When Among Crows (Curse Bearer, 1)
An instant USA Today bestseller!
A Goodreads Best Fantasy Choice Award Nominee!
The USA Today bestselling When Among Crows is a story of witches, knights, and monsters set in modern day Chicago and pulling from Slavic folklore from #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth.
We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.
On Kupala Night, Dymitr arrives in Chicago’s monstrous, magical underworld with a perilous mission: pick the mythical fern flower and offer it to a cursed creature in exchange for help finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga.
Ala is a fear-eating zmora afflicted with a bloodline curse that’s slowly killing her. She's just desperate enough to say yes to Dymitr, even if she doesn’t know his motives.
Over the course of one night, Ala and Dymitr risk life and limb in search of Baba Jaga, and begin to build a tentative friendship. . . but when Ala finds out what Dymitr is hiding, it could destroy them both.
"Lovely, lush, and full of otherworldly longing, this modern fairytale about righteousness and the weight we bear for love is Roth at her most imaginative and ethereal."—Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six
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Community Reviews
I once read a caption that went something like, "I'd pet a crocodile if it'd let me." And in my case, that sentiment extends to just about every being in fantasy, horror, and sci-fi too. Aliens, wraiths, vampires, werewolves, monsters, demons, mythical creatures, even satan if they're kind, empathetic, and generally decent. I couldn't care less what they look like or what box they get shoved into, considering the most terrifying creatures I've seen, read, and heard about have usually been the righteous humans.
What's that got to do with this book? Well... that's pretty much the "deeper" point of this book.
This is an almost-perfect urban fantasy that somehow crams a unique, memorable, and surprisingly layered world into just 160 pages. Veronica Roth draws on Polish mythology, sets these characters and their lore in modern-day Chicago, and makes it feel like these creatures have been around the city (and us) all along – coexisting by absorbing our emotions and providing even believable services – like movie theatres, funeral homes, and the sorts. The story was great, the characters are easy to root for, and the world-building is complex and fun. Loved it, and I can't wait to read the sequel.
This stood out as a really good - really quick - read, stuffed with gritty urban fantasy elements, Slavic folklore, dark magic, and pulse-elevating action. I’m hoping that Veronica Roth does not intend “When Among Crows” to be a standalone novella, but rather an introduction to a future series of novels.
4.5
This was great! There's a lot packed in for such a short length. I think the story was paced really well, and the author did a great job of establishing and fleshing out the characters while still keeping the plot moving and the suspense high. The audiobook had different narrators for each character, which was a nice tough. I'd highly recommend for those interested in a quick read and a sort of mix of folk horror and urban fantasy.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
This was great! There's a lot packed in for such a short length. I think the story was paced really well, and the author did a great job of establishing and fleshing out the characters while still keeping the plot moving and the suspense high. The audiobook had different narrators for each character, which was a nice tough. I'd highly recommend for those interested in a quick read and a sort of mix of folk horror and urban fantasy.
Content Warnings:
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Child death, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
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