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Feb 14, 2020IndyPL_SteveB rated this title 5 out of 5 stars
Dynamic, can’t-put-it-down sequel to fantasy novel *Six of Crows*. Maybe even better than the first part. In *Six of Crows*, six outcasts with hidden pasts had to break into an unbreakable prison to rescue/kidnap/kill a prisoner. Then they were betrayed by the man they thought was their benefactor, who refused to pay them and seized Inej the Wraith as hostage. Kaz, the leader of the six, has been given seven days to turn over the prisoner or Inej will be killed. But he has a plan – several actually. While the first novel was a heist story, this one is a revenge story, where the object is not merely to win, but to humiliate and destroy the lives of the two main villains – Jan Van Eck, a prominent local merchant and the father of Wylan, who is one of the six; and Pekka Rollins, the most powerful criminal gang leader in the city of Ketterdam. Some humor is included as plans within plans within plans come about and you are never sure if any particular event is an accident or part of someone’s plan. This is REALLY EXCITING, with terrific characters. Bardugo is a powerful writer with a fine ability to control the complex plot. Every chapter has a new twist. Teenager or adult – if you like intense, character-driven fantasy novels, you need to read these two books.