REVIEW When Among Crows by Veronica Roth

When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Release Date: May 14, 2024
Format: Hardcover (Giveaway, Under the Covers Book Blog) + Audiobook (Library)
Publisher: Tor Books (Macmillan Audio)

“That kind of sacrifice creates a debt, and there’s nothing magic likes better than the great hollow of a debt.”

Veronica Roth’s When Among Crows was an interesting and unique foray into fantasy and Slavic mythology. If you can go into this book without reading the synopsis, I highly recommend it as there are some spoilers present for such a short book. 

The characters were interesting, but it took a while for me to be invested in their journey. Dymitr, Ala, and Niko don’t fit into the molds thrust upon them. Dymitir has been trained to hunt monsters his entire life, but needs their help to complete his quest. Ala is a Zmora (a creature who eats fear) and is compelled to join Dymitr’s quest based on a drive to end her curse. The final member of their trio, Niko is a bit of a mystery and I was surprised by his point of view chapters but he rounded out the group well. At first, their trip is one of necessity but it ends up turning into an emotional found-family situation.  

The worldbuilding was the most unique facet of the book, and what captivated my attention. The setting was a blend of modern and a medieval knight’s quest. I really liked seeing the community of paranormal creatures that blends within the underground of Chicago. The magic system was also really cool. Baba Jaga is such a legendary figure, and it was cool to have her be the central figure of the quest. My only complaint about the characters and the worldbuilding was that I wanted more; there was so much opportunity for more character development, and to go deeper into the worldbuilding and the culture. However, for a novella length story it did its job well and I was overall satisfied.  

I would recommend When Among Crows to fantasy readers who are looking for something short, on the darker side, and filled with references to folklore and mythology. Narrators Helen Laser, James Fouhey, and Tim Campbell did an excellent job bringing the story to life (and definitely helped with the pronunciation of words I was unfamiliar with).  Thank you to Francesca at Under the Covers Book Blog for my giveaway copy of the book! I appreciate the opportunity to read and review the book immensely.