Review of The Crow

The Crow by Alison Croggon was not my favorite of the 3 Books of Pellinor I've read, but it was still a great read. It was entertaining and sometimes even scary. And I cried once. And yes, I do tend to like books more when they make me cry! I think it's because the characters have to be well-written in order for me to connect with them at all. But more on that later.

The Crow is book 3 in the Pellinor Saga. The first 2 follow a young girl named Maerad and her friend Cadvan on their journey to find something called the "treesong." Book 3 changes direction a bit. It follows Hem, Maerad's younger brother. He has been brought to the Suderain, a land in the south, by his mentor Saliman. Their city, Turbansk, is under attack. The city's seige, Hem's escape, and Hem's travels deep into evil lands fill the pages of this story.

I found this book to be a bit slow in the beginning, but I chalk it up to the new characters. Maerad and Cadvan dominated the 1st 2 books, and I love them both dearly. So the character changes were definitely noticed. Once I got to know Hem, Saliman, and the others from The Crow (Hem and Saliman we actually meet in earlier books, we just don't know them too well), this book went a lot faster. My favorite character has to be Irc, the white crow Hem nurses back to health. The things he says are priceless and made me laugh out loud. I also love how even when Irc is surrounded by evil and in danger of death, his obsession with shiny things is still in full swing, leading him to steal a pendant from the leader of the Dark. My other favorite character is Zelika, Hem's friend. She is spritely, spicy, and has a lot of attitude. She has a thirst for revenge and a lot a energy. I connected with her immediately.

All in all, this was a great read. If you've read books 1 and 2, read this one too. It's weird because Maerad and Cadvan aren't in it at all, but it's still fun to read, and fun to meet new characters. I especially loved seeing Hem's transformation from child in the beginning to young adult at the end. I can't wait to read book 4, The Singing, now! (Although I'm putting it off for a month at least because I hate when a great series comes to an end!)

Some of my fave quotes:

Ch.9: 'It is only the darkness in our own hearts that will defeat us, in the end.' Saliman

And SPOILER!! DON'T READ THIS QUOTE UNLESS YOU'VE READ THE BOOK OR DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS!

Ch. 25: 'Goodbye, Zelika,' he said out loud. 'I was going to marry you, you know, when we grew up. It won't happen now. Maybe it wouldn't have happened anyway. But I want you to know that.' He stood silent for a long time with his head bowed, and then whispered, 'May the light keep you.' -Hem