Six of Crows

As the novel opens, readers learn that jurda parem has been manipulated to enslave and weaponize the Grisha. How does this knowledge set the stage for the action to come?

Throughout Six of Crows, many characters exhibit acts of bravery. Consider the individual actions of these characters. Who do you believe to be the most courageous?

Kaz is described by Inej as dressing like the upstanding merchers, a picture of restraint. When he tells Inej, “I’m a businessman. No more no less,” she retorts by calling him a thief, to which he responds, “Isn’t that what I just said?” Though on the surface, Ketterdam has a bustling economy and is a center for trade, in what ways does Kaz recognize that he is not so different from many of the merchants doing business there?

The motto of the Dregs is “No mourners, no funerals.” What does this mantra imply about the gang’s philosophy toward themselves, each other, and life in general? Are there ways in which the meaning changes for them by the end of the novel?

When explaining his intentions in purchasing her indenture from Tante Heleen, Kaz tells Inej, “I need someone who can be invisible, who can become a ghost. Do you think you can do that?” Why does Inej feel like she’s already a ghost? How has her time aboard the slaver ship and at the Menagerie left her feeling this way? What are some of the ways in which Inej shows her agency?

How does Kaz's reputation and being known as Dirtyhands help make him seem almost larger than life? In your opinion, what makes him such a force, and is he worthy of the self-given moniker “bastard of the Barrel”?

Why is Kaz’s investment in Inej and the request that Inej become a member of the Dregs such a shrewd one? Do you find her to be more or less than he expects? In what ways?

How does plan to revenge the loss of his family and devastate Pekka Rollins drive Kaz? Though he claims it lets him sleep at night and keeps Jordie’s ghost at bay, are there ways that his obsession with Pekka ultimately harms Kaz? Are there ways in which it impacts his team, too?

While caring for Inej and seeing how her injuries have impacted Kaz, Nina thinks, “She wouldn’t wish love on anyone. It was the guest you welcomed and then couldn’t be rid of.” Consider Nina’s personal experiences up to this point—in what ways have love made her life more challenging? How does love complicate matters for each member of the Crows crew?

Every member of the crew has a different motivation for joining the team’s prison-break mission and heist. How do their desires reflect larger themes of the novel? Do their priorities change as the events the novel unfold?

Inej had once offered to teach Kaz how to fall. “The trick is not getting knocked down,” Kaz told her with a laugh. “No, Kaz,” she ’d said, “the trick is in getting back up.” How do these two contradictory statements by Inej and Kaz make it easier to understand the differences in how they each approach life? Are there ways in which Inej’s Suli platitudes have changed Kaz’s approach?

While Nina wages war on Brum and the drüskelle as revenge for all the pain they caused Ravka and her people, Matthias tells her, “They fear you as I once feared you. As you once feared me. We are all someone ’s monster, Nina.” Do you believe Matthias’s words to be sage ones? In what ways do we make monsters out of that which we do not understand?

Matthias tells Nina, “We all carry our sins, Nina. I need you to live so I can atone for mine.” Consider Matthais’s character development. In what ways has he grown throughout the course of the story? Why is atonement for his actions so critical to him?

Kaz and Inej are also known by their respective nicknames: Dirtyhands and the Wraith. In what ways do these nicknames fit who these characters are in the Barrel? In what ways do they differ from their true selves? Are there ways in which their dual identities transform over time and reflect larger themes in the novel?

The novel is rich with extraordinary and memorable characters. Who are your favorite or least favorite characters? Given the story is told through five different characters, what are the greatest benefits to the multiple points of view? What may be the rationale for the omission of Wylan as a narrator in this large, ensemble cast? Do you anticipate that changing in the continuation of their story?

Kaz tells Inej, “Stay in Ketterdam. Stay with me . . . I want you to stay. I want you to . . . I want you.” Why isn’t this request enough for Inej? Do you believe she is right to feel that Kaz’s offer of a conditional self with “armor” is not enough?

After thinking about Nina’s sacrifice to save their crew, Jesper considers his guilt for not stepping up to take the drug as well and thinks he had “long since stopped thinking he had the makings of a hero.” Do you agree with Jesper’s assessment of himself, or do you see ways in which he has proven to be heroic?

Among other things, this is a story about family. How do each of the primary characters come to understand that chosen family doesn’t easily fit within the narrow definition of “family” as they previously defined it?