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lanid's review
adventurous
dark
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Bullying, Classism, Hate crime, and Violence
Minor: Grief, Murder, Police brutality, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, and Sexual content
aneverbird's review
CW for extremist nationalist organizations sorry but a white person writing about a Black MC in a world where there's an obvious 3 kay allegory is not it for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Religious bigotry, Racism, and Xenophobia
egurgens's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
A wonderful mix of magic, political plots, a persecuted community, LGBTQ+ characters, a runaway prince, and so much more. This story definitely follows the 'enemies-to-lovers' trope, but less severe. More of a 'dislike-to-lovers'. We follow Fie, a Crow chief-in-training, as her troupe of crows collect and dispose of dead plague victims. However, Fie gets the scare of a lifetime when the corpses sit up, the royal prince and his body-double having faked their deaths to escape from the queen who wants them dead. The crows agree to make sure they reach their allies safely, as long as the prince agrees to make sure future crows are protected from persecution in the future.
When thinking of the crows and how they are treated, I think of pre-Civil Rights America. The crows are openly disliked and mistreated by villagers, the Hawks (think police) attack and treat them roughly for existing, and there is a band of citizens that attack Crow troupes at night, similar to how I imagine the KKK did. Disclaimer: I'm just using it as an analogy to describe the conditions the Crows faced, not comparing the two situations in any way.
When the Crows and the two lordlings are betrayed, only Fie and the two lordlings manage to escape capture by the Queen's people. Fie takes up responsibility to get Prince Jasimer to the Commander of their army, his Aunt. What follows is a journey across the continent, chased by magical trackers and mystery monsters. The lordlings get to know the trials that the Crow people face, and Fie gets to know the boys and how they bear their responsibilities. There's a little romancing, some feelings, very nice.
All in all, I loved this book, and I'm excited to read the sequel.
When thinking of the crows and how they are treated, I think of pre-Civil Rights America. The crows are openly disliked and mistreated by villagers, the Hawks (think police) attack and treat them roughly for existing, and there is a band of citizens that attack Crow troupes at night, similar to how I imagine the KKK did. Disclaimer: I'm just using it as an analogy to describe the conditions the Crows faced, not comparing the two situations in any way.
When the Crows and the two lordlings are betrayed, only Fie and the two lordlings manage to escape capture by the Queen's people. Fie takes up responsibility to get Prince Jasimer to the Commander of their army, his Aunt. What follows is a journey across the continent, chased by magical trackers and mystery monsters. The lordlings get to know the trials that the Crow people face, and Fie gets to know the boys and how they bear their responsibilities. There's a little romancing, some feelings, very nice.
All in all, I loved this book, and I'm excited to read the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Hate crime, Police brutality, Racial slurs, Racism, and Religious bigotry
Moderate: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, Grief, Infidelity, Murder, Violence, and Torture
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