Veronica Roth’s newest release is 36 hour quest fantasy filled with bargains, curses, folkloric creatures, and secretZZZ all tied together in an amusingly discordant urban setting. But well… it was fine.

Before I get into it, I will say Roth does have some moments of brilliance.

In her ideas - A race of holy knights who sheath swords into the vertebrae of their spines. :)

In her descriptions - “The leszy has the body of a man stretched beyond its capacity—long arms that end in big, clawed hands; sturdy, split hooves; and a stag’s skull as a head. His staff is the size of a sapling. Moss grows on his broad, flat shoulders, and flowers bloom in his eye sockets.”

In her dialogue - “You’ve chosen your own punishment. You think your victims will be satisfied by your suffering? You want to wander the earth in pain, but suffering isn’t atonement.”

Other positives - I was entertained overall. The pacing was good (& I would hope so for a novella) and the characters (cough mostly just Niko) had me decently intrigued. There’s also some angst in the air with strong themes around community and family.

Now for my whining :)

I don’t know if this story was quite long enough to evoke the emotions in me that it was trying to. You spend under 36 hours with these characters and it kinda felt like it. I know that novellas CAN make me feel things -see my Empress of Salt and Fortune review which I just read before this- so this fell flat in comparison.

The lore / mechanics of the magic system was often a whole lot of “magic is magic, it be magical like that”. I’d rather you not try to explain it to me then maybe.

There was a good amount of telling and not showing… for this style of novella maybe that was necessary, but I was super aware of it when we were getting info dumped.

I’ve seen others say that some of the meat of this story is commentary on Christian imperialism. I see the rumblings of that commentary with the evil Holy Order that just blindly kills “creatures”, but then Roth just kind of leaves it at that? Either the subtlety went over my head or the commentary wasn’t clear/ deep enough. I think if this was a series then I’d hold my fire here but I have so many questions about these malicious knights and basically no answers. I would have liked to see… more? maybe some actual ramifications instead of… whatever that ending was.

I’m open to hearing thoughts on this last point though!

Thank you NetGalley for this earc!

I was so excited to find out there was a new book by Veronica Roth! When Among Crows is a novella that gives the introduction to this new world Roth is crafting. The way this book starts off, immediately with a journey that the characters have to go through, had me completely immersed. The Polish folklore was very interesting to read about, especially with Roth's take on it. I can't wait to explore more from this world with what will hopefully become a series.

Great narrator, just wasn't my taste. From the first words I knew the style wouldn't be to my liking. Too literary for me, and I wasn't able to picture the characters or what was happening. I think literary fiction or mythology lovers will like this one, but it was over my head.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC and the ALC.

I wasnt expecting this to be A) a novella very fleshed out with Slavic creatures and B) gay.

Listening to this book was phenomenal. I enjoyed the cast of narrators that made it quite lovely to listen to. It made the POV switches much more entertaining and in depth.

For this story overall, it was really fleshed out and well rounded with magic/culture of it for such a short book. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this, but if that’s the level of world she brings for a novella - I want more of the is adult work she brings.

It was nice being able to finish this book in a day.

For such a short novella, this one is certainly full of all the things that I usually enjoy in a full length book. Wonderfully complex and sympathetic characters, a plot that kept you guessing and amazing world building. This also is the second book this year that I read that was based on Slavic mythology, specifically the vampire like creatures, strzyga. that feed off of human feelings.

The story is centered around Dymitr’s quest to find Baba Jaga, but why exactly he wants to find her is not fully revealed until the end. I really liked Dymitr, he is sort of an antihero, in that he seeks out the help of those he is sworn to destroy, and you are not really sure of his motives in doing so. Was he going to befriend them or kill them in the end? That question was what kept me riveted to this story.

The two characters he recruits to his cause were also very complex, and whose motives I questioned throughout the story. I liked Ala, a zmora who feeds off pain. She reluctantly agrees to help Dymitr only because he holds the key to breaking her curse. That curse was very interesting and different from anything I’ve read before. Niko, a strzyga, is also drawn into Dymitr’s orbit, and I found myself questioning his motives for most of the story. But motives aside, I still really liked him and was hoping he would turn out to be good instead of evil.

The world building was wonderful. There was a seamlessness in the way the author incorporated the supernatural into the real world of Chicago. I loved how the different categories of creatures had different rolls in the real world. Like those creatures that feed on sadness ran a hospice. The descriptions of the city were also well done and made you feel like you were there.

For such a short book the author covers a lot of themes. Not only of redemption and atonement, but also ones of pain and regret in the choices we make for ourselves and the ones made for us. This was also a commentary on what makes a monster, and how your upbringing influences your perceptions of the world and the people in it.

This was such a dark and well written urban fantasy that I would love to see broadened into a full length novel, or at the least a series of novellas. There is so much depth to this story and the settings and characters would certainly lend themselves to something bigger. I highly recommend that you pick this one up.

I think this is the most confused I have ever been after reading a book. The storyline was so difficult to follow. I totally understand now why most fantasy books are so long because so much of this stuff really needs to be fleshed out. Packed into this novella was a lot of Polish folklore that I found really interesting, but things were moving so quickly that I had no idea what was happening for most of the story. I also didn’t really feel any connection to any of the characters for the same reason and think this may have been better served as a longer length novel.

This is the first Veronica Roth book I've read since Allegiant broke my 16 year old self's heart, but I'd been hearing good things about this one and wanted to give it a shot.

On the whole, I think I really enjoyed this. The lore and mythology were super intriguing, and I felt like it managed to add a lot of nuance even within the short amount of time it had. I felt like the twist was just well-foreshadowed enough that I was able to pick up on it before it was revealed and catch some of the hints towards it, but it wasn't done in a way that was so obvious as to feel cheap.

I also really enjoyed the different character dynamics and levels of strain within all of their relationships. While I don't think this book quite had the time to set them up to a point where they could be called found-family, I do think that's clearly the direction it was intended to head, and I can head-canon that it's what the characters would eventually become.

I also shouldn't be surprised at how much Veronica Roth's writing has improved since I read her books from 10 years ago, but I was really impressed with the overall craft of this book. You'll never catch me saying that the writing in Divergent was bad, as I've gone back to it as an adult and still think it holds up, but you can tell how much her writing has matured since then. I really wouldn't have known this book was written by the same author if it hadn't been her name on the cover.

While obviously I knew from the start that this is a novella, and thus there is only so much page time to do so many things, I wish this book had been a bit longer. There were some elements — especially at the end — that felt a bit rushed, and I think that I could have gotten really deeply attached to this world and these characters if I'd had more page time to do so. That said, I do think this book as a whole does a decent job of pacing within the page time it had, so there's only so much I can fault it for being the short story it was intended to be. I think that if you're a fan of Ava Reid or Neil Gaiman, this is definitely a novella you should try.

This magical realism novella will hook students with the in-depth characters and descriptive language. Thank you NetGalley for this early read. My only complaint is that it wasn’t longer! I needed more of Dymitr, Ala, and Niko.

3.5/5 stars

I've read every book by Veronica Roth since Divergent and immediately wanted a piece of this urban fantasy with Slavic lore. Although, I found the premise to being inviting and well done, overall it just felt as though something was missing. With more world building and plot growth this would have been a knockout for me. My lower rating and cons are largely due to this being a novella, instead of a longer novel.

The vibes were similar to books like, Daughter of Smoke and Bone & The Book Eaters. Similarities such as the overall darkness, Slavic influence, and monsters. As always the writing was fast-paced and kept me enthralled until the very end. The characters were well developed, as much as they could be within less than 200 pages. The main character Dymitr is flawed, but has many redeeming qualities and was quite likable. The romance was a bit insta-love for my taste and felt a bit disingenuous because of that.

As a whole it was an enjoyable read and would still recommend giving it a try.

This was such a fun story!

I haven't read anything by Roth since the Divergent series, but this really impressed me. The characters were really delightful, and I loved the world that she built here. I would LOVE a full length novel (or two) set in this world. It's a concept that I have seen before, mythological creatures hiding in plain sight amongst modern society, but this was done in a really unique way. I loved the ride that she took me on, and I very much enjoyed every second. In a novella, there's not a lot of room for extras, but Roth somehow manages to make this world feel lush, these characters fully realized, and this story intriguing. Very well done!

I waited a little to write this review, and none of my opinions have shifted. This novella is brilliant. Inspired by Slavic folklore, Roth launches you into an alternate Chicago full of magic, witches, monsters, and adventure. This story is for the Zuko lovers, a story of redemption and atonement. Beyond heartwarming. The attachment I have to each of our main characters is unnatural, especially given the length of time we spend with them. Every sentence, every word, carefully crafted by Roth. I hope to see more from this world, and left completely satisfied.

Veronica Roth has such a fantastic economy of language. It can be descriptive, interesting, even occasionally whimsical but it never feels like a waste. CROWS is a novella, so from beginning to end it is rather short; we know one of the big reveals from the beginning (or at least, it’s not necessarily supposed to be a surprise for us when it comes out) and that saves us all from the need to obfuscate it. Instead, we focus on our trio, on building trust and seeing magic for what it is.

And the ending truly is that. Magic.

Though there’s one part where an entire scene is repeated verbatim from two perspectives in a row, which was weird - it would have been different if we got a little bit of an internal monologue/reaction from the two different observers, but honestly this did not hinder my experience enough to be much of a concern. I just found it a strange choice.

Interesting story and the blend of fantasy with Polish folklore. This is a well developed and detailed short read. Recommended for readers who enjoy Leigh Bardugo.

Thank you @torbooks #partner for the gifted eARC!

“Step into a city where monsters feast on human emotions, knights split their souls to make their weapons, and witches always take more than they give.”

This was a fun action packed novella set in none other than the place I live, Chicago! I loved the world building and friendships made! Friendships seem to be so much meaningful when they are made in an unlikely and unexpected fashion! I’ve read Divergent by this author and LOVED it so was excited to have the chance to read this one as well. As in Divergent, Veronica writes with such rich and vivid descriptions it’s easy to be drawn into her world in what ultimately was an atmospheric read for me! I am certainly looking forward to what she writes next!

WHEN AMONG CROWS is a dark urban fantasy by Veronica Roth. It's quite a departure from the DIVERGENT series and has a lot of fun and fantastical Slavic lore. I'm Slavic, so I was so DOWN! That said, I must admit...it took me a MOMENT (or four), to get into the story...and by the time it ended, I wasn't really emotionally invested in the characters, or the plot. I do think this makes an excellent blueprint for a full length fantasy because I think it could've benefited greatly in terms of the characters and the world building elements. The story did have a great atmosphere, it just felt a bit convoluted and the prose didn't flow as well as I would've liked it to. Thank you NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Drawing from Slavic folklore, the concept of power residing within a freely given name is explored. This power can be wielded for malevolent purposes, allowing individuals to curse others through their own names.

Ala's life is marked by an inherited burden of pain, while Dymitr's calling is intrinsically linked to pain. United, they embark on a mission to break Ala's curse and put an end to her haunting visions. However, Dymitr's existence is shrouded in secrecy, concealing a hidden identity.

A proverb encapsulates the essence of their journey: "When surrounded by crows, one must adapt and mimic their cawing."

Thank you @netgalley and @tor/forge for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Did I read this just because I loved Divergent when I read it years ago? Yes. Did I end up enjoying this? Also, yes! This is a novella, so it’s shorter, but I found that refreshing in a world of really long fantasy books. I enjoyed the urban setting in present day Chicago, but with folklore that made it still magical and timeless. I would recommend this book!

A gorgeously vivid novella set in a Chicago divided between humans and creatures from Polish folklore, When Among Crows follows Dymitr as he seeks to break a curse and seek absolution for his past. Along the way, he meets a zmora named Ala and a strzygon named Niko, forming unlikely bonds that test his commitment to his ultimate goal.

This novella is short but packs an incredible punch. I was immersed in the world right from the beginning, and Roth's writing style is captivating, at once sparse and gorgeous. I very much enjoyed the story and the ways in which Roth utilized creatures from Polish legend, but the true draw for me was how richly developed her characters were. They all had a sense of history to them, and the way they come together is ultimately beautiful. I hope that Roth returns to this world again, because I'm ravenous for more, especially with the pitch-perfect ending of this novella--it's ripe for a follow-up that examines the characters living in the aftermath.

One of the best novellas I've read in years, hands down--I know that I'll be returning to this one time and time again.

This urban fantasy novella is set in modern-day Chicago, but is infused with Polish folklore and paranormal elements.

There are three types of creatures haunting the streets of Chicago - the zmora, the strzyga, and the llorona (or banshee) - that feed off of fear and provoke sorrow in people. (You can read more about the role these creatures play in Polish mythology on this website. https://discovercracow.com/top-20-most-scary-polish-folklore-creatures/ ) The Holy Order is an organization that hunts them down in order to kill them. Membership in the Holy Order requires tremendous courage and sacrifice.

We first meet a member of the Holy Order named Dymitr, who wants to escape from the horrifying requirements of life in the organization. In addition to members facing the monsters, the Holy Order splits their souls to make their swords; they have to wrench them from a sheath of vertebrae every time they fight. It is not a desirable life, and Dymitr believes he can free himself of it by finding the witch Baba Jaga.

Ala, a young zmora who is also unhappy with her life, agrees to help Dymitr if he in turn helps her break her own curse. To do so she needs to obtain the magical fern flower, which blooms only once a year for 36 hours.

Perceptions and misperceptions characterize both sides of the eternal war in this book. The nonhumans are powerful, and yet regard the Holy Order as “the bogeyman of the bogeymen.” In the same way, Dymitr reflects, members of the Holy Order are taught to fear and loathe Baba Jaga and the monsters.

Throughout the story, contemporary references and paranormal elements are interwoven to add an interesting appeal to the story. Of course there will be romance, and, like Beauty and the Beast, there will be commentary on the nature of monstrosity and how it varies by those who perceive and preconceive of it.

Evaluation: Roth is an excellent writer and knows how to appeal to young adult audiences, or indeed any reader who appreciates complicated romance. The book will also appeal to fans of stories that draw on Slavic folklore to enhance the dynamic between fate and free will.

Really enjoyed this one, and a fun departure for Veronica Roth! I loved the mix of Polish mythology with modern day Chicago. This wold felt a lot bigger, so my only note is that I wish this had been longer!