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Six of Crows

Age rating, content warnings & parent guide

Leigh Bardugo · 2015

Is Six of Crows appropriate for your child? See the reviewed age guidance, content cautions, positive themes, and supporting evidence below.

Explore the age guidance, content cautions, positive qualities, and supporting notes for Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo. This book is recommended for ages 15+; content notes include Alcohol or drugs, Death of a character, Frightening scenes; positive qualities include Courage & resilience, Creativity & curiosity.

Ages 15+Book 1 · Six of Crows DuologySource checked

Why this age? Content-guidance estimate derived from the complete published caution profile. It does not measure reading difficulty and is not a safety guarantee; family context may differ.

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10-second decision

Is this likely to fit your family?

Age guidanceAges 15+
Strongest cautionsAlcohol or drugs 4/5 · Death of a character 4/5 · Frightening scenes 4/5
Strongest positivesCourage & resilience 5/5 · Creativity & curiosity 5/5
Series positionBook 1 · Six of Crows Duology
Recommendation4.3/5

Courage & resilience; strongest caution: alcohol or drugs.

This is the quick scan. Open the evidence and methodology below for the basis behind each rating.

Quick context

What parents should know

Content-guidance estimate derived from the complete published caution profile. It does not measure reading difficulty and is not a safety guarantee; family context may differ. Courage & resilience; strongest caution: alcohol or drugs.

Readiness snapshotAge guidance: 15+Main watch-out: Alcohol or drugs 4/5
Recommendation 4.3/5

Editorial rating

How this review was built

Dickens & Rumi editorial
Source checkedPublication method
18Scored categories
18Evidence notes
1Explicit 0/5 checks
Oct 18, 2026Last updated

Dickens & Rumi describes what is present; families decide what matters to them. Community reactions are kept separate from official content ratings.

How ratings workReport a rating or series issue
Review depth18 scored categories18 evidence notes
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Quick view

At a glance

Recommended age15+

Strongest cautions

  • Alcohol or drugs4/5
  • Death of a character4/5
  • Frightening scenes4/5

Strongest positives

  • Courage & resilience5/5
  • Creativity & curiosity5/5
  • Diverse representation4/5

Reading order

Series progression

All known volumes are shown. Reviewed books include age guidance and cautions; books still being reviewed are clearly marked.

Next volumeBook 2 · Crooked KingdomStrongest cautions: Death of a character 4/5 · Frightening scenes 4/5Open next review →
  1. Book 1 · Six of CrowsAges 15+
    Alcohol or drugs4/5Death of a character4/5Frightening scenes4/5Violence4/5Graphic injury3/5LGBTQIA characters3/5Romance3/5Strong language3/5Religious themes2/5Sexual content & nudity2/5Products & advertising1/5
    Starting point
  2. Book 2 · Crooked KingdomAges 14+
    Death of a character4/5Frightening scenes4/5Violence4/5Graphic injury3/5LGBTQIA characters3/5Romance3/5Strong language3/5Alcohol or drugs2/5Religious themes2/5Sexual content & nudity2/5Products & advertising1/5
    Gets gentler

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What should you do next?

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Lower cautionsTry something gentlerLIGHTLARK SAGAOpen review →Similar fitCompare another titleTHE WAY I USED TO BECompare →Keep browsingSearch for another bookUse age, interests, vibe, or content preferences.Search →

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What’s in it?

Death of a character4/5
Why this rating?

Deaths include family members, victims of experiments and plague, and other characters; grief and traumatic aftermath meaningfully affect the crew.

Graphic injury3/5
Why this rating?

Injuries, corpses, plague victims, and a disturbing survival memory are present, but graphic gore is not the primary focus.

Strong language3/5
Why this rating?

Contains moderate profanity and gritty, harsh language suitable for a criminal underworld setting.

LGBTQIA characters3/5
Why this rating?

LGBTQIA identities and relationships are represented among important characters and integrated naturally, but they are not the story's central focus.

Religious themes2/5
Why this rating?

Characters hold varied religious beliefs, and religious practices/deities are referenced as part of the world-building.

Romance3/5
Why this rating?

Several relationships and developing romances are important subplots, especially Nina and Matthias, alongside restrained attraction among other characters.

Frightening scenes4/5
Why this rating?

Prison danger, torture, human experimentation, death, addiction, kidnapping and perilous escapes create sustained, intense tension.

Sexual content & nudity2/5
Why this rating?

Sexual exploitation and a pleasure-house setting are part of backstory; romance and suggestive circumstances occur without explicit sexual depiction.

Alcohol or drugs4/5
Why this rating?

The addictive drug jurda parem drives the plot, causes dependence and withdrawal, and is used for power; gambling addiction is also prominent.

Violence4/5
Why this rating?

Frequent fights, armed conflict, torture, explosions, prison violence, and threats occur throughout the heist and escape plot.

Checked and not flagged

No concern recorded in these categories

These categories were explicitly scored 0/5 in the published review. This is not a guarantee that every edition or reader experience is identical.

Products & advertising · 0/5

What’s good in it?

Courage & resilience5/5
Why this rating?

Characters repeatedly face imprisonment, persecution, trauma, addiction, and near-impossible missions with determination and self-sacrifice.

Creativity & curiosity5/5
Why this rating?

Inventive heist planning, disguises, engineering, improvisation, magic, and teamwork drive the narrative and strongly stimulate imaginative problem-solving.

Diverse representation4/5
Why this rating?

The cast includes varied cultures, ethnic identities, abilities, backgrounds, and trauma experiences, with major characters given agency and distinct perspectives.

Educational value1/5
Why this rating?

It offers incidental learning about strategy, language, cultures, disability, trauma, and moral complexity rather than formal instruction.

Kindness & empathy3/5
Why this rating?

Care and solidarity emerge within the crew, including protection of vulnerable people, though compassion exists alongside ruthless criminal behavior.

Positive messages3/5
Why this rating?

The story values loyalty, chosen family, resilience, accountability, and protecting vulnerable people over greed and exploitation.

Good role models2/5
Why this rating?

The young protagonists are resourceful, loyal, and protective, but they are criminals who deceive, steal, threaten, and sometimes kill.

Family discussion

Talk about it

Conversation starters based on this title’s published content notes.

  1. What did courage look like in this story? Was being brave always the same as being fearless?
  2. How were alcohol or drugs portrayed, and what consequences did the story show?
  3. Which choice in Six of Crows would you have made differently, and why?
  4. Who changed the most in Six of Crows, and what caused that change?
Discuss this title with other parents

Community perspective — separate from editorial ratings

What families noticed

Community signal

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These content notes are a starting point, not a guarantee. Review the evidence and use your own judgment before choosing a title.

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