Review: The Crow by Alison Croggon
Title: The Crow (Book Three of the Pellinor Quartet)
Author: Alison Croggon
Pages: 511
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: A-
Challenge: The 2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge
This book follows The Riddle ( review here) in the Pellinor series. However, this book doesn't follow chronologically; the story is parallel to that of the Riddle. Where in The Riddle Maerad's story is told, in The Crow Hem's story unfolds. This is a good and a not-so-good thing.
I really looked forward to and enjoyed the chance to experience Hem's story. We travel to a new city and are exposed to other cultures of Edil-Amarandh and get to learn about Hem himself. We also meet a new character, Irc the white crow (as seen on the cover) who is enorminously endearing. Being an animal lover I always appreciate our non-human characters in fantasies.
I found it mildly annoying that we had to go back in time to see Hem's story which coincides with Maerad's. We made big leaps in plot during The Riddle and I felt that there wasn't much that was new or unexpected in The Crow. I could feel the strings of the author pushing and pulling the plot to set everything up for when everything converges in The Singing (the fourth and final book).
That being said, The crow really stands out from the previous two books. This installment is much darker. There are heavy themes and also many gruesome images. It really gives you the sense that things are starting to get very serious. I liked that; it made everything seem that much more real. I highly recommend this series! A-
Currently Reading: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis
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