"Six of Crows" is not full of "average tropes"

“I heard so many positive praises of Six of Crows and Leigh Bardugo’s characters, how they were complex or engaging. I found none of that. They were average tropes at best and the only reason this title doesn’t ask if anyone else hates SOC is I believe hate is a strong word to be used sparingly. It’s just. . . fantasy Russia. Okay. Fantasy China. Gotcha. The worldbuilding is beautiful and the opening chapters are laced with potential. But the characters ruined it for me. Kaz Brekker is showy and acts like he’s in control but he’s an idiot. Inej is a trope. Nina is good but that’s only because she’s purposefully subversive.” – Pericloud

The character in Leigh Bardugo’s “Six of Crows” are some of the most complexly written characters in many of the young adult novels today. Kaz specifically has such an intense and engaging backstory full of heartbreak and betrayal that explains his actions in the book. What he went through as a child is something that not many people would survive, losing a sibling the way he did.

Kaz “acts like he’s in control” because he needs to feel in control because of the control he didn’t have when he lost his brother. He also is in control. He directs the group and creates the plans using his incredible intelligence and judgment more than once.

As for Inej, her engaging backstory has a great deal of depth as well. She worked in a brothel for a cruel madam for years. Criminals stole her from her family and her home of Ravka and taken to Ketterdam (an island far away from Ravka). She was kidnapped and sold, how would this not be considered complex or engaging? Inej should not be considered a “trope” and to call her one is a huge misinterpretation of her character and the effort that Bardugo put into creating her.

The worldbuilding will always represent a huge and astounding part of all of Bardugo’s books. Reading the books make the reader feel as if they were walking the same streets. She creates such a perfect world full of wonder and horror, but mostly horror on the dark streets of Ketterdam.

All characters have their faults, and Kaz is not any different, but he is certainly no idiot. He makes mistakes like anyone, but not at the expense of others. For all his dark and brooding-ness, Kaz cares about his team because they are the only family he has left.

Kaz and his team are set to come to life next year in a Netflix adaptation titled "Shadow and Bone." He is played by Freddy Carter while Inej is played by Amita Suman.