#FirstLineFriday Submissions Are Now Closed! Here’s the Answer to Our Quiz

/ Marcia Meara

Submissions for #FirstLineFriday#2 are officially closed now. My thanks to all who stopped by to see if this one rang a bell. I’m sorry—but maybe not surprised– to say we have no winners, though. While I was hoping I’d be wrong, I was also thinking this would be a tough one, even though it made an official Top 100 Opening Lines list. This is one of my favorite reads of recent years, and well deserving of being included in the list, in my own opinion. If you are a fantasy reader of any age, I highly recommend you check it out. So, without further ado, here’s the answer to today’s quiz:

“Joost had two problems: the moon and his mustache.” is the opening line from Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. Six of Crows is a fantasy novel which takes place in the Amsterdam-inspired city of Ketterdam. The new series takes place in the same world as Bardugo’s Grisha books but is set in a different time frame, in a world loosely inspired by the Dutch Republic of the 17th century, and based on a magical system. The plot is told from the close third-person viewpoints of five different characters, plus a first and last chapter from the point of view of two minor characters.

The book is the first in a duology, followed by Crooked Kingdom. Bardugo’s Grishaverse” trilogy, which includes Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm, and Ruin and Rising. Reading both series will provide a deeper understanding of the Grisha world. Bardugo has since also written The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic which features several short stories from the Grishaverse, and King of Scars, a spin-off from the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy.

Take a close look at this stunning cover!
Amazing!

WHAT AMAZON SAYS:

Enter the Grishaverse with the #1 New York Times–bestselling Six of Crows, Book One of the Six of Crows Duology.

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge.

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager.

A runaway with a privileged past.

A spy known as the Wraith.

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums.

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes.

Six dangerous outcasts. One impossible heist. Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first.

Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo returns to the breathtaking world of the Grishaverse in this unforgettable tale about the opportunity—and the adventure—of a lifetime.

Praise for Six of Crows:

“Six of Crows is a twisty and elegantly crafted masterpiece that thrilled me from the beginning to end.” –New York Times-bestselling author Holly Black

“Six of Crows [is] one of those all-too-rare, unputdownable books that keeps your eyes glued to the page and your brain scrambling to figure out what’s going to happen next.” –Michael Dante DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra

“There’s conflict between morality and amorality and an appetite for sometimes grimace-inducing violence that recalls the Game of Thrones series. But for every bloody exchange there are pages of crackling dialogue and sumptuous description. Bardugo dives deep into this world, with full color and sound. If you’re not careful, it’ll steal all your time.” —The New York Times Book Review 

My Thoughts:

And any book that has garnered a 4.5 star average out of 3,691 ratings can’t be all bad, now can it? I HIGHLY recommend Bardugo’s work, and while reading about the Grishaverse first might be the typical approach, Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom stand on their own, as well. And as an aside, I’ve heard Netflix has plans for this one, and may already have begun filming. I haven’t been following the news, because I almost always hate the film version of my favorite books, but that right there tells you they think it’s a winner.

Buy Six of Crows Here

And that wraps up this week’s quiz, folks! Again, sorry I couldn’t give away any downloads, but I’m still happy to be sharing a book I love with folks who may not have heard of it yet.

#FirstLineFriday will be back in two weeks, and I’ll try to have something that rings a bell with more of you. Maybe. You never can tell. 😀  See you then!

 

24 thoughts on “#FirstLineFriday Submissions Are Now Closed! Here’s the Answer to Our Quiz”

    • It’s wonderful, Debby, and I think you’d love it. I enjoyed the first 3 books about the Grishaverse, too. They were well done and fun. But Six of Crows kicked it up a huge notch! And Kaz Brekker is one of my favorite characters of all time. If you check it out, be sure to let me know what you think. 😀

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        • Oh. *Ahem* Pay no attention to anything in the previous comment. 😉 Continue as you were, by all means! 😀 😀 😀 Seriously, I’m very happy you want to read about my emissaries, but do bump this one up on your Must Read list. I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. AFTER you’re done with Jake, Dodger, and Azrael. 😀

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  4. I think you’d really like it, Jeanne. It’s a terrific fantasy world and Kaz Brekker is a wonderful character. One of my favorites! I’ll be interested in your thoughts when you get a chance to check it out. Thanks for visiting, and I hope the next one will be something that jumps right out at you! 😀

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    • This is on my list of books I suggested you add to your TBR pile some time ago, Mae, and I do hope you read it soon. I think it would be just your cup of tea. Truly a good book with wonderful world building and a very sympathetic and appealing main character in Kaz Brekker. Keep it in mind for when you get a bit more caught up. I can’t recommend it enough. BUT … you know what next Tuesday is, right? So you know what I’LL be reading for a day or two. I’ll give you a hint. The authors initials are Jim Butcher, and the main character’s name sounds a lot like Cary Presden. Hahahahahaha.

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    • Her work is beautifully done, Trish, and this duology is simply superb! I hope you’ll check them out. I’d be very interested in your take, especially on the main character, Kaz Brekker. His story (as it is slowly revealed) is a grabber. And all of the characters are interesting, plus the plot is solid. I give it 8 Stars. 😀

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  7. I’ve never even heard of this author until now … how remiss is that??? But after your glowing presentation, I’m headed straight to Amazon to check out all of his books! My morbidly obese TBR thanks you kindly!

    Have a wonderful weekend. Hugs 💕😁

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    • So glad it piqued your interest, Harmony. That’s half the reason I do these quizzes. Leigh (a she, btw) is a wonderful writer. Her work is amazing, and of everything I’ve read, the Six of Crows/Crooked Kingdom duology is my favorite. But reading the Grishaverse first, while not necessary, does set up the kingdom/world for you, even though these two books are set much later in time and in a different place. I hope you’ll enjoy them. 🙂

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        • These days, you never can tell from names. I’ve seen some odd ones, though I agree, Leigh is usually a SHE. 😀 And I’m so glad you’ve picked these up. The writing is positively elegant and the cast of characters are very well-developed. Happy reading! 🙂

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    • I had a feeling you would have read these, Diana. They are just lovely, aren’t they? I enjoyed the entire Grisha series, but then read Six of Crows and it simply blew me away. Kaz Brekker is such an interesting, complicated character! I’ve seen some pictures of the casting, and since it immediately looked totally wrong to me, I don’t think I’ll ever watch the film, but I hope it succeeds. Bardugo deserves it. Thanks for stopping by!

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        • Once I’ve made up my mind how characters look and sound, I do NOT like to watch films that are too far off the author’s description. (The wretched–and thankfully, short lived–tv series version of the Dresden Files comes to mind.)

          Now and then they get the casting right, and that’s always a treat, but it messes with my mind to see no attention paid at all to the author’s painstaking character building. 😀 Then again, it doesn’t matter much these days, because I have no extra time for anything other than reading. 😀 I’ll be interested in what you think if you do get to check it out, though.

          And yes to Kaz Brekker. Remarkable in so many ways, and definitely wormed his way into my heart and onto my list of all-time favorite characters. 😀

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