𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙨 has everything that I love in a southern gothic novel — a gritty backwoods setting, ethereal mysticism mixed with religious tradition, and plenty of family drama and mystery.

I really enjoyed this adult debut from Dana Elmendorf. With incredible pacing, this was a tough one to put down, and it even pulled me out of a reading slump. A great read for the summer scaries and witchy vibes.
𝘔𝘺 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 4.5⭐️

𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲:
🐦‍⬛ magical realism
🐦‍⬛ southern gothic fiction
🐦‍⬛ gritty backwoods Appalachia
🐦‍⬛ murder mysteries
🐦‍⬛ family drama
🐦‍⬛ witchy vibes with folk magic
🐦‍⬛ V.C. Andrews and Practical Magic

I had such a pure reading experience with this one. I opened this one while sitting out in the heavy, oppressive heat… and before I knew it, I was closing the book on the last page. Reading this from start to finish in one sitting was such a treat!! Plus, the weather led to an immersion into the story, considering this is set in sweltering Georgia.

Weatherly is a Death Talker. Since she was young she has been assisting her grandmother in her strange and secretive magic, helping the people in town, or harming them in very few cases before she can truly understand the gravity of her gift.

Her best friend and cousin, Adaire has just died, and caught between grieving and trying to move on, Weatherly is bombarded with new discoveries… in her magic, in her past, and in the events of Adaire’s tragic death.

When Weatherly is unable, for the first time, to talk the death out of someone, the family turns on her, believing her to be seeking revenge for Adaire’s death. Weatherly has very little time to figure out the truth for herself, and she stop at nothing to get answers.

This was all vibes, OMG!! The oppressive heat, the desperation she feels with the Adaire-sized hole in her heart and in her life, and the incredibly secretive family magic, this book pulled me out of real life completely. I absolutely LOVED this book.

Appalachia is full of ‘wives tales’ and superstitions. Stories have been told and passed down for generations. They are also very specific to regions. A death talker was not something that I had ever heard of, so of course I had to read this book and then do some digging. That being said – sit back and enjoy this Southern, dark, gothic novel and all its beauty, magic and witchery.
Weatherly Wilder has been given the family gift of death talking from her Papaw. These gifts are NOT taken lightly at all. There are rules that go with these gifts. There are also burdens. Her cousin, Adaire also has a gift: she’s a Scryer and can see the future reflected back in dark surface. The girls gifts will cross each other and folklore and mystery will take the reader to a place they will not soon forget.

I had the amazing opportunity to read this as an ARC thanks to Dana Elmendorf, Netgalley and the publishers. This was my first Dana Elmendorf book and it did not disappoint!

The hour of crows is when the day is no longer but the night is not yet. This book is set in the Southern Appalachian hills where superstitions and gothic death magic still runs as deep as the division of old money plantations and the working class. Weatherly Wilder has been given the family gift of death talking from her Papaw and has the ability to talk the death out of someone, saving them just once. But with this gift comes its own problems leading to family and town drama.

Weatherly's gift comes into serious question when a murder happens in town, shattering her world and putting her on a spiralling path to solve the mystery no one seems to care about. During this time she must come to face the horrors of her past to put together the pieces of her future. What part of her memories are real? What was she imagining to get her through the experiences of death talking? And what clues have been left to help her find the answers.

The setting, magic and characters were well developed and created a story I could not put down. I would highly recommend this book and I loved every minute of it.

#arc #newbooks #indieauthors #murdermystery #gothicfiction #bookstagram #readmorebooks #booklover #keepturningthepages #hookeduntiltheend #inthehourofcrows #couldnotputitdown @danaelmendorf

Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for allowing me to read this advanced copy.

This novel is about a young a young girl Weatherly, who has inherited her grandfather’s gift of being a death talker. There are rules though. You can’t reverse death twice and you can’t change the death of a family member. Even as a young girl Weatherly is called to save certain people. When her cousin is killed and the judge determines that it was an accident Weatherly knows something isn’t right. Soon other people are killed and Weatherly becomes a prime suspect.

The story is filled with magic, old folklore, and a mystery. The story kept me intrigued the whole time but fell flat at times. Overall it was very enjoyable read.

I could not put this book down. I inhaled it. When I read a description that said “Where the Crawdads Sing meets Practical Magic” I had high hopes and was not disappointed. This book is so good.

This Southern Gothic magic murder mystery set in a small Appalachian town has found family, family drama, a smidge of touch her and die, and a lot of whodunnit. I found the mystical/magic element(s) of the story to surprisingly be the least interesting. The character dynamics really drive everything here. I do wish we had more Rook and Weatherly scenes. I loved how Adaire led Weatherly on a groundbreaking truth-seeking scavenger hunt from beyond the grave. I also enjoyed Weatherly’s persistence in the face of doubt and the judgement she endured from society because of her gift. While many aspects of the story could benefit from being expanded upon - everything surrounding Weatherly’s mom, why Grandmama is the way she is, all things Rook, even more things Bone Layer – Weatherly’s story of truth and “self-discovery” while in her small Georgia hometown.
 
Loved the 1980’s vibe. I need a Rook POV book with that ending. I also need a Bone Layer book because that man has my heart. Sure, some things he did are/were questionable but just when you start to get some meat and potatoes from the guy the book ends! 4/5 Stars
 
Thank you to Dana Elmendorf, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

I was intrigued by the idea that this was a cross between Where the Crawdads Sing meets Practical Magic. It's more like a Dark magic version of Where the Crawdads sing if the girl had had an evil grandmother.
There was a lot of past and current stories back and forth because Waverly would remember or think about times that she talked the death out of someone when she was just a very young girl. Once it was more of a present day story it was easier to keep track of. The horrible things done to this girl and others by the grandmother all because her Pawpaw passed his gift for keeping people from death to her before he died. As a death talker it was interesting to see what she was able to do and how it then affected her later. I was glad that as she aged she started standing up to the grandmother and tried to start doing the right thing even though the grandmother would pull her back and force her to do things. There are multiple mysteries that you find out more about at the end of the book and Waverly finally sees she was right and not imagining things from when she was a kid.
This book was fine but definitely not my kind of book. I did however really like the ending. Magical things happens and I left with a smile on my face at the hope that Waverly will have a better life.
I am 100% sure that there are many many people that will love this book.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this arc.

The Hour of Crows is crammed full of Appalachian folklore and superstitions. Set in the fictional southern small town of Black Fern, Georgia we meet Weatherly and learn of her magical gift as a Death Talker. I enjoyed this book. It felt like reading a Gothic murder mystery. Thanks to author Dana Elmendorf, Harlequin Trade Publishing | MIRA, and NetGalley for providing a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

This cover and synopsis really caught my attention. A woman who can talk the death out of people, sounds just witchy enough to make me take notice. This book captured my attention from the get go. I'm not typically a murder mystery reader but the magical realism element of this story made it entirely engrossing to read. I felt for Weatherly and the family dynamics were just the level of dramatic I enjoy. This story had so many poignant moments for me when it comes to talking about grief, death, and coping. I was never sure if what Weatherly was seeing was real or her grief making her imagine. The ending had me reading well past my bedtime, I couldn't put it down. I was crying for Weatherly at the end. And the epilogue.......it gave me exactly what I needed. This just shot to the best book I've read so far this year. SIX STARS!!!!!

I’ve come to the realization that some of my very favorite and most unforgettable reads have a few elements in common. If magical realism is combined with poetic prose, atmospheric settings, and a story rich with folklore or in this case ancient-witchy magic, then I am sure to fall head over heels in love. In the Hour of Crows hit everything on my list and then some. There was a murder mystery, intriguing family dynamics to navigate, and a bit of a love story that captivated me entirely. This book was so beautifully written. There were characters that I both rooted for with my whole soul and despised just as equally. The Appalachian folklore magic was fascinating. The story between Weatherly and Rook was enchanting. Ahh this book was pure magic. I felt much the same was after reading beloved favorites such as Where the Crawdads Sing, The Invisible Hour, Practical Magic, and Weyward, so if any of those appeal to you, then I promise this book will be your next favorite as well.

Thank you so very much to NetGalley, Mira, The Hive, HTP for both this eARC and my physical ARC!

Is it right to use the word "fascinating" when talking about this book? In the Hour of Crows is dark, it is coated with a kind of dread, and I keep seeing it as something that will be turned into film one day. But it really is also fascinating in that the author, Dana Elmendorf, has created a world that is all at once familiar and foreign.

I am new to the likes of Sin Eater Oil and its uses. Being a fan of the Alice Hoffman Practical Magic series, I was familiar with the use of herbs and maybe a few questionable ingredients when concocting becomes necessary. But here, Weatherly, who tells her story, actually produces the oil. I think I will leave out the how so as not to spoil things for future readers but this is where the fascination for me comes in.

In the Hour of Crows is a mystery story, a thriller, and a horror story. Weatherly's home is Black Fern, Georgia, where christianity and pagan rituals coexist. There is mention of Heaven and Hell as well as witching jars and rotten eggs, hexes that Weatherly "prays." Speaking of mentions, I have to say that the author's writing style is so full of imagery, it will be impossible to not to envision what takes place. If I were still teaching a creative writing class, I would be using this book to demonstrate what power there is in using the right words.

Great dynamic characters, magic, a bit of evil, some mystery, lots of intrigue, the Appalachian mountains & more drew me to complete immersion into this fantasy story, I loved it! The gifts received in life frequently bring burdens that could never have been imagined by the recipient. Time has a way of educating & revealing those burdens. This was a fun read!
Well written, however, being a YA (young adult) novel, I was surprised by some coarse unnecessary language mostly early on in the book.

This is my unbiased, honest review. Thank you to NetGalley & Harlequin Trade Publishing for an ARC.

I’ve been struggling to write my review, trying to find a way to describe this book without using the words “Southern gothic” or atmospheric. I can’t do it. The strong pull of tradition, family, and religion mixed with mysticism makes a fascinating, compelling story. The characters are beautifully developed, and unforgettable - Weatherly and Rook in particular.

Brought up poor in rural Black Fern, Georgia, Weatherly Wilder is a Death Talker, and some who know of her gift call her the Devil’s Seed Child. She’s been raised by her harsh, secretive Grandmama who takes advantage of her gift for her own purposes, Appalachia is deep in her family roots and the community, I liked the way the author wrote of an 8th grade biology teacher who tried to explain that those local ferns were black because of the pigment in them, not because they fed off of the Devil’s soul….”Mrs. Hammer didn’t account for the fact that folklore is stronger than science around here.” Those types of beliefs set the scene for an atmospheric, southern gothic. Weatherly is determined to find justice for her cousin and best friend, Adaire , struck by a car while riding her bike in the middle of the night. Helped by friends, including a mysterious crow boy no one else sees, Weatherly finds herself uncovering deeply buried secrets while trying to avoid murder charges herself.
I enjoyed how the mix of both magic and human emotions worked separately and together to cause events to happen, and how the past can truly come back to haunt those still living.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for introducing me to such a great read, it certainly kept me wanting to know more about the secrets of Black Fern.

This one was not for me. I wanted so badly to love this one from the synopsis to the cover it sounded perfect but I was so confused! I pushed through hoping everything would click in place but by 40% it was still confusing and choppy. this one was wasn’t for me.

Thank for so much for the opportunity to read and review.

“In the hour of crows. When the day is no longer and the night is not yet.”

Overall, I wanted to love this one. I really did. But in the end, it was a “mid-like” & not a “love” for me. The concept is fantastic, and the bones are good; however, I wanted more development from a world building, magic system, plot, and character perspective.

Plot Thoughts: The writing style felt more “tell than show”, which attributes heavily to not feeling immersed into the novel. There were a lot of sub plots that I think were meant to come together and enlighten the reader in the end, but missed the mark. Although a whimsical and mysterious novel, I did not reach an understanding of the magic, characters’ motives, etc. that I was hoping to clarify in the end, making the novel overall feel unfinished.

Character Thoughts: The lack of character development really impacted the story overall, as a lot of the plot relied of the characters connections with one another. There was a lot of emotion discussed - rage, love, desire, loneliness, etc. that just didn’t come off the page, which led to me not always understanding the characters emotions and motives. Their relationships overall felt superficial, which, based on the plot, should have been anything but.

In the end, I just was not emotionally attached to the characters or what they were up to, making it difficult for me to stay involved with the story. Despite this being a seemingly harsh review, I did not hate this book! It just was middle of the road for me; which led to me feeling disappointed because I truly feel like this has the potential of being great. I think readers looking for a whimsical, magical, southern gothic book that don’t need it to be heavy world-building, character development, fantasy-esque will enjoy it for what it is.

👍🏻Would recommend to select readers based on their preferences.

In the Hour of Crows
Dana Elmendorf
June 4, 2024

“𝘞𝘦’𝘳𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘴” … 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘯𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘺𝘦𝘵.”

Southern gothic with a hint of Appalachian magic? Yes, please! I loved this story that centers around Weatherly Wilder, a young woman living with her grandmother who uses Weatherly’s unique gift of death talking for her own purposes.

When Weatherly’s best friend and cousin Adaire is killed in an accident by the wealthy mayor, she knows he won’t get the sentence he deserves but what she doesn’t know is that there’s a rabbit hole of history that led to her death and Weatherly and her family are smack dab in the middle of it.

There is so much to love about this story; the characters are so well realized! Weatherly and Adaire along with some characters I only got to know through reflection, such as their papaw and Weatherly’s mother.

The lore and folk magic is my favorite part, though. I can’t get enough of it, including the past and present stories of Weatherly’s experiences with death talking and the love/hate relationship she has with the folks of her town.

A definite must read for any fan of a romantic and mystical suspense!

My thanks to @HTPBooks for this gifted DRC.

Weatherly has been raised in poverty by her grandmother, an unkind witch woman. Weatherly is a Death Talker who can save people from death. When her cousin is killed in an "accident" by a community member, she attempts to find out the truth and uses her family magic to aid in the search.

Weatherly’s life was not an easy one. But, once her cousin died, she felt driven to follow the cousin’s vague trail of clues pointing towards… something that neither Weatherly nor the reader seemed to be able to figure out. I love fantasy and magic but In the Hour of Crows was often bizarre and nonsensical. Dana Elmendorf did succeed in writing creepy, atmospheric scenes and situations. But I had a hard time sticking with this death-filled novel.

Weatherly isn’t very likable even though she tries to save lives. The process by which she chased away death was, frankly, gross. I never got to the point of caring how things turned out for her. She goes through this novel by the seat of her pants with lots of questions and no answers or plans. I found her story frustrating. Things weren’t entirely explained to the reader. Why was she buried as a girl with the dead babies at the beginning? Why does death manifest in her phlegm? Why is the Soul Walker hardly around and why does he become a crow?

I found it difficult to buy into Weatherly’s type of magic, the unexplained treatment of her by her grandmother, and the grim situations. And there was also no obvious reason why any of Weatherly’s friends cared for her. She never did anything for them. In fact, she was often rude to them and took advantage of them. She was reckless and irresponsible. However, the very end (before the Epilogue) was surprisingly touching. If you read creepy fantasies for the atmosphere, you'll probably like it more than I did. I just prefer a more sensical plot and/or character development.

I was given a free galley by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I thank them for the opportunity to read it early. It will be released on June 4, 2024.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf is a first person-POV contemporary fantasy set in small town Appalachia. Weatherly is a Death Talker, someone who can bring people back from the edge of death by attracting death to her instead. When Weatherly’s cousin is killed by someone in town by accident, she isn’t so sure and is determined to find out who killed her cousin and why.

There’s a lot of hints of Appalachian culture from the different ingredients mentioned to parts of the magic system to how the town operates. I’m somewhat familiar with Appalachian culture through friends and family and I could see the attention to detail in terms of Voice and building the town to help really bring this town to life. The novel also does some reckoning with Southern plantations, with one of the richest families in town making money from tours of a sugar plantation, Weatherly expresses disgust with the entire structure and its history and the tour is clearly stated to mention the plantation’s connection to slavery.

The magic system both is and isn’t explained but I found it quite satisfying. We don’t get a hard explanation for why Weatherly’s family has this ability, but we do know that it has to be passed to a man just as Weatherly’s grandfather passed it to her and that someone cannot be brought back twice. I think what I like about this magic system is that readers are allowed to intuit parts of it and if something isn’t explained, we’re allowed to fill in the pieces or not as we please. As the magic system is clearly stated to be a mix of various cultures and traditions, it does also create questions as to which pieces came from where.

Weatherly is in love with Rook, a crow that was originally a boy she found as a child. She has had feelings for him almost her whole life but they can’t be together because he’s only in human form every so often and is no longer human. There’s some really nice yearning in their relationship and I liked how focused on the small moments it was.

I would recommend this to fans of contemporary fantasy with a mystery subplot, readers looking for a contemporary fantasy set in Appalachia, and those looking for a fantasy that does address the history of the South but it isn’t the main point of the book.

First I would like to thank the publisher Harlequin Trade and Netgalley for the advanced copy in exchanged for my unbiased review. This book had a fun premise for me, as someone who lives in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in the Appalachian region. I've always heard old "wives tales" about people who could talk fire out of others, people who could talk with the dead, so I thought this would be a great story. I really liked the premise, but something was lacking in the story and I haven't been able to put my finger on it yet. The story is based around a girl who can talk death out of people, and her family who sometimes use her gift for nefarious purposes. When her cousin is killed, she goes on a mission to figure out if she was actually murdered, why, and what is behind some of her family. The book is short, but the story took me a while to get through for some reason. If you are into Appalachian lore, it's definitely one for you!