A Darker Shore: Letters from Ketterdam

Six of Crows #2.5

by Leigh Bardugo, E.K. Belsher (Illustrator)

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Leigh Bardugo comes a new Grishaverse short story: a mystery told through found documents and set after the events of Crooked Kingdom.

In the years since the violent upheaval caused by the auction of Kuwei Yul-Bo, the merchants of Ketterdam have been under attack. Secret businesses exposed. Ships sunk. Slavers hunted as they once hunted their victims. All the work of a mysterious sea captain and her ship, the Wraith.

Now, two investigators meet to uncover the truth behind the latest disaster: a massacre on an island off the shores of Ketterdam. Among the evidence collected is private correspondence between notorious crime boss Kaz Brekker and an anonymous sailor aboard the Wraith known only as “I.”

Follow along with the lead investigator as he tries to piece together how such a disaster transpired, and explore the Grishaverse like never before with new illustrations by E.K. Belsher and in-world collectible items.

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Short Stories, Novella, Young Adult Fantasy, Romantasy

64 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 30, 2026

About the author

Leigh Bardugo is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Ninth House and the creator of the Grishaverse (now a Netflix original series) which spans the Shadow and Bone trilogy, the Six of Crows duology, the King of Scars duology—and much more. Her short fiction has appeared in multiple anthologies including The Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy. She lives in Los Angeles and is an associate fellow of Pauli Murray College at Yale University. For information on new releases and appearances, sign up for her newsletter.

She would be delighted if you visited her at LeighBardugo.com and fairly giddy if you liked her selfies on Instagram.

Reviews

[Juliette]

And suddenly my life has meaning again

edit:

MY BOOK ARRIVED 11 DAYS EARLY WTF

[Leigh Bardugo]

Hello! I'm very excited for this to be on shelves in June, but I'm getting a lot of questions about the new "novella," so I want to be very clear: this is not a novella.

This is a short story told through found documents including letters (and music! and art!). It's a quick trip back to Ketterdam but an immersive one and I hope you'll feel like you're really part of the story. It's also a little puzzle that was so tricky to build and that I hope will be fun to solve.

Also, there is no digital edition (and honestly I don't know how we'd make audio work either but maybe some genius will figure it out). It had to be a physical object and that will all make sense when you dig into the story.

If you'd like to preorder, the link is here.

Signed and personalized editions are available for preorder here.

B&N special edition here.

If you're in the US or Canada, please don't forget to submit your receipts here to get the beautiful new poster by the incomparable Kevin Wada (while supplies last).

If you're located in another country and you'd like the preorder poster (while supplies last) and/or you'd like a signed edition, preorder here.

I hope you enjoy and thank you for celebrating ten years of the Crows with me.

No mourners and much love,
Leigh

[zeinab [completely gone]]

prepare to be sick of me because it’s safe to say i’m going absolutely feral over this release.

[levi (pretty sad for a boy so in love)]

dot dot dot dot dot

[Clace]

Had to check the calender + pinch and slap myself. 😭🙏🏻 I've been deprived SM of one crow forever 😔✋🏻 but I neeeeeeeed this 🫴🏻

[emma]

i will read whatever scraps of six of crows i can get

[❀ leah ❀]

🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨 NEW SIX OF CROWS BOOK THIS IS NOT A DRILL 🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨🚨

[karina ♡]

i sincerely apologise in advance for the person i will become once i get my hands on this 😌

WE ARE SO BACK

[manas (traveling)]

KAZ AND INEJ!!!!


PLS MORE KAZ AND INEJ!!!!!! AHHHHHHH

[aila ✧.*]

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP CELEBRATING EXPLODING SOBBING

[nic]

waterstones employees are scared and asking me to leave but i am sat.

[veerali]

OMG THE COVER ASDFGJHLK

will we actually get to see kaz and inej exchanging love letters? 🤭

[(• ֊ •)੭ amyfish ~ BabyFlower]

OMG??!! is this my sign to re-read soc for the millionth time??

[rêverie]

i need a blunt

[✧Bella✧]

I Don't even care that this is only like 60 pages, it's Six of Crows content, and I must have it. I mean, I would love a full novel, but we cannot sacrifice another Crow. But this doesn't count... right? I am so sat.

[vienna 𝜗𝜚˚⋆]

AHHHHHHHHH HOLD ME BACK HOLD ME BACK

[anca⁷]

I WANT TO SCREAM BUT I'M AT WORK

[Avery]

i will literally sell my soul for kaz and inej content

[evie ᝰ ia]

im sick to my stomach im sick to my stomach "six of crows #2.5" oh my god i never thought i'd see the day oh my god im ILL

[Nina]

if you expect me to be calm about this you expect wrong

[livi]

Feral is not strong enough to describe how I’m about to be acting

[hailee]

THE SCREAM HEARD ROUND THE WORLD ARE YOU KIDDING MEEEEE

[Natilie Bell]

oh my god ive found a reason to live again

[.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡Polaris ｡˚☽˚｡⋆.]

64 pages??????? Are you sure it's not supposed to be 640???? 😭😭😭😭

[Lance]

I know Leigh talked about this at her signings already but seeing the description makes it all the more REAL. GIVE THIS TO ME NEOWWWWW! Where’s the cover? 👀

[✰DoveyV✰]

yesssss I've been waiting for this to be announced I don't even care how short it is 😆

[Chelsea]

I found out this existed 5 seconds ago, and THE CRIMES I WOULD COMMIT TO HAVE IT RIGHT NOW???

The limit does not exist….. I need it. 💀

[Saranya]

°❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ Pre-Release
I haven't even completed the first book, and I am shamelessly excited over this🤩🤩🤩

[clara ❤︎︎]

new six of cr-
more inej and k-

u don’t need to finish i’m already sat. give me every crumb i can take of six of crows and kanej!!

[thea. [you seem pretty sad]]

omgomgomgomgomgomg am i seeing RIGHT? Should i see an eye specialist? Buy a pair of glasses?? Or are my beloved crows COMING BACK?!?!

why this date tho😔💔😭 leigh are u tryna make me feel better or worse