This is a short novella with the story revolving around Dymitr who makes a deadly journey to pluck a flower that’s impossible for a mortal. The story then moves us through a variety of mythical creatures on whom Dymitr has to rely on to accomplish his goal which is intertwined with his hidden identity. Dark and unpredictable, this story takes you into a world of regret, hope, mythology, a found family, and hint of a romance. I wasn’t familiar with most of the creatures mentioned so I had to google them and they are indeed a fascinating bunch! The character descriptions were refreshing as they were new to me. I do not want to meet any of them for real though.

It seems to me that the plot is rather open even with the ending so maybe this is sneak peak to a series? I’d definitely keep an eye out if that’s the case as the characters, premise and dynamics are well worth the hype. I hope we see more of these characters in the future.

Thank you Tor books for my e-ARC. All opinions are of my own.

“𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬” 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

★ ★ ★ ★ ☆

*I usually post the synopsis right here but I think this is a great book to go into blind, so I’ll let you all make that choice for yourself!*


As I said, I went into this having no idea what to expect and read the synopsis after I finished, and I’m so glad I did because I think the not knowing made it even better. This was a great story with such neat magic, I truly only wish it was longer and some parts were more fleshed out (sitting at less than 200 pages it was definitely short for my tastes). Veronica Roth is a great storyteller and I overall really enjoyed this one.

Thank you to @torbooks and @netgalley for my review copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own. 𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐬 is our 5/14!

Excellent novella about trying for redemption. Slavic mythology isn’t the most common choice in urban fantasy so that gives it a fresh feel too. Not a paranormal romance so if that’s your preferred flavor of urban fantasy it might not be your first choice. But it would be well worth reading anyway if you prefer your fantasy character driven.

3 ⭐️

The writing in ‘When Among Crows’ was great, but the story just wasn’t for me. I would still recommend this book though!

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for allowing me to read this book

This was a deeply dark, whimsical, and magical story. I really liked that in such a short amount of space, Roth built an entire world with systems in place, yet it didn't feel overwhelming or take up most of the story.

Dymitr is on a quest to find an impossible flower, and to find the elusive Baba Jaga. His motivations and goals are secret, but along the way he shares pieces of himself with his companions, Niko and Ala.

This was hauntingly beautiful, and an examination of what it means to be whole, and to redeem yourself in your own eyes versus the eyes of others.

Veronica Roth's novella "When Among Crows" is a captivating journey into a world where folklore and modernity collide, earning a solid four stars in my book. From the moment I cracked it open, I was entranced by the rich tapestry of Polish and Slavic mythology woven seamlessly into the narrative.

What truly sets this novella apart is its cast of characters, each one as multifaceted as a jigsaw puzzle piece, fitting together to create a compelling story. Dymitr, burdened with guilt, exudes raw emotion that leaps off the page, while Ala and Niko add depth and complexity to the ensemble. Roth's masterful storytelling effortlessly integrates their pasts into the present, making their motivations feel deeply personal and relatable.

But it's not just the characters that shine—Roth's passion for folklore is evident in every word, infusing the story with a sense of wonder and magic. The exploration of heritage and identity through the lens of folklore adds layers of depth to an already captivating tale.

While the novella may have benefited from a bit more exploration of the found-family dynamic hinted at, the overall pacing is spot-on, keeping readers engaged from start to finish. And despite its brevity, "When Among Crows" manages to pack an emotional punch that lingers long after the final page.

In short, "When Among Crows" is a magical whirlwind of a novella—a story of redemption, family, and the power of folklore to shape our lives. With its vivid characters and enchanting world-building, it's a must-read for fans of urban fantasy and folklore alike.

Thank you to the publisher for the gifted (free) ARC

If Veronica writes it, I’ll give it a read.

When Among Crows is definitely for the fantasy lovers out there, of which I myself am just venturing into. I didn’t love the characters, so it made it somewhat difficult to really get into the story. I didn’t feel I could really connect with them.

I think someone who truly loves the genre would be more appreciative of the story than I was, and would enjoy the adventures it held.

I'm not that big of a fan of urban fantasy, but I really enjoyed this one. The writing, lore, and characters were great. My only complaint is that I wish this were flushed out a bit more to be a full length story! Some of the literary devices used to move the story along were cliche, and had this been a full-length book, maybe could have been avoided.

This was a fantastic novella set in a fictional world. I would have loved if this had been a full length book. So good and fast paced.

I really didn’t understand any of this. I couldn’t get interested in it. I did love the Divergent series though.

Unfortunately I had to DNF this pretty early on, which is rather sad for me. I loved everything this had going for it and I like Veronica's other works, but this just did not hook me and it took me forever to get into the story. Then graphic nail torture was on page and thats something I just cant handle, along with eye piercing.

When I saw Veronica Roth was releasing a new fantasy novella I was SO EXCITED. While I do often find it difficult to fully rate and review novellas because of the length, I was very impressed with how much I enjoyed this novella, considering Roth had to world build and have a plot all in a mere 176 pages.

When Among Crows is set in Chicago, following three main characters: Dymitr, Niko, and Ala. Each character carries a burden that has been passed down to them through generations. I loved the setting of an urban Chicago filled with all the mystical folklorian characters and elements you may expect. The pacing of this novella was incredible, going from heartbreaking moments between characters confronting their inner demons and past, then to bloody gory moments of action and fighting. There were many important themes in this novella that Roth managed to reflect on. I honestly found myself wishing that this novella would have been a full book, to have more chapters and time with each of the characters, although I thought Roth did a good job of fleshing them out in a limited amount of time. This was a great start for Roth's adult fantasy debut and I'm excited to see what she does in the future!!

Thank you to Tor books for sending me this free advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for providing the ARC.

What a great novella!

I have been on such a huge Urban fantasy kick lately, and even though this was a novella, I did not feel like anything was lacking. In fact, one thing that I feel the fantasy genre suffers from as a whole is long-winded exposition and this book, due to its length, gets you right into the action. There was sufficient world building and character development for the length and I felt completely drawn into the story. It was such a quick read, but I did not walk away feeling like the story was unfinished.

Perfect if you want a quick urban fantasy read without all the exposition. Great if you like gritty fairy tales

I am a bit sore I have to dnf WHEN AMONG CROWS at 39%, but only a bit, and I think that is unfortunately a sign of a few of the problems I was having while reading.

This novella has such an interesting premise that really kept me going. I loved the elements of Slavic folklore and how the narrative didn't shy away from them. I also normally enjoy magic centered around pain, but graphic nail gore is one of the few things I just can't read, which led to my very sudden DNF. I liked pretty much every other aspect of the mystical misery, though there was something missing, though at least it wasn't bad enough for me to dnf sooner? I wish I was more experienced or smart enough to put my finger on it, but the book didn't hook me the way I wanted it to. Dymitr is normally a character I would be obsessed with, but something about the writing didn't dive deep enough into it for me. Ala was very cool, at least.

Overall, I'll wonder what I missed out on, but I'm okay waiting for a review with spoilers or for someone I know to read this.

Thank you, NetGalley, Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Dymitr is part of a long line of hunters, who sacrificed their souls to slay monsters. Now in order to kill the legendary witch Baba Jaga, he's forced to ally with the one he's sworn to kill. On the other side, Ala is a fear-eating zmora and she's slowly waiting for her death, for her curse. When Dmitr offers the cure in exchange for her help, she is ready to accept. They will have to fight against time and the wrath of Chicago's underworld, with Dmitr's secrets ready to destroy them all.

When among crows is a book you will devour, not only because it's very short, but mostly because it's captivating and alluring. The setting is so intriguing, a modern fairytale, a monster hunter and a monster forced to strike a deal. It's intriguing, fascinating and so well written you feel like you're there with Ala and Dmitr! Inspired by Slavic folklore, is a story about redemption and atonement, longing and loss, love and more.
So recommended!

the perfect novella for folklore & fantasy lovers!

“when among crows” gives us a fresh take on modern folklore by pulling from Polish folktales. i absolutely loved learning about the creatures & monsters, especially the dynamics between the characters who come from various backgrounds and are forced to band together. fans of the grishaverse and the shadowhunters books will be absolutely captivated!

for such a short story (under 200 pages) i was pleasantly surprised at how detailed and well organized the overall plot was. this truly feels like a dark, gritty, fairytale come to life.

thank you to Tor and Netgalley for the advance copy & audiobook!

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-arc! easy 4/5 stars, veronica roth I wasn't familiar with your game (I read divergent when it came out and never finished the series) BUT NOW I AM

literally cannot believe this was only a novella because there was so much going on in a way that just absolutely swept me in. I adore urban fantasy and I think veronica roth did an amazing job of world building because she was able to introduce all the core elements of the world in a way that made sense and was captivating at the same time. a lot of the time with fantasy and world building, there tends to be an element of confusion that's done on purpose because the author wants to slowly peel back the layers of a character or a certain event, and this is an area that some authors can get wrong, whether it's because their world building isn't quite strong enough or because they haven't laid everything out in a clear enough way. roth does an impeccable job here with that - she slowly peels back the mysteries surrounding the main characters in a way that is not only well paced but makes perfect sense and still manages to suck you in and want to keep going to see who these characters really are. I'm actually kind of amazed at how much I grew to like and root for the characters in such a sort span of time, I've also never read a fantasy based so centrally on slavic mythology and folklore, and this really was a breath of fresh air - I loved seeing all the elements of it infused into modern day life. overall, this was a fantasy novella that absolutely sucked me in and had me by the THROAT for the entirety of the time I was reading it, and I'm adding my voice to the chorus of reviewers saying that I would have LOVED for this to have been a full length novel, if only to get a little more time with the characters, especially towards the end

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth is darkly beautiful and rich in Slavic mythology. As soon as I began reading, I was struck by the evocative language and the voice of the characters. I loved how Dmityr’s true purpose is obscured from the others but I also found his resolution and determination riveting. The curse that strikes Ala is heartbreaking and wrenching. How she interacts with Dmityr is intriguing especially after she discovers his true purpose.
One of the most powerful aspects of the story is how it addresses redemption and atonement as Dmityr interacts with those who are inhuman, both Ala and Nikos, as he discovers affection for those so different from himself. I also love how the novel addresses the supernatural aspects, Ala’s powers and Dmityr’s training. The story is spectacular in worldbuilding and heartbreaking in how the curse interacts with Ala.
If you like stories that are drenched in Slavic mythology and supernatural creatures, the exploration of redemption, and what it means to question your family, this novel is for you. It is heartbreaking and darkly beautiful, a story of hope, change and atonement.

𝑾𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝑨𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒔 𝒃𝒚 𝑽𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒊𝒄𝒂 𝑹𝒐𝒕𝒉
𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘤 𝘍𝘰𝘭𝘬𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘦 • 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢 • 𝘜𝘳𝘣𝘢𝘯 𝘍𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘺
𝚎𝙰𝚁𝙲/𝙰𝙻𝙲 • 𝚙𝚞𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝟷𝟺 𝙼𝚊𝚢 𝟸𝟶𝟸𝟺

It was half a lifetime ago that I read Divergent and I will always have a soft spot for that series, as it was read at just the right time and place for me (YA dystopian urban fantasy, when I was a fantasy-obsessed young adult myself). I have been tickled to see a new piece coming out from Veronica Roth, and am grateful to both @torbooks and @macmillan.audio for granting me early access to review this novella digitally and on audio.

When Among Crows is so different from the YA dystopian setting of Divergent that I think it will appeal to a different class of readers. It’s slavic folklore, a tale of an epic quest undertaken by three unlikely protagonists (and 3 narrators - so cool to have a full cast audio!) who go on a search for Baba Yaga to end a curse.

Ala (short for Alexia), Dymitr and Nico will have to band together, face the old Strzyga vamp clans, mob families of Chicago’s underworld, Zmora demons, as well as the knights of the holy order sworn to battle against the forces of darkness.

I loved the Polish folklore woven throughout and the accents of the narrators were perfect in the audiobook. A quick read that ends almost as soon as it gets underway, although not without significant world building up front. Perhaps that is the way of novellas, although I thought it could have been longer; I wanted more, it felt like a tiny vignette of a larger story that was not told.

Give this one a read. It comes out in about a week on May 14th!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I was lucky and I got both the e-ARC and the audio ARC. This is definitely one that I am happy I got the audio arc because I think I would have had a harder time with it if I read it as just an eARC. Not because its bad but the prose in this book worked better in audio format.

I think it was a great novella filled with Slavic folklore and I am always a fan of a modern day fairytale. Overall, I definitely recommend this book, especially the audiobook because the narration was fantastic.