Thank you to Tor Books for sending me a copy of When Among Crows in exchange for an honest review.

Summary 

In a world where pain is both a weapon and a curse, Dymitr, a warrior who wields a sword crafted from his own soul, sets out to confront the monsters haunting him and his family. Ala, burdened with a curse passed down through generations, faces a race against time to find a cure before she dies like her mother. Their paths converge in Chicago when Dymitr offers Ala a deal. If she helps him find the elusive witch Baba Yaga, he’ll give her a potential cure.

Together, they set out on a desperate quest through the shadowy underworld of Chicago’s supernatural communities. But Ala doesn’t know who Dymitr really is, and the clock is ticking on his cure. As they confront their own demons and the sinister truths lurking within the Holy Order, they must race against time to grasp at a chance for redemption before it slips away.

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When Among Crows 

Set in the paranormal underbelly of modern-day Chicago, When Among Crows is Veronica Roth’s newest foray into adult fiction. It’s a rich urban fantasy and unique character study that benefits from its short length while still leaving readers wanting more.

The magic system developed is fairly soft, but that isn’t a bad thing. Instead, it’s used as a way to set up conflicts and relationships. Roth created a fairly unique world still grounded in myths and stories. The Baba Yaga, strigoi and the rest are probably all familiar to fantasy readers, especially if you know anything about Slavic folklore. Roth uses this folklore to explore themes of family culture, guilt and redemption, responsibility and judgment.

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As a result, When Among Crows is a fascinating character study. Roth tied together three characters who, at a glance, have nothing in common besides their statuses as outsiders within their communities. Each one is desperate for someone to understand them and help them claw their way toward redemption.

Is It Worth a Read?

If you enjoy folklore-based fantasy with deeper commentary like The Wolf and the Woodsman or Naomi Novik’s work, check out When Among Crows. It’s a powerful story of identity and redemption packed into a perfectly small novella.

When Among Crows comes out on May 15 and is available for preorder from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.org.

TW: alcohol, animal cruelty/death, blood, body horror, child death, death, drug use, genocide, gore, grief, gun violence, injury/injury detail, mental illness, murder, self-harm, suicide/suicidal thoughts, toxic relationship, war

Book Review: THE WOLF AND THE WOODSMAN

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