6 YA Books to Read If You’re Still Obsessed With Kaz Brekker

The Cruel Prince, by Holly Black
If any other character could commiserate with Kaz on the subjects of dirty hands and childhood trauma, it’s Jude. After watching her parents get murdered at the age of seven, Jude and her sisters are abducted by their killer, the Faerie general Madoc, and spirited away to Faerieland. Ten years later, Jude has learned a thing or two about swordplay and strategy from her foster father, and she’s ready to prove her worth as a mortal living in the Faerie realm. Caught deep in court intrigue, Jude will have to keep her wits about her if she wants to save her family, earn Madoc’s respect, and survive the violent attentions of cruel faerie prince Cardan—and exact her own revenge. Bloodthirsty and clever, The Cruel Prince, and vicious book-boyfriend-in-spite-of-himself Cardan, will fill that Kaz-shaped hole in your heart.

Spinning Silver, by Naomi Novik
Like Kaz, Miriam has no problem making deals with people who hate her in order to build herself a better life. She has taken over the family moneylending business from her soft-hearted father and successfully swapped a handful of silver pennies for gold. Like Kaz, she finds herself faced with an impossible task: the king of the Staryk—icy, magical beings obsessed with gold—wants her to use her (nonmagical) power to (magically) transform the silver in his vaults to gold. And like Kaz, Miriam accepts the challenge, even though she knows it’s impossible. If you’ve been missing that Six of Crows feeling of staring down insurmountable odds, Spinning Silver is the book for you.

The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner
When Gen makes the mistake of bragging about his latest triumph to the wrong man, he’s promptly imprisoned for stealing the king’s seal. Luckily for Gen, the king’s magus is in need of a thief. Given the choice of rotting in his cell or helping the magus find the legendary Hamiathes’ Gift, Gen agrees to the quest. What follows is a series of twists and turns as Gen, the magus, and the magus’ apprentices travel across the country to find the mythical temple housing Hamiathes’ Gift. If you’re looking for another story full of hijinks and characters who aren’t what they seem, add The Thief to your reading list.

Tyler Johnson Was Here, by Jay Coles
Marvin and his twin brother, Tyler, are seniors, and Marvin is just beginning to come to terms with the fact that their lives are going in different directions when a party they’re attending ends in a police shootout. When Tyler is nowhere to be found the next day, Marvin goes searching for him—only to find internet footage of Tyler being shot and killed by a cop. As his mother falls apart and his brother turns into a trending topic on social media, Marvin sets out to make sure the world remembers Tyler as he really was. Heartbreaking and powerful, Tyler Johnson Was Here will take those Kaz and Jordie feels and multiply them by 1,000.

The Boneless Mercies, by April Genevieve Tucholke
If you’re looking for another novel full of ruthless mercenaries seeking out fame, fortune, and a better life, get ready for The Boneless Mercies. Frey and her team are mercy killers, hired to slit throats when old age or illness are taking their sweet time. But the Boneless Mercies are tired of their thankless, haunting work, so when they learn that the Blue Vee beast is on the rampage, they set out to bring it down. Bloody, fierce, and unrelenting, Frey will stop at nothing to become a hero of legend.

Ignite the Stars, by Maura Milan
Criminal masterminds, multiple perspectives, and reluctant friendships—Ignite the Stars has plenty of those Six of Crows elements you’re missing, plus space pirates! Ia Cōcha has spent years wreaking havoc as the universe’s most wanted criminal, only to be captured and forced to enroll in the Commonwealth’s military academy. As Ia, her roommate (an unapologetic patriot), and her flight master/prison guard (the son of the general who captured her) grudgingly grow closer, Ia begins to question her plan to escape the academy as quickly as possible.