Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

My first thought on opening this book was "Oh, it's a novella!" I don't know why that surprised me so much, but the timing was actually perfect as I'm mostly reading shorter books right now to try to build back my attention span.

My second thought was, "Damn, I love Slavic folklore." This book was engaging and built such a beautiful,, fully realized world in only 166 pages (163, really, if you take the acknowledgements out), which was quite a feat that the author should be applauded for. Overall, it was a wonderful read that had me engrossed from beginning to end (and can help pad those reading goal numbers at the end of the year, since it's nice and short).

Fantastic premise, solid pacing, but I wish there was more room for worldbuilding and character development. It felt like a book that had originally been twice as long and then was cut down to fit some arbitrary page count without regard to the overarching effects of those cuts. Gorgeous, but incomplete.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publishers for providing me with a digital copy of this book to review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishing company for this Digital Advanced Readers Copy! I thoroughly enjoyed it!

This brief book was a great introduction into a world that I want to know more about and have more adventures in. I enjoyed the characters and the mythology. I only wish there were a little more explanation about the mythic creatures and their history and more story! Very brief but tantalizing taste.

Great novella. I loved the prose, the characters, and the mythology used. (It helps being a Witcher fan of novel or gaming background - or simply just being Polish-adjacent!) The romance is NOT front and center - while the attraction is important, it's not the point. Guilt, revenge, hatred, responsibility, damage (from society, family, and self) and how one deals with it. The 3 MCs with intertwined lives (both knowingly and unknowingly) are people I felt I knew and understood - even liked on some/many levels. I recommend this to anyone wanting a good, gory, dark, yet (to me at least) uplifting story. Brava Ms. Roth! I hope there will be more in this world and for these characters.

I've no idea what Veronica Roth puts in her short stories that makes them sit with me for a while but they always do. The pacing felt exactly right and yet I still devoured it

I don’t know what I expected from When Among Crows, but it definitely wasn’t this. Veronica Roth, known for her dystopian Divergent series and the urban fantasy Chosen Ones, delivers something entirely unique with this novella. It's a fast-paced, gripping story steeped in rich, atmospheric folklore, with an emphasis on Polish myths and legends that felt fresh and exciting. I loved how Roth chose to explore lesser-known elements of Eastern European folklore, which gave the story a distinctive flavor as opposed to the more mainstream mythological references we're used to seeing in fantasy.
The writing is sharp, and I was consistently hooked on the main character's journey, uncovering secrets at every turn. The story is masterfully layered—there’s a particular mystery surrounding one character’s identity that had me suspicious, but I just kept circling back to the first chapter, knowing there was more than met the eye. Roth keeps you guessing right until the end.
While When Among Crows is wildly different from Roth’s previous works, the shift to fantasy and myth worked brilliantly. It’s a shame this is just a novella, because the world and characters left me wanting more. I can only hope that she continues to explore this genre in future, especially in longer formats. It's a tantalizing glimpse of what she can achieve with folklore and fantasy, and I’d love to see her dive deeper into it.

A beautifully written story that weaves in folk tales in a magical way. Fast paced, entrancing, and pensive. Worth of a read if you are into magical realism and are tired of the usual magical players in the game.

As a fan of Divergent from a very young age, I was super excited for a new Veronica Roth to ignite my inner young adult! She never fails to transfer me into a completely new world. I completely lost myself in this book and these characters, especially Ala. Loved it!

As always, so in love with Veronica's talent of world crafting and morphing the inspiration into a completely unique form! This was no less amazing than Poster Girl (which is one of my faves ever!) and I wish the book would have been longer.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Though When Among Crows is a novella I felt as though it was a pretty decently told, full story. There was just enough detail and time to really learn about the characters and feel their motivations.

I liked the representation of all the different types of folklore and how some of the traditions were almost turned on their heads (i.e. that the "monsters" aren't always necessarily the monstrous ones.)

“We bear the sword and we bear the pain of the sword”
“I don’t find it painful to be ordinary.”
“”Suffering isn’t atonement”

Would you recommend this book?
Absolutely! When Among Crows packs such a big punch for being a short story. The characters and world building seem so effortless to understand while also diving you deep into the lore of their world. You see just how far one will go to atone for their wrongdoing. It’s a quick and wild ride making you feel all the feels!

Would you be friends with the main character IRL?
While they are wonderful characters for the story at hand, my answer is absolutely not! Too much pain and angst to go around for me. I hope they can find some happiness!

What songs would you put on this book’s playlist?
“Reflection” – Tool
“Need” – Geographer
“Paralyzed” – NF

Mood Readers:
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth is great for someone looking for a short book to wet their pallet. The story is well rounded, characters are engaging, and the end wraps everything up nicely.

. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

When Among Crows is one of my top five books of 2024, and no one is more shocked than I am.

A "36 hour side quest" novella from the author of Divergent was not on my bingo list for favourite literature of the year, that's for sure, but by god, she knocked it out of the park. I need several sequels, please. I'm begging.

Slavic and Polish folklore are familiar to me in passing, but the amount of genuine culture given to each of the "monster" species in this story made me fall in love with the entire world Roth was building under the towering skyscrapers of Chicago. I'm a sucker for mythology. I'm a sucker for urban fantasy. I love novellas, tragic gay characters, and deconstruction of religious propaganda. This packed all of that into about 120 pages and I devoured it in under an hour, reread it, and then cried when I googled and found out that Roth has zero intention of continuing writing stories in this world.

The leszy at the very beginning of the story, accompanied by the noonwraith, knocked me flat on my back. I went into When Among Crows without even reading the synopsis--- title has crows, cover has a sword, page length is <200. Sold. But wow, I have never been grabbed so fiercely or quickly by a book before.

I fell in love with the world, and the monsters, and the human man trying to right the wrongs of his entire religious heritage singlehandedly. By curing one innocent woman's curse, he hopes to relieve a fraction of the guilt he carries, guilt that is inherently linked to the horrific white sword stored inside of his spine. A literal weight on his back that he feels at all times. His gently blossoming friendship with Ala, his swiftly blooming feelings for Niko, the secrets all three of them carry, right up to the door of the powerful and mysterious Baba Jaga.

How is it possible to fall in love with three people who aren't real, who don't exist, and who only have one hundred and twenty pages of life? Explain it to me, Roth. How did you do this?

When Among Crows is quite possibly one of my favourite books I've ever read, and I think I'll be picking it up again and again in the future.

Among the Crows is a fast but fascinating and fun read and I’m pleased to say that Veronica Roth manages to uphold her world building through her execution here. There’s a lot of whimsicality I love, such as the flower that ‘unravels most curses but it can only be touched by mortal hands,’ meaning those who need it can’t obtain it but those who obtain it likely have no use for it (this becomes an essential part of the ideas on trust and if the aid of another is truly selfless or earnest), or objects that will kill those who touch them but without it one will die. The puzzles and paradoxes are fun, the urban fantasy is exciting, and we even get a brief queer romance that will make you say “aww.” A worthwhile read full of magic.

honestly takes a bit to get into but once you do! absolutely engaging and riveting. i would love to see more works set in this world.

a cool concept that fell a bit flat in execution. I'm always down for more Baba Jaga media, so I was a little disappointed that I wasn't in love with this. perhaps this just isn't the writer for me!

Character development is another area where the book struggles. The protagonists and supporting characters are introduced with a lot of potential but remain largely one-dimensional. Their motivations and growth arcs feel forced and underdeveloped, leaving readers with little emotional investment in their fates. The dialogue, too, lacks the sharpness and authenticity needed to bring these characters to life. I am a bit disappointed.

How could a list of the books to read this month not include a Veronica Roth new release? This Slavic folklore inspired fantasy examplifies Veronica’s generous worldbuilding. It also showcases her excellent ability to create characters we deeply root for.

In the world of When Among Crows, monsters are real. They walk among us. They are also … Polish?

You bet. This is the Slavic folklore urban fantasy you didn’t know you needed. Come for the nightmare creatures, stay for the surprisingly touching exploration of heritage, family, and identity.

Dymitr is a man on a mission. He’s got to meet with Baba Jaga. Yes, that’s right, she of the house with chicken feet. She who flies through the night sky in a giant mortar and pestle. Normal people don’t want to meet up with legendarily powerful witches who would very much enjoy ruining your life. Dymitr isn’t exactly normal. He’s got a tolerance (and, dare I say, a penchant) for pain far beyond that of an ordinary person. He’s also able to see the not-quite-human creatures running around Chicago.

Joining Dymitr on his quest for Baba Jaga is Ala, a zmora with a curse, and Niko, a supernaturally gorgeous strzygon. There’s lots of Polish terminology tossed around here, but basically Ala feeds on fear, and Niko on anger.

Each of our three main characters struggles with their heritage and identity in some way. Ala’s mother did not teach her Polish, so Ala remains slightly apart from her community. Niko is a rare male strzyga, a bit of an outcast among outcasts. And Dymitr is Ala’s opposite, a Polish man recently come to America.

I grew up just north of Chicago, and would take the train down to the city as often as I could. I enjoyed slinking around this version of the city with Dymitr, gathering allies in old theaters and abandoned steel mills. My great-grandmother was also Polish, and the city where I grew up was basically half-Polish, half-Italian. My great-grandmother died many years before I was born, so I never had a chance to speak with her and ask her about Poland. I am like many Americans, trying to piece myself together from a grab bag of cultures. Like Ala, I sometimes wonder if I can say I’m part Polish if I don’t know anything about the language or culture. Like Dymitr, I labor under the load of good ol’ Slavic guilt. I can’t say I gained any new insight about myself, but I appreciate that the book sparked some self-reflection.

Anyway. I’d recommend this to any urban fantasy fan, but those with connections to the Chicago area will particularly enjoy it.