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A review by unapologetic_reviews
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I gave this book four stars. Although I’ve never read anything by Veronica Roth, I’ve always known her as the author of the Divergent series—which, frankly, isn’t my thing. I saw the movies and didn’t enjoy them much. But this novella? It’s a different story.
One of its biggest strengths is the use of Eastern European mythology, especially Polish folklore. I loved how the mythical creatures seamlessly blended into the modern world. The fast-paced narrative also worked well for a novella, keeping it engaging and compact.
That said, there were a few drawbacks. The present-tense narration felt jarring and unnatural, which made it hard to settle into the story. I kept hoping it would switch to past tense, and it sometimes did, but that didn't last. Another issue was the excessive descriptions. For a novella, there were just too many details—room layouts, herb lists, even comb counts. These slowed down the plot and felt like filler rather than substance.
Despite these gripes, the core story was intriguing, though it could have been fleshed out more. A stronger focus on events and character interactions would have been a better use of the page count.
Speaking of characters, they were a standout. Each one felt distinct and fully realised, making it easy to empathise with them despite the brevity of the book. There’s also a tiny hint of romance, which I surprisingly enjoyed. I’m not usually into romantice, but this one was subtle and well-handled. The entire story unfolds within 24 hours, so the romance understandably doesn’t have much time to develop. Still, it worked in the context of the story’s tight timeline.
Would I read more of Roth’s work? Maybe. I’m curious about her other urban fantasy stories and might try one in audiobook format to see if that improves the experience. Descriptions tend to feel less tedious when spoken aloud. If she ever turns this novella into a series, I’d definitely check it out.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. My expectations weren’t high, given my lukewarm opinion of Divergent, but this novella impressed me. I picked it up as a quick read to meet my yearly reading goal, and while the beginning dragged, the second half hooked me.
I’d recommend this to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who enjoy mythology woven into contemporary settings. Think Percy Jackson, but for adults.
One of its biggest strengths is the use of Eastern European mythology, especially Polish folklore. I loved how the mythical creatures seamlessly blended into the modern world. The fast-paced narrative also worked well for a novella, keeping it engaging and compact.
That said, there were a few drawbacks. The present-tense narration felt jarring and unnatural, which made it hard to settle into the story. I kept hoping it would switch to past tense, and it sometimes did, but that didn't last. Another issue was the excessive descriptions. For a novella, there were just too many details—room layouts, herb lists, even comb counts. These slowed down the plot and felt like filler rather than substance.
Despite these gripes, the core story was intriguing, though it could have been fleshed out more. A stronger focus on events and character interactions would have been a better use of the page count.
Speaking of characters, they were a standout. Each one felt distinct and fully realised, making it easy to empathise with them despite the brevity of the book. There’s also a tiny hint of romance, which I surprisingly enjoyed. I’m not usually into romantice, but this one was subtle and well-handled. The entire story unfolds within 24 hours, so the romance understandably doesn’t have much time to develop. Still, it worked in the context of the story’s tight timeline.
Would I read more of Roth’s work? Maybe. I’m curious about her other urban fantasy stories and might try one in audiobook format to see if that improves the experience. Descriptions tend to feel less tedious when spoken aloud. If she ever turns this novella into a series, I’d definitely check it out.
Overall, I was pleasantly surprised. My expectations weren’t high, given my lukewarm opinion of Divergent, but this novella impressed me. I picked it up as a quick read to meet my yearly reading goal, and while the beginning dragged, the second half hooked me.
I’d recommend this to fans of urban fantasy, especially those who enjoy mythology woven into contemporary settings. Think Percy Jackson, but for adults.