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The Merciful Crow

The Merciful Crow Series: Book #1

by Margaret Owen

Narrator Amy Landon

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Length 12 hours 57 minutes

Language English

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Bookseller recommendation

“Equal parts beauty and grit, The Merciful Crow is a novel that kept me up through the night. In the start of what is planned on being a duology, Margaret Owens filled her story with beautiful words, witty characters, and situations many can connect to. The world Owens created is divided into a caste system named after birds, which like many in the real world has an upper and lower caste, and the Crows are the lowest of them all. Owens sends the readers on a journey with Fie, a Crow Chief-in-training willing to do whatever it takes to protect her family, Jasimir, a Phoenix prince trying to outwit his step-mother, and Tavin, a Hawk bodyguard who is learning what it means to want something for himself. Along the way, Jasirmir and Tavin learn what it means to be a Crow and all of the discrimination that comes with being not of the "splendid castes." Even though they face discrimination and are hunted down, they still are able to find joy in life and survive. Fie hopes that with the prince’s help the Crows will be able to not only survive, but thrive. I couldn't get enough of this book.”
— Victoria • Mysterious Galaxy Books

Summary
About the author

Debut author Margaret Owen crafts a powerful saga of vengeance, survival, and sacrifice--perfect for fans of Leigh Bardugo and Kendare Blake--in The Merciful Crow.

One way or another, we always feed the crows.

A future chieftain

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. 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.

A fugitive prince

When Crown Prince Jasimir turns out to have faked his death, Fie’s ready to cut her losses—and perhaps his throat. 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.

A too-cunning bodyguard

Hawk warrior Tavin has always put Jas’s life before his, magically assuming the prince’s appearance and shadowing his every step. But what happens when Tavin begins to want something to call his own?

Fantasy YA Fiction

Margaret Owen was born and raised at the end of the Oregon Trail and has worked in everything from thrift stores to presidential campaigns. She is the author of the instant Indie Bestseller Little Thieves, which received five starred reviews and was a Kids' Indie next pick and YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection. Her debut, The Merciful Crow duology, was an NPR Best Book of the Year, a Tor.com Best of the Year, and a YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults Selection.

In her free time, she enjoys exploring ill-advised travel destinations, raising money for social justice nonprofits through her illustrated work, and negotiating a hostage situation with her monstrous cats. She lives in Seattle, Washington.