The murder birds are back for a fantastically epic sequel! Gods, I can’t even imagine what a puddle I would be if I hadn’t been able to read this book early. I definitely squealed a lot when I had this book in my hands, and it didn’t stop until I closed the book. Margaret Owen certainly had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, and built up a really good climax. If you haven’t read The Merciful Crow yet, you should stop reading this now and go pick it up before coming back to this review! I promise you won’t be disappointed. If you’ve already read it, then welcome to my spoiler-free review. Actually, there will be some spoilers to The Merciful Crow, so like I said, if you haven’t read it…scat!
Final warning!
Some content warnings as well, you might read with caution if killing, torture, and disease related descriptions don’t sound like things that you want to picture. I don’t feel like it’s mentally scarring, but then again, every person is different.
So when we last left off, Fie became chieftain of the Crows. However, she knows better than to expect a royal to keep their word. That being said, Fie still hopes that Jasimir will fulfil his oath to protect her Crows. When black smoke fills the sky and signals the death of King Surimir, Fie knows that Queen Rhusana has started her merciless bid for the throne. As the witch queen uses her powers to turn Sabor against the Crows, Fie and her Crows are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague that the witch queen is spreading. Unfortunately, it’s a race against time for Fie. She’ll need to call on allies and go undercover within the palace in order to take down the Queen and save Sabor once and for all, but she’ll also have to unravel Rhusana’s deadly plot and Crow secrets before destruction comes for them all.
What a doozy of a summary. Not only does it pack a wallop, it makes you want to just rip the book open and start reading. Which is exactly what I did, and let me tell you, there are few that can write an introductory hook as good as Margaret Owen. Fie continues to be her sassy, grumpy self but definitely a little more wizened than in the first book. I mean, she’s definitely gone through hell. Of course, you can be assured there’s only more to come. Her character development was the most fascinating to me, because while there’s definitely growth, there’s also some development. She’s afraid of being weak, so much so that it taints the way she sees things…and there are definitely some consequences to it.
There’s such an amazing exploration here, and I can’t get into details because of spoilers, but just know, it’s some riveting stuff. The castes are a lot more desperate in this one, and alongside challenging the system in place, there’s a lot more introspection happening. Some double down in their beliefs, but not all. It provides a glimmer of hope in an otherwise nightmare hellscape.
For all the murder and disease and death, there has to be interjections of humour, which were highly appreciated and clever. Again, I praise Margaret’s way with words. It’s so authentic and unique. The words don’t feel forced, and just helps the story flow in such a way that you can’t help but keep turning the page. When you pick this up, make sure to read the dedication…I was chuckling before I had even started the damn story.
Some of you have probably been waiting for me to talk about the romance in this book, and my goodness, I hope I don’t disappoint you. In a word, this romance was everything for me. Albeit, I was angry for quite a bit of this story…but it plays out in such a way that you can’t be mad at it in the end. It was quite a clever romance to me. Please someone else read this and some squawk about it with me!
Honestly, if I didn’t talk about Rhusana in this review, she’d probably give me the plague. So, that’s probably all you need to know. Man, if you thought she had secrets before, what you’ll find out in the sequel will definitely make your hair stand on end. The sheer ruthlessness of this woman is downright admirable. Do I hate her? Most assuredly. Fear her? Absolutely. Those poor birds. I just want to protect them.
In case it hasn’t been abundantly clear, I loved this book. My hope is that it has inspired you to add it (and The Merciful Crow) to your TBR if you haven’t already. Buy it, borrow it, gift it…but DON’T steal it. This is a story that’s meant to be devoured and shared. And also has CATS. If nothing else, do it for the cats.
The Faithless Hawk is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 18th 2020.
Will you be picking up The Faithless Hawk? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Kings become outcasts and lovers become foes in the thrilling sequel to Margaret Owen’s The Merciful Crow.
As the new chieftain of the Crows, Fie knows better than to expect a royal to keep his word. Still she’s hopeful that Prince Jasimir will fulfill his oath to protect her fellow Crows. But then black smoke fills the sky, signaling the death of King Surimir and the beginning of Queen Rhusana’s merciless bid for the throne.
With the witch queen using the deadly plague to unite the nation of Sabor against Crows—and add numbers to her monstrous army—Fie and her band are forced to go into hiding, leaving the country to be ravaged by the plague. However, they’re all running out of time before the Crows starve in exile and Sabor is lost forever.
A desperate Fie calls on old allies to help take Rhusana down from within her own walls. But inside the royal palace, the only difference between a conqueror and a thief is an army. To survive, Fie must unravel not only Rhusana’s plot, but ancient secrets of the Crows—secrets that could save her people, or set the world ablaze.
