Veronica Roth

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth, When Among Crows is a contemporary fantasy set in Chicago, where creatures from Slavic lore are real and among us, and is a story about the families we build—and the ones we destroy.

When Among Crows

He kisses Dymitr, gentle and slow. It lights up parts of Dymitr he wasn’t sure existed, as if the fire that flickers in Niko’s eyes has kindled in Dymitr, too.

“You are worried about me,” Dymitr says, pulling away. “And … a little bit afraid of me?”

Niko’s eyes are wide. They skip all over Dymitr’s face, and Dymitr wonders how he looks to Niko, if he’s still beautiful enough to fight for.

“The word you’re looking for,” Niko says, “is awe. I am a little in awe of you.”

“We wouldn’t be the first to reconcile after one has killed another’s aunt.”

“Really,” she says. “Eternity is long, Dymitr. Time enough for hearts to soften.”

Dymitr didn’t hesitate for a moment before volunteering himself for pain in Ala’s place. Didn’t seem afraid while standing in Lidia’s private lounge, going head-to-head with the leader of a centuries-old strzyga family. He feels, in short, like someone who’s on a mission, and Niko finds himself wanting to know what that mission is.

He doesn’t like it here. He doesn’t like how his hooves sound on the wood floor, sharp and echoing. He doesn’t like the ceiling that blocks his view of the stars. And he doesn’t like religious spaces, in general—the obsession with wrong and right, purity and pollution, modernity and eternity, it doesn’t make sense to him.

“Might not want to watch,” he says to Niko and Ala. 

“If you have to feel it, the least I can do is see it,” Niko replies, sharp.

“it’s not death i want. it’s … unmaking. unraveling.”

quite a surprise when i learned how this book was written by the same author of divergent, a series i never read but nonetheless knew about (i did watch the movies). a little read i picked up in hopes of curing my reading slump which ended up being a good story about race, found family, guilt, language, culture, and everything in between. i found the three main characters, and their relationships with each other, developed enough considering the length of this book. the story itself was interesting and a page-turner. an added plus is that this book is queer which is really good to see represented in media. 

開花

“it’s not death i want. it’s … unmaking. unraveling.”

quite a surprise when i learned how this book was written by the same author of divergent, a series i never read but nonetheless knew about (i did watch the movies). a little read i picked up in hopes of curing my reading slump which ended up being a good story about race, found family, guilt, language, culture, and everything in between. i found the three main characters, and their relationships with each other, developed enough considering the length of this book. the story itself was interesting and a page-turner. an added plus is that this book is queer which is really good to see represented in media. 

Now no way this is the same author as "Divergent" - a series that I had to skim through mid-way through book two because it was just so poorly written. It has been more than 10 years since then and I have, admittedly, skipped Roth's writing in that period as none of it sounded appealing to me (and there were the concerns raised by non-white readers about the depiction of two different races in her "Carve the Mark" duology). But I also cannot remember her publishing anything else that caused a lot of buzz or creative acclaim so this came as a complete suprise - even if one would hope that a writer would develop over 10 years of consistent writing and publishing.

This novella makes me think that maybe the urban fantasy / fantasy genre is just more suited to her writing (she primarily writes sci-fi). The world-building is great and so is the storytelling. There is a great mix of folkloring characters and I think she manages to weave the mythology well into the setting. I liked that there was a mix of Polish-born characters and American-Polish characters and that each one of them had a different relationship with the culture in spite of being literal mythological creature from its folklore.

Now no way this is the same author as "Divergent" - a series that I had to skim through mid-way through book two because it was just so poorly written. It has been more than 10 years since then and I have, admittedly, skipped Roth's writing in that period as none of it sounded appealing to me (and there were the concerns raised by non-white readers about the depiction of two different races in her "Carve the Mark" duology). But I also cannot remember her publishing anything else that caused a lot of buzz or creative acclaim so this came as a complete suprise - even if one would hope that a writer would develop over 10 years of consistent writing and publishing.

This novella makes me think that maybe the urban fantasy / fantasy genre is just more suited to her writing (she primarily writes sci-fi). The world-building is great and so is the storytelling. There is a great mix of folkloring characters and I think she manages to weave the mythology well into the setting. I liked that there was a mix of Polish-born characters and American-Polish characters and that each one of them had a different relationship with the culture in spite of being literal mythological creature from its folklore.

was honestly so curious about this book as veronica roth kinda lost me in the later parts of the divergent series but this had me KICKING MY FEEEEEET. polish folklore?? gory imagery? GAY PPL? FOUND FAMILY??? yeah. devoured.

For only 165 pages, this novella was executed brilliantly. Such an interesting concept, steeped in folklore which I love, found family, and even a teeny bit of romance! My only qualm is there are a few points I wish I got more clarity on, and I wish it were a longer book, because I was already so invested in these three characters. Such a great short story though, would definitely recommend! 

Katie Allard

Cici Pearson

I feel like this book needed more Slavic mythology or just more to it in general. I really hope there's a sequel so that my questions can be answered. 

It was still a very beautifully written book. The way the creatures and their otherness were described makes it very easy to picture each species. And the rituals that are practiced for different spells are also well written into excruciating detail. Made me wince a few times reading them.

Cassidy Webb

I feel like this book needed more Slavic mythology or just more to it in general. I really hope there's a sequel so that my questions can be answered. 

It was still a very beautifully written book. The way the creatures and their otherness were described makes it very easy to picture each species. And the rituals that are practiced for different spells are also well written into excruciating detail. Made me wince a few times reading them.



I really loved this! It’s short, but it packs a punch. The found family trope is well crafted, the world of the book is phenomenal, and the writing itself is beautiful. With how short it is, there wasn’t much time for the romance to really blossom and that’s what falls short for me. 

I’m desperately hoping that there will be more books that center on these characters, I could read an 800 page book about them and still want more.

Floofyflower

I really loved this! It’s short, but it packs a punch. The found family trope is well crafted, the world of the book is phenomenal, and the writing itself is beautiful. With how short it is, there wasn’t much time for the romance to really blossom and that’s what falls short for me. 

I’m desperately hoping that there will be more books that center on these characters, I could read an 800 page book about them and still want more.

When Among Crows

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