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.

While I love Veronica Roth, this book felt like trudging through thick mud. The writing was incredibly dense, and I found the descriptions of the fantasy world to be a bit beyond the reach of my imagination. I found it very difficult to read, and I wish it focused more on the romance and less on the fantasy creatures. A bit dull...yes, yes?

A journey into a world filled with magic and mystery. I loved the Slavic folklore elements, which were new to me and added to the story's appeal. The paranormal parts were also really cool! The narrator, Helen Laser did a great job narrating the audiobook, especially with the different voices. It made the characters feel real and added to the immersion.
A must-listen for anyone who enjoys fantasy and adventure.

A very special thanks to Macmillan Audio, Netgalley, and Tor Publishing for the gifted copy.

The elements of mythology were respecfully drawn on and tastefully used - it never felt heavy handed. Despite being a novella, all of the characters were fully developed and felt lived in, which is very impressive.

When Among Crows is an immersive read featuring mythological creatures, a hint of M/M romance, and a wonderfully written gothic atmosphere. Veronica Roth does a stunning job of incorporating magic and creatures into a modern-day setting. This was a quick and enjoyable read!

I didn’t know what to expect with this novella, but I was excited to read it because the cover is so gorgeous! I have not read a Veronica Roth book since my days of being a ten-year-old obsessed with Divergent, so seeing her growth as a writer and storyteller is incredible.

Here we have three different characters who each carry three different burdens, but they are all stooped by the heavy weight of what their families expect from them. They also each live in this world of Slavic myth and rumor, against the backdrop of modern Chicago. What is different is how they choose to react to these burdens. One seeks to save themselves from it, another seeks to grin and bear it, and the other seeks to absolve themselves of it. Will any of them succeed?

The nature of a novella and other short-form fiction is that not everything is laid out for reader. There's lots of subtext and moments where the reader can make their own inferences for why the characters act the way they do. When Among Crows is no exception, and I find myself wanting to immediately reread so that I may make these inferences with the knowledge I have now of how the story plays out.

It's tempting to wish for more pages (it's only 170 pages!), not because the novella lacked substance, but simply because I grew attached to the characters and their mystical world. A full-length novel or even a series would've been awesome. But taking this story as what it is, this novella is intricately crafted and an interesting read.

Unfortunately, this one did not hook me at 25% in. I found myself pretty confused about what was going on which didn't help. I'll probably try again another time.

Thank you to the author and Tor for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm probably one of the very few people that haven't read the Divergent series but I have read some of Veronica's other work and I really enjoy her writing style. Something about it just draws you in and won't let go. This novella was no different.

This story is based in Chicago where humans and non human creatures that feed off human emotions reside. We follow Dymitr and Ala as they navigate the bargain they made with each other.

Even though this was a novella, I felt like it told the story very well. I do wish it was a bit longer but that's just because I enjoyed the characters and the plot and wanted more of it. It was definitely a quick and easy read!

Thank you so much to Tor Publishing and NetGalley for the e-arc! This baby releases on May 14th so make sure to grab a copy but make sure to check trigger warnings first!

When Among Crows is my first Veronica Roth book and I went in completely blind. I wasn’t expecting it to toe the line of horror and whimsy in an urban fantasy setting, and that was probably the best part, in my opinion. I find it hard for a novella to be successful if it’s a standalone and not an addition to another story, but When Among Crows did a fantastic job building a world, developing characters, and keeping my attention. Following Ala, Niko, and Dymitr’s journey to have an audience with Baba Jaga, the most powerful witch in the world, was so much fun and I enjoyed the plot. I would love to see an entire series brought out of this world and would recommend this to anyone who enjoyed One Dark Window or The Tainted Cup.

Thank you to NetGalley, Veronica Roth, and Tor Books for the early copy!

When Among Crows feels like a fresh modern-day fairytale, with elements of lore and witchery woven in. This book was stunning, and a very fast read through. I highly recommend giving it a go.

This was very well-written and the audio was exceptional with several actors voicing characters. It was also short enough to hold my attention as I'm not so into dystopian fiction.
However, the story is interesting. Dymityr is a holy knight who has split his soul to make his weapon. His orders are to hunt and kill "monsters" that roam the streets of Chicago.
Ala is under a family curse. Pain is her inheritance. Dymityr offers her a cure with the magical fern flower in his possession, if she will help him find the legendary witch, Baba Jaga. Ala agrees, unaware of what Dymityr actually is.

Special thanks to NetGalley and Tor Books for this e-arc.*

From the synopsis only, I was excited to read this new urban fantasy.
It is short (it’s a novella so, dah!) and since it’s quite immersive, you go through the pages pretty quickly.
What I really loved about this book is the characters and their development, who doesn’t like a bunch of outcasts found family trope?
When you think you know what’s happening, you don’t truly, not until the end where the plot unfolds anyway. While you can guess where it’s headed, there is a more complex depth to it.
That being said, I wish some part of the story would have been explored a bit more. I wanted to know more about some of the creatures or the Polish Folklore that inspired the narrative and also, about how The Holy Order works. But again, under 200 pages, it’s still impressive to be able to fit everything there is to know to understand a minimum.
Overall, I did really enjoy my reading but it wasn’t an hit to the guts for me and maybe there is a simple explanation for that. This was my first read after finishing The Poppy War trilogy and well, in terms of gut-wrenching, there isn’t worse (I still feel numb to anyone wondering).
Now, if you like fast paced novellas, multiple pov Urban Fantasy, Polish mythology, Demons vs Knights and a twist of M/M romance, then go ahead! It’s a fun little read and the characters are really compelling.

📕: When Among Crows
✍️:Veronica Roth
📅: May 14, 2024

Ah, I loved this so much. This is the modern fantasy with a darkly gothic atmosphere that I always crave but rarely find! Anything can happen when so much is hidden where us normal folk can’t look or see!

Even though this is relatively short at just 176 pages or 4.5 hours audio, I still felt like I got a full lush experience. That’s not to say I wouldn’t like more, because, yes, please! I loved the characters and the world they lived in!

Built loosely on the Baba Yaga folklore, this focuses on one man’s epic quest to find Baba Jaga for his own, very personal, reasons and the exceptional characters he meets on the way.

What I really loved about this is that it’s not just a warrior’s story but it’s about found family, the struggle against love, loyalty and family, and about following one’s heart against everything they’ve known to be true in their lives. Cryptic, I know, but this is a definite must read and I’ve been recommending to everyone.

Thank you so much @TorBooks for this gifted DRC!

Thank you to Tor for the review copy, my opinions are my own.

This novella is a fantastic story about a monster hunter and a cursed “monster” on a quest to break a curse and find Baba Jaga in the streets of Chicago.

Read it if you enjoy:
Old world magic
Enemies working together
Secrets
Curses
Mythological beings from all over the world
Queer characters

I loved this novella and was entranced by the story telling, reminded me of the Russian and Polish fairytales I read and heard growing up, a lot darker than the Disney tales that were so sanitized as to not even remotely resemble their origins. This story involves guilt, fear, sorrow, and regret.

Highly recommend!!!

In When Among Crows, Chicago is home to monsters that feed on human emotions: fear, rage and sorrow. These monsters are hunted by the Knights of the Holy Order- humans that have made their very bodies into weapons to hunt down their enemies. So when human man Dymitr approaches monster Ala claiming her can help lift her family curse, she is wary of the human. The two are soon joined by Niko in their search for Baba Yaga whose aid can help lift the curse once and for all. But, are Dymitr’s motives to heal Ala as altruistic as he claims? And who is the mysterious figure trailing them on their quest?
Roth has successfully woven together Slavic folklore in a modern setting to tell a story about more than just humans and monsters, but of the immigrant experience, religion and escaping generational violence.

I received a complimentary ARC of WHEN AMONG CROWS by Veronica Roth thanks to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley.

WHEN AMONG CROWS is a fantasy novella based in Slavic folklore, but set in Chicago. Dymitr is from a family of hunters, called upon to sacrifice their souls to take monsters down. His current mission is a dangerous one, tasked with finding and killing the witch Baba Jaga. Ala is a fire-eating zmora, a young woman living under a curse. Dymitr tempts her with a cure in order to gain her help on his quest and she can only say yes.

I had a good time with this quick novella read. I thought that the mythology and the blending in with a world we'd somewhat recognize was really well done. I liked the dynamic that built between Dymitr and Ala as they worked together while still not having an ability to trust each other. I thought the enemies to potentially something different worked well in this setup also.

The atmosphere in this book was great and I definitely felt the darkness of this underworld version of Chicago that Roth is putting forward. While many novellas leave me wanting a bit more, I think this was a good length to fully deliver this story.

Genre: urban fantasy + Slavic mythology
Chicago, present day

Set in contemporary Chicago, the short arc of this story follows Ala, a zmora, Dymitr, a leszy, and Nikodem, a strzygi, Slavic creatures of dreams and nightmares living off of pain and other emotions. They carry their own curses, though Ala’s is the most traditional. Dymitr is in search of Baba Jaga, and for Ala’s help, he may be able to offer her a cure.

This is a very Meg-coded book. Polish mythology blended with gritty contemporary aesthetics wrapped up in a tight novella arc was the perfect change of pace for me after some of the longer books I’ve been reading. It’s a skillful novella, with just enough character development and plot movement and mythological exploration to keep the book moving but not overwhelm the reader. I always love a good Baba Jaga story, and loved Roth’s interpretation of her house (obviously), but also of her myth generally. There is also a queer romantic story line, with just enough to keep any romance reader engaged.

I listened to parts of the audiobook but found myself more drawn to the written prose. While it’s lovely to hear the Polish spoken to me with really wonderful narration, it was easier for me to get my bearings as a reader seeing some of the words on the page. I found that Roth made some really great choices with how much to explain versus reference in the mythologies to keep the novella shorter. A reader unfamiliar with Slavic lore (this includes me!) will want to have a search engine on hand to look up images and stories of the demons and witches that stalk pages.

I have loved Veronica Roth’s transition from YA Fantasy (Divergent) to sharp, smart novellas and short stories. When Among Crows and Arch-Conspirator have a more mature approach to storytelling and craft than her early works, and I am here for it.

Thanks to Tor and NetGalley for inviting me to read this title early!

I'm honestly pretty impressed by this little guy! I didn't realize it was a novella until I started it and at first, the plot sounded like it was going to be too dense for 142 pages. It ended up working really well though, with a quick-moving plot and interesting characters.

The settings were a little fuzzy for me and I felt that some of the more action-oriented parts could have used a little more description, but I really enjoyed the lore and mythos that were worked into it. I think they would have also benefited from a little more exposition, but I didn't find that it took me out of it at all. The casual mentions of it being in Chicago in the middle of all these fantastical happenings were a little funny to me, but not in a bad way. Urban fantasy is fun!

I feel like I would love to see this expanded, but not as a full-length novel or series, but rather as a series of novellas like this one. The bite sized fantasy story worked really well! The Knights and their weapons were especially interesting to me. I could picture it so well and it was gnarly and cool!

When among crows indeed!

A delightful urban fantasy novella. Dymitr is in Chicago from Poland and he's on a Quest to find Baba Jaga. This quest follows a tried-and-true fantasy structure: he picks up some reluctant allies as he works his way through several set pieces in the supernatural underground of the city, fighting magical creatures and revealing truths about themselves they'd rather keep hidden along the way. This feels like a fantasy novel in miniature with a hint of gore and a tiny little touch of romance.

If you like the idea of supernatural creatures living among us, and especially the idea of translating "old world"/folk tale creatures like rusalka, banshees, vampires, etc. into today's world, you'll be into this one. I really liked it!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.