Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an audio version of this book!

I thought this book was great! At first, I wasn't really vibing with the voice actors for the audiobook, but they grew on me about a quarter of the way. I might give this a reread once it's released so I can get a better grasp of the world. I have a general understanding from the audiobook, but there were quite a few different species described and I struggled to keep them all straight while listening to the audiobook. This wasn't really a big deal, as this didn't hinder my reading experience, but I still want to better understand the different species and all that jazz.
While I think this works well as a short standalone story, I grew invested in the world and characters and found myself wishing there were more... Oh well though, standalones are few and far between and it's nice not having to commit to a series.
If you're looking for a quick read with an interesting world, I recommend giving this book a try. (I also recommend it if you are a Tokyo Ghoul fan, as the world and story of this book reminds me a lot of that series)

Thank you Netgalleey and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

I haven't read anything by Veronica Roth since the Divergent series, so I was actually really surprised that I liked this novel. It took me a little while to get in to it, but once I understood the pacing and got to know the characters a little better it was enjoyable. I was not surprised by Dymitr’s reveal after meeting Baba Yaga. It is a shorter novel, but was engaging and did enough to develop characters without feeling too rushed. I was concerned the storyline would be furthered along by things that didn't make sense or the sudden "I have power and can complete something to further the plot," but it didn't felt that way at all.

Overall, an enjoying read. Although our library doesn't invest in audiobooks, I might consider the novel upon its release.

When Among Crows is one of those books that pulls on all of the heart strings. I was fascinated with the plot, and think anyone looking for a great fantasy novel will be entertained.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ALC in exchange for my honest review!

It can be really hard to fit a full story in such a short book but this one did it really well. I enjoyed the mix of Urban Fantasy mixed with Slavic folklore. The main characters, Ala and Dymitr, had a very interesting dynamic, working together to find Baba Jaga, and I love how their stories tied together. The plot twist caught me by surprise. As it was an audiobook, I felt like the narrators did a really good job as well.

If you are looking for a fun, short fantasy read, I definitely recommend this one!

I wasn’t a fan of this book. It’s characters weren’t as developed as she has done in the past and I felt like the story could have had more meat to it. I liked the idea behind the book, but it fell flat for me.

4.5 of 5. The narrator's of the audiobook are fantastic and made it a very enjoyable listening experience. This novella takes place over a very short period of time, and I appreciated the whirlwind pace. The world building is interesting, and there are many intriguing questions, characters, and places that pop up throughout the novella. I will definitely be on the lookout for future writings in this world. Thank you to NetGalley for an audiobook arc of this.

When Among Crows is the first Veronica Roth book I’ve read since throwing Allegiant across my living room over a decade ago. I really enjoy her writing style but felt desperately betrayed by that book, and so I haven’t picked up anything by her since then. However, the premise of When Among Crows fascinated me, and a standalone novella sounded like a relatively safe way to dip my toes back into the pool of her work. This proved to be a great decision. While I didn’t quite love When Among Crows, I did have a lot of fun with it. Is it a perfect novella? No. Is it worth picking up? Absolutely.

Remember that premise I said I found fascinating? By the time I actually got my hands on this book, I had forgotten most of that premise. Which served me really well. If you can go into this novella without reading the synopsis, I would highly recommend doing so. It added a layer of depth to the story for me. The synopsis is actually laden with spoilers, reveals that aren’t made until over halfway into the book itself. Stay away from it if you can.

Here we have our world, but with a monstrous underbelly. Most of the narrative takes place in modern Chicago, where Dymitr, one of our main characters, is on a quest to break a curse. Here he meets Ala, a zmora who feeds on fear, and Niko, an incredibly powerful (and rare) male strzyga who feeds on anger. The three are tied together by Dymitr’s mission, and visit some truly freaky locales on their quest, having to make occasional pitstops to fight darker, fouler monsters. Or, the bogeyman of all monsters, a knight of the Holy Order, monster hunters who split their own souls in half to forge a blade they keep sheathed in their spine until the time comes to slay their prey.

I appreciated the Slavic inspiration behind this story and its monsters. I know less about Slavic folklore and mythology than I do Greco-Roman or Egyptian, and it’s always fun to get an urban fantasy book populated with such new (to me) and unusual faces. I also thought that the story had a very strong sense of place. The characters were compelling and sympathetic, and I was invested in their tale. However, I felt that the plot could have been sharpened, and that a bit more time could have been given to the world building. The chemistry and tension between the characters also felt slightly unbelievable to me. But all three of those complaints are due to the brevity of the story. I tend to have such complaints when it comes to novellas.

Roth’s writing style is captivating, in a similar way to Sanderson’s writing style. Like Sanderson, Roth has the kind of prose that paints a vivid picture and then melts away, leaving you with a movie playing in your mind. I could see every small detail of every scene of this book. I love writing that disappears like that, leaving you alone with the story being told. But that’s not to say that Roth (and Sanderson, for that matter) doesn’t have a lovely way with words, and doesn’t offer up poetic tidbits when the mood strikes. She just doesn’t get in the way of her own story.

For the most part, I really enjoyed this novella. When Among Crows is a dark, adventurous, interesting story well told, but it would have benefited from deeper world building, a sharper plot, and room for the characters to develop and breathe. Even considering that, it was well worth reading. I had access to both the ebook and the audio, and the tandem reading experience bumped my rating up from 3.5 to 4 stars. The audiobook had multiple narrators and was very well done. It was incredibly helpful to hear so many of these new-to-me terms pronounced, instead of trying to figure out that pronunciation myself. So, if you’re an audiobook fan and are considering picked up When Among Crows, I would definitely suggest the audiobook!

Such a powerful story within a very quick read, though rooted in pain.
Based in Chicago, Dymitr is a knight tasked to slay monsters…with a sword made from his spine, splitting his soul into two. Meanwhile, Ala is cursed with witnessing atrocities over and over, a pain inherited from her mom. Together, they are on a mission to find the legendary witch Baba Yaga (yes, that one of old lore) and potentially a cure.
The magical realism-fantasy taking place in a modern city like Chicago, mixed with folklore, left me more confused than anything, and made it hard to get into the story, despite the shorter novella length. I did however enjoy the narrators and believe they all appropriately brought the story and characters to life.
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
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When Among Crows is a novella coming in just under 200 pages or 4.5 hours on audio. While this seems like it may be long enough to create a great story, this is jam packed with information. It’s told in a multi POV which was really awesome, giving each character a voice was perfect.
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This story has a bunch of mythical creatures that live among the mortals. I really struggled with the different creatures at first, I felt super confused as to what each of the creatures translated to, and what they did. I eventually was able to understand them but wish that there could have been more world building with these creatures to really dive into what each does. The three main characters Niko, Dymitr and Ala were great. I loved how each of the character grew, though I feel like their growth would have been so much more interesting if this story was longer so they could have each been really fleshed out.
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The story in and of itself was super fast paced. I really enjoyed the entire adventure. The twist wasn’t overly surprising, but I love where Roth took the story. There are themes of becoming the best version of yourself, redemption and forgiveness, making this for a super fun real.
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I listened to this one via audiobook while reading the ebook on my kindle. Having the two were great in order to understand the different words used for these creatures. Helen Laser, James Fouhey and Tim Campbell were awesome narrators and they complimented each other well. I highly recommend listening to this one while reading it as well.
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Overall I really enjoyed this one, I just really wish that this was a full length novel in order to really do some world building, to really get to the nitty gritty of these creatures and to flesh out the characters more. Definitely think this will be one people will enjoy!! When Among Crows releases on 5/14. Be sure to check this one out! Huge thank you to NetGalley, Veronica Roth, MacMillan Audio and Tor Publishing Group for the eARC and ALC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an ALC of this book.

First I must say I enjoyed the multiple cast of narrators. It really makes an audiobook even better with a full cast.

I never knew much about Slavic folklore and I got the opportunity to learn some here. I loved Dymitr and Ala. How one has to rely on the other in order to complete a mission is astounding

Secrets and motives are revealed and its a fight against time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy!

I have always been a huge Veronica Roth fan--Divergent will forever be one of my favorites. But this one just wasn't for me. The book was well-written, but as I find in a lot of short novels (this one was under 200 pages), I didn't feel like I was able to connect to the characters much in such a short amount of time. I have also read a few books that incorporate Russian folklore, and it isn't my favorite. So, to sum it all up, I love Veronica Roth's writing in general, but this one just wasn't for me. But I did really enjoy the audio book narrators.

This was a satisfying and unique novella set in Chicago filled with Polish folklore. Even with this being relatively short the world building was done so well. I loved our characters. I believe Roth has said this will be a stand alone but I would jump at the chance to read more in this world. This was great as an audiobook. All of the narrators did a wonderful job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc copy in exchange for an honest review.*

3.5 ⭐ rounded up.

This was a very short and quick story. I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did a good job. However, I think this is one of those books I could have enjoyed more if I would have physically read it myself. I felt like I couldn't connect with the audiobook as much as I wanted to. I do plan to physically read this again sometime.

I didn't care for the characters much. Again, this could have been because I was wishing I would have had a physical copy, but they didn't work for me. There's very little romance in this book, so if you're someone like me who loves the romance subplot, this may not be your book. This book focused on the fantasy aspects. I think sprinkling in a little more romance might have improved this book so much.

Veronica Roth is a talented writer who can paint a vivid picture in my mind and can make you feel like you're in the moment with the characters. I am not a huge novella reader, so I took a risk on this solely because Roth is the author. I did enjoy this novella and I am planning a reread.

I did the audio version of When Among Crows. Helen Laser and James Fouhey do a performance level reading of this dark fantasy. Dymitr is raised to kill monsters with the sword that resides in his back in place of his spine. Ala is cursed to witness horror and pain until the curse ultimately takes her life. Together, Dymitr and Ala venture to find Baba Jana the legendary witch to obtain a magical flower that might cure Ala. The audio book is haunting and mesmerizing compelling a listener to stay with the story until the end.

This punchy novella follows Dymitr on his mysterious quest into the underbelly of Chicago’s Slavic folklore-inspired world. When Dymitr meets Ala, they make an unlikely duo as they both seek to be released from their inheritances - pain.

This story covers such a short period of time, yet it begins so slowly. There is a lot of world building to pack into so few pages that the depth of the characters fell flat. I was hard for me to get into their relationships and desires until about 70% of the way through. The ending is incredible and was worth the slow journey I took to get there.

The themes of forgiveness, penance, family, and pain were expertly executed, packing an emotional gut punch right at the end. I’d be interested in exploring more of this world, but wished the introduction to it had been a bit longer and more fleshed out.

The audiobook had multiple narrators, a necessity with how often the story switches points of view. There were a few instances where the audio was choppy compared to the original flow of the sentence, but overall it was well done. If you love urban fantasy and want a taste for some Slavic folklore, When Among Crows is a great read! Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the advanced listener copy in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this novella, but like all novellas, I wished it was longer. I was intrigued throughout the entire story, it was fast paced and deeply immersive. I loved the urban fantasy mixed with Slavic folklore. I loved all the characters, Dymitr being my favorite. We had three POV’s, all in third person. I found myself getting lost and trying really hard to follow along with the pov switches. I really enjoyed Dymitr’s and Ala’s, but not so much with Niko. I liked him as a character but I don’t know how much his pov added to the story overall. I think he would have been a great side character had the story came from Dymitr and Ala only.

The audiobook did have technical issues. I noticed in chapter 10 & 12. I did have the ebook and audiobook. One part we had Ala’s narrator doing Dymitr’s pov, then went back and had the male narrator read it through again. In chapter 12 it skipped quite a few pages, read a part ahead, but then went back and read before the end. I followed along when I could, but did just listen during certain parts when I had to be on the go. So there might be more problems I missed. It was very confusing.
Though the narrators did a fantastic job.

When Among crows is a interesting story where we follow two main protagonists Dymitr, a seemingly normal mortal boy, and Ala, a cursed Zamora, as they travel through Chicago to seek out an audience with Baba Yaga so Dymitr can destroy a monster hunter.

I really enjoyed the polish mythology woven through the novella, and the action happening to and around the main characters. I’ve been attempting Roth’s books over and over again for awhile trying to find one I like and this one has been my favorite of her books I’ve read thus far.

The audio production on the book was also excellent, I’m glad that they chose to use multiple narrators it really added to my listening experience.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review!

Overall I enjoyed this. The author managed to really put a full atmospheric picture in my head in a short number of pages. I thought the narration was excellent and added a lot to the characters. While I enjoyed the characters, I do wish I had connected with them a little bit more but perhaps that just goes to my wish that the story had overall been a little longer. I would certainly like to read more in this world with these characters in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for early access in exchange for an honest review =)

This book is a great example that you can do lots for a fantasy book in a few pages.

Dymitr and Ala are brought together by a curse that hunts her bloodline. They set out to find Baba Jaga in the hopes to break her curse (and perhaps break Dymitr's destiny?). This is all based on Polish mythology but takes place in Chicago - I love when fantasy books are set in our world. As a HUGE FAN of Unsoul I loved seeing the same mythology playing a role in this book. If you like this book, watch Unsoul!

Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for a copy of this book to review. All opinions are my own.

I thought this book was so cute. It was short and comforting. The folklore was new to me and it was really unique and interesting. I also think the characters had a lot of chemistry with each other and I want to read more about them in the future. I listened to this as an audiobook and I think the narrators did an amazing job. They really added to the experience of the book. I would 100% recommend listening this audiobook.