I hope this finds you well. I am sending you my honest thoughts on 'When Among Crows'. Honestly at first I was having issues getting really into the book; I think that is due to the (really great) Polish Voice Actor from chapter one. It is nothing against him; but sometimes I just can't understand the words. But once I reach chapter two I was hooked, I have not been able to stop listening to it and I will probably end up relistening to it. The research it took to get all this folk lore correct and in a way that people who have no/to very little knowledge on the subject is amazing. I would love to see this book studied by those who study folk lore, and from a creative writing perspective; in fact it will be one that I will recommend in my own classroom once it releases.

I had no idea what to expect from this, and I'm glad I went in with no expectations! This was such an interesting and immersive experience. This is a great example of a perfectly paced novella. Once I started it was impossible to put down. I both wanted it to be longer because I loved each of our main characters but it was also the perfect length to tell this story.

I really appreciated the multiple audio narrators, it helped portray each of our three main characters as distinct and different people. Each of their stories were interesting and blended together perfectly.

Loved this title. Roth kept my interest and I really enjoyed the character development throughout. An interesting scenario and I hope to see more along these lines.

Wildly entertaining. I highly recommend. This book will emerge you into a world of folktales and monsters and magic.

My little Polish heart loved everything about this story!

If you love folklore retellings that are fast-paced and keep you guessing right up until the end - this book is a must read.

Listening to this story was like listening to my babcia (grandmother) tell me a bedtime story, but as an adult. I loved the Polish accent one of the narrators brought to our main character Dymitr, including little Polish words and sayings throughout. Don't worry, non-Polish friends, this story is super accessible, and all of the Polish words are also translated into English in the next sentence.

I love that we start right in the story. I double checked to make sure I didn't miss anything because we're right into it. The world building is soft, which I love, and the characters all have secrets, which are slowly revealed over the course of the story.

Overall the narrators did an amazing job, however there was one weird switch happening with the accents. One male narrator speaks with a Polish accent, one male narrator speaks with an American accent, but someone didn't tell that to our female narrator who, during her chapter, does both male voices with accents. It made it difficult to determine who was speaking during her chapters, but not impossible. I just had to pay closer attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the ALC.

This book is best listened to after performing minor surgery on yourself. Don't worry, it'll be worth it.

Polish folklore in Chicago? Count me IN.
Sadly this did not meet its potential. I was so excited for it, but I think it would have been better as a book than a novella. It jumped right in without any real explanation, and I struggled to connect to the plot or the characters. The world building felt too quick to really immerse the reader, and I think the author could have lengthened it a bit more to build it up.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for an audio ARC in exchange for an honest review.

TW: blood
Thank you, Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for providing an audio arc. When Among the Crows is a Slavic folklore dark novella that invokes readers to wonder what they would do if they were at the crossroads of their lives. The book follows three main cast members, Ala, Dymitr, and Nico, while trying to find Baba Yaga to fix a curse well. The audiobook also takes the reader on a ride of each character's motive perfectly. I will say I usually don't like urban fantasies but using Chicago as the background helps create a more gritty atmosphere. I want to get a physical copy of the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

When Among Crows was beautiful, vicious, and haunting, with rich imagery and spectacular stories woven throughout.

WAC was so fun! The characters were delightful, and the beautiful way Slavic lore was steeped into the world captivated me. There were many twists and turns, and the prose was stunning. Some parts of the story felt a bit rushed, but the pacing was overall great. I highly recommend this read, especially to fans of VE Schwab’s A Darker Shade of Magic.

Also, let’s take a moment to appreciate the fantastic narration. The three narrators immersed me into the world, and the accents they used were perfect. They were a beautiful fit for the magical story!

Thank you to the publisher for the free ALC!

This was SO FASCINATING. What an interesting little book. I actually walked into this with no clue what the vibe would be & was so PLEASANTLY surprised! The Polish Folksy Shadowhunters of it all? I’m such a fan. I loved the idea of these unlikely characters banding together as we meet “monsters” & see them questing. Dymitir was a character I immediately felt drawn to—his sense guilt & the burden he carried was so visceral & relatable. & Ala & Nico were great additions. I wished that the whole Dymitir & Nico plot was fleshed out a bit more because I felt it was a bit rushed. But, nonetheless, I really enjoyed this!! It was a great, atmospheric & quick read. If you are a fan of the Shadowhunter universe, you will certainly be into this one too!

Thank you so much to NetGalley & Macmillan Audio for the arc!

I waited a little to write this review, and none of my opinions have shifted. This novella is brilliant. Inspired by Slavic folklore, Roth launches you into an alternate Chicago full of magic, witches, monsters, and adventure. This story is for the Zuko lovers, a story of redemption and atonement. Beyond heartwarming. The attachment I have to each of our main characters is unnatural, especially given the length of time we spend with them. Every sentence, every word, carefully crafted by Roth. I hope to see more from this world, and left completely satisfied.

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth is a fantasy novella based deep in Polish/ Slavic folklore. Dymitr, destined to be a slayer of monsters, feels deep regret when he takes life. Ala, a monster, lives knowing that one day soon, the curse that took her mother's life will take hers as well. The two lives intersect, and a bargain is struck, but will it be enough to save them both?
Thank you #NetGalley, #Goodreads, #MacmillianAudio, and author Veronica Roth, for early access to read this intriguing novella. It definitely held my interest!
Narrated by Helen Laser, James Fouhey, and Tim Campbell who all did a wonderful job!

This was the first book by Veronica Roth that I've read that wasn't part of the Divergent trilogy and I'm glad that I picked it up. I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy books, but this was one of the better ones that I've read. Taking place in modern-day Chicago, this follows three main characters as they journey to find Baba Jaga. This is lush with Polish folklore and features many different 'creatures'. I wish we were able to explore more of the world, as well as the characters themselves, but I think that's generally difficult to do when it comes to novellas.

Overall, I thought this was an interesting urban fantasy novella and I'd recommend it! It also reminded me of the TV show Lost Girl in the best way possible.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with this ALC!

Veronica Roth has such a fantastic economy of language. It can be descriptive, interesting, even occasionally whimsical but it never feels like a waste. CROWS is a novella, so from beginning to end it is rather short; we know one of the big reveals from the beginning (or at least, it’s not necessarily supposed to be a surprise for us when it comes out) and that saves us all from the need to obfuscate it. Instead, we focus on our trio, on building trust and seeing magic for what it is.

And the ending truly is that. Magic.

Though there’s one part where an entire scene is repeated verbatim from two perspectives in a row, which was weird - it would have been different if we got a little bit of an internal monologue/reaction from the two different observers, but honestly this did not hinder my experience enough to be much of a concern. I just found it a strange choice.

As far as the audiobook goes, I wish the female narrator had a better Eastern European accent for voicing Dmitr, but otherwise it was well done.