RELEASE DATE: July 30th 2019
AUTHOR: Margaret Owen
GENRE: Young-Adult, Fantasy, Adventure, Magic.
PUBLISHER: Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)
SUMMARY:
One way or another, we always feed the crows.
A future chieftain
Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. Her Crow caste of undertakers and mercy-killers takes more abuse than coin, but when they’re called to collect royal dead, she’s hoping they’ll find the payout of a lifetime.
A fugitive prince
When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. But he offers a wager that she can’t refuse: protect him from a ruthless queen, and he’ll protect the Crows when he reigns.
A too-cunning bodyguard
Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?
The Merciful Crow is Margaret Owen’s debut YA fantasy novel. I’ve been looking forward to this book since I’ve first heard about it. And look at that cover, isn’t it stunning? Well, Coming to the book, it was quite an engaging read. I really enjoyed the characters, the diversity, and the magical elements but the plot seemed a bit too generic for me. The caste system in this book was very intriguing. It was derived by the bird species like hawk, peacock, crows etc. I wish the author focused a bit more on the other castes besides Crow because I really wanted to know how the entire system worked together. Anyways, despite all these issues, I still immensely enjoyed this book and its characters.
The story follows three characters Fie, Tavin, and Jasimir. Fie is the Chieftain’s daughter of the Crow Caste, the lowest caste in the system. She’s going to be the future chieftain who’s going to lead her people. They’re called mercy killers because they give mercy death to the people who’re infected by the plague. Their whole caste is immune to the plague so whenever they get a smoke signal they immediately take care of the bodies in exchange for a coin. One day, when all of them are summoned to the palace they don’t know they’re going to be doing a mercy killing on the beloved prince of the kingdom. When it’s time to take care of the bodies, Fie realizes that both the prince and his annoying bodyguard had faked their deaths, and soon they all get tangled in a political game which could send them all to their demise. While being chased by the queen’s soldiers and assassins, Fie needs to protect the prince and his bodyguard until they reach their safe destination.
Fie is a fierce heroine who’s very loyal to her people and she has the ability to draw power from a person’s teeth which might sound a bit creepy but I liked it. She’s a pretty tough character and I absolutely loved her. Prince Jasimir is sweet and also a bit naive when it comes to his kingdom. He’s not sure about being a good king but he’s their kingdom’s only hope. Tavin is Jasimir’s witty and cunning bodyguard who’s quite protective of his prince. He doesn’t let anyone touch him and he wouldn’t hesitate to sacrifice his life before any harm comes to the future king. And he also doesn’t trust anyone easily. I enjoyed Fie, Tavin and Jasimir together as a team. I liked the friendship between Fie and Jasimir, and the clashes between Tavin and Fie. The romance was a slow burn. It’s not the central focus but I really liked it. For your information there’s no triangle in this book.
The plot was engaging but I honestly expected more besides being chased by the enemies. I wish we had villain’s perspective in this book. I loved the entire concept in the book. It was very unique and refreshing. The diversity representation was pretty good. Fie is black, and both Tavin and Jasimir are POC. There’s also a Pan and Gay character in this book. The author’s writing was easy to understand. The whole book was written in third person pov. The story moved in a fast pace and there’s no dull moments. Because the plot was a bit generic some of the twists were easy to predict. Nonetheless, it was a still an enjoyable read. The world building, the caste system, and the magical system was great. I hope we get to explore more of them in the next book. Be warned there’s a bit of gore, death, and blood in this book. It’s not too heavy, but if you’re not comfortable with them then skip those scenes.
Overall, it was a great debut and a good start to a new fantasy series! I loved the characters, the concept, and the magic in this book. Can’t wait to know what the author has in store for us next.
Recommend it?
Yes
It might’ve not ended up in my favorites list, but I still highly recommend you guys to give it a shot.
MY RATING:
[3.5/5 Stars]
So, What do you think of this book? Have you read it yet? Do you Plan to read it?
Please feel free to comment below!
See You In The Next Post and Have a Great Day! 🙂
It does sound like a villain’s perspective would make this book really interesting! I have this one on my shelf and haven’t been too sure about it. I am glad to hear that you mostly enjoyed it. I might give it a try.
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It really would because it would bring more insight to the story. Thank you! I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a shot! 🙂
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OMG, Amazing Review!!!💕 Lately I’ve been organizing my Goodreads shelf and I put this one higher, because I think it sounds great, despite some things I’m glad you liked it and I’m excited to read it 😊🌻
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Thank you! 💕I hope you enjoy it too! 🙂
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Great review! I liked this one more than you did, but I’m glad you still enjoyed it. I also want more on the different castes. Hopefully there will be more in book two.
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Thank you!🙂 I’m glad you enjoyed it more than I did! Let’s hope the next book is even better than this one!
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Thanks! I’m hoping it will be a bit faster paced since we know a lot now.
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Great review! The use of a caste system in a fantasy book sounds very intriguing. Also, you completely sold me on the story when you said the romance was not central to the plot and there was NO love triangle 🙏🏼! I have to pick this up ASAP!
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Thank you!💕 It’s a very interesting caste system and I hope we get more of it in the second book. You’re welcome! Hope you enjoy the book! 🙂
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I admit that I was totally bowled over by the caste system. I loved that and the world building so much. It is the classic road trip / chase trip story line though. There were a few deviations but it is what it is. I’m glad you enjoyed it on some level Raven. ❤️
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Me too! The world sounds amazing and really loved that map. I hope we get to explore more of it in the next book. Yeah, it’s the classic chase trip story and the characters were pretty enjoyable. I can’t wait for the sequel! Thank you! 😘
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Great review!
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Thank you! 🙂
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awesome review like always, Raven! I have been thinking about picking this one up.
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Thank you, kayla!💕 I hope you enjoy it if you decide to give it a shot! 🙂
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Thanks, Raven!
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Hahaha I am not afraid of gore Raven! I have this one but still have to read it! Hopefully next month 😉 Excellent review as ever! PS I loved the bookstagram!
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Well, I already know that😉 Hope you enjoy it when you finally get to it! Aww Thank you so much! 💕
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The characters sound like ones I’d love, but I’m sure some of the scenes I’d definitely have to pass over. I think this is one where I’m going to wait for my library to get it, in case it doesn’t work out for me. Fabulous review!
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I hope this works out for you! I would love to hear your thoughts on it! Thank you! 😊
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