Feel free to listen while you read! The Spofity Playlist made by me is at the bottom of this page. Enjoy!
Character Anthems:
Kaz Brekker – “Renegade” by Styx
Oh mama, I’m in fear for my life from the long arm of the law
Lawman has put an end to my running and I’m so far from my home…
Nevermore to go astray
This will be the end today
Of the wanted man
It isn’t so much the exact lyrics of this song that remind me of Kaz, rather the whole vibe of it. I can imagine him beating up the Dregs with his cane to this song. It was honestly a toss-up between Renegade or A’int no Rest for the Wicked, but I felt the latter was much more Pekka Rollins than Kaz, so I chose this one for him. I feel like it’s sort of self-explanatory when you list to the lyrics.
Inej Ghafa – “The Devil Within” by The Digital Daggers
I made myself at home in the cobwebs and the lies
I’m learning all your tricks, I can hurt you from inside
I made myself a promise you would never see me cry…|
Look what you made of me
Now I’m the heavy burden that you can’t bear
“The Devil Within” really radiates Wraith energy to me. When Inej decided that she was going to use her money to destroy her former slaveholders and purge slavery from the country, I could just imagine this song playing in the background. Inej is a ghost, small and unassuming. You won’t see her coming, even if she was standing right behind you. She is the Devil of the high seas and nothing will stop her.
Nina Zenik – “City of the Dead” by Eurielle
I feel it burning through my veins
It’s driving me insane
The fever is rising, I’m going under
Memories flash before my eyes
I’m losing time
The poison is killing me, taking over
If you were to tell me that any other song than this one would be playing behind Nina when she first discovers that she can control the dead, I wouldn’t believe you. I mean, the few lyrics I picked out alone are perfect for her. Just wait until Eurielle starts singing in Latin. This song is perfect parallel of Nina; the fear of her power, but the desire for more of it, the softness of her voice, but the strength behind it. It’s such a beautiful and moving song that fits perfectly with this amazing character and her arc during SoC and Crooked Kingdom.
Matthias Helvar – “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler
Somewhere after midnight
In my wildest fantasy
Somewhere just beyond my reach
There’s someone reaching back for me
Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat
It’s gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet
You can take this decision of mine in one of two ways. The first is that Matthias is the hero that someone needs. He’s strong, fast, young, and spry. He is superhuman, ready to fight to the death for his love. Or, he could be singing this song of Nina, his hero. She is stronger than he is, faster, more powerful in every way. She is real life Superman to him. Either option works, either choice is good. In any case, this song is perfect for Matthias.
Jesper Fahey – “Hey Look Ma, I Made It” by Panic! at the Disco
Hey look ma, I made it
Everything’s comin’ up aces, aces
If it’s a dream, don’t wake me, don’t wake me
I said hey look ma, I made it
A major part of Jesper’s character arc has to do with his mother and how he lost her. When he was a kid, he looked up to her and loved her and then he lost her. I can imagine that his gambling addiction and habit for getting into the worst kinds of fights really makes him feel that she isn’t proud of him. However, by the end of Crooked Kingdom, with help from Wylan and Jesper’s father, he is able to think about his mom smiling down on him and being proud of where he is and what he has done for everyone around him. He’s rich, he’s got the love of his life, he’s bringing justice to the streets. I can just imagine him looking up at the ceiling one night and whispering to his mom, telling her that he made it. He made it. He’s exactly where she always wanted him to that be; happy.
Wylan Van Eck – “Turning Out” by AJR
In my mind, I thought the birds would sing and sparks would fly
But it’s just quiet
Am I cruel?
Or am I ignorant or was I fooled
By the stories I knew?…
I think I’m still turning out
Throughout most of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom, Wylan Van Eck is mostly trying to do one thing; figure himself out. He’s been disowned by his father, mocked and belittled constantly by him. He sees himself as weak and useless and his first few weeks with the Crows don’t really help. He’s trying to learn who he is and were his worth lies, so this song really speaks to how difficult that is, especially when you’re in love with someone. He expected his life to be one way and now that is something completely different, he has to learn how to be his own person and turn out that way he thinks is best for himself.
Kuwei Yul-Bo – “Fire Meet Gasoline” by Sia
But it’s a bad bet, certain death
But I want what I want and I gotta get it
When the fire dies, darkened skies
Hot ash, dead match, only smoke is left
Kuwei was probably the hardest one to pick a song for. He’s a character who plays a very large role but who speaks so little throughout the entire book. He’s hard to dissect because we never see anything from his point of view. From what we learn about Kuwei, he seems to me like a quiet guy on the outside, but he’s always exploding with thoughts and feelings on the inside. This song I chose has fewer specific lyrics that I think connect with him, but it’s more the overall feeling of the song that fits with him very well.
Colm Fahey – “Sharp Dressed Man” by ZZ Top
Gold watch, diamond ring,
I ain’t missin’ not a single thing.
And cuff links, stick pin,
When I step out I’m gonna do you in.
Honestly, this is just a fun one. I can picture Colm really rocking his disguise, strutting down the streets either humming, whistling, or even singing this song to himself as he went. He’s so wholesome it makes me want to cry.
Dunyasha Lazareva – “all the good girls go to hell” by Billie Eilish
Standing there, killing time
Can’t commit to anything but a crime
Peter’s on vacation, an open invitation…
Man is such a fool
Why are we saving him?
Dunyasha wasn’t really in the books very much, but I really, really enjoyed her character for some reason so I added her here. Billie Eilish as an artist has this almost nonchalance and apathetic vibe that I believe relates pretty well with Dunyasha. I honestly wish we got more of her. The way Billie Eilish sings this song reminds me heavily of someone who would be completely numb to killing a bunch of people like Dunyasha does. Also, the concept of there being no point in being “good” is another similarity between the song and the character.
Pekka Rollins – “Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked” by Cage the Elephant
Oh no, I can’t slow down, I can’t hold back
Though you know, I wish I could
Oh no there ain’t no rest for the wicked
Until we close our eyes for good
Pekka Rollins really is the guy who justifies his actions by claiming that he “just can’t stop”. His cruelty throughout the books don’t really follow the same story plot of this entire song, but it’s the chorus that really speaks to me about Pekka. He is a despicable character, but right at the end of Crooked Kingdom, we see a little bit his humanity which shows the other side of the story, much like how this song does for the mugger and the prostitute.
Jordie Rietveld – “Mine” by Bazzi [Explicit]
You so precious when you smile
I think that’s it. Jordie died before we got to meet him fully in the books but I’m certain, and I think that many other readers will agree, that I would die for him. He’s so precious.
Playlist of the Crows:
“Warriors” by Imagine Dragons
Here we are don’t turn away now
We are the warriors that built this town
From dust
“The Good, The Bad, and the Dirty” by Panic! at the Disco
If you wanna start a fight, you better throw the first punch
And make it a good one
If you wanna make it through the night
You better say my name like
The good, the bad, and the dirty
“Heathens” by Twenty One Pilots
All my friends are heathens take it slow…
I tried to warn you just to stay away
And now they’re outside ready to bust
It looks like you might be one of us
“Glitter and Gold” by Barns Courtney
Do you walk in the valley of kings?
Do you walk in the shadow of men
Who sold their lives for a dream
“Way Down We Go” by KALEO
You let your feet run wild
Time has come as we all go down
Yeah but for the fall
Do you dare to look him right in the eyes?
“Sucker for Pain” by Lil Wayne [Explicit]
I’m devoted to destruction
A full dosage of detrimental dysfunction
I’m dying slow but the devil tryna rush me
“The Drum” by The Siege
When they hear the sound of the drum
They’ll be saying ‘oh lord here they come’
“You Don’t Own Me” by Grace and G-Eazy [Explicit]
You don’t own me
Don’t try to change me in any way
You don’t own me
Don’t tie me down ’cause I’ll never stay
“Big Shot” by Kendrick Lamar
Emotional, ‘motional, ‘motional, motional
Why you emotional? Why you emotional?
“Bad Blood” by Bastille
And you said you always had my back
Oh but how were we to know
“Lone Ranger” by Rachel Platten
Much more scared than they all think
But I’m protecting the organ in my chest
‘Cause the blood, sweat, and tears they can make quite a mess
“If I Killed Someone For You” by Alec Benjamin
Sorry that I did this
The blood is on my hands
I stare at my reflection
I don’t know who I am
No mourners, no funerals,
Caroline Noelle
John 5.17
