I haven't read anything by Veronica Roth since I finished Divergent. The internet decided to spoil the series ending, leaving me crying for a whole night. I really loved that book, and I can honestly say that the feeling carried over to this novella.

"When Among Crows" is a compelling tale that revolves around Dymitr, who belongs to a generation of skilled hunters, and Ala, who finds herself on the opposing end as part of the hunted. As they navigate their challenging circumstances, they need to overcome all the prejudices they have been taught about each other in order to not just survive, but to truly live.

I was blown away by how good the story is. Roth masterfully constructs a paranormal world set in the undergrounds of Chicago that is truly unique. We see how the complex characters, who are in a cycle of pain for very different and, at the same time, very similar reasons, embark on a journey that will not only end their suffering but also give them another chance to break with the past and create a safe space that will let them start living. Since it's a novella, I don't want to give away too much, but it's definitely worth reading.

I also want to add that the narrator's incredible performance completely immersed me in the story. With their captivating voices, they made me feel as though I was not just an observer but a part of the story, experiencing every moment alongside the characters. Their skillful portrayal truly brought the characters to life, adding depth and richness to the story.

I hope to read more like this from Ms. Roth in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the ARC!

This is an incredible story. At just under 180 pages, it's not a lengthy one, but it doesn't need to be. Based around Eastern European mythologies and magic - that frankly, we don't hear enough about in the USA - with a tale of a man looking to right a wrong... working with people who aren't exactly human to get to the end he wants. There's so much I can't say in order to not spoil any of this beautiful story, so I'll just say this - read it. You won't regret the time spent. I've recommended this to everyone I know that enjoys modern magical fantasy.

I didn’t realize at first this was such a short novella. All in all, it felt like the premise to a bigger story. The world’s beings are varied and interesting. Set in modern day Chicago, we follow the POV of three different characters, a human who is looking for Baba Jaga in order to achieve redemption, a fear-eating zmora who is cursed, and a anger-eating dream boat (Dimytr, Ala and Niko). There is a little bit of a romantic spark in between the pages, but just barely. Veronica Roth did manage to create an urban fantasy world that I would totally dive into again. The narrators also do a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life.

If you are a fan of Veronica Roth, definitely pick it up!

This book was a short, quick palette cleanser for me. I enjoyed it but felt I might nowt have been in the right mood while reading it. I enjoyed the paranormal aspects of this one a lot

A fun remix of Urban Fantasy tropes, with a thick layer of Eastern European folklore. It permeates the culture, the creatures and witches, and even the guilt characters carry. A fun novella that leaves me hoping Roth will do more in this world. The audio version is evocative, lifting Roth's prose even higher, and giving it all the proper weary tone for our exhausted and cynical hunters.

I'll be honest. I found this quite boring. I'm not sure what the point of this book was, other than to introduce people to the many people to a vast array of magical creatures. For most of the story, I really didn't care. The ending is almost worth it but again, I didn't really care up to that point, so if you don't mind slow pacing and slow plotting, maybe you'll like this.

I wanted to love this, unfortunately I didn’t. It was well written just not for me. I found it hard to stay focused

I enjoyed this story! I didn't get pulled in by the characters, but I enjoyed the world and the folklore.

This is a tiny novella story that is set in a magical contemporary world, specifically Chicago and it’s steeped in Slavic lore and magic. It’s about Chicago being divided by both humans and creatures that feed off of fear and provoke sorrow in people and we follow characters from The Holy Order which is an organization that hunts them down in order to kill them. It was pretty cool, I wish it was a full length novel because I have trouble getting into novella’s these days but nonetheless, a good one.

4.5 rounded to 5
This book was definitely fun. I really liked how they added fantasy aspects to read world Chicago, with monsters and magic. I really loved how the monsters fed of different negative emotions (fear, anger, anxiety, etc). I do wish it was a full novel, it would have been a lot more fun. The narration was great and really added a lot of depth to the story. I am always thankful for audiobooks in fantasy books to help with pronunciation lol. Definitely need to read more of Veronica Roth’s backlist.

I really enjoyed this lush dark tale filled with Slavic folklore! Going into it I did not realize this was a novella, but it's an exciting 36 hour journey these characters take to find Baba Jaga. The narrator was great and really brought this tale to life!

I've loved old Slavic folklore since falling in love with the Bear and the Nightingale and the entire Winternight Trilogy. So I thoroughly enjoyed this fantasy novella from Veronica Roth set in Chicago, while featuring all manner of mythical creatures. The story features a hero’s quest & his burdens of grief as he meets these creatures along the way.

Dymitr is from a Polish family of hunters, called upon to sacrifice their souls to take down monsters. Ala is a fire-eating zmora living under a curse. Dymitr tempts her with a cure to gain her help on his quest and she can only say yes. Along the way the encounter other terrifying creatures, from stryga and leshy to banshees and rusalka, and they must outwit them to find the legendary Baba Jaga

I really enjoyed the characters in this story, and the story rotates through the perspectives of Dimytr and Ala as well as Niko who joins their quest - and may have a soft spot for Dimytr in spite of their differences. The atmospheric writing lent added danger and darkness to this unique story, which wraps up neatly and succinctly.

I haven't read anything of Veronica Roth's since Allegiant and I was pleasantly surprised by this novella. I liked the world she built and I actually would have loved to have spent a bit more time in it.

Excellent narration and a great story using folklore. Hooked from start to finish. Will definitely be recommending. Thank you to Netgalley and publisher.

I want to say I am truly sorry, but that would be a lie. I cannot in good conscience say I didn't like the book because I was too distracted to actually understand it. I was so elated that my culture and mother language got representation. At the same time, how can you butcher my language so badly? I ask this question not from a standpoint of superiority. I just wonder, how come there was not one person who could have guided the narrators with pronunciation? EVERY word could have been written phonetically. Only then would all that have had some meaning, because I didn't understand a word, and certainly, it didn't mean a thing to someone who doesn't speak Polish. As this is a review of an audiobook, this is where I finish, because one day, for sure, I will read the paper version and have a much better time seeing how Slavs and Poles specifically are appreciated (though I still do not understand how Polish Demetriusz (De-mehtr-ush—you see what I did here?) became Demitr).

WHEN AMONG CROWS is a short fantasy novel that packs a lot within only 176 pages. Roth’s signature storytelling abilities and her effortless writing style were present.

What I loved about this book was its premise and the pace at which the author unravels the tale. There is tension, darkness, and lore. However, I wanted more. Having been a fan of Roth’s for a while, I was surprised to read something where I wanted more background, more depth into this world she was trusting us in, and more with these fabulous characters. The time spent with Dymitr and Ala seemed too short to me.

I guess when it comes down to it, reading the book was so addictive that I wished it would have been expanded a little bit in certain areas. It all was too quick, but then again, maybe that is what the author wanted. She could have intended for the reader to only get a glimpse of the life these two characters are living.

Audiobook Note: Narrators Helen Laser, James Fouhey, and Tim Campbell bring to life this short novel. They do a wonderful job of propelling the story forward and keeping the pace. However, they could only narrate what they had and as I said, I truly wanted more.

I think the story was probably good, but I did not love the audiobook. Maybe too many accents. It felt like everyone was the same character. I usually like stories by Roth, but the audio wasn't compelling.

Another great book from Veronica Roth! I am always interested in their books, and this one did not disappoint.

Veronica Roth's latest short story delves into Polish folklore with a modern twist. The story follows three main characters on a journey to find Baba Yaga and discover hidden truths about themselves. Baba Yaga plays a crucial background role in the characters' lives. Without revealing too much, the story is short but packed with action, adventure, and self-reflection. The audiobook features different voices for each point of view, and the voice actors impress with their accents and mastery of the Polish language. Although the story could have been expanded into a full-length novel for further world-building, the short version is still fantastic and engaging.

This book was so moody and atmospheric. It draws you in and holds you with this feeling like you are witnessing something that shouldn’t be seen but you can’t look away.

I really enjoyed the tension and the mythology that Roth wove into the story. It was a great read for a rainy afternoon.