The Merciful Crow
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4.5 • 57 Ratings
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- $9.99
Publisher Description
"[A] ferocious, exhilarating narrative!" - The New York Times Book Review
A Tor.com Best of 2019 Pick
A 2020 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Pick
Debut author Margaret Owen crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, survival, and sacrifice—perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake—in The Merciful Crow.
"Packed to the teeth with fresh worldbuilding and righteous fury...It's a ride that is wildly fun."—Emily A. Duncan, New York Times-bestselling author of Wicked Saints
"Rich, harrowing, and unafraid to tackle discrimination—perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Tomi Adeyemi."—Kirkus, Starred Review
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?
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
This inventive YA fantasy features the kind of rough-edged heroine we love rooting for. Set in a medieval society, the story follows Fie, a strong-willed teenager who’s training to lead a band of low-caste misfits who offer mercy—and burials—to those afflicted with the plague. The group’s dangerous existence grows more perilous when Fie agrees to smuggle a prince in hiding to safety, along with his handsome bodyguard. Margaret Owen’s exciting debut introduces a fascinating and complex world where birds are symbols of both magical and political power. The Merciful Crow is a riveting tale of loyalty, courage, and vengeance.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this visceral fantasy, a young woman from the land's lowest caste must protect Phoenix Prince Jasimir and his Hawk bodyguard Tavin from the murderous machinations of a queen in order to secure survival for her people. Fie is chief-in-training of a band of Crows, who are as reviled as they are necessary; they alone can safely dispose of plague victims and grant mercy killings to them when appropriate. But when a pair of corpses turns out to be nobility on the run, Fie and her crew are drawn into a desperate scheme that pits them against a host of enemies. Pursued throughout hostile territory and gradually stripped of allies and resources, Fie must learn to trust her newfound companions while mastering her Crow-given ability to channel magic through the bones and teeth of the deceased. Owen's debut is a passionate blend of adventure and intrigue wrapped around strong worldbuilding and a unique magic system. Fie is prickly, adaptive, and fierce, the perfect foil for both privileged prince and increasingly sympathetic guard Tavin, for whom she develops feelings. Memorable and filled with diverse characters with fluid sexualities and identities, this tale is both a satisfying standalone and the first half of a planned duology. Ages 14 up.
