grisha Trilogy #1
Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Fantasy
Release Date: May 7th 2013
Stars: Five fat stars

The Shadow Fold, a swathe of impenetrable darkness, crawling with monsters that feast on human flesh, is slowly destroying the once-great nation of Ravka.

Alina, a pale, lonely orphan, discovers a unique power that thrusts her into the lavish world of the kingdom’s magical elite—the Grisha. Could she be the key to unravelling the dark fabric of the Shadow Fold and setting Ravka free?

The Darkling, a creature of seductive charm and terrifying power, leader of the Grisha. If Alina is to fulfill her destiny, she must discover how to unlock her gift and face up to her dangerous attraction to him.

But what of Mal, Alina’s childhood best friend? As Alina contemplates her dazzling new future, why can’t she ever quite forget him?

Shadow and Bone has been sat on my shelf so long it was actually starting to collect dust. The first time I attempted this book, it was not to my taste at all. 

But now, a year later, I have opened my arms and embraced the majesty that is Shadow and Bone. 

This book sounded a little odd from the back cover, but still strangely appealing.  Obviously high-fantasy from the blurb. 

Alina Starkov is an orphan. There doesn’t seem to be anything remotely special about her until a crossing through the Shadow Fold, a slice of impenetrable darkness through the land of Ravka. She and the rest of the group are attacked by a group of monstrous winged Volcra. Alina discovers a power beyond her imagination and finds herself thrust into the world of the Grisha. The magical elite with the Darkling at the top. While Alina is now known as the Sun Summoner, the Darkling is the complete opposite. A being of darkness, deception and for Alina, attraction. 

I adored Alina. She never once annoyed me, which is very rare in a YA book. She reminds me of Celaena Sardothien from Throne of Glass. There is an air about Alina that you also see around Celaena. 

The beginning of the book was slow, but within the slightly sluggish pages, there was a lot of important information. There is a method to the speed, one where you get to know the characters better and learn more about Alina’s home, Ravka. 

I was instantly swallowed up by Alina’s world. Once you get over the complexity of the different kind of Grisha, you really start to get into the book. Beautiful imagery too. At times during Shadow and Bone, I almost felt like I was there in Ravka. Could see the Volcra and imagine their screeching. Fascinating imagery. Really fascinating.

The characters were vibrant, alive and unforgettable. Mal we do not see much of in Shadow and Bone, but even he left his mark. Especially during the climatic ending. Wow, that was one hell of a ride.

Yes. He is next. The Darkling.  

Wow. Can I say hot? As soon as we met him, BAM! That was it. All that insta-love cheesiness. I love the Darkling’s character. He’s exceedingly intricate, mysterious and more than a little bit scary. With powers that far surpass any other Grisha in the world, he’s lethal. And he’s certainly demonstrated the extent of his powers numerous times, which horrifies Alina.

Alina cannot help her attraction to him. And I must admit, even with what happened in the end, I still ship them hardcore. But I ship Mal and Alina too.  Oh well, I will carry on shipping both ships to my hearts content. Even if one ship is named Titanic.

This book was a mass of feels and sexy strange boys and men. Quite easily one of the best high-fantasy books in this kind of style since Throne of Glass. 

Five superfat stars with a naked Darkling on top. I’m plowing through Siege and Storm at the moment, and it is not disappointing.

Book of the Week: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

It's that time of the week again! Friday. At long last. This week has crawled by on it's hands and knees.

And now, we have Book of the Week. This Friday's is...

SHADOW AND BONE by Leigh Bardugo!

And just why does this book deserve the title this week?

SHADOW AND BONE is one of the best reads I've come across this year. The book itself had been sat on my shelf since early last year until I picked it up and opened it on a whim.

High fantasy, fans of Sarah J. Maas's THRONE OF GLASS will devour this in one sitting. I know I did.

What is this story about?

Alina Starkov is an orphan. There doesn't seem to be anything remotely special about her until a crossing through the Shadow Fold, a slice of impenetrable darkness through the land of Ravka. She and the rest of the group are attacked by a group of monstrous winged Volcra. Alina discovers a power beyond her imagination and finds herself thrust into the world of the Grisha. The magical elite with the Darkling at the top. While Alina is now known as the Sun Summoner, the Darkling is the complete opposite. A being of darkness, deception and for Alina, attraction. But what about Mal, her childhood friend? Why can't she forget about him?

The sequel, SIEGE AND STORM even comes with a map!

This book has everything you could ever want in a YA fantasy and romance book. It's kick ASS. Yes, caps lock was needed then. A very easy five-stars, but it might not be to everyone's taste. 

Where can I find a Darkling of my own???