I am always so impressed when authors can pack such a lot of story into less than 200 pages. I thought the hidden world of the zmora, the banshees and all the other creatures from Slavic folklore at play was absolutely fascinating and we were given enough information about each one for context without being bogged down in backstory. I thought the relationships between Dymitr, Nico and Ala were really well done and I enjoyed the plot very much. All in all, I had a great time with this one and would definitely read more set in this world.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This was bloody great, literally. I really hope we get more from this world and its characters. It's a special skill to be able to flesh out a world, its magic system, and its characters in not so many pages. Veronica Roth has really honed her craft in recent years, and I can't wait to see what she releases in the future (hopefully a sequel for this and Chosen Ones hint hint). If you love quest novels with unlikely pairings, a splash of queer romance, and lots of blood and gore, you need this book. Thank you to Titan books for the gifted copy.

At about this time last year I read Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth and absolutely loved it, so was really looking forward to this novella as soon as I saw it on NetGalley…

and I wasn’t disappointed, from the very start we were immersed in a magical culture so different from the usual worlds we see portrayed in fantasy and urban fantasy.

The first chapter started the story off in such a vivid and fascinating manner I was hooked, then late on I was going to bed to finish a chapter and continue it the next day but just couldn’t put it down! So finished it at 1am, I’ve not done this for a long time.

Full of dark stories of blood, revenge, guilt, remorse, ancient hate, and curses all set in modern day Chicago where the various creatures of Slavic mythology have come across running from some of the same things that other waves of immigrants were running from. Finish this with a great tale of found family and an eventual kiss that seals the story.

The world building is amazing for such a short work and throws you full blown into the dark underworld that these creatures inhabit and the magic systems which are based on debt and/or blood.

My only disappointment is that I had to leave the world so beautifully and carefully described.

I’m always a sucker for stories with a depiction of Baba Jaga, and combine this with a quest story was brilliant, the depiction of the leszy at the start of the book was brilliant and this was the introduction to the idea of magical places coming from some form of debt.

As I said I just couldn’t put it down until finished and would love this world to be revisited at some point.

I received this from NetGalley and Titan Books in exchange for an honest review.

a subtly morose tale of folklore that really resonated with me in its eagerness to frighten. this was a great story that will leave readers wanting more.

In modern day Chicago, Polish folklore is alive. Monsters feast on human emotion, knights split their souls to make their weapons and witches always take more than what they give.

Pain brings Dymitr and Ala together. Dymitr’s pain is the monsters he and the other Knights of the Holy Order slay and split his soul into two to create his sword from his own spine, while Ala’s is the family curse she has inherited to see visions Of the horrors that the Holy Order committed.

One fateful night, the two meet and agree a bargain: if Ala can help find the legendary witch Baba Jaga. In exchange, Dymitr will give her an enchanted flower that might cure her.

But Ala doesn’t know who Dymitr is and what he truly wants and with less than 24 hours before the flower dies, killing her hopes of the curse being broken, the two need to move fast. But others want the flower and Baba Jaga’s location and they aren’t afraid to hurt and kill to get them…

It’s been a long time since I read Veronica Roth, but there was something about this that got me excited.

I will admit that this does have a slower start as this does throw you at the deep end. There is a lot of world-building at the start of the novella to explain the folklore, the urban fantasiness. Because of this, I did struggle to find my feet and to keep all the creatures straight in my head (if you know Polish folklore, it will help you get you on a even heel).

However, once this story gets over the world-building and the story/characters find their feet, the story runs and it fits an urban fantasy (though the cover doesn’t scream urban fantasy, but something a little more gothic).

It grows into a gripping read though I do feel that it could be a tad longer (not a full blown novel, but an extra few pages to flesh out ideas as I do think some readers will find that some aspects of the premise needed to be more fleshed out). Plus, I would have loved more pages to read the gentle and sweet M/M romance.

Might not be every urban fantasy readers cup of tea, I really liked this and feel that we could have more novellas in this world, very similar to Seanan McGuire’s Wayward Children series (if this does happen, I will be all over it!)

Monsters, Witches and Knights who spilt their very souls to create their weapons?
YES PLEASE.

Whilst this starts at a slightly slower pace, the lore and characters soon grabbed my attention. Urban fantasies don't always hit the spot for me, but the combination of an urban world with the lore and creatures creates a gritty yet believable world. When Among Grows is atmospheric read with a quest at its centre. Inspired by Slavic mythology, this novel has me wanting more of these characters and this world.

This book had me in awe. It told such a good story on so few pages. I loved everything about it. It was very beautiful storytelling! I am also still obsessed with the stunning cover as well!

Thank you to the Publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. Firstly, I did enjoy reading this novella, but the worldbuilding was both the biggest strength and the biggest flaw for me. It is amazing how the author manages to flesh out this amazing world in such a small book however unfortunately for me there were just so many aspects that I just wanted more of. As a consequence, when I finished I felt a bit unsatisfied. I do recommend this especially for fans of polish folklore!

When Among Crows is a new novella by Veronica Roth written in third person. In the city monsters feast on human emotions and Dymitr’s calling is pain. He had to split his soul in half to make a sword from his spine. Ala’s inheritance is pain. A curse was placed on her when her mother died and it will take her life. One night in Chicago, Dymitr meets Ala and makes a bargain where she will help to find the witch Baba Jaga in exchange for a cure.

I am giving this novella 3 stars, it was a pleasant experience and I liked reading about Polish folklore but it didn’t do anything special. It was just fine. I like the premise of this more than the actual novella. However, I would recommend this to fans of fantasy novella’s because it was in line with previous fantasy novella’s and there is definitely an audience for this. I would actually recommend this to fans of The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen because of the folklore and vibes.

Set in modern day Chicago, Veronica Roth's When Among Crows is a gothic use of Polish myths and mythology, where the night dwellers are the creatures that came from the old country, and now inventively run businesses that fulfill their needs - the ones that live off fear run a cinema that specialize in running horror films, the type who feed on sorrow run a hospice. Into this setting is a wayward Knight of the Order, who wants to make amends for the killings he has done in the Order's name. His path to redemption is a dark and violent one, and well worth the journey for the readers.

3.5 Stars