The concept for this one was really cool especially the masks. However, I just couldn’t connect with the lead character or the story itself. But the writing was super beautiful!

I really wanted to enjoy this story more than I did. There were great moments of writing that flowed and were genuinely unique, but I found several phrases and moments that were repetitive or tired. I liked the premise of breaking the cycle within the caste system, of Fie's anger and talent being constantly belittled and overlooked. The moments where she rallies her Crows and attempts to get through to Jasimir and Tavin are nicely done, showing how difficult it actually is to change the viewpoints of an entire nation.

However, the moments of action felt repetitive and predictable. How many times will they hide from the Oleander Gentry or the skinwitches in the trees, Fie barely hanging on to her magic? How many times will Fie be pushed to the edge, before being overwhelmed by the power she is attempting to control? I felt like I was reading the same scenes over and over again. I wanted this book to move a bit quicker, but overall I think the storytelling was enjoyable.

I would recommend this to readers who enjoyed An Ember In the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir since it deals with similar themes of a broken caste system and an all-powerful government and army.

While this wasn't my favorite story, I still found it enjoyable. The characters were interesting, backgrounds about the main characters slowly revealed though could have been developed more (maybe in the next book will learn more about them), you get a skimmed idea of what the world is like, separation of castes, some abilities found better than others. A religion of sorts though not thoroughly explained. The pace of the story was good, the ending satisfying and left me curious enough to wonder what will happen next. Overall, I enjoyed the story and will likely read the next book when it comes out.

This book was received as an ARC from Macmillan Children's Publishing Group in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

From beginning to end this book captivated me. The suspense, the thrill and the rush that was brought from Prince Jasmir, Fie, and Tavin and the struggle they faced while battling the dark witch in risk of not only saving their empire, but saving their own lives and wanting peace. The language and structure of this young adult novel was so brilliantly written and constructed like an adventure in your own home. The twist presented through and through the book will immediately hypnotize our teen readers in starting and finishing it in one day.

We will consider adding this title to our YFantasy collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

The Merciful Crow is unlike any book I've read in a long time. The world and magic system is truly original and astounding in its detail, and Fie is a hero I would fight for. In the midst of all the magic, political intrigue, romance, and revolution, The Merciful Crow also asks readers to look deep within themselves: How far would you go to keep your own safe? What would you sacrifice to change the heavy wrongness ground into the status quo?

So this book was a huge surprise for me! I started it and must have been too tired to find myself absorbed in this amazing world that Owen has created because the next time I picked it up and restarted it, I couldn't put it down! This is the story of Fie, a Crow, whose job is to help take care of those affected by the plague. She and her Pa, along with fellow Crows travel to where they are called to treat the bodies of those who are dying or dead from the plague with mercy. In a twist, Fie and her family end up with the Crown Prince Jasimir and his Hawk (guard) Tavin. They from a pact to get Jasimir to safety in exchange for protection for the Crows, the lowest of the caste system. This is a magical, fantasy story in which the power Fie can wield comes from the teeth of the dead. The story is full of action and adventure, romance, passion, bravery and faith. This book was beyond my expectations and I'm thrilled that I had the chance to read it. Thank you netgalley for this arc in exchange for my honest opinion. I can't wait for the next book set in this world!

I loved this story...the world building was strong, the writing style was original and enjoyable, the characters were well-written and memorable. I can’t wait for it to be published! I’m already pining for book 2.

The Crows are a bottom-of-the-barrel caste who travel the country mercy killing and burning the bodies of plague victims. Fie - a Crow magician being trained to become a chief - can wield the powers of every other caste by using their castoff teeth. When Fie's band of Crows is called upon to mercy kill and burn the bodies of the Phoenix prince and his Hawk bodyguard, she demands the highest payment from the Queen - the family's horded collection of Phoenix teeth, which would allow Fie access to Phoenix's fire power. Once outside the palace walls, Fie discovers the royals have faked their deaths, and the Crows are now in grave danger as the Queen hunts them down to reclaim the teeth and kill the prince.

The Merciful Crow pulls from a variety of cultural and historical inspirations to craft a unique and richly detailed world. While many first novels of fantasy series can be bogged down by world building or too much description, the novel expertly shows, not tells, the reader how this world works while keeping the plot constantly moving and having plenty of action. Full of action, adventure, and unique magic, The Merciful Crow is a must-read for fans of fantasy and adventure.

This book was captivating. Once I started reading, I couldn’t stop. The story line was unique, and enchantingly written.
It was full of action and adventure. And the cover is stunning.
I would definitely recommend.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own

This is a book for someone who likes SIX OF CROWS and DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE. It's bound to delight readers in the same way those have. That said, it might get lost as being seen as a remake.

This book was very engaging and kept my interest the entire time. I loved the world building and character development that was shown throughout the book.

This book is amazing. There are so many interesting and unique elements that will appeal to other fans of fantasy. I love the concept of castes named after birds and each group being born with special abilities called Birthrights, minus the Crows, but their people have their own specialty and Fie really shows how great her people can be. The storyline really grips you in and has you rooting for her success.

"Pa was taking too long to cut the boys’ throats."

So begins the tale of sixteen-year-old Fie and her band of Crows, a caste of folks who have to help kill those who are suffering from the plague. It seems Crows are the only people who aren't affected by the plague, so whenever a plague beacon burns, Crows must answer it and help to provide mercy to those who are suffering, burn the bodies, and be on their way. Oh, and none of the other castes really respect the Crows, so this is a very thankless job for them. Even when villages do not pay the price for a mercy killing, the Crows still perform this rite, They live by one rule: Look after your own.

Things go a little crazy after the Crows are called to the palace to collect a dead or dying person from the royal family, the Phoenixes. Things are not always as they seem to be; Fie and the Crows end up smuggling out a runaway/hostage and everything goes from bad to worse. It seems the crown prince and his body double/bodyguard have faked their deaths in order to escape the clutches of an evil queen, so that they can travel to another village where other family can help them.

Along the way, the Crows must carry out more mercy killings and also face attacks by the Oleander Gentry, who are a group of people who ride around the countryside killing Crows (and also while wearing white hoods, which reminded me a lot of the KKK).

Overall, a good read. Parts of it fell flat for me, but overall, it had a good message about staying true to yourself and the importance of family.

Thank you, Netgalley, for the ARC!

Yeah. New favorite. I needed the next one yesterday and now I have to wait. But what an amazing, interesting world. Brutal, heartbreaking, and a bittersweet ending that had me both happy, angry, uneasy, and desperate for more. I can’t wait to see more of everything.

And here we are, eight days after finishing The Merciful Crow, by Margaret Owen. It may not be a fancy starred review, but it’s my review and that means somethin’!

That’s a long time for me to read a book. Eight days is a long time for ONE BOOK. Of course, I did read a couple graphic novels in there to kill my brain. These graphic novels were super good for killing my brain.

Because The Merciful Crow was full of emotion and feeling and things I needed to remember. Things that called me to remember them. Like little things.

But, this is a Rambling Review, so I’m gonna skip around a lot. As I do. All the time.

The Merciful Crow is all about Fie and her band of Crows. Her Pa, Wretch, Swain, Hangdog, and all the others. It’s about a prince and his Hawk. An evil queen and a narcissistic king. It’s about master-generals and Vultures. Plagues and viatiks. Teeth and bones. Castes and cuts. Nails and silk.

There’s a lot of great things stuffed into this story. It’s mainly a story about Fie and her lordlings traveling down a terrible road. A road full of strife and stray cats and plants you can’t eat. She loses and gains and loses so much more. She learns and yearns to forget. Her heart breaks and stitches back together, only to bear scars that won’t quite heal. There are fingers and eyes and flashburn scars in this story. There are relationships that flower and some that explode. Some that simmer quietly like a long-cooking stew, while others ignite in an explosion of hate and rage. Like a Phoenix tooth gone to seed.

There’s a caste system in this book. It’s based on birds. You’ve got your Phoenixes at the top, the ruling class, and they’re immune to fire. Can’t get hurt by it. You’ve got your guard class, the Hawks. Foppish Peacocks and gossiping Swans. Steadfast Sparrows and gusty Gulls. Vicious Vultures and I’d like to think there are maybe some Jays doing something somewhere. Also scholarly Owls. Those are in there, too.

We’ve also got the Crows. While other castes have Birthrights (like the Phoenixes’ immunity to fire, the Swans and their stuff), the Crows are immune to this sinner’s Plague. They don’t have Birthrights. They’re almost forsaken. But the other castes need the Crows to clean up their offal. Their messes. They need the Crows to dole out Mercy where they’re called. They do get paid, sometimes. Livestock, food, sometimes money, sometimes teeth. That’s called viatik.

The Crow chiefs are also witches. There aren’t too many caste witches because there are only 1000, I believe, of the witches at at time. One for each of the 1000 dead gods. Crow chiefs can use teeth for what I call spells. Like magic. They wake up the teeth, can see the lives of those who had these teeth in their mouths, and things happen. Phoenix teeth cause fire. Sparrow teeth can hide a body. Vulture teeth track. That sort of thing. They come in real handy.

Castes save teeth. From babyhood to sometimes even pulling teeth from their dead. They save them.

And the Crows are called. With beacons of smoke that smear the sky, all greasy and oily, a deadened flag in a deadened wind. But the Crows always answer. Or the whole town could die of plague. Then the whole town is burnt up. And the Crows pay.

Then you have the White Oleanders. They’re a group of mixed-caste refuse who run about at night killing Crows. No one stops them. Oh, the castes all know. They just don’t care. Because Crows are lesser. They’re less than Barf the Cat. The Crows are a necessary evil that the castes exploit usually, but then beg for mercy when it’s their time. When it’s convenient for them.

The other castes only care for the Crows when it helps them to do so.

There’s a lot of that in here. And it’s infuriating. But it’s also a way. It’s recognizable even today. I don’t make it a point to go political in my blog because I love books and that’s what I want to write about. But this book. It gets you thinking and stewing.

So we have Fie, a chief-in-training. Her Pa, the chief, and their band of Crows. Things happen, as they do, and Fie is stuck with Jasimir (a prince) and Tavin (his Hawk guard). They do stuff, travel around the continent, revealing secrets and keeping more secrets and revealing other secrets that aren’t theirs to reveal.

It’s a book that everyone needs to read. It doesn’t come out for a fair bit yet, but it’s something everyone needs to read. The language is languid, but also commanding. At first, I was reading much of it as if I were living back in Georgia. Deep, deep southern Georgia. The lazy drawl. Sometimes a sharp twang (that went to Hangdog and only Hangdog because that twang always grated on my Northeastern-born ears, and so did Hangdog). Eventually, that lazy drawl morphed into a punctuated drawl. It was still there, but it wasn’t drawn out and lowing. It was more like a coyote’s howl across that red-clay road.

There’s a love story, but it’s more slow-burning than other YA I’ve read. It progressed well. It wasn’t, “OMG I love you so so so so much!” It was more “we’ve been through all this garbage and I fell in love with you at some point I didn’t notice.” And I like that. Granted, I fell insta-love with my husband way back in 1996 when he beat me at a game of chess. So I don’t mind insta-love as much as most. But this wasn’t insta-love.

I’m gonna say the ending was satisfying. Like you just ate the last bite of your dessert after a good dinner. You’re satisfied, but part of you wants more. But you can wait. For now.

Also Chapter Two. Chapter Two is my favorite chapter. That’s why it’s in the title of this blog post. Because it’s my favorite. The movement and imagery. The righteous, deserved anger. The screeching and scratching and scraping that send shivers down my crooked spine. I shrieked with them. I wiggled my toes. I cringed at the idea of nails on marble, sandpaper rubbing along my spine. But it’s my favorite chapter. Wait until you read it.

Because you will read it. So when you read it, let me know.

When, not if.

This is one of those books that you need a special edition, regular edition, and tons of artwork. The words reach into your brain and stick with you.
Fie is a girl who just wants to be a good Chief to her group of Crows. She does not want to be mixed up in the affairs of people who don't care about her or the suffering of her caste. So when she is thrown in with a prince and his double things can only go downhill.
From enemies to lovers, to strong female leads, strange usage of teeth, and a disease that could kill everyone this book has something for everyone.
If you haven't placed this on your TBR you will miss out on one of summers biggest fantasy titles.

*Spoiler free, I'm not sure how many stars*

Another crow book! They are popping up all over the place these days, but I can't complain since they are such interesting creatures. I haven't heard too much about this one, but the cover really drew me in. Plus, the synopsis sounded really fierce and blood thirsty, so I wanted to give it a try!

I honestly don't know what I think about this book. I loved it. I truly did, but my feelings toward it are tangled up. I loved the overall plot and the book as a whole, but there were aspects that weren't my favorite and I can't seem to figure out if they hurt my overall enjoyment or not.

The writing style is very, very different than what I am used to. It reads like an adult book (which I will talk about more later) and the dialect that the characters use takes a lot of getting used too. But, once I settled into the writing style, I really enjoyed it. I thought it was unique and something different. It fit the world really well and once I got a handle on it, it was really cool to read.

The hierarchy in this book is so confusing. Honestly, I've finished the book and I still don't fully understand it. There are different castes of people, all named after birds. I thought that was really clever and I really liked that part. They all have different magical talents. Which caste has which talent, I couldn't tell you. I couldn't even tell you which one caste was higher than another, besides a few. The book sort of throws you into this world and expects you'll keep up with everything that's going on. I got a general handle on everything around the middle of the book, but it's definitely confusing. It's so complicated, that I just couldn't figure out some details. I didn't know if certain scenes made sense because I didn't have a handle on the magic system.

I wish this would have been an adult book. I really wish it could have been a NA book, but that's wishful thinking since that is in the very beginning stages of blooming. It's dark and very mature. It does have some YA vibes toward it, but I do wish the characters could have been aged up to make it adult or it was just marketed as adult.

Despite my problems with it, I loved it a whole lot. Once I got used to the world and met characters, it got really awesome. I thought Fie, Jas, and Tavin would have POVs because of the synopsis, but it's just Fie telling the story. I'm not sure if I would have liked for Jas and Tavin to have POVs, but Fie was awesome and I didn't mind not having other narrators! Fie is tough. She wants to do right by herself and by her people. She also wants other things, but she knows those probably aren't in the cards for her. She clawed her way through her journey and made herself someone to admire. She's going to make, and is, a great leader.

This world is brutal. It's bloody and plague ridden and a disaster. I liked seeing it all come together and I loved how Fie and everybody traveled through a whole lot of it throughout the book. You're able to get a good look at a lot of aspects and put together a good picture of what this world is really like.

The romance was also really good. It was definitely a slow burn and a enemies-to-lovers! It should be interesting to see how it plays out in the next book!

This book had so much in it, and it seems like the second book is going to have so much more. It sounds like it's going to flesh everything out even more and turn everything upside down. I can't wait to see these characters again with their humor, their flaws, and their strengths. I can't wait to see them grow even more and how this world changes.

Oh my gosh, this book was brilliant. I had so many questions while reading the book that got answers eventually. After being let down by other books that leave those questions unanswered this was such a nice change. Fie was a character I came to love. The boys quickly grew on me though it still feels like the Prince never got fully fleshed out. Heck, I can't even remember his name now after finishing the book yesterday. Out of everything that is the only criticism I can give this book is the fact that he needed just a bit more growth. Other than that one fact this was a gorgeous ride with a world that was built up so well I easily gave a description of it to my father from memory because it stuck with me so well.

I honestly did struggle through this book... the first half nothing was going on.... they where just in the middle of the journey so much description.... this book is very story driven I do tend to prefer character driven books i don’t think this characters had much of a growth besides Tav. Jas was a very whinney prince till towards the end when he came to except fie. And Fie has very minor growth she knows what she wants and then her father telling her that it’s fine but you still have to be chief... ummm okay..... I did enjoy this story but honestly will it stick in my mind for years to come? No, I might be able to pick this book up next year and it’ll be like new too me... I hope book 2 is a little stronger. This I did like was the romance bits we where tossed, how different this world was from many I’ve seen/ read of before.... gotta say my favorite character was the cat barf lol if you like stories with a thick story base this is for you

Fie is a member of the Crow caste. Hated and reviled they bring mercy to those bearing the plague. When her troop is called into the Phoenix caste castle to deal with plague victims they get more than they bargained for and a promise that they can not break. When her troop is taken and friends are killed, it will be up to her to save not just the Crows, but her kingdom. This book was fun. I really enjoyed the intrigue and danger that followed Fie and her band. I've always thought the old plague masks were creepily cool and loved their incorporation into the mythology of this world. 5 stars!