(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. 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. 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. Each caste has its unique culture and workings from the Royal Phoenixes to the Warrior Hawks to the Merciful Crows. 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.

Pa was taking too long to cut the boys’ throats.įrom the first line of the novel, Margaret Owen plunges readers into a complex world with a unique culture, history and myths, and magic system. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. I received this book for free from the Publisher in exchange for an honest review. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own? Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. 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. When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses-and perhaps his throat.

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. Published by Henry Holt (BYR) on July 30, 2019įie abides by one rule: look after your own.

The Merciful Crow by Margaret Owen