Book review: When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
A gorgeously atmospheric urban fantasy steeped in Polish mythology, which follows three unlikely allies as they spend a tumultuous 24 hours racing to find the legendary witch Baba Jaga.
When Among Crows is a surprisingly short novella, clocking in at just 176 pages. Usually, I’d consider that too little time to introduce and establish the rules of a complex fantasy setting, delve into the backstories and motivations of three main characters and allow readers to form an emotional connection with them. I stand corrected; When Among Crows might be the most successful fantasy novella I’ve ever read. Roth delivered on all fronts – beautiful writing, original fantasy worldbuilding, a wonderfully complex protagonist and intriguing side-characters with equally interesting backstories. I’m tempted to say that my only critique is that I want more, but I also think it was the perfect length for the story that Roth wanted to tell. Not every story needs to be 300+ pages, and this book proves it.
I haven’t read anything from Roth since the Divergent trilogy, probably because I was a little jaded by the conclusion of that series. This novella has completely changed my mind about Roth as an author – I’m definitely looking forward to reading more from her now.
Many thanks to Tor Books for providing a copy of When Among Crows. The opinions expressed in this review are my own. When Among Crows will be released on May 14th 2024.
Publisher: Tor Books
Rating: 5 stars | ★★★★★
Review cross-posted to Goodreads
