I'm mostly just shocked at what Roth managed to do in less than 200 pages.

One of the most delightful aspects of this novella is its setting. As a Chicagoan, I was thrilled by the nods to local places and the authentic portrayal of the city’s Polish community. This detail adds a layer of authenticity and charm, making the story feel like a love letter to Chicago itself. Roth masterfully integrates the city's essence into the narrative, creating a modern fairytale that feels both unique and familiar. Despite its brevity, this novella has incredibly rich world-building. The depiction of Slavic myths and folklore is both respectful and imaginative.

I think the characters are amazingly complex with great arcs despite the limited length. The initial bond between these characters, built on necessity and mutual mistrust, evolves beautifully into a partnership that resonates with themes of found family and belonging. While I loved the novella, I found myself yearning for more. The world Roth has created is so compelling that it begs for a longer exploration, possibly a series.

The audiobook version is particularly noteworthy, with the narrator bringing the characters and story to life with distinct voices and emotional nuance. However, the ALC I listened to had some repeated parts at the end, which was a minor hiccup in an otherwise excellent experience.

Thanks to Macmillan audio and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review. This review is based on a complimentary pre-released copy and it is voluntary.

this is such a short read, and i honestly think that’s its one downfall!! the characters and the magic system and the plot twists are all interesting and well-executed, but i so wish there was MORE of it. it took me about 100 pages to get into the book and by then it was almost over 😅 i liked it a lot more by the end than i thought i was going to in that middle point, and i was intrigued enough about one of the twists to go back to the beginning and look for some hints about it, so like, all in all, a solid book - just definitely a shorter one.

Very interesting read! I enjoyed the polish folklore. My main feedback is that at times the story felt rushed and confusing.

this book just felt so rushed to me — there's so much going on, and i don't understand the choice to make it a novella. what would've been delightfully weird in a longer, more complete book was just weird.

A great summer read and probably the first book to catch my interest in this author again. Would recommend 100% for anyone looking for a cute summer queer read!

“When Among Crows” follows Dymtir, a strange mortal, who’s looking for the infamous Baba Jaga. Along his way, he makes friends with Ala, a fear-feasting zmora; and Niko, an unlikely ally. On this journey, they discover love, friendship, adventure, and of course, danger.

I am a sucker for a found-family troupe! I loved the Slavic fairy tale expansion and the bit of magic. I fell in love with the characters as soon as I met them and didn’t want to let them go. The sword being apart of their spine and having to unsheathe it from their neck??? So creative!

My main complaint with the book is how short it is. I wanted to be immersed in this book; I love the premise, the fairy tale background, the characters, the plot. But I felt like I couldn’t fully connect with any one or any thing because it was so fast-paced. The story left me wanting more, but I was disappointed when it was over. This felt like a prologue.

Overall, I just wish there was more to the story and the world-building. I did like what we got in the end!

This was a great story. I loved how quick of a read it was but so much happened in a short time. I am usually wary of short stories like this because I feel like there isn’t enough time to really develop the story but Veronica Roth did an amazing job with this story. I felt that we got to know each of the three characters and a bit of their history and still felt that they grew over the course of this book. Definitely a read I would recommend

I listened to the audiobook version of this story and really liked it. It was shorted than I thought it would be but I really liked all the characters and the world building.

For a novella, When Among Crows is packed full of drama, emotion, and redemption. Roth does a wonderful job packing so much in to so few pages. Readers are kept guessing at the beginning of the novel as to Dymitr and his journey learning more as the story builds. I generally struggle with novellas finding that often they lack enough depth and world building, but I think Roth did a great job. I loved the inclusion of Slavic myths and creatures and the overall urban fantasy elements that Roth brings to the story. Overall, I really enjoyed this novella. It's a short fun read filled with plenty of action, depth and adventure.

Dymitr is on a quest to find Baba Jaga, and enlists (well bribes) the aide of Ala, a cursed witch, to help him find her with the promise of a curse breaking flower he carries in his jacket.
I had really hoped to enjoy this more, as anything involving Baba Jaga is right up my alley, but it just felt very slow moving and difficult to get engrossed in. The world building was nice, I just never felt like there was enough time spent getting to know to world and characters to truly immerse myself in their journey. Always a bit hit or miss with novellas.

"𝐖𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝."

I've read a lot of fairy tales, myths, and folk tales in my day, but very few of the Slavic variety. "Meeting" Baba Jaga was a highlight of this book for me.

This little novella was a fun read for me. I've never heard of the folklore creatures here; stryzgons or zmoras, which was fun. I liked how they were thrown together for the plot KILLING BABA JAGA!??!?!, although I would have loved to see their characters fleshed out a little more. I guess there wasn't time due to length. "Killing" Baba Jaga seems an impossible task though, doesn't it?

All in all a fun read, I definitely recommend.

It's a short book that's a little bit gay, a little bit sad, and has a whole lot going on. It's a perfect summer read to tickle that urban fantasy, plot-heavy, queer place in your heart. There's plenty of high drama and emotion on display as an unlikely trio rocket around Chicago trying to escape a curse, seek revenge, and seek absolution.

This book was so immersive + well developed for 100 pages! I really enjoyed the writing style. I wish it was longer, so the author could've done some more world building! I haven't read Veronica's other work, but I definitely will be after this!

I really enjoyed this 🥹🤩 Found family vibes will hit me right in the heart every time. I love how the story flowed and the pacing felt perfectly indulgent and quick and adventurous at the same time. I loved these characters, learning more about Polish myths and the world of this story. Baba Jaga continues to be a badass in every story. This was such a good time and pulled at my heart strings. Lovely 😭💖

I wrote about this on Storygraph and Goodreads and shared links on various social media sites. Surprisingly good. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6541111023

4.5 stars

When Among Crows delivers a dark, emotional urban fantasy story packed with folklore. As this is such a short novella, I HIGHLY recommend going into this knowing as little as possible. I am going to keep this review on the short side to avoid giving anything away.

Roth creates a modern fairytale on the urban streets of Chicago, weaving Slavic folklore into the very foundation of this city. I loved seeing how the different mythical beings were included in the story. In this world, Roth explores culture, identity, immigration, belonging, and Christian imperialism. Every page of this story packs a punch.

When Among Crows follows an unlikely cast of characters on a 36-hour impossible quest. I loved every member of this little found family. The pacing of the quest really suited the novella format. I do wish the story had had a bit more time to build the character relationships.

Easily one of the best novellas I have ever read. I am excited to explore more of Veronica Roth’s adult fantasy work.

I loved this novella so much. But as of right now that’s all it’s meant to be is a standalone which I hate because I want more. I got so hooked into this and finished in one sitting

I just finished When Among Crows by Veronica Roth, I received an eARC through NetGalley.

Dymitr comes from a long line of demon hunters. He leaves his native Poland to come to modern-day Chicago in search of an audience with Baba Jaga, the oldest most powerful witch. Forced to work alongside his sworn enemies, a zmora named Ala and a strzygi named Niko, Dymitr must come to terms with his own guilt, and what it means to be human.

This is the first book I've read from Veronica Roth since Divergent. I wasn't really sure what to expect. The cover is beautiful, and I love folklore from different places. It's refreshing to get an urban fantasy with Polish mythology. That being said, it was really a novella in length, and I found the character motivations to be a little underdeveloped. Rhe relationship between the three main characters didn't feel earned and sometimes felt forced. It was a light enough read, and it was pretty good. I'd have preferred a fully fleshed out novel.

I loved Veronica Roth's latest urban fantasy—she does such a brilliant job building characters and worlds in such economic language. I felt the history steeped into this one immediately, and loved the modern overlay of Chicago. An immediately compelling voice and a perfect modern fairy tale.

When Among Crows is a fantastic addition to the Veronica Roth canon. Though short, it was a sucker punch of a read, full of action, adventure, and characters as vibrant as those in novels 3x the length.