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aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
One of the few fantasy books where I can safely say that the world building was super poor and boring? I didn't really care for the characters, nor did I find the plot that interesting or surprising at all
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Gun violence, Hate crime, Murder, Violence, and Vomit
shadowspinner's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Death, and Hate crime
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Death of parent
lanid's review against another edition
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
jerkysnax's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Racism, Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Terminal illness, Violence, Classism, and Injury/Injury detail
ramunepocky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I absolutely adored everything about this book. The world building was incredible and so interesting; I loved learning about all the different castes and their magic/abilities, and their witches. More than that, learning about the Crows way of life, how their witches can use the other castes' abilities using their teeth, their duties and the viatik was so incredibly interesting and cool, and so fucking sad too how despised and hunted they were for simply existing and doing what wad expected of them.
My favourite character was absolutely 100% Jas. At first, I absolutely hated him and I wanted to swing for him every time he spoke bc he was just so ignornant and entitled and demanding, and always believing he was right despite being sheltered in the palace his whole life. But his character development was just superb! By no means does he become a perfect character, he still sulks when he doesnt like things and he still lashes out when hes hurting, but he learns a lot more about the world and realises just how wrong he was, and actively works to change how he personally has always seen the Crows, and how everyone else sees and treats them too. And he saved Barf, which was the first thing that sold me on him, and also made me sob like a baby!! And I just think its so sweet the way he teaches Fie how to read. I love their dynamic so much, the way they go from mutual hatred to tolerating each other, and its only really after they lose Tavin that they end up truly understanding each other, working together and actually bevoming friends.
I adored Fie so much, she was such a strong character, she was full of fire and rage and so much heart, and I loved her !! She wasnt ready to become Chief, she wasnt ready for anything she went through, and yet she took it on the chin, did the best she could in the hardest circumstances, and came out the other side victorious. My heart bled for her when she had to leave her band of Crows and look after the lordlings, and as she continued to lose more and more, but she always found the strength and rage in her to keep on going. She would have had every right to burn the entire world to the ground and yet she never did, even in her darkest moments.
And Tavin, I loved him so much, he always made me laugh and he was just such a great character! I loved his developing relationship with Fie, I loved his dynamic with Jas, it broke my heart when he sacrificed himself at the bridge to try and keep the two people he loved safe and give them more of a chance, and then seeing him again so bruised and broken. And learning who he was, and the origins on his burn scar, and the extent of his abilities. I just loved him sm!!
I also rlly loved the other Crows, and the love and care they all had for each other !!!
Im so excited, and a little scared, to read the next book and see what it has in store for them all !!
My favourite character was absolutely 100% Jas. At first, I absolutely hated him and I wanted to swing for him every time he spoke bc he was just so ignornant and entitled and demanding, and always believing he was right despite being sheltered in the palace his whole life. But his character development was just superb! By no means does he become a perfect character, he still sulks when he doesnt like things and he still lashes out when hes hurting, but he learns a lot more about the world and realises just how wrong he was, and actively works to change how he personally has always seen the Crows, and how everyone else sees and treats them too. And he saved Barf, which was the first thing that sold me on him, and also made me sob like a baby!! And I just think its so sweet the way he teaches Fie how to read. I love their dynamic so much, the way they go from mutual hatred to tolerating each other, and its only really after they lose Tavin that they end up truly understanding each other, working together and actually bevoming friends.
I adored Fie so much, she was such a strong character, she was full of fire and rage and so much heart, and I loved her !! She wasnt ready to become Chief, she wasnt ready for anything she went through, and yet she took it on the chin, did the best she could in the hardest circumstances, and came out the other side victorious. My heart bled for her when she had to leave her band of Crows and look after the lordlings, and as she continued to lose more and more, but she always found the strength and rage in her to keep on going. She would have had every right to burn the entire world to the ground and yet she never did, even in her darkest moments.
And Tavin, I loved him so much, he always made me laugh and he was just such a great character! I loved his developing relationship with Fie, I loved his dynamic with Jas, it broke my heart when he sacrificed himself at the bridge to try and keep the two people he loved safe and give them more of a chance, and then seeing him again so bruised and broken. And learning who he was, and the origins on his burn scar, and the extent of his abilities. I just loved him sm!!
I also rlly loved the other Crows, and the love and care they all had for each other !!!
Im so excited, and a little scared, to read the next book and see what it has in store for them all !!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, and Hate crime
zimmerlemon's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.75
Really got going from part 2 onwards. The world building took a sec for me to get a hang of but it was genuinely pretty unique which was a nice change of pace lol. I appreciate the setup for a sequel without a devastating cliffhanger. Characters won me over well enough to keep going but mostly for the tropes more so than the actual characters. Some of the oppression/racism metaphor(? Not sure what to call it) was a little heavy handed but I can’t be mad about it when it’s well intentioned and correct. Definitely curious to see what the sequel will have to offer!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Hate crime and Racism
amylynnknitsreads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Hate crime, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Classism, Death, Blood, Death of parent, Infidelity, and Murder
onemamareads's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
Read my full review here: https://onemamassummer.weebly.com/book-reviews/the-merciful-crow
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Death, Physical abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Blood, Injury/Injury detail, Terminal illness, Violence, Torture, Classism, Hate crime, and Animal cruelty
bukephalos0603's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, and Hate crime
egurgens's review against another edition
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