A Retrospective on Booktok: Leigh Bardugo's Six of Crows

The COVID Pandemic hit teenagers hard. Following the declaration of a quarantine in March of 2020, kids were pulled out of school, and seeing friends was made difficult. Formed through platforms such as TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, teens everywhere connected through the books they were reading. In later years, this came to be known as BookTok. This led to the rise of specific tropes such as enemies-to-lovers, morally grey male main characters, fake dating, slow-burn romance, found family, and romantasy (romance-fantasy). Several other books stole the hearts of audiences like Stephanie Garber's Caraval, Holly Black's The Cruel Prince, and Sarah J. Maas’ A Court of Thorns and Roses. However, the 4th installment in Leigh Bardugo's Grishaverse, Six of Crows, takes the cake. A little warning for those reading: this review will contain fair spoilers for the book. 

Set primarily in the country of Ravka, there exists a form of magic called the Small Science. Specially trained forces, called Grisha, are those able to wield said magic in several different forms. Those untrained or without power are called Otkazat'sya, who inhabit the world as soldiers, shopkeepers, merchants, and other laborers. Taking place two years following the end of the initial trilogy of Shadow and Bone, this novel transports the readers to the opposite side of the world. Ketterdam is “...a bustling hub for international trade where anything can be had for the right price,” as written by Bardugo in the book's description. Our colorful cast features criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker, gutsy sharpshooter Jesper Fahey, sneaky spy Inej Ghafa, the friendly demolitionist Wylan Van Eck, witty Grisha Heartrender Nina Zenik, and vengeful Druskelle Matthias Helvar.

Bardugo, although they may not have originated with her, brought many of these now familiar tropes into the limelight. A particularly famous one many adore now is the progression of characters from enemies to lovers. Nina Zenik, a Grisha Heartrender, must always be on alert due to the existence of the Druskelle. These holy soldiers from the Northern country of Fjerda are witchhunters who capture and force Grisha into slavery. Following her capture by a slaver ship, a monumental storm washes her up on shore alongside her enemy, a Druskelle named Matthias. Alone in the cold on a remote island in Fjerda, all they have is each other. Although you've likely seen this trope hundreds of times, Bardugo was one of the first to popularize it. Nina and Matthias, affectionately referred to as Helnik by fans, are some of the pioneers of the enemies-to-lovers and forced proximity trope. 

The Crows as a whole embody something bigger. A group of outcasts who never had anywhere to belong. Creating a community for kids who have spent their lives alone. A found family. Each of the Crows comes from across the map, growing up in different communities and climates. However, they all find safety in the company of one another. Unfortunate circumstances brought them together, and they stuck by one another through thick and thin. Bardugo calls them, “A gambler, a convict, a wayward son, a lost Grisha, a Suli girl who had become a killer, a boy from the Barrel who had become something worse,” but to readers, what they are in the end is a family.

Six of Crows, to come full circle, is a novel chock-full of intricate plotting, impossibly immersive world-building, and a colorfully diverse cast of characters. Not only did Leigh Bardugo revolutionize several of these now-popular tropes, but she executed them in such a unique fashion that is easily unmatched by more recent titles. Six of Crows presents a tale of learning to live for yourself, choosing your own identity. It strongly encourages the idea that you are not your mistakes. Alongside that, Bardugo writes a story of looking past differences to come together, as well as finding your purpose amidst pain. Aside from creating the base foundation for many young adult novels today, Six of Crows serves to remind readers of what matters the most. The life you lead is yours entirely, so choose for yourself who you want to become.