jinxmartel's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
mgmaliska's review against another edition
4.0
I'm sure glad I stuck it out and read the second in the series.
I found this book far more interesting and engaging than the first. I LOVE the lore and history aspect, and that Fi is even more badass than ever.
I do wish we could have gotten more about Queen Russana (spelling?) -- she was just a vilified woman doing evil things for her own betterment. And maybe that's enough description but I really wish we could have gotten more of her back story.
Also, I actually liked the main romance here, it was not a central driver of the story and while it was central to the main character's life, it was never gross.
Only 4 stars because while there is gay representation, it is SUPER light and often in a joking way, which is highly problematic. There is so much more that could have been done there, instead of perseverating on the straight relationship. I do love that the good characters were good through and through even when doing bad things. The author has some quote in there along the lines of "even though they love you, they don't always make the right decisions in showing it" and that really summarizes the full book.
** spoiler **
Cheers to a happy ending, rightful ruling, social equity, and badass women leaders.
I found this book far more interesting and engaging than the first. I LOVE the lore and history aspect, and that Fi is even more badass than ever.
I do wish we could have gotten more about Queen Russana (spelling?) -- she was just a vilified woman doing evil things for her own betterment. And maybe that's enough description but I really wish we could have gotten more of her back story.
Also, I actually liked the main romance here, it was not a central driver of the story and while it was central to the main character's life, it was never gross.
Only 4 stars because while there is gay representation, it is SUPER light and often in a joking way, which is highly problematic. There is so much more that could have been done there, instead of perseverating on the straight relationship. I do love that the good characters were good through and through even when doing bad things. The author has some quote in there along the lines of "even though they love you, they don't always make the right decisions in showing it" and that really summarizes the full book.
** spoiler **
Cheers to a happy ending, rightful ruling, social equity, and badass women leaders.
320rcole's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
paragraphsandpages's review against another edition
5.0
I've been lucky enough to get ARCs of both this book and it's predecessor, The Merciful Crow, and I'm glad for it too! This was one of those series that was on my radar but needed the push to get into, so having an ARC definitely helped that!
Now I'm part of the blog tour for its sequel, and I couldn't have been more excited when I got approved! I'd been wanting to know where the story went from the end of book 1, (though admittedly not desperate because while the ending had been dire, it ended on a somewhat good note). The beginning of The Faithless Hawk set things back in motion quickly though, and I spent almost the entire book on edge!
I honestly really enjoyed where the series ended up going in this book, from the revelations about the castes and the truth behind the gods. We got to see so much more of the world and its lore in this book, and I always love that in my fantasy stories. Myths and gods and stories are entirely my jam, and the extra focus on that in this book made it even better for me. The book also felt really well-paced, it didn't try too hard to keep twists for the end and the action was spread evenly throughout the book. It never dragged and yet also never felt like too much all at once. The only thing I didn't care as much for was the large amount of court scenes in the middle/later half of the book, and I really like seeing Fie on the road more, with her Crows. It didn't bug me enough to like the book any less though.
This sequel also did a really good job of building upon the characters we know and love from the first book, and you could really see them grow in this book, without deviating too much from their core personalities. I loved the choices that were made with all their individual plot lines, especially Fie's and Tavin's. Some journeys definitely hurt to read and often frustrated me in the moment (which was their purpose), but it fit so well into the story and the characters that I didn't actually mind as much as I usually do in books. Nothing felt like it was thrown in there for drama or to keep couples separated, it rather just felt like how a character would act in that particular situation. It made for flawed and layered characters, and were one of the strongest aspects of the series for me. I also just love Fie, how she uses her magic, and her strength. I wouldn't have loved this series as much from any other character.
I also ended up finding an audiobook on one of my many audiobook subscriptions when I was about to start my read, so I ended up going for that instead of reading it physically, and it was a great choice! The narrator brought the entire story to life for me, and it was overall an extremely enjoyable listen. I loved how the narrator narrated Fie, and her manner of speaking and tone, and it fit the character super well. It fit in perfectly with how I read the characters in book 1, as I usually have issues starting to listen to audiobooks a book into the series, as I already have a clear interpretation of them. Instead, the audiobook only increased my enjoyment of the series, rather than take away from it. I'd highly recommend listening to this series if audiobooks are your thing!
Overall, I'm super happy I traded for this ARC on the BEA convention floor (conventions feel so far away now!), and can't wait to see what this author writes next!
Now I'm part of the blog tour for its sequel, and I couldn't have been more excited when I got approved! I'd been wanting to know where the story went from the end of book 1, (though admittedly not desperate because while the ending had been dire, it ended on a somewhat good note). The beginning of The Faithless Hawk set things back in motion quickly though, and I spent almost the entire book on edge!
I honestly really enjoyed where the series ended up going in this book, from the revelations about the castes and the truth behind the gods. We got to see so much more of the world and its lore in this book, and I always love that in my fantasy stories. Myths and gods and stories are entirely my jam, and the extra focus on that in this book made it even better for me. The book also felt really well-paced, it didn't try too hard to keep twists for the end and the action was spread evenly throughout the book. It never dragged and yet also never felt like too much all at once. The only thing I didn't care as much for was the large amount of court scenes in the middle/later half of the book, and I really like seeing Fie on the road more, with her Crows. It didn't bug me enough to like the book any less though.
This sequel also did a really good job of building upon the characters we know and love from the first book, and you could really see them grow in this book, without deviating too much from their core personalities. I loved the choices that were made with all their individual plot lines, especially Fie's and Tavin's. Some journeys definitely hurt to read and often frustrated me in the moment (which was their purpose), but it fit so well into the story and the characters that I didn't actually mind as much as I usually do in books. Nothing felt like it was thrown in there for drama or to keep couples separated, it rather just felt like how a character would act in that particular situation. It made for flawed and layered characters, and were one of the strongest aspects of the series for me. I also just love Fie, how she uses her magic, and her strength. I wouldn't have loved this series as much from any other character.
I also ended up finding an audiobook on one of my many audiobook subscriptions when I was about to start my read, so I ended up going for that instead of reading it physically, and it was a great choice! The narrator brought the entire story to life for me, and it was overall an extremely enjoyable listen. I loved how the narrator narrated Fie, and her manner of speaking and tone, and it fit the character super well. It fit in perfectly with how I read the characters in book 1, as I usually have issues starting to listen to audiobooks a book into the series, as I already have a clear interpretation of them. Instead, the audiobook only increased my enjoyment of the series, rather than take away from it. I'd highly recommend listening to this series if audiobooks are your thing!
Overall, I'm super happy I traded for this ARC on the BEA convention floor (conventions feel so far away now!), and can't wait to see what this author writes next!
rilester's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
too much teenage angsty romance for my liking. The fantasy elements seemed more like garnish on an angst-ridden bowl of breakfast soup
leahsbooks's review against another edition
5.0
For more book reviews, check out my blog at:
www.leahs-books.com
TRIGGER WARNING: plague, gore
This book was quite possibly the best ending to this duology that I could have ever dreamed of. It was definitely worth the wait.
Fie has officially taken over as chieftain, and serious changes have been made. While the majority of people in Sabor still look down their noses at Crows, the oath she made with Jas in book 1 means no more Money Dances, and no more hiding in the trees when the Oleander Gentry come to raid their camp and kill Crows. They get fair viatik and have more goods than they’ve ever had before, all due to the presence of their own Hawk guards:
“They made for an odd funeral procession rattling down the dusty gravel: a wiry twist of a girl chief in her beaked mask, a shadow of a Hawk looming at her back, nine more Crows towing their dead sinner in the cart, three Hawks bringing up the rear.”
Fie has begun thinking of other things, too, though. She’s wondering why all of the other castes have a birthright, while Crows do not. They simply have the ability to take the birthright of other castes, using bones, generally teeth. They also have the dubious distinction of being immune to the Sinner’s Plague, leading them to work as undertakers, providing mercy to those suffering from the plague. What I didn’t realize, and learned over the course of this book, was exactly how damaging the plague could be, if left unattended to.
Rhusana has a total grudge against the Crows, and does everything that she can to undermine them. In addition, she controls the skin-ghasts, which are probably the creepiest and most horrific thing I can think of:
“Then one night they’d encountered more of Rhusana’s skin-ghasts, hideous empty puppets made from the skins of the dead.”
Fie realizes that in order to beat Rhusana, she will have to infiltrate the palace and do it from the inside. However, in doing so, she ended up having to call on some allies that I did not expect. Each of the allies was strong-willed and at times, it felt like the weirdest and worst-planned heist ever, even though it worked in a weird way. I was surprised at the amount of plot twists that were involved in the story, and there was actually some humor involved as well. Romance and betrayal also played a big role, and I never failed to be impressed at how realistic Fie’s character was. She’s so strong willed, but also sensitive, wise, stubborn, and forgiving.
I was especially impressed with how forward thinking this society was. Women held positions of power regularly — queens were common even throughout history, female warriors were just as well respected as males, Jasimir is widely known to be gay (even as a crown prince), there are other lesbian/gay/bi characters, and there’s at least one non-binary character (Madcap), and it’s all completely accepted in Sabor. I liked the idea of the Covenant as a system to keep things in check, where sinners are punished with the plague, and then reborn as a Crow to earn their way back to another caste, even though the caste system isn’t necessarily working well in this society.
There was a great view into the gods of Sabor, as well, as how the shrines and graves in the palace work. I loved the creativity of the story and how everything came together. I never predicted any of the plot twists, although I loved every single minute of it. This was definitely one of my favorite duologies, and I highly recommend it.
www.leahs-books.com
TRIGGER WARNING: plague, gore
This book was quite possibly the best ending to this duology that I could have ever dreamed of. It was definitely worth the wait.
Fie has officially taken over as chieftain, and serious changes have been made. While the majority of people in Sabor still look down their noses at Crows, the oath she made with Jas in book 1 means no more Money Dances, and no more hiding in the trees when the Oleander Gentry come to raid their camp and kill Crows. They get fair viatik and have more goods than they’ve ever had before, all due to the presence of their own Hawk guards:
“They made for an odd funeral procession rattling down the dusty gravel: a wiry twist of a girl chief in her beaked mask, a shadow of a Hawk looming at her back, nine more Crows towing their dead sinner in the cart, three Hawks bringing up the rear.”
Fie has begun thinking of other things, too, though. She’s wondering why all of the other castes have a birthright, while Crows do not. They simply have the ability to take the birthright of other castes, using bones, generally teeth. They also have the dubious distinction of being immune to the Sinner’s Plague, leading them to work as undertakers, providing mercy to those suffering from the plague. What I didn’t realize, and learned over the course of this book, was exactly how damaging the plague could be, if left unattended to.
Rhusana has a total grudge against the Crows, and does everything that she can to undermine them. In addition, she controls the skin-ghasts, which are probably the creepiest and most horrific thing I can think of:
“Then one night they’d encountered more of Rhusana’s skin-ghasts, hideous empty puppets made from the skins of the dead.”
Fie realizes that in order to beat Rhusana, she will have to infiltrate the palace and do it from the inside. However, in doing so, she ended up having to call on some allies that I did not expect. Each of the allies was strong-willed and at times, it felt like the weirdest and worst-planned heist ever, even though it worked in a weird way. I was surprised at the amount of plot twists that were involved in the story, and there was actually some humor involved as well. Romance and betrayal also played a big role, and I never failed to be impressed at how realistic Fie’s character was. She’s so strong willed, but also sensitive, wise, stubborn, and forgiving.
I was especially impressed with how forward thinking this society was. Women held positions of power regularly — queens were common even throughout history, female warriors were just as well respected as males, Jasimir is widely known to be gay (even as a crown prince), there are other lesbian/gay/bi characters, and there’s at least one non-binary character (Madcap), and it’s all completely accepted in Sabor. I liked the idea of the Covenant as a system to keep things in check, where sinners are punished with the plague, and then reborn as a Crow to earn their way back to another caste, even though the caste system isn’t necessarily working well in this society.
There was a great view into the gods of Sabor, as well, as how the shrines and graves in the palace work. I loved the creativity of the story and how everything came together. I never predicted any of the plot twists, although I loved every single minute of it. This was definitely one of my favorite duologies, and I highly recommend it.
irareads's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I loved The Merciful Crow. It was original, whimsical and absolutely unique. This one was a bit of a let down, and the delightful whimsy has been replaced by a template of all the typical royal court drama YA tropes that I could do without.
But as far as YA goes, this was still better written than most. The magic system is intriguing and it has cats, which automatically makes any book at least 20% better. And for a YA female lead character, Fie was layered enough. Character development and world building was shallow.
But as far as YA goes, this was still better written than most. The magic system is intriguing and it has cats, which automatically makes any book at least 20% better. And for a YA female lead character, Fie was layered enough. Character development and world building was shallow.
c_serpent's review against another edition
Honestly. I'm DNF at 36%.
IF i finish this book, I plan on completing the book ONLY after I can get a paper copy and skim until I can bear to keep reading, but right now I have it on audio (Amy Landon, your narration freaking SUCKS and I cannot hear you said "fahn" instead of fine or "raght" instead of right one more time or I will tear off my own ears and eat them myself) and I can't skim an audiobook, and I'm really angry at Ms. Owen for her crappy story. Babe. Baby. Baby girl. You had SO MUCH GOING FOR YOU. SO MUCH. And you gave me THIS???
Now let me tell you why I'm not finishing this book. There are spoilers below. You've been warned.
At 36%, Tavin betrays Jassamir and Fie to Queen Rusana.
Tavin, the Hawk, the military man, the boy who mcfreaking does not want to be king, the man who watched the woman he loved almost kill HERSELF using magic for like a MONTH in the last book and he just took care of her best he could because he knew that she was fighting for something bigger than her, they literally ALL were fighting for something bigger than each of them, and you expect me to believe that he would betray both the love of his life AND his prince at the first bloody chance he gets because boohoo he doesn't want Fie to be hurt?
I am a very good girl who does not swear because she loves Jesus a lot so let me quote: "that shit better be free because I am not buying it."
You cannot, Ms. Owen, you CANNOT spend the ENTIRE first book playing up how duty bound and loyal this boy is to have him betray everything he believes in for a queen's word who he KNOWS is a bloody liar, and expect me as the reader to believe it, and expect FIE HERSELF to believe it?
Suspension of Belief (phrase of suspend): temporarily allow oneself to believe something that isn't true, especially in order to enjoy a work of fiction.
Temporarily is the key word here. This farce is unsustainable. And I stopped reading at 36% because Fie believed him, and I have a feeling that the whole freaking plot of the book requires Fie to believe Tavin betrayed her, and I don't even believe that, much less would she.
What, they did the horizontal naked dance and now his brain stops working and he's fundamentally changed as a person? Nothing else changed. This is NONSENSE, Ms. Owen. Nonsense.
Every single thing leading up to the betrayal was forced. Suddenly in book two Tavin is running around with his fire powers exposed. Everyone knows he's the bastard son of the king. People are calling him Prince. He has a circlet. (Who the frick had time to make him a circlet?) He suddenly is just like "oh haha *groan* amirite" when people mention his princely heritage instead of him being like "shut your filthy mouth that's not public info" like he was in the first book.
And oh no, he thinks Fie died :((( and that's enough to break him :(((( it makes SENSE he betrayed her the very first time he saw Rusana so that Fie could be safe :((( it makes SENSE he would BELIEVE RUSANA for some reason :(((( the boy just wants Fie to be safe :(((( he knows she is weak and powerless and she needs him to make this choice for her :(((( she will understand :(((( or at least she will be safe :((((
Honey? Love? Honey love? Ain't NO way that boy thinks for a SECOND that Fie will do anything to preserve her own life when she has the Oath on the line. Ain't no WAY that boy believes for a SECOND that Rusana won't skin Fie alive first chance she gets. AIN'T NO WAY he would give over Jass. He kept Jass alive when Jass was absolutely insufferable and you're telling me that now that they're close to victory, he betrays him? On what grounds? Your honor? Objection.
MISS. OWEN. You cANNOT spend your entire first book establishing such strong and personable characters, and then have them behave completely outside of their character within the first 40% of your first book, and expect me to believe it. Of COURSE Tavin didn't actually betray them. Of COURSE he has some master plan.
But I have a gross feeling that Fie believes him, and spends the rest of the book fighting him while fighting Rusana and then it will be revealed that Tavin was actually never betraying her in the first place, and I already know that. I don't actually care what happens next. I think I'll read a summary on Wikipedia.
This world was so good and interesting. I was rooting for the characters. I was so interested. But your plot, to quote my friend Amber Rose, cannot be held together with toothpicks. I don't care if your toothpick is a sexy Hawk boy with fire powers or whatever. It's toothpicks. It's farcical. It's an insult to the intelligence of your readers.
Rant over.
One star for Jass, who appeared and was a perfect baby boy for the first 36% of the book that I read. None for Fie, none for Tavin, and four stars have been REMOVED for Ms. Owen. Bad show.
IF i finish this book, I plan on completing the book ONLY after I can get a paper copy and skim until I can bear to keep reading, but right now I have it on audio (Amy Landon, your narration freaking SUCKS and I cannot hear you said "fahn" instead of fine or "raght" instead of right one more time or I will tear off my own ears and eat them myself) and I can't skim an audiobook, and I'm really angry at Ms. Owen for her crappy story. Babe. Baby. Baby girl. You had SO MUCH GOING FOR YOU. SO MUCH. And you gave me THIS???
Now let me tell you why I'm not finishing this book. There are spoilers below. You've been warned.
Spoiler
At 36%, Tavin betrays Jassamir and Fie to Queen Rusana.
Tavin, the Hawk, the military man, the boy who mcfreaking does not want to be king, the man who watched the woman he loved almost kill HERSELF using magic for like a MONTH in the last book and he just took care of her best he could because he knew that she was fighting for something bigger than her, they literally ALL were fighting for something bigger than each of them, and you expect me to believe that he would betray both the love of his life AND his prince at the first bloody chance he gets because boohoo he doesn't want Fie to be hurt?
I am a very good girl who does not swear because she loves Jesus a lot so let me quote: "that shit better be free because I am not buying it."
You cannot, Ms. Owen, you CANNOT spend the ENTIRE first book playing up how duty bound and loyal this boy is to have him betray everything he believes in for a queen's word who he KNOWS is a bloody liar, and expect me as the reader to believe it, and expect FIE HERSELF to believe it?
Suspension of Belief (phrase of suspend): temporarily allow oneself to believe something that isn't true, especially in order to enjoy a work of fiction.
Temporarily is the key word here. This farce is unsustainable. And I stopped reading at 36% because Fie believed him, and I have a feeling that the whole freaking plot of the book requires Fie to believe Tavin betrayed her, and I don't even believe that, much less would she.
What, they did the horizontal naked dance and now his brain stops working and he's fundamentally changed as a person? Nothing else changed. This is NONSENSE, Ms. Owen. Nonsense.
Every single thing leading up to the betrayal was forced. Suddenly in book two Tavin is running around with his fire powers exposed. Everyone knows he's the bastard son of the king. People are calling him Prince. He has a circlet. (Who the frick had time to make him a circlet?) He suddenly is just like "oh haha *groan* amirite" when people mention his princely heritage instead of him being like "shut your filthy mouth that's not public info" like he was in the first book.
And oh no, he thinks Fie died :((( and that's enough to break him :(((( it makes SENSE he betrayed her the very first time he saw Rusana so that Fie could be safe :((( it makes SENSE he would BELIEVE RUSANA for some reason :(((( the boy just wants Fie to be safe :(((( he knows she is weak and powerless and she needs him to make this choice for her :(((( she will understand :(((( or at least she will be safe :((((
Honey? Love? Honey love? Ain't NO way that boy thinks for a SECOND that Fie will do anything to preserve her own life when she has the Oath on the line. Ain't no WAY that boy believes for a SECOND that Rusana won't skin Fie alive first chance she gets. AIN'T NO WAY he would give over Jass. He kept Jass alive when Jass was absolutely insufferable and you're telling me that now that they're close to victory, he betrays him? On what grounds? Your honor? Objection.
MISS. OWEN. You cANNOT spend your entire first book establishing such strong and personable characters, and then have them behave completely outside of their character within the first 40% of your first book, and expect me to believe it. Of COURSE Tavin didn't actually betray them. Of COURSE he has some master plan.
But I have a gross feeling that Fie believes him, and spends the rest of the book fighting him while fighting Rusana and then it will be revealed that Tavin was actually never betraying her in the first place, and I already know that. I don't actually care what happens next. I think I'll read a summary on Wikipedia.
This world was so good and interesting. I was rooting for the characters. I was so interested. But your plot, to quote my friend Amber Rose, cannot be held together with toothpicks. I don't care if your toothpick is a sexy Hawk boy with fire powers or whatever. It's toothpicks. It's farcical. It's an insult to the intelligence of your readers.
Rant over.
One star for Jass, who appeared and was a perfect baby boy for the first 36% of the book that I read. None for Fie, none for Tavin, and four stars have been REMOVED for Ms. Owen. Bad show.
auburnedge's review against another edition
5.0
An absolute roller coaster of emotions. I was a big fan of The Merciful Crow and this second half of the duology was a perfect match.
I had moments of anger and fear but also a few where I swooned or swore out loud.
An epic read from start to finish. 5/5
I had moments of anger and fear but also a few where I swooned or swore out loud.
An epic read from start to finish. 5/5
haynoelle96's review against another edition
5.0
YO. Okay, so I thought that I wouldn't remember a lot going into this book and I kinda didn't, but this book is a quick study (and thank god for summaries I found online lol). Once you hit the 30% mark, this book is literally pedal to the metal and take no prisoners. And this isn't to say that the beginning isn't interesting or fun to read, it's just the latter part of the book is non-stop to the point where I debated staying up until the wee hours of the morning reading the end of it. But because I make smart decisions (and because I was tired) I had to put it down until the next day. As sequels go, this book was the perfect sequel and conclusion to the Merciful Crow series and will probably go down as not only one of my favorites but also one of the most satisfying that I've read.
The twists and turns that this book takes really puts you on a roller coaster of a ride. I can't say anything more than that because of spoilers but if you really wanna know, I'm putting them at the end of this paragraph. I feel like the author took calculated risks and made twists that made sense for the story, but also weren't just for shock value.
I was surprised to find out that he was working with Khoda the whole time as a spy working for the Black Swans was surprising. Though I'm glad that it was enough for him and Fie and Jasimir to reconcile. Oh, yeah I almost forgot a spoiler. How in the heck did Fie end up being the reincarnation of some ancient god? Who knows. And Lakima LIVED!!!! YESSS.
Let's not forget that Tavin also became a Crow in order to save his life. That was cool.
There's almost no more I can say other than that. I loved the pacing, I loved the growth of the characters, I loved Barf, and I loved every single character and where they ended up. I wouldn't mind a novella or two of continuation for how the character's end up... but other than that I was basically satisfied.
Honestly, if you liked the Merciful Crow, then you'll love the sequel. I completely recommend. Especially rather quickly after you finish the first of the series, just to make sure that you don't forget anything lol. Happy Reading!!!
The twists and turns that this book takes really puts you on a roller coaster of a ride. I can't say anything more than that because of spoilers but if you really wanna know, I'm putting them at the end of this paragraph. I feel like the author took calculated risks and made twists that made sense for the story, but also weren't just for shock value.
Spoiler
Queen Rhusana really reminded me of Levana from the Lunar chronicles with how she controlled people and how people were afraid of her because of the effect that she could have on someone's mind. And the fact that she kept a whole room full of hair???? Eww and that's creepy af. I actually LOLd when Jas and Fie burned the entire room. And I knew that they were going to redeem Tavin in some way, but I wasn't sure how.I was surprised to find out that he was working with Khoda the whole time as a spy working for the Black Swans was surprising. Though I'm glad that it was enough for him and Fie and Jasimir to reconcile. Oh, yeah I almost forgot a spoiler. How in the heck did Fie end up being the reincarnation of some ancient god? Who knows. And Lakima LIVED!!!! YESSS.
Let's not forget that Tavin also became a Crow in order to save his life. That was cool.
There's almost no more I can say other than that. I loved the pacing, I loved the growth of the characters, I loved Barf, and I loved every single character and where they ended up. I wouldn't mind a novella or two of continuation for how the character's end up... but other than that I was basically satisfied.
Honestly, if you liked the Merciful Crow, then you'll love the sequel. I completely recommend. Especially rather quickly after you finish the first of the series, just to make sure that you don't forget anything lol. Happy Reading!!!