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A review by becthree
In the Hour of Crows by Dana Elmendorf
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Calling this a mashup of magical realism, murder mystery, and an Appalachian-tinged touch of Southern Gothic seems reductive given my rating, but that's what this is. And, to put it simply, it works.
Weatherly Opal Wilder has the double-edged gift of being a Death Talker who can talk the death out of the dying, but only once. Her cousin Adaire is a Scryer who can see the future, and is killed in an accident while investigating an unnerving vision. Weatherly is convinced from the beginning that it was murder, and takes a hard, sometimes winding path trying to prove it. At times, Weatherly feels more like a device to move the plot forward than a fully fleshed-out character, but readers are reminded of her humanity often enough that one can probably look past this flaw. Several other colorful characters round out the story, so there's plenty to like in here, including an intertwining plot about a man named Rook that I won't delve into here because spoiling it would be a disservice to the author and book.
Bottom line, this is perhaps the most unique book I've read this year, and I highly recommend it. Definitely earned a spot in my best of the year submissions at work.
Weatherly Opal Wilder has the double-edged gift of being a Death Talker who can talk the death out of the dying, but only once. Her cousin Adaire is a Scryer who can see the future, and is killed in an accident while investigating an unnerving vision. Weatherly is convinced from the beginning that it was murder, and takes a hard, sometimes winding path trying to prove it. At times, Weatherly feels more like a device to move the plot forward than a fully fleshed-out character, but readers are reminded of her humanity often enough that one can probably look past this flaw. Several other colorful characters round out the story, so there's plenty to like in here, including an intertwining plot about a man named Rook that I won't delve into here because spoiling it would be a disservice to the author and book.
Bottom line, this is perhaps the most unique book I've read this year, and I highly recommend it. Definitely earned a spot in my best of the year submissions at work.