If you liked
Books like Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows drops a crew of teenage criminals into an impossible heist, each with a knife-sharp voice and a wound they are hiding. Leigh Bardugo built the fantasy heist that a generation of readers measures the rest against. If you want more morally grey magic and ride-or-die crews, read on.
The shortlist
What to read next
The Cruel Princeby Holly Black
“The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 2018 review. Jude Duarte, a human raised in the High Court of Faerie, navigates Prince Cardan's cruel politics. Canonical contemporary YA romantasy.”
The Atlas Sixby Olivie Blake
“The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake 2022 review. Six powerful magicians are recruited for the Alexandrian Society. Only five will be initiated. The first Atlas trilogy book and the canonical BookTok-era dark academia romantasy.”
Children of Blood and Boneby Tomi Adeyemi
“Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi 2018 review. In a West-African-inspired fantasy kingdom, a young woman fights to restore magic to her people after the king has it eradicated. The YA fantasy debut that defined the late-2010s book-club moment.”
A Court of Thorns and Rosesby Sarah J. Maas
“A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 2015 review. A human huntress is taken to the faerie kingdom of Prythian after killing a wolf in the woods. The first ACOTAR book and the romantasy series that set the table for the genre's BookTok-era explosion.”
Fourth Wingby Rebecca Yarros
“Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros 2023 review. Violet Sorrengail, a fragile scribe, is forced into the brutal dragon-riding war college. The first book of the Empyrean series and the romantasy novel that defined the 2023-2024 BookTok moment.”
The Priory of the Orange Treeby Samantha Shannon
“The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon 2019 review. A standalone epic fantasy across four kingdoms preparing for the return of a banished ancient dragon. Canonical contemporary literary epic fantasy.”
FAQ
Common questions about Six of Crows read-alikes
- What is the closest match for the scheming and the banter?
- The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. It runs on court intrigue, a sharp-tongued heroine and enemies who might be something more, exactly the register Six of Crows lives in. The Atlas Six brings the same morally grey ensemble to a dark-academia setting.
- I want big YA fantasy with high stakes.
- Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi delivers epic West-African-inspired magic and a fight against a brutal regime. Fourth Wing swaps the heist for a war college and dragons but keeps the propulsive, twist-heavy pacing.
- I want the romance dialed up.
- A Court of Thorns and Roses is the pick, Sarah J. Maas's fae slow burn that helped define romantasy. More heat and less heist than Bardugo, but the same addictive momentum.
- I want epic scope in one volume.
- The Priory of the Orange Tree offers sprawling political fantasy with dragons and a queer romance in a single standalone. Good if you want the ambition of Six of Crows without committing to a whole shelf.
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