Cover of Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo

4 book recommendations

Books Like “Six of Crows” by Leigh Bardugo

If you fell hard for the found family, daring heists, and delightfully morally gray outcasts of Six of Crows, you are not alone. Leaving the gritty streets behind is tough, but your next fantasy obsession awaits. Explore our top recommendations below to dive headfirst into your next unforgettable adventure.

  1. Cover of The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

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    The Lies of Locke Lamora

    by Scott Lynch

    The first book of the epic fantasy caper Gentleman Bastard Sequence about a roguish group of conmen, which George R. R. Martin says “captured me right on the first page and never let me go.”

    “If you haven’t read [The Lies of Locke Lamora], you should. If you have read it, you should probably read it again.”—Patrick Rothfuss

    An orphan’s life is harsh—and often short—in the mysterious island city of Camorr. But young Locke Lamora dodges relentless danger, becoming a thief under the tutelage of a gifted con artist. As leader of the band of light-fingered brothers known as the Gentlemen Bastards, Locke is soon infamous, fooling even the underworld’s most feared ruler. But in the shadows lurks someone still more ambitious and deadly. Faced with a bloody coup that threatens to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the enemy at his own brutal game—or die trying.

    Why it's similar

    Both books center on a tight-knit crew of specialized thieves executing elaborate heists in a gritty, canal-laced criminal underworld. They also share themes of deep found-family bonds forged through shared trauma and survival.

    What's different

    This is an adult fantasy novel primarily focused on a single protagonist rather than a true multi-POV ensemble, and it features far more graphic violence and profane language.

  2. Cover of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi

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    The Gilded Wolves

    by Roshani Chokshi

    Set in a darkly glamorous world The Gilded Wolves is full of mystery, decadence and dangerous but thrilling adventure. Paris, 1889: The world is on the cusp of industry and power, and the Exposition Universelle has breathed new life into the streets and dredged up ancient secrets. In this city, no one keeps tabs on secrets better than treasure-hunter and wealthy hotelier, Séverin Montagnet-Alarie. But when the all-powerful society, the Order of Babel, seeks him out for help, Séverin is offered a treasure that he never imagined: his true inheritance. To find the ancient artifact the Order seeks, Séverin will need help from a band of experts: An engineer with a debt to pay. A historian who can't yet go home. A dancer with a sinister past. And a brother in all but blood, who might care too much. Together, they'll have to use their wits and knowledge to hunt the artifact through the dark and glittering heart of Paris. What they find might change the world, but only if they can stay alive.

    Why it's similar

    Both novels feature a diverse ensemble cast of young outcasts with unique talents who form a found family to pull off complex, high-stakes heists. Both also take place in atmospheric, late-nineteenth-century-inspired urban environments ruled by corrupt elites.

    What's different

    The setting is an alternate-history 1889 Paris grounded in real-world colonial politics rather than an entirely secondary fantasy world.

  3. Cover of Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

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    Throne of Glass

    by Sarah J. Maas

    Lethal. Loyal. Legendary.

    Enter the world of Throne of Glass with the first book in this complete, #1 bestselling series by Sarah J. Maas, author of the Court of Thorns and Roses (ACOTAR) series.

    In a land without magic, an assassin is summoned to the castle. She has no love for the vicious king who rules from his throne of glass, but she has not come to kill him. She has come to win her freedom. If she defeats twenty-three murderers, thieves, and warriors in a competition, she will be released from prison to serve as the King's Champion.

    Her name is Celaena Sardothien.

    The Crown Prince will provoke her. The Captain of the Guard will protect her. And a princess from a faraway country will befriend her. But something rotten dwells in the castle, and it's there to kill. When her competitors start dying mysteriously, one by one, Celaena's fight for freedom becomes a fight for survival-and a desperate quest to root out the evil before it destroys her world.

    Thrilling and fierce, Throne of Glass is the first book in the #1 bestselling series that has captivated readers worldwide.

    Why it's similar

    Like Six of Crows, it centers on a skilled, morally ambiguous young assassin drawn into lethal schemes, combining a gritty fantasy world, ensemble dynamics, and a mix of action, magic, and political intrigue.

    What's different

    Instead of a single contained heist, the series begins with a deadly competition and grows into an epic war narrative with broader world-saving stakes and more emphasis on romance and prophecy.

  4. Cover of A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab

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    A Darker Shade of Magic

    by V.E. Schwab

    A Darker Shade of Magic, from #1 New York Times bestselling author V.E. Schwab

    Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black.

    Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see.

    Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. It's a defiant hobby with dangerous consequences, which Kell is now seeing firsthand.

    After an exchange goes awry, Kell escapes to Grey London and runs into Delilah Bard, a cut-purse with lofty aspirations. She first robs him, then saves him from a deadly enemy, and finally forces Kell to spirit her to another world for a proper adventure.

    Now perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.

    "A Darker Shade of Magic has all the hallmarks of a classic work of fantasy. Schwab has given us a gem of a tale...This is a book to treasure."—Deborah Harkeness, New York Times bestselling author of the All Souls trilogy

    Shades of Magic series
    1. A Darker Shade of Magic
    2. A Gathering of Shadows
    3. A Conjuring of Light

    Why it's similar

    Both stories offer a dark, atmospheric fantasy setting with high-stakes missions, complex morally gray protagonists, and a fast-paced, cinematic narrative style that balances humor with tension.

    What's different

    The narrative focuses on a smaller cast with two main leads and interdimensional travel between parallel Londons, emphasizing adventure and magic system over criminal underworld ensemble plots.

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