“The heart is an arrow. It demands aim to land true,” Inej in Six of Crows said. Reading this quote, one might envision a book full of light, love, and happy endings. That person would be mistaken. Six of Crows is a dark, yet enchanting story. One filled with horrible pasts, twisted love, thievery, and murder. Despite its overall dark themes, there are some moments of happiness. If this story was the sky, it would be the sky at ten p.m. The overall theme is dark, yet, there are pinpricks of light and happiness that shine through, like stars.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo tells the story of six unique characters coming together to break out a prisoner from an impenetrable castle. Kaz Becker, a hardened criminal, is offered a formidable sum of money for kidnapping a captive of a foreign country.

Despite the great reward offered, this mission would require breaking into The Ice Court, which is almost certain death. It is a dangerous quest because The Ice Court is surrounded by guards and has multiple security checkpoints. If one gets caught, they will most likely be put to death. Becker and his team work together to try to accomplish this lofty goal. The world that the team navigates is the same world that was featured in Bardugo’s Grisha Trilogy. This setting involves a universe that contains people endowed with special gifts, such as the ability to produce light, manipulate metals, and even stop hearts.

Six of Crows has been on the New York Times Best seller List for 36 weeks and was chosen as one of the Notable Book of 2015. It has also been nominated for the Goodreads Choice Awards Best Young Adult Fantasy and Science Fiction. Six of Crows’ sequel, Crooked Kingdom, will come out on September 22.

I would give Six of Crows four out of five stars. It is an entertaining story that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat. The characters, setting, and story are incredibly enchanting. Fall into the darkness of Six of Crows and be enraptured by the stars.