Books Like Six of Crows: 7 YA Fantasy Series for Your Next Read

If you’ve finished Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom and found yourself staring at the wall wondering what to do with your life — same. Leigh Bardugo built something genuinely special with that duology: a heist story wrapped in a found family wrapped in a world where magic is dangerous, loyalty is complicated, and every character has a wound they’re still learning to carry.

The good news? That specific alchemy of darkness, wit, and emotional depth exists in other books too. You just have to know where to look.

We’ve put together seven series that scratch that same itch — whether it’s the ensemble cast dynamics, the intricate plotting, the morally grey characters, or the magic systems that feel like they have real rules and real consequences.

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What Made Six of Crows So Good?

Before we dive in, it’s worth naming what we’re actually chasing, because “books like Six of Crows” can mean a lot of different things to different readers. Here’s what this list prioritizes:

• Ensemble casts where every character has a distinct voice and their own arc
• Heist or mission-driven plots with twists that feel earned, not cheap
• Morally grey protagonists — not villains, but not clean heroes either
• Magic with stakes — systems that have costs, limits, and consequences
• Found family dynamics that develop slowly and hit hard when they pay off

With that in mind, here are seven series worth adding to your shelf.

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The List

1. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

The most direct Six of Crows comparison on this list. A gang of con artists in a fantasy Venice, pulling elaborate schemes against increasingly dangerous targets. Lynch’s world-building is immersive, the heist plotting is meticulous, and the banter between characters is some of the best in the genre. If Kaz Brekker grew up in a slightly different world, he might have been Locke Lamora.

The Six of Crows overlap: Heist structure, morally grey ensemble, dark city setting

Start with: The Lies of Locke Lamora (Book 1)

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2. An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir

Two perspectives, one brutal world. Tahir’s series is set in a Roman-inspired empire where the cost of resistance is survival itself. The characters are deeply human — flawed, scared, brave in the messiest possible ways — and the plot never lets you get comfortable. It’s darker than Six of Crows in places, but earns every difficult moment.

The Six of Crows overlap: Morally complex characters, high stakes, slow-burn relationships

Start with: An Ember in the Ashes (Book 1 of 4)

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3. Reign of the Fallen by Sarah Glenn Marsh

A necromancer protagonist, a kingdom built on keeping the dead alive, and a mystery that unravels everything she thought she knew. This one leans harder into the mystery elements than the heist structure, but the emotional core — grief, loyalty, identity — will feel immediately familiar to Six of Crows readers.

The Six of Crows overlap: Dark magic system, morally grey heroine, found family

Start with: Reign of the Fallen (Book 1 of 2)

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4. Connected by Blood & Keys by T. J. Smith

Tyler didn’t know he had a twin. He didn’t know about the bloodline, the ancient keys, or what it means to be born Gemini in a world where that word carries the weight of a prophecy. He finds out all of it at once — and none of it gently.

Connected by Blood & Keys opens the Gifted Blood Universe with a story that works on two levels: a boy piecing together who he is, and a much older history slowly unraveling what that means. The magic here is tied to blood and ancestry, to power that can’t be contained and a legacy that has destroyed people before Tyler was ever born. The ensemble that forms around him has history, loyalty, and agendas that don’t always align — and the book earns its tension by making you care about all of them.

It’s a strong start to a series with a lot of world to uncover. If you loved the way Six of Crows made you care about every single member of the crew, this series is going to feel very familiar. Pick up Connected by Blood & Keys and explore the full Gifted Blood Universe on our Books page.

The Six of Crows overlap: Ensemble cast, intricate magic system, mystery-layered plotting, found family

Start with: Connected by Blood & Keys (Book 1, Gifted Blood Universe)

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5. The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake

Six magicians are recruited by a secret society — but only five will be initiated. The atmosphere is dark academia at its most delicious, the ensemble is enormous and deeply watchable, and the betrayal is baked in from page one. Blake’s prose is dense and rewards slow reading. This one is for readers who loved the scheming, the distrust, and the way Six of Crows made you unsure who to root for.

The Six of Crows overlap: Ensemble cast, moral ambiguity, intricate plotting

Start with: The Atlas Six (Book 1 of 3)

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6. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan

A gentler entry on this list, but don’t let that fool you — the stakes are enormous and the emotional gut-punches are relentless. Based on the Chinese myth of Chang’e, this quest fantasy is lyrical and deeply felt, with a protagonist whose love for her family drives every difficult choice she makes. For readers who loved the loyalty and sacrifice at the heart of the Dregs.

The Six of Crows overlap: Found family, sacrifice-driven plot, beautiful world-building

Start with: Daughter of the Moon Goddess (Book 1 of 2)

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7. Babel by R.F. Kuang

The most literary pick on this list, and arguably the most devastating. Set at a fictional Oxford in the 1830s, Babel is about language as magic, empire as violence, and the impossible position of those caught between worlds. The ensemble is small but unforgettable, and the way Kuang builds toward the ending is masterful. Read it when you’re ready to feel things.

The Six of Crows overlap: Ensemble cast, moral complexity, magic with real-world consequences 

Start with: Babel (standalone)

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Quick Comparison Guide

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One More Thing

The best thing about being a Six of Crows reader is that you already know what you’re looking for — a story that treats you like an adult, builds a world with real texture, and makes you care about characters who probably shouldn’t be your favorites but absolutely are.

Every book on this list does at least one of those things exceptionally well. A few of them do all three.

If Connected by Blood & Keys caught your attention, head over to our Books page to grab your copy — it’s the kind of series that’s best started before everyone else figures out how good it is.

Happy reading. The Dregs would be proud. 📚