I love this series of Roth's short stories. She made me feel so many things in so few pages.

This book gave me Shadowhunters vibes in the best way—found family energy, secret magic under the surface of our world, and characters you instantly want to follow. It’s dark, emotional, and somehow still really fun. I couldn’t believe how much Veronica Roth fit into so few pages. The story’s tight, fast-paced, and full of folklore with a modern edge, and I flew through it in one sitting. Honestly so excited to follow the characters into the next book and hopefully delve more into their individual backgrounds!

"When Among Crows" is an urban fantasy that draws from the folklore of Veronica Roth's Slavic ancestry. Set in the Chicago underworld, this novella tells of a pain-filled existence in which monsters are real. Monsters are caught between two worlds where sacrifice is as necessary as breathing, trauma is the gift that keeps giving, betrayals will hit hard, and fear is a fluffy comfort blanket you didn't know you needed. Dymitr is a hunter of monsters sent on a quest to find Baba Jaga. But to track down this dangerous witch, Dymitr will have to ally himself with the very monsters he's sworn to kill. Ala is a fear-eating zmora, but unlike any other monster. She is alienated by the monstrous for being too gentle and alienated by humanity for a perceived mental illness. However, it is not a mental illness but a curse that is slowly killing Ala. With her time rapidly running out, Dymitr offers Ala a cure for her curse if she helps him find Baba Jaga. Pain brings Dymitr and Ala together; it is his calling and her cursed inheritance. They are joined by Niko, a strzygi (demon) who feeds on anger and resembles a bird of prey. Niko funnels his natural aggression by running an underground boxing ring, but he may just find friendship and more on the group's journey. The quest is not a simple one, and it will traverse a scarred landscape of political turmoil, power imbalances, generational trauma, the Christian cleansing of folklore, and the displacement of peoples and communities... for who is the hunter and who is the hunted? Who is Dymitr, and what are his true motives for wanting to find Baba Jaga? Is redemption possible, and how high is its cost? And have they forgotten that Baba Jaga cannot be trusted and always requires a sacrifice?

A man seeking redemption that he doesn’t deserve. Monsters that would be justified in taking their pound of flesh. An unlikely trio bound by pain and blood. What’s not to love?! The Baba Jaga lured me here but I stayed for the curse, the longing and the body horror. Fear has never smelled so sweet. This story works perfectly as a novella. I loved the story so much, though, that I want more. I loved all of the characters but I want to follow Dymitr for an entire series. The less you know about this one going in the better. The blurb probably even gives away too much. I devoured this in one sitting and it might have only been a couple of weeks since I read it but I am so ready to dive back in again. “I know what haunts you.” Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this novella.

A man seeking redemption that he doesn’t deserve. Monsters that would be justified in taking their pound of flesh. An unlikely trio bound by pain and blood. What’s not to love?! The Baba Jaga lured me here but I stayed for the curse, the longing and the body horror. Fear has never smelled so sweet. This story works perfectly as a novella. I loved the story so much, though, that I want more. I loved all of the characters but I want to follow Dymitr for an entire series. The less you know about this one going in the better. The blurb probably even gives away too much. I devoured this in one sitting and it might have only been a couple of weeks since I read it but I am so ready to dive back in again. “I know what haunts you.” Thank you so much to NetGalley and Titan Books for the opportunity to read this novella.