“Fie remembered the first time she’d held Phoenix fire. She hadn’t wanted to burn the world down; she’d wanted the world to know she could.”
The Merciful Crow is one of those YA dark fantasy books that you will remember. This book brings the fantasy genre to new heights, with incredible world building and memorable characters and with a romance that sparks right off the page. The Merciful Crow is easily one of my top reads of 2019.
Fie is part of the lowest caste in her world, known as Crow. She is a Crow-witch in training, someone with the ability to use magic of the other castes from their teeth. This world is built on a caste system, with each caste level named after a type of bird. The teeth from each caste give Fie the ability to use different types of magic. The higher caste levels have a birthright (which Crow does not) and everyone treats the Crows as if they’re not humans and don’t deserve to breathe the same air as them. The whole caste system was intriguing and it was sad, yet eye-opening, to see how Crows are treated.
Fie is thrown together with a prince and his attractive Hawk bodyguard when her father can no longer oversee the Oath sworn with the Phoenix prince. Now on the run from Vultures and others wanting to kill them, Fie must safely guide the prince to his allies. And on this journey, she starts to figure out exactly who she wants to be and what it means to be a Crow Chief and to follow your destiny.
“Look after your own. Crows had one rule. And she had to be a Crow Chief.”
Fie is an overall relatable character. One of the best things about The Merciful Crow is how Fie is captured between the words of the story. She’s just like anyone else in the world: she has wants that she can’t put before her own family because they don’t necessarily do anything for the needs of her crew. She’s also fiercely loyal to her family. My favorite thing about Fie, though, was her boldness. She easily speaks her mind and, though she is quite stubborn, her boldness creates a fun experience for the reader.
And then there’s the secondary characters, who Margaret Owen brings to life through the pages and gives all the characters the scenes they need for the readers to understand just who each character is and what their need in the story is. And that romance…WOAH. Margaret Owen sure knows how to write a blossoming romance. It was passionate and slow-burning and everything I look for in a romance. It’s honestly one of the best romances I’ve read in a while.
“I can do something better with my life than die.”
Margaret Owen is a talented storyteller who easily weaves together beautiful descriptive scenes and wholly original characters. The writing is different and unique from most YA fantasy books I’ve read, but I loved that. The writing has its own voice and, dang, is that voice captivating. I could not put this book down and when I had to, I could not get the story out of my head. And I’m not fully prepared to wait for the sequel because July 2020 is far away and my heart needs the sequel now.
The Merciful Crow captured my attention from the first line and refused to let go. It’s honestly difficult to put my love for this book into words because I don’t quite know the right words to say to do this book justice. The Merciful Crow was just so unique and fantastical and an overall mesmerizing story. It’s complex and engrossing and a fast-paced read. I will forever recommend this book.
If you’re looking for a dark and enthralling fantasy with captivating characters and solid writing and world building, then I highly recommend The Merciful Crow.
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A High-Tension Fantasy Read with a Unique Culture and Magic System
Pa was taking too long to cut the boys’ throats.From the first line of the novel, Margaret Owen plunges readers into a complex world with a unique culture, history and myths, and magic system. Depending on the caste into which they are born, individuals are born into (or without) wealth, class status, and the caste’s gift, if one is a witch. Each caste has its unique culture and workings from the Royal Phoenixes to the Warrior Hawks to the Merciful Crows. While this book highlights the lives of the Crows, it is apparent from the Crows’ interactions with various castes that each caste posses its unique culture.Through Fie’s third-person point of view, readers track the lives of the Crows, the members of lowest caste, whose job is to deal with those fallen to the Sinners’ Plague. (Which raises the question of how does one determine an individual is a sinner? Food for thought.) The Crows live a colorful life filled with slang and idioms unique to them, an endless journey across the kingdom in search of plague beacons, and a tight-knit familial bond formed through shared hardships on the road. For society despises Crows, despite the pivotal role they play, and Crows are hunted by Oleanders, society’s equivalent of the KKK.The characters are, for the most part, likable. Fie is a protagonist who uses her head and takes care of her own. She acts much the part of the future chieftain. I love the “family” focus that’s presented through her band and that her father is a reliable figure in her life. That said, there are a couple of instances where her character slips and makes questionable decisions, such as View Spoiler ». Other characters grew on me over the course of the novel as I learned more about them, and they learned more about the world. A few were not compelling, such as a particular member of the band View Spoiler » and the major villain, who we’re told is dangerous but felt bland and is defeated anticlimactically.The plot is character driven and moves forward while continuously making things more difficult for the protagonists. While there is an apparent romance, it doesn’t overtake the plot, and the way things conclude makes sense. While this first book wraps up its major plot, room is left for further development. I look forward to seeing what Margaret Owen brings us in the next book The Faithless Hawk.The Merciful Crow is a high-tension read that explores the influence of prejudiced beliefs on the politics and social workings of the world. The world and characters are complex and believable, and the themes of discrimination and the reluctance of those in power to push for real change are relevant to society today.
Top reviews from other countries
Kizzia Mildmay
Fiery, fearsome and fantastic
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 20, 2023
Amazon Kunde
Worth Every Cent and Every Minute
Reviewed in Germany on August 30, 2019