I see why Kaz is a fan favorite, he’s a complex and more fleshed out version of a common stereotype.  I’m a simp for Nina, Matthias is interesting and intricate, I ship Jesper and Wylan, and Inej, well, Inej is her awesome self, what else is there for me to say? They all meld together so well too. I thought I’d have trouble keeping track of who’s perspective I was reading, especially since it’s in third person, but once I got into it the characters were all unique and different.

I also appreciate how the morality aspect of it all was done. It didn’t seem like Leigh was trying to explain away evil, more like the characters could’ve turned out as decent people but their environment forced them to turn to violence, lying and theft to survive.  

Other than the characters, I really liked the pacing of this book. It was so easy to read. Not too much action or suspense but also not slow. I liked how most of the book was middle ground in terms of action with some high-stress scenes (the flashbacks with Kaz, Inej going through the cells, etc.) that were also very well written. The book overall was very well balanced, which i always appreciate. I didn’t feel like there was too much or too little of anything. I liked how each of the characters made their own revelations and faced their fears during the heist, which cause then to have at least some character development (I’d say out of all of them the least was Jesper, and the most probably Matthias). I also liked how this book just was getting better and better the more I read it. Each scrap of information about Kaz’s past made his character 10% better. 

I love how the funniest moments are when the tension is the highest, I love how they all hate how much they care for Kaz, I love how impulsive Jesper is, I love Wylan’s humor and shy courage, I love how Nina likes to mess with everyone, I love how Kaz can’t help himself, I love how Matthias finally changes and last but not least I love how Inej knows herself and what’s best for her. I love everything about these characters, and I’m definitely a character driven reader so that’s a big one. 

I’ve gotta say, this is one of my new favorites. Part six was such an emotional roller coaster, I can’t think of anything that compares. I was celebrating, sad, glad, disappointed, depressed… That last page was absolute perfection. I lowkey don’t want to read anything until I get the next book because nothing will be able to compare. I need book two aaaaa. At the same time I’ve heard that it’s sad so I’m scared to read it.

I can’t wait to read everything else Leigh Bardugo has written, because if it’s even half as good as this I’ll be happy. This is the ultimate heist novel, nothing can compare.