The Merciful Crow

Fie abides by one rule: look after your own. As the future chieftain of a shunned caste of mercy killers, she relies on her wits and bone magic, which is drawn from the teeth of dead witches to protect her hand. The Crows take more abuse than coin, so when they’re called to collect the royal dead, Fie hopes they’ll find the payout of a lifetime. But Fie soon discovers that Crown Prince Jasimir and his bodyguard, Tavin, have faked their deaths to escape the ruthless queen, leaving her to delve into an uneasy alliance tested by old secrets, shifting allegiances, and forbidden feelings.

One of the first things that intrigued me about The Merciful Crow was the unique caste and magic system, which was tied to every aspect of the story, down to the lore of the universe, and to every character (no matter how minor). However, I cannot help but say that the castes confused me at first due to the lack of information surrounding them (and how they came to be). Also, after a while, the plot, and the action surrounding it, started becoming repetitive and predictable, nearly turning me away from finishing.