Where to Start with Leigh Bardugo: A Reading Guide
Where to start with Leigh Bardugo — whether to begin with Six of Crows or Shadow and Bone. A complete reading guide to the Grishaverse and its connected series.
Leigh Bardugo (born 1975) is the American fantasy novelist who — with the Shadow and Bone trilogy (2012–2014) and Six of Crows (2015) — created the Grishaverse, one of contemporary YA fantasy’s most fully realised and most widely read secondary worlds. The Grishaverse draws on Russian imperial aesthetics and mythology, centres magical users called Grisha, and spans four series and multiple short story collections. Six of Crows in particular — a heist fantasy with a morally grey ensemble cast — is among the most beloved YA novels of the 2010s. The Netflix Shadow and Bone adaptation has introduced the Grishaverse to a new generation of readers.
Where to Start: Six of Crows (2015)
The essential Bardugo — and by most readers’ accounts the best entry point and the best book in the Grishaverse. Ketterdam is a wealthy port city, the commercial heart of the continent, where criminal gangs control the harbours and information. Kaz Brekker, seventeen, is the underboss of the Dregs, a gang operating out of the Crow Club. He is offered a job with a payout large enough to remake his future: break into the Ice Court, the most impregnable fortress in the world, and extract a scientist who has discovered how to create a drug that makes Grisha soldiers unstoppable.
He assembles a crew: Inej, the Suli acrobat-turned-spy who is Kaz’s most valuable operative. Nina, a Heartrender Grisha. Matthias, a Fjerdan soldier who hates Nina and everything she represents. Jesper, a sharpshooter with a gambling problem. Wylan, a merchant’s son who is not what he appears.
The heist structure is the vehicle; the characters are what make the novel extraordinary. Bardugo writes each character with specific depth — their histories, their fears, their coded communications with each other — and the relationship dynamics (Kaz and Inej’s slow burn, Nina and Matthias’s enemies-to-allies arc) are executed with precision. The plotting is intricate and the reveals are earned.
Crooked Kingdom (2016)
The second Six of Crows novel — and the conclusion of the duology. Following the events of the first book, Kaz must protect his crew while executing a plan of revenge that requires the same level of planning and audacity as the Ice Court heist. The character development of the ensemble deepens; the emotional arcs of the major relationships reach their conclusions. Most readers find it a satisfying conclusion. Cannot be read before Six of Crows.
Shadow and Bone (2012)
The first book of the Grisha trilogy — and Bardugo’s starting point as a published author. Alina Starkov, an army mapmaker, discovers during a military crossing that she can produce light — a Grisha ability of exceptional rarity. She is taken to the royal court, trained by the Grisha’s leader (the Darkling), and drawn into the political conflict over the Shadow Fold, a swathe of darkness that bisects Ravka. More conventionally plotted than Six of Crows; the Darkling is one of Bardugo’s most effective antagonists. The series strengthens considerably in Siege and Storm (Book 2) and Ruin and Rising (Book 3).
Why Six of Crows Is the Ideal First Book
For a reader new to Leigh Bardugo, Six of Crows is the ideal first book because it is among her most beloved and acclaimed novels and a fine expression of her distinctive gifts, the intricate plotting, the unforgettable ensemble cast, and the richly imagined world. Six of Crows follows a crew of dangerous, damaged outcasts on a near-impossible heist in a gritty, atmospheric fantasy city, in a propulsive, twisty, and emotionally rich adventure. As an entry point it is ideal, for it is widely loved and a perfect example of her gift for combining gripping plots with deeply drawn characters, and it stands largely on its own within her wider Grishaverse. It welcomes the newcomer with its compelling heist, its memorable characters, and its sharp, immersive storytelling, drawing the reader into one of the most admired young-adult fantasies of recent years. It is among her most famous works and a fine representation of her gifts, so the new reader encounters Bardugo at her best. For the newcomer, then, Six of Crows is an excellent starting point.
What to Expect as a New Reader
As a new reader, you can expect Six of Crows to be an intricate, propulsive, and character-rich fantasy heist. You can expect a gripping heist plot, for the novel follows a crew of outcasts attempting a near-impossible, high-stakes job. You can expect an unforgettable ensemble, for the six members of the crew are vivid, flawed, damaged, and deeply drawn, with their own histories and arcs. You can expect intricate, twisty plotting, full of schemes, betrayals, and reversals. You can expect a gritty, atmospheric world, the criminal underworld of an immersive fantasy city. You can expect emotional depth and slow-burning relationships alongside the action. You can expect sharp, immersive, and confident storytelling. You should expect some dark themes and difficult pasts. Expect, in short, an intricate, propulsive, and character-rich fantasy heist, a superb introduction to Bardugo’s gifts.
Going Deeper After Your First Book
Once Six of Crows has introduced you to Bardugo’s gifts, the natural next step is to finish its duology with its sequel, and then to explore the wider Grishaverse, the connected world in which it is set. Her original Shadow and Bone trilogy introduces the world and its magic and connects to the Six of Crows duology, while her later books continue to expand the Grishaverse with new stories and characters. Beyond it, the reader who has enjoyed Bardugo’s gifts can explore her adult fantasy, which brings her intricate plotting and rich characterization to darker, more grown-up stories. Her characteristic strengths, the intricate plotting, the memorable characters, and the richly imagined worlds, run through her work. Building your reading journey through Bardugo is a matter of completing the Six of Crows duology and exploring the wider Grishaverse and her adult fiction. The reader who begins here will find one of the most admired and skillful authors of modern fantasy to follow.
Reading Leigh Bardugo
The Grishaverse rewards reading in this order: Shadow and Bone trilogy first for world context, Six of Crows duology second for the best fiction, King of Scars duology last for resolution of all threads. However, beginning with Six of Crows and reading the Grisha trilogy retrospectively is equally valid. The Grishaverse’s Russian-influenced aesthetics, its morally complex characters, and its ensemble dynamics make it one of YA fantasy’s most distinctive and most rewarding constructed worlds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where should I start with Leigh Bardugo?
Six of Crows (2015) is the most common recommendation and the better novel. A heist fantasy set in the port city of Ketterdam, following six morally grey criminals recruited to break into the most heavily fortified place in the world. The characters — Kaz Brekker, Inej, Nina, Matthias, Jesper, and Wylan — are among the most beloved in recent YA fantasy, and the heist structure is brilliantly executed. However, Six of Crows is set in the same world as the Shadow and Bone trilogy, and many characters and world events reference that trilogy; reading Shadow and Bone first provides fuller context, though Six of Crows is accessible without it.
What is the difference between Shadow and Bone and Six of Crows?
Shadow and Bone (2012) is the first book of the Grisha trilogy, following Alina Starkov, an orphan army cartographer who discovers she has extraordinary magical ability — the power to summon light — and is taken to the royal court to be trained. The trilogy is a more traditional fantasy arc: heroine discovers power, is drawn into political conflict, must save the world. Six of Crows (2015) is set in the same world several years later, in a different country (Ketterdam, inspired by Amsterdam), with an entirely different cast, a heist structure, and a more cynical, morally complex tone. Most readers prefer Six of Crows significantly.
Do I need to read Shadow and Bone before Six of Crows?
Six of Crows can be read before Shadow and Bone — it was designed to be accessible as a standalone entry to the Grishaverse. However, several characters from the Grisha trilogy appear in the Six of Crows duology, and certain world events (particularly regarding the Darkling) are referenced without explanation. Readers who start with Six of Crows and then read Shadow and Bone report that the Grisha trilogy feels slower and more conventional by comparison. The most common advice: read Shadow and Bone first for full context, or start with Six of Crows and use it as motivation to return to the trilogy.
What is the King of Scars duology about?
King of Scars (2019) and Rule of Wolves (2021) follow Nikolai Lantsov, a secondary character from the Grisha trilogy, as he attempts to rule a country struggling with the aftermath of the events of the original trilogy. The duology connects the Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows character arcs, with multiple POV characters from both earlier series. It should be read after both the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology. Many readers consider it a satisfying conclusion to the Grishaverse's various narrative threads.
