4.5 rounded up

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I thought it was really interesting and I was surprised by how well paced the plot was considering how short the book is. My only complaint and the only reason that it lost half a star for me was that I would have liked to have had more time with the characters. They were so interesting and I was really interested in their development, we just didn't get to spend enough time with them

I was drawn to this novella because of the gothic vibes of the cover, the description, and the mention of monsters. Funny enough, a the story played out, I don't feel the description did a great job of preparing me for the story which unfolded. In fact, it probably spoiled some things which were revealed along the way and as someone else's review recommended, "Maybe don't read the synopsis until after you've read it."
We are presented with a man, Dymitr, who seems more than a man, but also broken in some mysterious way. He seeks a flower for an unknown purpose but must pass a mysterious test before his quest can truly begin. There are currents of myth and legend weaving this story together and the atmosphere feels dark and perfect. Monsters are real. Witches are real. And evil may not come from the places you think it will.
I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audiobook of this novella. Though I am not certain the narration was incredibly well done, I really liked the story and am giving it 5* based on that.

4.5/5

When Among Crows is such an exciting sprint. I liked this story as a novella and think Roth did a great job of having the reader invest in each the main POVs in a short timeframe.

The pacing of this book was fantastic, the magic system and Slavic folklore was really fresh, and I think the whole adventure set in a place like Chicago grounded the whole plot.

If you want to truly enjoy this book, go into it without reading any synopsis of the story because I think the main reason I like it was because it had some really unexpected twists.

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.

bonus- the audiobook is phenomenal! the cast did a wonderful job of portraying the characters, and their accents and performances made the story even more enjoyable for me.

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

It was hard to get into this book at first because the world building happened so fast that I was lost for a minute. I think that would have been easier to read in physical form than audio. However, once I oriented myself in the story I same enjoyed the characters and action!

After reading the first couple chapters, I felt like I couldn’t get into it and so I feel like it would be better for me to choose not to review this as it doesn’t seem to be my type of book.

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!

I really adored this book.

I thought the world building and the characters’ depth was unvelievable for a story this short, and it was brought to life beautifully by the narrators.

I loved the fact that the narrators seemed to speak polish quite well (from my really-non-polish perspective), it made it all the more immersive.

I was quite obssessed with this audiobook and finished it way faster than I usually do with audiobooks.

The fact it’s not a 14-hour long book but still has an amazing story filled with action, emotion and suspense is a very big plus.

10/10, will definitely recommend!!

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.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the ALC of When Among Crows by Veronica Roth. All opinions are my own.

My only experience with Veronica Roth’s writing was reading the Divergent series years ago. I absolutely loved Divergent, so I wanted to give this book a try. Plus, the synopsis for this story sounded super interesting!

That being said, this book just wasn’t memorable for me. The only parts that stand out to me a few days after finishing the book are the parts where there was gore. I remember these because they made me feel a bit queasy.

This isn’t a bad book, but I feel like there’s a reason that most fantasy books are not novellas unless they’re part of a series. I just didn’t get attached to these characters. They were fine, and maybe I would’ve loved them more if they were part of a longer book or series.

The setting was interesting, and I do feel like I could picture the world considering that this book didn’t have the length for elaborate world-building.

Overall, this book was okay. I think some people may really love it, but I don’t think I would really recommend it to a lot of people.

The narration for this audiobook was great! I liked the accents, and the fact that there were three narrators for the different parts.

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?

Veronica Roth's "When Among Crows" is an absolute blast! Picture this: Chicago vibes, Slavic mythology, a vibrant Polish community, and sprinkle in some LGBTQ+ magic—oh, and did I mention Baba Yaga? Sold, right?

Seriously, from the get-go, I was hooked. If I wasn't working or sleeping, you bet I was glued to this book. Roth's storytelling is like a rollercoaster ride through a fantastical cityscape, where every corner reveals something new and thrilling.

And let's talk about the characters—they're as diverse and lively as the city itself. The LGBTQ+ representation is spot on, seamlessly woven into the story without feeling forced. It's like catching up with old friends who just happen to be on an epic adventure.

But the real kicker? Baba Yaga. Roth brings this legendary figure to life in a way that's both terrifying and totally captivating. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, eagerly devouring every twist and turn.

So, if you're up for a wild ride through Chicago's streets, with a side of Slavic folklore and a dash of LGBTQ+, "When Among Crows" is your next read. Trust me, you won't be able to put it down!

Thank you so much NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to this book in exchange of an honest review.

Veronica Roth seamlessly melds Slavic folklore into a contemporary setting in a way that will keep readers hooked till the very last page.

I really enjoyed how this novella took the stories of Baba Yaga and brought them into a modern context while still keeping true to the core elements of the original Slavic folklore. For such a short story, I was surprised by the amount of world and character building that Roth was able to do. The plot has enough mystery and complexity to keep you engaged, while still being concise enough to have a satisfying conclusion by the end of the book.

Among the Crows by Veronica Roth

This is an Urban Fantasy book set in modern day Chicago. It follows the story of Dymitr, who has been raised to kill monsters by his family and is tortured by that pain. Ala, who is cursed because of her family, a curse that makes her see the horrors committed by others and will slowly drive her insane. The two of them make a bargain, find the Legendary Baba Jaga and Dymitr will help heal Ala. All in the space of one day.

This is a short story with a lot punched in. The story is heavily inspired by Slavic and Russian folklore, rewriting some parts of it but staying true to the original myths. I normally do not like Urban Fantasy, but I love Veronica Roth (or at least, love her writing. Still not over the Divergent series ending but whatever). I was pleasantly surprised with this book and enjoyed it immensely. As a kid, I was obsessed with Baba Jaga, and I really like how Roth portrayed her.

This is a fairly short (175 pages) novel/novella that takes place over a small amount of time. Those familiar with the Witcher series/games/books will recognize a lot of the mythology as well as Slavic fatality.

Story: Dymitr has one goal left in life: to achieve it, he will have to obtain a fabled flower and then use it to barter with a dangerous supernatural creature to find the famous witch Baba Yaga. It is a dangerous path but he has long since given up on fearing death.

The synopsis would lead you to believe that this is about an idealistic young man and a woman he is thrown into meeting in order to achieve a quest. It isn't: the main characters feels very much like a Geralt from the witcher: burned, jaded, and single minded. Ala, the other POV, is a means to an end for Dymitr and not a love interest. Indeed, the love interest here may just surprise you. This is very much an adult urban fantasy and not a YA novel.

The book takes place in a perpetually dark Chicago in seedy areas - you almost expect blinking neon lights and dumpster fires to be described in the background. Dymitr is almost an antihero in his single mindedness and ability to take pain as long as it achieves his purpose. Ala is brash and kind of stupid - just there to survive while she deals with a curse. I never really got into her character and felt she should have played a smaller part.

The story is compelling enough that you want to see it through to the end. Think of it as a Witcher side story set in modern day Chicago. There are several twists/surprises and certainly it doesn't overstay its welcome at the short length. Note: I listened to the audio version and the narrators did a decent job with the Polish. It gave the book much more atmosphere to have the accents/language in place. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

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.

I loved the nonlinera timeline and I kept guessing what was actually happening through the first two parts. I figured it out by part 3, but I think that was the point. Overall engaging story!

This was such an interesting blend of different Slavic myths and creatures. And I really enjoyed the narrators as they brought the world to life. I would highly recommend this to people who are fans of darker fairy tales

I will be honest, I was a little nervous at first on how the complex setting, characters and mythology would come together in this short novella. But it did somehow. The author was able to really set the stage and tell a compelling story.

Fantasy is not my normal genre so at some point, I didn’t resonate with the different species of monsters and it was hard to keep it sorted. Even with that though I had a nice time reading this story and certainly would recommend for anyone who gets intimidated by chunky fantasy books. This could be a good introduction.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC of this novella.

I was so stoked for this one from Veronica Roth. I will admit to being a little put off by yet another Baba Yaga retelling. This seems to be a trend over the past couple of years, no? I shouldn't have been worried. I finished this book in one go. The characters felt real and raw without being melodramatic. I love that the ending felt finished too.