Six of Crows

Six of Crows is a fantasy novel written by American author Leigh Bardugo Published by Henry Holt and Co. in 2015. The story follows a thieving crew and is primarily set in the city of Ketterdam, loosely inspired by the Dutch Republic–era Amsterdam. The plot is told from the third-person viewpoints of seven different characters.

The novel is followed by Crooked Kingdom (2016) and is part of the Grishaverse. Nina's storyline continues in the King of Scars duology: King of Scars (2019) and Rule of Wolves (2021), and the other Crows make cameo appearances in the latter novel. 

Plot

In Ketterdam, capital of island nation Kerch, Councilman Hoede tests a drug lethal to humans and addictive to Grisha called jurda parem on a Grisha Healer. The drug enhances her abilities more than expected, allowing her to control and manipulate human minds too easily. She escapes after paralyzing Hoede and some guards but is found dead days later.

Wealthy merchant Jan Van Eck divulges the results of Horde's experiment to 17-year-old criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker and tasks him with rescuing its inventor, Bo Yul-Bayur, from the Ice Court, a military stronghold in Fjerda never before infiltrated, and prevent the drug's existence from being exposed to the world. Kaz agrees for a hefty amount and starts recruiting a crew: Inej Ghana, the right-hand spy he had saved from a pleasure house called the Menagerie two years before; Nina Zednik, a Grisha Heartrender, who joins upon learning of his intention to free and employ Matthias Helvar, a former Fjerdan drüskelle or Grisha-hunter detained at Hellgate Prison because of Nina; and Jesper Fahey, a Zemeni sharpshooter with a gambling addiction. Together, they break Matthias out of prison, who agrees to help in exchange for a pardon that would enable his reinstatement as a drüskelle. Kaz also enlists Wylan Van Eck, runaway son of Jan Van Eck, as a demolitions expert and leverage if Van Eck reneges on their deal. As they are about to sail from Ketterdam, the crew repel an ambush by rival gangs; and after torturing a gangster, Kaz learns that gang leader Pekka Rollins, the man responsible for his brother Jordie's death, is also after the scientist. Kaz explains his rescue plan to the crew, where they will enter the Ice Court as prisoners, cross to the embassy sector through the roof and disguise themselves as foreign dignitaries during a festival. After finding and freeing Yul-Bayur from the White Island, the inner ring, they will exit from the embassy sector.

Upon reaching Fjerda, two Grisha on jurda parem bearing a symbol of the Shu government attack the group. The crew prevail but Nina recognizes one of their assailants as an old friend who only begs for more of the drug before succumbing to his wounds. Troubled by their deaths and believing they would have survived were they not drastically weakened by the drug, Nina stays behind to bury them. Matthias assists, letting them finally talk about her betrayal. Nina was a Grisha soldier of the Ravkan Second Army captured by Matthias with his Fjerdan drüskelle party and put on a ship to Fjerda for trial and eventual execution. The ship sank during a storm, and only Matthias and Nina survived; they fell in love while aiding each other to find civilization. When they arrived at a city, Nina was questioned by Grisha spies about her drüskelle companion. To save Matthias from her compatriots, Nina reported him as a slave trader to a Kerch citizen in the harbour, unaware that Matthias would be imprisoned in Hellgate immediately after reaching Ketterdam. Instead of returning to Ravka, Nina stayed in Ketterdam to try and free him. Matthias reconciles with Nina upon learning the truth and decides to help kill Yul-Bayur, both acknowledging that jurda parem is a threat to Grisha and Fjerdans alike.

The crew intercept a cart of prisoners being taken to the Ice Court and take the place of six of them. Kaz loses consciousness due to claustrophobia, and more of his past is revealed. After he and his brother were conned by Pekka Rollins, a plague swept through Ketterdam, killing many of its residents, including Jordie. Kaz fell ill and recovered but was mistakenly thought dead and tossed in the Reaper's Barge with the bodies for burning. He was only able to survive by swimming to shore using the dead body of his brother as a buoy. The experience created an intense aversion to any sort of physical contact with human skin, prompting him to wear gloves constantly. He wakes up as they enter the Ice Court. The crew is split as men and women are taken to different wards. Jesper revealed to be a Grisha Fabrikator, fashions lock picks from the cell bars. Kaz frees Nina and Inej from their cells while Matthias and Jesper gather as much rope as they can find. Kaz goes with Nina to search the other holding cells for Yul-Bayur and while split up, Kaz deviates from the plan and finds Pekka Rollins in a cell. Nina is spotted by guards, who manage to raise the alarm before she can kill them. She hurries to the basement where Inej has scaled a six-story incinerator shaft to the roof, securing an escape route for the rest of the crew. With the prison alarm triggered, their plan is ruined so they improvise to get to the centre of the Ice Court. Inej and Nina get in by taking the place of two Menagerie girls but only Nina gets through the guards; Inej is held back. Matthias and Kaz get in through a secret bridge known only to drüskelle. Jesper and Wylan move to destroy the ringwall gate and trigger the Ice Court's alarm.

While trying to coax information from a Fjerdan official, Nina is surprised to see Jarl Brum, commander of the ship she was held captive in. Brum beguiles Nina into touring prison cells specifically constructed to detain Grisha and locks her in a cell. Matthias shows up, appearing to have betrayed her but turns against his old commander and frees Nina, making a sacred drüskelle vow to keep her safe until he dies. They look for Bo Yul-Bayur but learn of his death. His son, Kuwei Yul-Bo, is alive and is being forced to replicate his father's research. Matthias and Nina forgo killing him as he is only fifteen and a Grisha. They take the boy and leave, blowing up the lab as they go. They meet up with Kaz and escape through a waterfall unearthed by Kaz after destroying the tree at the centre of the White Island. Meanwhile, Inej is spotted by the leader of the Menagerie, her former employer Heleen van Houden, who informs the guards of Inej's true identity. Jesper and Wylan rescue her and hijack a Fjerdan tank and use it to ram through the walls and escape, eventually rejoining their allies and emerging outside the Ice Court. They head toward the dock where they are supposed to rendezvous with their ship but find a large Fjerdan party waiting for them, a Heartrender using parem at the fore. With no other choice, Nina takes jurda parem and subdues the army. Brum and a team of drüskelle arrive, but before she can kill them, Matthias intervenes and begs her to let them live so Nina relents.

The crew safely reaches Ketterdam, with Nina already suffering from withdrawals. They leave her with Wylan, while the rest of the crew take Kuwei to Jan Van Eck. Van Eck, however, reveals that he only wanted the formula for jurda parem to profit from the fallout of its release to the world. He sinks the crew's ship despite Kaz's warning that Wylan is aboard. Van Eck deems his son unfit to inherit his business empire as Wylan is dyslexic. Kaz, however, reveals that the boy Van Eck thinks is Kuwei Yul-Bo is actually Wylan, tailored by Nina to look exactly like the scientist's son. Furious, Van Eck kidnaps Inej with the help of Grisha under the influence of jurda parem and gives them seven days to bring him the real Kuwei. Unwilling to endanger Inej, Kaz lets the merchant go. Kaz and his remaining crew go to Pekka Rollins, revealed to have been set free by Kaz at the Ice Court, now back in Ketterdam. Kaz sells his shares in the Crow Club and the Fifth Harbour to raise the money he needs. He then hatches a plan to rescue Inej and redeem the money they were promised.

Characters

• Kaz Brekker, also known as Dirty hands, is seventeen and a master thief with a reputation for doing anything for the right price. He is second in command of the Dregs, and as the mastermind of the group, the de facto leader of the Crows. He is haphephobic due to a traumatizing incident in his childhood and has a limp in his right leg from an improperly healed break. He is described as very pale, with dark hair and dark brown eyes. He uses a cane with a crow's head top as a mobility aid and occasionally, as a weapon.
• Inej Ghafa is a sixteen-year-old Suli girl known as the Wraith. She is a spy for the Dregs and Kaz's right hand. Her preferred weapons are knives which she names after different saints. Her family were travelling performers and her act was the tightrope, so she is extremely agile and lightfooted. She is rather superstitious, and one of the most religious out of the Crows. She was kidnapped by slavers and tricked into working in a brothel before Kaz bought her indenture. She's described as short, with bronze skin and black hair, worn in a braid.
• Wylan Van Eck is sixteen, a disowned merchant's son with some talent for demolition. He is dyslexic but is an excellent mathematician and musician. He is described to have curly red-blonde hair and pale skin.
• Matthias Helvar is eighteen, a former drüskelle (witch hunter) from Fjerda who is conflicted because of his hatred for Grisha and his feelings for Nina. He is the oldest, tallest, and most muscular of the group with pale skin, shaved blond hair and blue eyes.
• Nina Zednik is seventeen, a powerful Grisha Heartrender and former soldier and spy of the Ravkan Second Army. She has fair skin, thick brown hair and green eyes, and is described as round and voluptuous.
• Jesper Fahey is seventeen, a Zemeni sharpshooter with a gambling problem. He is described as being tall and lanky, with dark skin and grey eyes. He is a Grisha but hides it to avoid being kidnapped or killed and is seldom seen without his twin pearl-handled revolvers.
• Jan Van Eck is a rich man and a prominent merchant who sits on Ketterdam's Merchant Council. He is Wylan's father.
• Pekka Rollins is the leader of the Dime Lions gang and Kaz's main adversary.