So it’s actually been a little while (about three months) since I first read When Among Crows by Veronica Roth, and I’ve recently finished with its sequel (To Clutch a Razor), which I definitely want to post about, so I figured I’d better get this review up first.

I have always had something of a predilection for Slavic folklore. Give me a Baba Yaga, or Rusalka and I’M IN.

I grew up Russian Orthodox with Father Frost (Дед Мороз) atop the tree instead of Santa. We’d celebrate regular Christmas on the 25th, but also do something small for ‘Russian Christmas’ on January 7th, and ‘Russian New Year’ on January 14th.

Russian New Year, or Old New Year (старый Новый год) in particular is associated with folk tradition though I didn’t know this growing up. Eventually, in December of 2021, I would finish The Bear and the Nightingale, and go on a spree of Slavic Folklore inspired novels like The Witcher, and the Shadow and Bone series. I assume I was also watching the associated TV shows around this time and certainly devouring The Witcher 3 on my PS4.

I was so taken with these folk tales and stories that I ended up writing a few short pieces of my own, Farewell to Rusalka, and At the Edge of Legend. Those last two I actually finished but I have a plethora of unfinished short story drafts from that time, and a good chunk of a novel written with those characters.

But then nothing.

Aside from Payback’s a Witch in 2023, I’ve hardly seen much Slavic myth and folklore inspired fiction around recently (although I think there is a new Witcher book out so that will probably change soon).

All of this to say, I was pretty excited to discover Veronica Roth’s Curse Bearer series. I haven’t read (or even watched) anything by this author before and I was nearly halfway through When Among Crows before I realized Roth had written the Divergent series, an absolute behemoth of the dystopian genre. I won’t try to compare these books to those . . . I have literally no points of reference (though I guess maybe now I’m considering going back and checking them out).

In any case, I absolutely loved When Among Crows. I would describe it as similar to The Witcher in that it’s based in Polish folkloric tradition, and also pretty brutal/violent. However, there are quite a bit of differences which allow the story to stand on its own. One major divergence (lol!) is the time period. WAC is firmly set in the modern day or perhaps the pretty closely distant past (is that a thing? hahah). Perhaps ten years ago, or maybe twenty? I’m in my thirties, so that feels like just yesterday.

Anyway, it’s the kind of story where Zmora cast illusions to trick Strzyga in a fight to the death in a warehouse-turned-night-club. One of the main characters, Dymitr, caries his weapon in a guitar case, to keep it hidden. Another main character, Niko, drives a cloth-top Jeep.

Roth’s only concession to the mythic past from which monsters are born is in the very beginning, when Dymitr bargains with a Leshy for a magic flower.

I found the way the myth and folklore were woven into modern times to be clever, nuanced and intriguing. The aforementioned Zmora feed on fear, so they’ve set up movie theaters which show only scary movies. Lloronas (essentially banshees) feed on sorrow, and so they own hospitals and other places where people may mourn (mourn their own lives or the loss of someone else’s).

Then of course there are the Knights which hunt the monsters. These characters are absolutely terrifying. They know all kinds of curses and magic, but their primary weapon is a sword which is sheathed in their spines, and must be violently (and bloodily) ripped from their backbones every time they want to wield it. They seem to do this at the drop of a hat.

I have to give this weapon choice cool points for its sheer insanity. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything quite like it. If this came from some myth or folklore, yeesh. If it came purely from Roth’s imagination. Wow. Just wow (hahah).

In any case, I really enjoyed the reversal here with these characters. We’re supposed to revere knights, and root for them. So to see them in such a horrifyingly evil way is a cool turn.

Finally there is the romance (between Niko and Dymitr). It isn’t the main plot, however I really enjoyed its inclusion, and felt it was really well done with more emphasis on emotions then physical attraction (although that is still there). Probably not since Red, White and Royal Blue have I wanted two dudes to just kiss already! hahah.

Give ‘When Among Crows’ a Read?

Definitely! It’s been a while since I had the chance to get my Slavic mythology fix, and When Among Crows was the perfect dose I didn’t know I needed. It separates itself from similar stories — primarily The Witcher — by setting its adventure in the modern day. Roth does a great job with this setting, weaving Slavic (mostly Polish) folklore and myth into the modern day in interesting and intriguing ways. Her Knights are terrifyingly cool villains, and the romance in this book has depth and sincerity even as a subplot.

Overall, When Among Crows was a standout novella, and I was stoked to read the sequel (To Clutch a Razor). Unfortunately I had to wait about a month to read it. But I will not wait a month to post my review!

In any case, that’s all I have for this week. What’s your favorite character from Slavic myth? Which are overdone? Have you read any of Veronica Roth’s other books? Should I?

As always, please leave your thoughts in the comments. I’m looking forward to talking about this one!