First of all, the narrators of this audiobook knocked it out of the park! I loved the voices as they really helped with the tone of the story. I really enjoyed the fantasy elements of this story, but I think I wanted it to be more in depth. I would love a whole book set in this world rather than a novella. All in all, it was an easy listen and entertaining enough story. 3.25 stars

I really enjoyed When Among Crows. Since it’s a novella it was a quick read, I finished the audiobook in 2 days. The only downside to it being a novella is that there isn’t a lot of world building. You get thrown straight into the fantasy world and it took me a few chapters to orient myself. Once I understood the world and the character dynamics I was totally immersed. I was surprised by how flushed out the characters are, especially since it’s so short. Not only is this book action packed from start to finish but it is also full of character development and real moments.

I loved the audiobook narrators, they did a wonderful job and helped keep my attention.

I highly recommend if you need a fantasy fix but don’t want to start a new series.

When Among Crows by Victoria Roth takes readers on a journey through Slavic folklore, diving into themes about one’s own fear, pain and emotions and what we would do when who we are and our beliefs don’t align with our families beliefs and their expectations.

The story starts with Dymitr forming an alliance with Ala, his sworn enemy. Ala who is driven by the hope that she could break her family’s curse joins him and Nikodem in a quest to track down the powerful witch Baba Jaga. I did enjoy her portrayal of Chicago’s gritty landscape, which serves as a captivating backdrop, it added layers to the overall story. I found myself wanting a deeper exploration of the characters and the world that lived in. I feel like more pages could have offered a better understanding of their motivations and the struggles they had, tho I enjoyed the story being told from multiple POVs, telling the difference between the characters was difficult at times while listening to the book, because there was such similarity in the character accents, this did at times affect my enjoyment of the audiobook. Reading the book physically instead of listening to it might help with some of the confusion. I would love to read more from this world in the future though.

Dymitr and his family are tasked with rooting out evil in the world. Ala has suffered from a curse in her family and would like nothing more than to be rid of it. When Dymitr seeks her out to do so, a fantastic thread of history begins to unwind as Dymitr seeks his goal.

First, this audiobook is great. I did have to slow my normal 1.5x to 1.25x to get familiar with accents and names. But once I was familiar with the cadence, I was totally immersed in the characters. It was easy to paint a vivid picture of the story.

This is ultimately a really well written novel about atonement and forgiveness in a perfectly paired Slavic lore setting. The underlying themes of love, loyalty, loss, regret are passionately written and immerse the reader in the story. I really enjoyed this quick read. 5 stars.

Review based on a Advanced Audiobook provided by Macmillan Audio and NetGalley. Thank you!

3.5⭐️
An entertaining novella but I wish the story was longer and more fleshed out. It’s hard to adapt to a new fantasy world with several character POVs without losing connection to some aspect.

I also agree with another reviewer about how reading the summary gives a main point of the story away so I wish I had gone in blind.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced audio copy. I think the narrators of the audio book were great - would recommend this version.

The audio for this Slavic folklore inspired fantasy was very well done! And I had never read a book with a leshii before, so that was a treat! I loved reading about monsters/creatures you rarely see in fantasies these days. It even had me looking up the folklore and the creatures after I had finished reading.

If you’re looking for quick novella that has monsters, mystery, curses, pain, redemption, and intrigue—give this one a try. Though it looks small, this book packs a heavy plot with distinct characters.

Veronica Roth wastes not a single word when it comes to entrapping you into the contemporary world of Chicago, and then leading you down, down, down, into something darker and magical. And it all takes place in a span of 36 hours! Of course, with monsters you always have monster hunters and that’s…trouble. I loved the added dynamic of enemies working together too!

As a reader you slowly get to see into Dymitir’s motivations and while you’re left in the dark in some things, it’s worth it when you find out the answers later on. Ala was great compliment to his character as well.

When Among Crows is a multicast narrated audiobook that is close to novella vibes! This high fantasy story has drama, action, adventure, and romance ALL in less than 5 hours! This story follows a main band of characters that start separately, come together, and band together to achieve a common goal (tbh, feels kinda Wizard of Oz style).
The ONLY thing that kind of threw me during this audiobook was the amount of high fantasy/story building that occurred because we were moving SO fast and in audiobook format! 👀 This book feels like a combination of Book of Night by Holly Black and Wizard of Oz (with a Polish folklore twist)!
Thank you to Macmillan Audio for a copy of this audiobook in exchange for an unbiased review!💖

This was such a pleasant surprise! I requested an ARC of this one on a whim because I have background in folklore and mythology literature, and it absolutely did not disappoint! The narrators were lovely, the Polish folklore was fascinating and so obviously written with love, and the urban fantasy vibes were magnificent.

Each character has such a unique narrative and arc and it's lovely to see how they all interact and come together in a story about family burdens, immigration, and a modern Christian crusade. While the romance is secondary to the found family story, it's also there and lovely. Overall, this was just such a lovely little novella and I would love to see more from Roth in a universe like this!

Thanks to Macmillan Audio for gifting me an advanced audiobook copy in exchange for an honest review!

I was both curious and nervous to check out a novel by the same author as Divergent, but I was pleasantly surprised. This is an adult contemporary fantasy novella about guilt, responsibility, and repentance following 3 very different characters with various family burdens. The Slavic folklore was really cool and interesting to hear despite not being knowledgeable. Each narrator did a great job bringing each character's POV to life. There was an achillean romance that I didn't see coming but welcomed it nonetheless. Not an all-time favorite and zoned out from time to time while listening, but worth checking out if you are looking for a quick read.

I honestly don't know how to rate this. 3 stars? 4? Both?

This was good. But it also didn't hold my attention? Maybe it's because I'm a shell after finishing another book today and my attention just didn't want to hold. Maybe it was because it was audio? I'm not sure.

I do think if I sat down with the physical book of this, I would LOVE it. I think the audio allowed me to not give it my full attention and because of that, I think I missed some important pieces. With this being so short, it sure does back quite a bit of information (but it isn't info-dumpy), but you need to pay attention to really understand what's going on all the time. This isn't a book you can check out for 30 seconds and then check back in. You'll be lost.

It might be my least favorite Veronica Roth story, but it's still good. I know my friends will love this. Giving it 4 stars because I think the problem was me and for that, I cannot give it 3 stars.

When Among Crows is a quick listen, but it really packs a punch. This is an urban fantasy set in Chicago based on Slavic mythology. The mythology for the world building is so interesting and so good, especially for a novella. I found the world really well developed and I would love to see more stories set in this universe. All of the characters had good backstories and development. It was great to see how they grew and interacted with one another as we learned more about them. There is a bit of a spoiler in the synopsis, which might take away a bit of the emotional reveal in the story. In the audiobook one of the chapters repeats itself from two different narrators. That being said, I really enjoyed the narrators and thought they did a great job. I kept looking forward to getting back to the audiobook. This would be a great read for anyone interested in Slavic mythology or testing the waters of urban fantasy, as well as for those who have read a lot of fantasy.

Narrator did fantastic. The book was great. I am a fan of the author and reading a fantasy book with both Chicago and Polish as part of the story was amazing. I will be recommending this book.

I haven't read anything by Veronica Roth since the Divergent series, but I'm so happy I had the chance to listen to an early audiobook copy of this one. What a phenomenal novella! The narration is perfection. I would highly recommend listening to the audiobook if you are able.

I'd also recommend going in without reading the description because it gives away more than is needed. I started reading with only the knowledge that this takes place in a Chicago where Slavic folklore is real. And I think I enjoyed it more knowing only that.

The story is very focused, so even though it is short, you have plenty of time with the main characters. I was definitely very invested in the characters and how things would work out. The world was dark and mysterious but easy to understand. And the ending was so satisfying, in my opinion.

Thanks to partner @macmillan.audio for the ALC

When Among Crows is a short 176-page/4h37m novella. It's a dark urban fantasy with Slavic/Polish folklore. Based in a dystopian Chicago, we dive into a world with monsters, knights, and witches.

This was an ok read. I truly feel like this story deserved more pages to deliver a deeper understanding of the lore and characters. There wasn’t a lot of explanation on different names for the various creatures within the story, so having a general idea of Slavic folklore helps. I loved the darker, grittier vibes. Even in a short time, the atmosphere was rich and interesting. I like the characters and their individual stories, but I wished we’d get more from them to cultivate a better connection with them. At times, the story was a little confusing on which character was doing what action, which typically isn’t something I have issues with when reading via audiobook. The three narrations were a nice edition, and they were all enjoyable.

Overall, if you are looking for a quick read with Slavic mythology based in Chicago, give this a try!

I knew nothing about this book going in. I’ve been trying to get back to reading fantasy and this novella was a great dive into some urban fantasy. It was so interesting and filled with Slavic folklore based in the city of Chicago.

There were definitely some deeper commentary taking place throughout this short read following three characters that are each dealing with their own struggles. We get multiple POV from these characters on their journey that is layered with found family elements as well as the a story of identify and redemption.

This novella completely surprised me, but I do wish it was longer because I wanted more of a backstory of the “monsters” and this world that Roth created. We got snippets throughout the story, but it is just so complex and so many things happening that I was left craving more!

I listened to this on audio and I enjoyed the audio a ton! I usually struggle with fantasy audiobooks but this was so easy to follow along with. The narrators were fantastic and I loved the accents! I highly recommend listening to this one as an audiobook!

I love Veronica Roth, so when I first started this book and wasn't drawn into it I was a little disappointed. However. BECAUSE I love Veronica Roth I kept reading it anyway and ended up falling in love with the world and the characters so much that I really wished this was going to be a series.

I read it on audio and the narrators absolutely did justice to the characters and world. Sometimes when there are multiple narrators the story doesn't feel as cohesive, not so here! I don't know if they interacted or collaborated in person but they definitely had great chemistry!

Fairytales reimagined and mystical characters reimagined are kind of my favorite things in books and there's a little of both of that in here. The magic system is very interesting, sort of a take on vampires but not exactly? I don't want to spoil it because truly if you like any of these things (Veronica Roth, Fairytales, supernatural beings) you should give it a shot. If it starts out a little iffy I promise you it's worth pushing through. The characters have depth and the plot is interesting, and an old fairytale favorite makes a story shattering appearance and it wraps up pretty nicely; though I am still holding out hope for a series...

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for a review copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much @macmillian.audio for the early listening copy of When Among Crows!
This is out today and if you like fantasy and folklore, this is right up your alley!
I have always loved Veronica Roth’s books. The Divergent Series is one of my favorites so when I saw this was coming out I really wanted to give it a whirl.

Slavic mythology and folklore is a bit over my head so it took me a little while to understand what was happening but I really found myself looking forward to listening.

This is a multicast narrated novella so it's a shorter audio at a little under 5 hours. I don’t know about you but I am constantly on the go so I loved that I could listen to this one in two days. I also really loved the chicago setting and the characters. Roth beautifully describes their feelings and thoughts and I found myself feeling like I was right there with them. There are themes of found family, identity and redemption.

An amazing book and amazing audiobook!!
The narrators were fantastic and have great accents.
I love the plot and story of this novella and want a whole book or series with the characters. Loved ever second of it!!

⭐⭐⭐.5
🌶️

Dymitr is a monster hunter and needs Ala's help finding the elusive Baba Jaga. Ala is cursed and Dymitr may have the only cure to finally rid her of that curse.

So, both needing something from another, they set off on their unlikely adventure.

In this Eastern European inspired novella, the voice acting was great and I really enjoyed it.

✨ Magic 💫
✨ Monsters
✨ LGBTQ+ rep 🌈
✨ Shifters
✨ Multiple POVs

There was a little bit of a romance in the story, but I felt as though it was a bit of an afterthought. The stakes of the story could have been upped if it was involved a little more.

* Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my eARC in exchange for my honest review *

"When among crows, you must caw as they do."

Wow! There was so much I liked about When Among Crows. The gritty Chicago noir setting. The engrossing Slavic folklore. The fascinating characters. The politics and themes. Oh, the themes!!! The thing is, I don't want to give too much away, not even a synopsis. I think going blind is an absolute must.

What Roth manages to do in just 176 pages is astounding. From page one, she builds an incredibly atmospheric world - filled with magic, lore, and characters I care about. That is no easy feat in a novella. Yet, like with many novellas, I wanted more. Imagining what Roth could have done with these characters, including the budding romance and the found family, makes me long for more pages.

Roth's Pinterest Board has an incredible board for this book. The vibes are everything. I highly recommend checking it out.

I did this via audio, and the narrators did an incredible job.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.