Review copy was received from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth Narrator: Helen Laser, James Fouhey, Tim Campbell
Published by MacMillan Audio on May 14, 2024
Genres: Science Fiction Fantasy
Length: 4 hours, 37 minutes
Format: Audiobook
Source: NetGalley
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Pain is Dymitr’s calling. To slay the monsters he’s been raised to kill, he had to split his soul in half to make a sword from his own spine. Every time he draws it, he gets blood on his hands.
Pain is Ala’s inheritance. When her mother died, a family curse to witness horrors committed by the Holy Order was passed onto her. The curse will claim her life, as it did her mother’s, unless she can find a cure.
One fateful night in Chicago, Dymitr comes to Ala with a bargain: her help in finding the legendary witch Baba Jaga in exchange for an enchanted flower that just might cure her. Desperate, and unaware of what Dymitr really is, Ala agrees.
When Among Crows is a standalone novella based mostly in Slavic lore. Dymitr is on a quest to find Baba Yaga. To do so will take the help of some of the creatures he has grow up knowing as monsters. But there is one that may be swayed to help if for the right price. Dymitr is walking a dangerous road, but is it his road to redemption or destruction?
Ana is cursed. The curse has been passed down through different members of her family and she has watched it burn through them one by one. When Dymitr shows up with a special flower that might be able to save her, if she helps him find Baba Yaga it is a bargain she has to take. However, she doesn’t really know where Baba Yaga is. Ana and Dymitr will have to journey through the underground magic world she is a part of, in order to find the legendary witch. Time is ticking as the flower is only good for 24 hours before the magic in it fades away.
I was on the fence about ever reading another Veronica Roth book after the end of the Divergent series. However sometime when you give an author a second chance they surprise you and you discover something else really great. I really enjoyed the lore of this book and the journey. I did guess to Dymitr’s reasons for seeking Baba Yaga but that doesn’t really diminish from the enjoyment of this strange world full of creatures that feed on pain, sorrow, despair and more. I enjoyed this brief journey in this world; I thought the ending was fitting.
Overall a fun novella set in an interesting world. The magic might be a little under developed but this is a story of families and how sometimes you eventually chose the one you want over the one you have.
Narration:
I always appreciate when I book has multiple PoVs that there are multiple narrators to capture the feel of the story. Helen Laser, James Fouhey and Tim Campbell cover the three different PoVs we listen to in the story. Tim Campbell is an accomplished narrator and I can pick out his voice in a story anytime he narrates. He has a wonderful tone and I always enjoy his performance. James Fouhey also falls into a category where I have listened to him before but couldn’t specifically remember where. Still with over 400 titles to his name, he is a strong narrator and did a great job in his PoV conveying the emotion and magic of the story. Helen Laser is a new to me narrator but she held her own against Tim and James doing Ana’s PoV proud. I was able to listen to the story at my usual 1.5x speed.
Listen to a clip: HERE
About Tim Campbell
Tim Campbell is an award winning actor and singer who lives in Los Angeles, CA. He works primarily in audiobook narration and voice over and has narrated hundreds of titles spanning almost every genre. He has won or been nominated for almost every major award in the audiobook industry, including most recently a 2018 Audie, a 2019 Audie (nom), a 2019 Voice Arts Award, and several Independent Audiobook and Audiofile Magazine Earphones awards.
He lived and trained in the UK and Germany, narrates as both an American and a Brit, and has studied performance diction in German, Italian, French, Spanish and Japanese, and Latin. He specializes in accents, dialects, and character work and holds three degrees in theater and music as well as graduating from the esteemed two year Great Books Colloquium of Pepperdine University.
In his other, musical life, Tim sings regularly with the LA Master Chorale, Los Angeles Opera, and in studio sessions for TV and Film. Highlights include principal ensemble in Candide at LA Opera, Courfeyrac in Les Miserables at Fresno Grand Opera, Jud in Oklahoma with Cabrillo Music Theater, and Anthony in Sweeney Todd with Pacific Opera Project and singing on the soundtrack for Star Wars IX: The Rise of Skywalker and films such as Creed 2, Venom, and many others.
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