Reader Rayna

Title: When Among Crows
Author: Veronica Roth
Series: Curse Bearer #1
Publisher: Tor Books
Publish Date: May 14, 2024
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Pages: 192 pages/5 hours
Format: Audiobook

This program features multicast narration.

When Among Crows is swift and striking, drawing from the deep well of Slavic folklore and asking if redemption and atonement can be found in embracing what we most fear.

We bear the sword, and we bear the pain of the sword.

Pain is Dymitr’s calling. His family is one in a long line of hunters who sacrifice their souls to slay monsters. Now he’s tasked with a deadly find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. To reach her, Dymitr must ally with the ones he’s sworn to kill.

Pain is Ala’s inheritance. A fear-eating zmora with little left to lose, Ala awaits death from the curse she carries. When Dymitr offers her a cure in exchange for her help, she has no choice but to agree.

Together they must fight against time and the wrath of the Chicago underworld. But Dymitr’s secrets—and his true motives—may be the thing that actually destroys them.

I decided to listen to the audiobook for this novella as I was in a reading slump, and it really helped me to get through reading anything as it was a fun, fast paced story that was both haunting and mysterious, with bits of humor, a pinch of romance, and a smattering of found family thrown in.

I went into this book fairly blind as it’s a novella and synopses tend to give away way too much of the story nowadays. This story follows three characters: Dymitr, who I didn’t realize who he was until much further into the book; Ala, who’s a brusque woman with a bloodline curse that was passed onto her due to unforeseen circumstances; and Niko, a man whose very presence seems to make others steer very clear of him.

From the beginning, Slavic folklore was woven into the story, as was Polish language used throughout the book here and there, making it feel as though I was being transported into a different time or place, even though it was set in a modern day setting, but the way Roth wrote the folklore part, in particular, especially the opening chapter, made it feel as though many of the creatures and the magic were ancient. It really set the tone for the book and showed the kind of urgency and haunting nature of the world of magic that isn’t often seen in a lot of fantasy novels.

This novella was set over the span of 36 hours, so it was a very fast paced story, but it didn’t necessarily feel rushed in any way. The scenes that we were given felt like we were spectating purposefully, as though we were sitting in a movie and watching it unfold in front of us. At least, that’s how I felt listening to the narrators read the scenes to me. I thought that each narrator did a wonderful job with their characters, and that every other creature or character that came into the scene felt real and alive.

There were some gruesome scenes, but not overly so. More like… they were fascinating scenes, ones that you couldn’t turn away from. Like how a car crash is fascinating to look at, you know?

There was even a couple of romance scenes I wasn’t expecting to be in there given the length of the novella, but I was pleasantly surprised! There was tension and angst. I was definitely here for it.

I thought the moments looking into the past of both Dymitr’s and Ala’s lives were well done and fascinating, allowing us to see how they got to where they are now, and why, exactly, they chose the paths they did to get to where they are. These scenes were some of the most powerful in terms of characterization and I really enjoyed them.

Overall, I really enjoyed this novella. I thought it was quick, haunting, humorous at times, and enjoyable. I recommend it if you’re looking for a quick read and you want an urban fantasy to enjoy.

4 stars