Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

Series: Six of Crows, #1.

Publication: September 29th 2015 by Henry Holt and Company

Goodreads summary:

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. 

My thoughts: (spoiler free)

*You do not need to read the Grisha Trilogy to read Six of Crows.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the Grisha Trilogy, I loved Bardugo's  writing but I felt like the series was lacking a strong plot, so I didn't have extremely high expectation going into six of crows but I decided to give her books another go and I'm so glad I did.

Bardugo did an excellent job extending her world and introducing some amazing character that I know will steal the hearts of readers everywhere. Six of Crows is the Strongest first book in a series I've read in a long time. It blew me away. Six of Crows is a new fantasy favourite of mine.

Six of Crows has a fast paced twisty plot that I loved. There was loads of action with a hint of magic and a heist that top all fictional heists.

There is multiple points of view, usually this results in a number of underdeveloped characters but Bardugo managed to create a full cast of well rounded individuals. I grew to care for each and every one of them. All the characters have distinct personalities and interesting back stories.  And of course it wouldn't be a fantasy book if didn't have a name or two that were impossible to pronounce! Also I should note they are all bad-ass and Kaz's crew is seriously squad goals.

I am so excited for book 2: Crooked Kingdom!

My rating:5 out of 5.

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

Publication: October 6th 2015 by St. Martin's Griffin

Goodreads summary:

Simon Snow is the worst chosen one who’s ever been chosen.

That’s what his roommate, Baz, says. And Baz might be evil and a vampire and a complete git, but he’s probably right.

Half the time, Simon can’t even make his wand work, and the other half, he sets something on fire. His mentor’s avoiding him, his girlfriend broke up with him, and there’s a magic-eating monster running around wearing Simon’s face. Baz would be having a field day with all this, if he were here—it’s their last year at the Watford School of Magicks, and Simon’s infuriating nemesis didn’t even bother to show up.

Carry On is a ghost story, a love story, a mystery and a melodrama. It has just as much kissing and talking as you’d expect from a Rainbow Rowell story—but far, far more monsters. 

My thoughts:

You do not have to had read Fangirl to read Carry On.

I am kind of obsessed with this book. I thought I related to Cath when I read Fangirl but now I totally understand her. Simon and Baz are some Rainbow's of the best characters and I am obsessed with them just like Cath.

After reading the snippets of Simons story we got in Fangirl I was worried that Carry On was going to be too similar to Harry Potter but Carry On can stand on its own as something unique. It does have some of the common fantasy tropes but Rowell somehow makes this fantasy story feel like a contemporary. It has the magic and action of a fantasy and the cute and funny of a contemporary.I hope she writes more fantasy in the future. She's a fantastic writer.

Simon and Penny's friendship was a big highlight. Strong friendships like theirs isn't something I see a lot of in YA. They are usually overshadowed by the romance storyline but this one was so strong. I loved how much they were there for each other.

My favourite character has to be Baz. He has some of the funniest lines, especially when he is interacting with Penny. I was not expecting to like him as much as I do. Reading his POV was my favourite.

Carry On has a satisfying ending but, like with all of Rainbow Rowell's books, I wouldn't complain if she wrote more books about any of the characters!

My rating: 5 out of 5.