Books Like Six of Crows — 12 Heist Fantasy Picks You'll Devour

If you raced through Six of Crows and immediately needed more, you're not alone. Leigh Bardugo's heist fantasy set the gold standard for ensemble casts of morally grey misfits — Kaz's cold cunning, Inej's quiet courage, Jesper's reckless charm — bound together by loyalty they'd never admit to and sent on a job that should be impossible. The twelve books below share that same irresistible DNA: elaborate schemes, found families forged in danger, antiheroes you root for against your better judgment, and worlds so vivid you grieve leaving them. Whether you're here for the heists, the banter, the morally grey protagonists, or the found-family bonds that gut-punch you at the end, there's something on this list for you.

1. 1

   The Cruel Prince

   by Holly Black

   A mortal girl stolen into the fae world schemes her way into power among a court of beautiful, ruthless faeries — including the prince who despises her. Like Six of Crows, it thrives on razor-sharp political maneuvering and a morally grey protagonist who outsmarts everyone in the room.

   Morally Grey Heroine

   Political Intrigue

   Fae

   Found Family

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2. 2

   An Ember in the Ashes

   by Sabaa Tahir

   A slave girl infiltrates a brutal military empire to save her brother while a soldier torn between duty and conscience fights to survive its deadliest trials. The dual POV, high stakes, and morally complex cast make this essential reading for any Six of Crows fan.

   Dual POV

   Morally Grey Characters

   Resistance

   Military Fantasy

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3. 3

   Shadow and Bone

   by Leigh Bardugo

   An orphaned soldier discovers she has a rare power that could save her war-torn country — or destroy it — when she's swept into the glittering, dangerous world of the Grisha. The foundation of Bardugo's Grishaverse and the world Six of Crows inhabits, packed with the same dark magic and betrayal.

   Chosen One

   Found Family

   Dark Magic

   Enemies to Lovers

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4. 4

   Children of Blood and Bone

   by Tomi Adeyemi

   A young girl fights to restore magic to a land where it was violently erased, leading a desperate heist-like quest against a tyrannical king. The ensemble cast, breakneck pacing, and morally layered characters deliver the same found-family heist energy as Six of Crows.

   Found Family

   Quest

   Morally Grey Villain

   Nigerian Mythology

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5. 5

   The Name of the Wind

   by Patrick Rothfuss

   A legendary figure tells the true story of how he became the most feared wizard of his age — a tale of impossible cleverness, desperate poverty, and the kind of daring that gets people killed. Kvothe's cunning and theatrical scheming will feel instantly familiar to fans of Kaz Brekker.

   Unreliable Narrator

   Morally Grey Hero

   Magic System

   Slow Burn

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6. 6

   Red Queen

   by Victoria Aveyard

   A lowborn girl with a secret power is thrust into a world of silver-blooded elites and forced to play a dangerous game of deception inside a royal court. The political scheming, hidden identity, and ensemble of double-crossers hit the same notes as Six of Crows.

   Hidden Identity

   Political Intrigue

   Morally Grey Characters

   Rebellion

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7. 7

   The Poppy War

   by R.F. Kuang

   A war orphan aces a brutal imperial exam to win a place at the country's most prestigious military academy, only to discover she carries a terrifying divine power. Darker and more brutal than Six of Crows, it shares the same found family of misfits and a protagonist who will do anything to survive.

   Dark Fantasy

   Found Family

   Military Academy

   War

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8. 8

   Nevernight

   by Jay Kristoff

   A girl seeking vengeance enrolls in a secret school for assassins where students are as dangerous as the teachers. Kristoff's lush, footnote-laden prose and a morally compromised heroine make this one of the closest matches to Six of Crows' atmosphere of glamorous, lethal scheming.

   Assassin

   Dark Academia

   Morally Grey Heroine

   Revenge

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9. 9

   The Lies of Locke Lamora

   by Scott Lynch

   A gang of gentleman thieves run increasingly audacious cons on the richest nobles in their city — until they cross someone far more dangerous than themselves. If Six of Crows is your favorite book, this is your next: the heist plotting, found-family loyalty, and found-family banter are unmatched.

   Heist

   Found Family

   Morally Grey Hero

   Thieves Guild

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10. 10

    Daughter of the Moon Goddess

    by Sue Lynn Tan

    A young woman embarks on a treacherous quest across celestial kingdoms to free her mother from an immortal prison, forging unlikely alliances along the way. The found-family bonds, impossible odds, and lyrical world-building inspired by Chinese mythology make this an essential pick.

    Found Family

    Quest

    Chinese Mythology

    Slow Burn

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11. 11

    The Jasmine Throne

    by Tasha Suri

    An exiled princess and a prisoner-servant with hidden magical gifts forge a dangerous alliance inside a corrupt empire. Suri's intricate political world, morally grey ensemble, and the slow-burning trust between her leads echo Six of Crows' most beloved dynamics.

    Morally Grey Characters

    Political Intrigue

    Found Family

    F/F Romance

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12. 12

    A Little Hatred

    by Joe Abercrombie

    A new generation of morally compromised heroes navigates a world on the brink of industrial revolution, where every act of heroism comes with a brutal price. Abercrombie's trademark cynicism, complex ensemble cast, and refusal to spare anyone makes this essential for fans of Six of Crows' grimdark edge.

    Grimdark

    Ensemble Cast

    Morally Grey Characters

    Anti-Hero

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