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anitak88's review against another edition
3.0
In general I am happy with the book but I have to say that it was very surface level. In the way that by chapter 13 I already knew who the traitor was and there were not any real shockers. Let's not to say the book was bad or boring. It still kept me interested. It was just less exciting to get through it. I don't know if I'm going to be reading the second book yet.
vi_isreading's review against another edition
5.0
Definitely stole my heart.
This story was such a balanced mix of battle, magic, war, and romance. Nothing felt like there was too much, and while the world/magic system was slow to build it was still completely digestible. A whole cast of unique individuals, a siege, an unwilling queen, found family? Delicious.
What I liked:
-Pretty much every MC. Honestly, my favorites were definitely Ieduin and Katyr, they both had such distinct personalities. Ieduin had no business being as funny as he was and I like the part that he played for the Crows in the last few chapters. Katyr, the fact that they literally dug up a ley line.
-Maybe I'm fucked in the head, but Taratheil was funny as hell. His interactions with Ruith were fucking hilarious
-Eris and her slew of queenly responsibilities
-How to conduct a siege. honestly, Ruith was teaching Eris AND me.
-The magic. mostly explained at the end during an interaction between characters, but I'm still a fan. I want Katyr's story.
-The "red string of destiny", my Asian ass loved pretty much any reference to this
-How Eris dealt with that whole Vantis situation. you know what I'm talking about.
-There was so much reference to inbreeding among the mages. I need to know more about the magic systems and the politics
-On that same note, the brotherhood. I'm assuming something is being set up?
-There were so many "he's your brother??", literally everyone is related lol
-Eris and Ruith and definitely giving mom and dad, super direct romance, they knew what they wanted and they went for it.
Things I didn't like:
-The whole assassination plot line. It was very open and shut, which I found a little disappointing since it was an assassination.
Overall:
I will be reading next one.
This story was such a balanced mix of battle, magic, war, and romance. Nothing felt like there was too much, and while the world/magic system was slow to build it was still completely digestible. A whole cast of unique individuals, a siege, an unwilling queen, found family? Delicious.
What I liked:
-Pretty much every MC. Honestly, my favorites were definitely Ieduin and Katyr, they both had such distinct personalities. Ieduin had no business being as funny as he was and I like the part that he played for the Crows in the last few chapters. Katyr, the fact that they literally dug up a ley line.
-Maybe I'm fucked in the head, but Taratheil was funny as hell. His interactions with Ruith were fucking hilarious
-Eris and her slew of queenly responsibilities
-How to conduct a siege. honestly, Ruith was teaching Eris AND me.
-The magic. mostly explained at the end during an interaction between characters, but I'm still a fan. I want Katyr's story.
-The "red string of destiny", my Asian ass loved pretty much any reference to this
-How Eris dealt with that whole Vantis situation. you know what I'm talking about.
-There was so much reference to inbreeding among the mages. I need to know more about the magic systems and the politics
-On that same note, the brotherhood. I'm assuming something is being set up?
-There were so many "he's your brother??", literally everyone is related lol
-Eris and Ruith and definitely giving mom and dad, super direct romance, they knew what they wanted and they went for it.
Things I didn't like:
-The whole assassination plot line. It was very open and shut, which I found a little disappointing since it was an assassination.
Overall:
I will be reading next one.
evelyne_crowe's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
stephjlw's review
4.0
Copy received courtesy of netgalley!
A really solid four stars!
A Court of Crows follows a young queen with her city/state of Brucia under siege from an invading force nearly triple the size of her own army. Desperate for a chance to out last her enemies, she hires a band of mercenaries knows as the Crows, with the skill, numbers, and experience she needs to hold her city. The central cast of this story is Queen Eris, her best guard Isaac, and the four commanders of the crows: Ruith, Katyr, Ieduin, and Aryn. At the center of this story is Eris and Ruith, their romance unfolding alongside the main plot, which includes military planning, dangerous magic, court politics, and subterfuge.
My overall thoughts ....
I really enjoyed this book! While I was reading I didn't want to put it down, it was only a "please go to sleep" headache that prevented me from powering through the whole book in one night! Eris and Rhuith are the most prominent characters, as this is their book, but the rest of the cast and POVs were balanced really well.
Something I really enjoyed about this book was the attention to the planning and preparedness aspects of being a city under siege, maybe some readers would find discussions of curfews and rations dry, but they were brief, and I feel that type of content is something missing from a lot of stories with a military focus, and I really appreciated the presence of those more realistic considerations. Eris isn't just a queen with a sword, she also has tot think about food rations and taxes and the more boring but really important things, that affect her people- and I really liked those details. I sometimes find that stories that have a romance focus can let their more action driven plotlines go by the wayside, but that was not the case here.
This review is spoiler free, so I won't say specifics. But I was not really surprised by the twists or revelations that come throughout the story is terms of the more political "someone is trying to sabotage the throne" plotline- but mind blowing plot twists is not something that I look for in fantasy, and I did not find any of the reveals contrived or irritating or GLARINGLY obvious, despite that fact that maybe they weren't so secret or surprising.
I found the pace, writing, and overall storytelling to be very on par with the genre that this book is in, fantasy-romance, and this book is actually a bit heavier on the non-romance plot and fantasy elements than I had expected, which is something that I certainly don't mind. I think the two plots were balanced and woven together very well. If you are looking to be blown away by prose, this is generally speaking not the genre where that would happen. But Eveland's writing flows well, and is very effective for the story. Never once was I rolling my eyes at purple prose or terrible cliches.
Strongest points ...
Definitely Eris and Rhuith, which makes sense, and should be that way, since they are the center of this book. What I really enjoyed about their romance was the mutual respect and goal from the beginning- saving Brucia. I have little patience for romances that start with a dark and brooding man who belittles the heroine, and to whom she has to prove herself- the shallow sort of enemies to lovers that is really just people sniping at each other for no reason until they fall into bed- it's not my thing. Instead Eris and Rhuith have an attraction and flirty push and pull from the start. And their relationship deepens naturally, there were no sudden declarations that threw me for a loop. The only thing is that I know the next book will belong to a different couple- but just like other character's and couples had their moments to develop in this book, I need just a bit more closure for Eris and Ruith, and I'm sure it will come.
Weakest points ...
The weakest part of this book for me is the worldbuilding. Not in a distractingly bad way- but I did wish for a bit more information and context for what was happening in the story. Are the eleves looking to conquer just to conquer? Even if that is Tarathiel's (I forget the exact spelling, sorry) reason- it doesn't explain a long history of human and elven conflict, which I would have loved a bit more background on. Also I love a map, even a simple one, really helps me orient how things are working in a story. But regardless, none of this was a big problem for me, just something I would love to see more added to in the coming books.
Would I recommend this book?
Yep! If you're looking for a fun fantasy read with enjoyable characters, and yes, some spice- this is totally the book for you. Particularly, I think this could really appeal to fans of The Cruel Prince, or Throne of Glass that are looking for something with more ~adult~ appeal- not just because of sexual content but the significance of politics and other heavier topics you don't find in YA.
Well that's it! Like I said, I really had fun with this book, and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 when it comes out in April!
A really solid four stars!
A Court of Crows follows a young queen with her city/state of Brucia under siege from an invading force nearly triple the size of her own army. Desperate for a chance to out last her enemies, she hires a band of mercenaries knows as the Crows, with the skill, numbers, and experience she needs to hold her city. The central cast of this story is Queen Eris, her best guard Isaac, and the four commanders of the crows: Ruith, Katyr, Ieduin, and Aryn. At the center of this story is Eris and Ruith, their romance unfolding alongside the main plot, which includes military planning, dangerous magic, court politics, and subterfuge.
My overall thoughts ....
I really enjoyed this book! While I was reading I didn't want to put it down, it was only a "please go to sleep" headache that prevented me from powering through the whole book in one night! Eris and Rhuith are the most prominent characters, as this is their book, but the rest of the cast and POVs were balanced really well.
Something I really enjoyed about this book was the attention to the planning and preparedness aspects of being a city under siege, maybe some readers would find discussions of curfews and rations dry, but they were brief, and I feel that type of content is something missing from a lot of stories with a military focus, and I really appreciated the presence of those more realistic considerations. Eris isn't just a queen with a sword, she also has tot think about food rations and taxes and the more boring but really important things, that affect her people- and I really liked those details. I sometimes find that stories that have a romance focus can let their more action driven plotlines go by the wayside, but that was not the case here.
This review is spoiler free, so I won't say specifics. But I was not really surprised by the twists or revelations that come throughout the story is terms of the more political "someone is trying to sabotage the throne" plotline- but mind blowing plot twists is not something that I look for in fantasy, and I did not find any of the reveals contrived or irritating or GLARINGLY obvious, despite that fact that maybe they weren't so secret or surprising.
I found the pace, writing, and overall storytelling to be very on par with the genre that this book is in, fantasy-romance, and this book is actually a bit heavier on the non-romance plot and fantasy elements than I had expected, which is something that I certainly don't mind. I think the two plots were balanced and woven together very well. If you are looking to be blown away by prose, this is generally speaking not the genre where that would happen. But Eveland's writing flows well, and is very effective for the story. Never once was I rolling my eyes at purple prose or terrible cliches.
Strongest points ...
Definitely Eris and Rhuith, which makes sense, and should be that way, since they are the center of this book. What I really enjoyed about their romance was the mutual respect and goal from the beginning- saving Brucia. I have little patience for romances that start with a dark and brooding man who belittles the heroine, and to whom she has to prove herself- the shallow sort of enemies to lovers that is really just people sniping at each other for no reason until they fall into bed- it's not my thing. Instead Eris and Rhuith have an attraction and flirty push and pull from the start. And their relationship deepens naturally, there were no sudden declarations that threw me for a loop. The only thing is that I know the next book will belong to a different couple- but just like other character's and couples had their moments to develop in this book, I need just a bit more closure for Eris and Ruith, and I'm sure it will come.
Weakest points ...
The weakest part of this book for me is the worldbuilding. Not in a distractingly bad way- but I did wish for a bit more information and context for what was happening in the story. Are the eleves looking to conquer just to conquer? Even if that is Tarathiel's (I forget the exact spelling, sorry) reason- it doesn't explain a long history of human and elven conflict, which I would have loved a bit more background on. Also I love a map, even a simple one, really helps me orient how things are working in a story. But regardless, none of this was a big problem for me, just something I would love to see more added to in the coming books.
Would I recommend this book?
Yep! If you're looking for a fun fantasy read with enjoyable characters, and yes, some spice- this is totally the book for you. Particularly, I think this could really appeal to fans of The Cruel Prince, or Throne of Glass that are looking for something with more ~adult~ appeal- not just because of sexual content but the significance of politics and other heavier topics you don't find in YA.
Well that's it! Like I said, I really had fun with this book, and I'm looking forward to reading book 2 when it comes out in April!
maura_harper's review
adventurous
challenging
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
Reading Challenges:
BANG: New To Me Author
ON THE COVER: Crown
52 BOOKCLUB: High Fantasy
TITLE: Court Of Crows
AUTHOR: Eliza Eveland
READ ON: KU
5 Stars
One of the things I most enjoy about Reading Challenges is that I'm frequently pushed outside of my comfort zone. I had never read this author before and I typically do not read fantasy. This book originally was for the BANG Challenge as Eliza Eveland is an author in the Group and because it fits so well in others, I'm using it.
I have so many passages annotated that I have picked my top two:
"Resources and bodies win wars, not backward ideas about sex and gender."
"People are dangerous, " "A killer does not kill because he has a spell or a sword. He kills because he is a killer. The tool he chooses does not make him what he is. People are the sum of their actions, and not their abilities."
There are a bunch of characters in this story - like a whol giant cast of characters, yet each one has a very defined personality and it is easy to remember who is who and what their role in the story is. I really enjoyed the entire story, the threads that weave this story together are as profound as this quote: "Elves believe the world was woven on a great loom and that a red thread connects those who are destined to interact." (Hey wow, I snuck a third quote in)
Very enjoyable! So glad it was on KU.
BANG: New To Me Author
ON THE COVER: Crown
52 BOOKCLUB: High Fantasy
TITLE: Court Of Crows
AUTHOR: Eliza Eveland
READ ON: KU
5 Stars
One of the things I most enjoy about Reading Challenges is that I'm frequently pushed outside of my comfort zone. I had never read this author before and I typically do not read fantasy. This book originally was for the BANG Challenge as Eliza Eveland is an author in the Group and because it fits so well in others, I'm using it.
I have so many passages annotated that I have picked my top two:
"Resources and bodies win wars, not backward ideas about sex and gender."
"People are dangerous, " "A killer does not kill because he has a spell or a sword. He kills because he is a killer. The tool he chooses does not make him what he is. People are the sum of their actions, and not their abilities."
There are a bunch of characters in this story - like a whol giant cast of characters, yet each one has a very defined personality and it is easy to remember who is who and what their role in the story is. I really enjoyed the entire story, the threads that weave this story together are as profound as this quote: "Elves believe the world was woven on a great loom and that a red thread connects those who are destined to interact." (Hey wow, I snuck a third quote in)
Very enjoyable! So glad it was on KU.
baskinkrobbins's review
What I loved was the concept of this fantasy romance series containing 4 romantic pairings over the course of several books. It reminded me of Jessie Mihalik's science fiction romance series, Starlight's Shadow. That was ultimately what caught my eye
My main complaint is definitely a matter of personal preference and should certainly not stop anyone else form reading, I am not a fan of slow burn, and this was a MAJOR slow burn romance. Personally, at times, I felt like there was zero development in that regard, and I found myself more focused on the other storylines.
My main complaint is definitely a matter of personal preference and should certainly not stop anyone else form reading, I am not a fan of slow burn, and this was a MAJOR slow burn romance. Personally, at times, I felt like there was zero development in that regard, and I found myself more focused on the other storylines.
ruthie_narrates_books's review
5.0
I loved that this book released the stigma around a lot of things that we're more actively talking about (in some circles at least). Each of the characters presented showed exemplified the various ways one being could love another, and I really appreciated that about this book.
The storyline had me from go. I'm a sucker for a strong female character, and I love that Eris wields her sword with the best of them. She's a young woman put into a tough situation, one she never expected to be in, and she's forging her own way despite what society wants.
Oh and um... Ruith, hello my new fave book boyfriend. Except all of the Crow commanders are equally good book boyfriend material I'm suspecting.... Ruith's backstory was HEART wrenching by the time we learn it all, and I wasn't expecting that ending!
I will say that the ending is a happy for now, which I can appreciate since this is a series. In a way, I think this HFN actually fits better with the story than a HEA would have. I'm excited to see what happens next for these characters. I love them all so much.
The storyline had me from go. I'm a sucker for a strong female character, and I love that Eris wields her sword with the best of them. She's a young woman put into a tough situation, one she never expected to be in, and she's forging her own way despite what society wants.
Oh and um... Ruith, hello my new fave book boyfriend. Except all of the Crow commanders are equally good book boyfriend material I'm suspecting.... Ruith's backstory was HEART wrenching by the time we learn it all, and I wasn't expecting that ending!
I will say that the ending is a happy for now, which I can appreciate since this is a series. In a way, I think this HFN actually fits better with the story than a HEA would have. I'm excited to see what happens next for these characters. I love them all so much.